Using rakes, we began creating trails that zigzagged back and forth all across the yard in what became a maze full of many trails and dead ends .

After the raking, we played a game of freeze tag. During the game, one person would go around and either open up or close trails making the game full of much adventure and unexpected’s.

It was a blast watching both the older and younger ones run up and down the trails having so much fun. We’re looking forward to next fall already!

Both of our Grandparents really remember picking potatoes . Up in North Dakota, many farms would grow acres and acres of potatoes. When it would be the time for picking, they would have a tractor go through all the rows and plow up the potatoes. After this, children from town, including our grandparents, would go and pick up many bushels of potatoes. For every bushel picked, they would earn 5 cents. That was a lot of money for them in those days.

We have been looking forward to having Grandpa and Grandma join us for a day at our land. They have played a key role, through their stories and ideas, in creating within us a love for farming and living in the country. For Fathers Day this year, we gave Grandpa a special gift: an invitation to join us for a day on the land.

The Thursday was set and Grandpa & Grandma came out for  the day! How we enjoyed hearing them talk about their   childhood farming adventures as we walked through the garden, drove through the orchard, ate a scrumptious dinner (including some fruit  freshly cut by Grandpa), and watched the sun set. It was extra memorable having Grandpa and Grandma join us for an inspection of the bee hives. The Lord blessed our time together and we look forward to spending more time out there with them in the future!

Besides watching the birds, we also enjoy taking pictures of them as they eat and interact with each other. But there was a problem, it is hard to get real close with the birds and our cameras don’t zoom in real far. A couple weeks ago we came up with a creative idea for getting as close to the birds as possible.

We began by first pulling down the window in our bed room and from the roof line above hung a suet and regular seed feeder. Using a small plastic container, we also made a place on the window sill for bird seed. The container keeps the birdseed from flying away. A few branches were also hung off the window so the birds have another place to perch before grabbing a seed. Then off we went to Wal-Mart to grab a bag of seed. After pouring in the bird seed, we waited patiently.

One late afternoon while reading in my bed, lo and behold, a Chickadee jumped on the little feeder and took a seed just before flying off again. Soon after that, many other birds such as the Tuft Titmouse, Cardinals, Nuthatches, Junco’s, Hairy and Downy woodpeckers, Finches, and many other birds.

The neat thing about this was that it made it very easy for us to take pictures of birds. I have been able to take some really close up pictures. It sure is enjoyable to wake up in the morning and watch the many different types of birds near our window. Watching God’s creation in action each day is just amazing.

"The flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come… (Song of Solomon 2:12)."

Mom prepared a family favorite casserole of venison burger and vegetables. When everything was ready, we dressed in hunting gear and sat down for a scrum-dilly-licious meal.

We learned a lot of valuable lessons this year. Several people gave us advice on how to hunt better. As a result, this was our best hunting season ever.

Venison Burger Casserole

In a 13x9x2 glass pan, spread 1 ½ pounds of ground venison, put in 2 small cans of green beans for the layer number 2, pour in 1-2 cans of tomato soup depending on how runny you prefer, and then spread about an inch of mashed potatoes on top. Sprinkle a little paprika seasoning for additional flavoring and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Not long after (only about 5 minutes), I heard something running torward us. All of a sudden a large six point buck (almost 8 points) came into the clearing. Our guns were lying on the floor of the stand but Dad and I froze, not moving a muscle. The deer starred at us for about 30 secconds before going down to sniff the ground. Daddy then bent down to pick up his gun when the buck looked at us again. Dad patiently stayed in the bent position until the deer looked away. Suddenly, it began to run, but right before it would of dissappeared, it stopped to look at us one more time. Daddy quickly fired his gun and the deer fell down right where it was. After processing it, we had almost 45 pounds of meat – our biggest deer ever! Watching Dad’s endurance, even when it was painful while standing in an awkward position, encouraged me.

Though therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3

Endurance: The inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God’s best.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of milk (any type of milk should be fine)

2. 2 tablespoons of sugar

3. 1 teaspoon of vanilla

4. 3 cups of ice cube

5. 1/4 cup of salt (any type of will work)

6. Add any extra flavors at this time. We like to add either strawberries or crumbled oreos.

In a quart size ziploc bag, mix together the milk, sugar and vanilla. Seal the bag tightly, without leaving lots of air inside (If you are a little concerned about it leaking out, feel free to tape it up!). In a gallon-sized ziploc bag, mix the ice and salt. Place the sealed quart-bag inside the gallon-sized one.

Now comes the teamwork part. For the next 10-15 minutes thoroughly shake the bags (the more the better). Continue until you have a milk-shake consistency. I have been blessed to have many helpers every time I make the ice cream. Everyone works hard for the tasty treat at the end. Usually, the end result is more like a milk-shake but still extra tasty!

During our time in Colorado, Daddy and I were able to visit some neat parks and mountains. Our first stop on the trip was Colorado Springs. We spent 2-3 days visiting the area. One mountain that we went on was Pikes Peak. It is 14,115 feet tall and is the most visited mountain in North America (the second most visited in the world). We took a 1.5 hour ride on a cog train to the summit. There are only two cog trains in the United States. They are used because of how steep the mountains are. No other train could safely climb to the summit. On our trip up, we sat next to an elderly Christian couple who live in Missouri on a large farm. Hearing about their farm made us look forward to living in the country one day.

Because of the high altitude, we could not stay on the mountain top for more than 45 minutes. Otherwise we would begin to get sick. The weather was much cooler (even in August), but the views were dramatic. There is no way such a beautiful scene could of been formed by evolution.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength: lift it up , be not afrad; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Isaiah 40:90 

In our house when boys reach the age of 12, Daddy begins preparing them for manhood. A few weeks ago Daddy and I flew to Denver, Colorado for a Father and son retreat with Vision Forum. The retreat took place at the ’Crooked Creek Ranch.’ The purpose of the trip was to strengthen my relationship with Dad and for me, as the next 12 year old, to learn how to be a Godly young man.

While up there, we listened to Godly Fathers such as Doug Phillips, Pastor Scott Brown, Pastor Brown’s Father (a WWII vet), Lew Sterrett, and others. Mr. Phillips encouraged us to spend time asking questions and listening to the stories of our Daddy’s lives. 

During the retreat, Daddy and I went on a mountain bike ride. The mountain which we road up went quite high. The views were beautiful.

Lew Sterret was my favorite speaker. He trains horses and relates the process of training horses to the Christian walk. I enjoyed watching and learning. I am grateful for the Godly young men in my life and appreciate their examples.

Details on the rest of the trip will be coming soon.

Just recently Daddy took the boys down to our 90 acres to go camping with some other fathers and sons. This was an Alert cadet campout. God provided beautiful weather, which we had prayed for fervently. While down there, we played some exciting games, sat around the fire, sang songs, practiced shooting guns, and learned about edible plants.

The most important thing I remember was, spending time with Daddy.  I had a great time walking with him in the woods and looking at God’s creation.It was encouraging to see other fathers and sons working on projects, and cooking, and just being together. God truely blessed our time out there. It was a great memory. Thank you Daddy for making it a wonderful time.