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You are here: Home / Archives for NZ Filbruns

NZ Filbruns

Fishing

April 7, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Two weeks ago, on a Sunday afternoon, a friend called and asked if we wanted to go fishing. He has a kontiki, or longline, which pulls a fishing line a kilometer or so out to sea. They leave it out for awhile, then pull it back in and hope for a fish on each hook! Of course the boys wanted to go. I needed a nap, so Gayle and the boys and Little Miss all went. I took a nap, and Esther worked on packing the picnic we were planning to have down by the river that evening anyway, in honor of Mr. Imagination’s birthday. We followed about an hour after the boys left, and arrived just in time to see the fish being reeled in.

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Here is the contraption that takes the line out to sea.

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There were quite a number of sharks on the hooks. Most were small enough that they were thrown back in, but I think there were five big enough to eat. Our friend saved one for his son, and he and Simon cooked the other four on the fire for us to eat right away. They cleaned them, then put butter and seasoned salt inside the cavity. They put sliced lemons on the outside of the sharks, and wrapped the whole thing in several layers of foil, then put them directly on the coals of the driftwood fire they had started when they got to the beach.

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While we waited for the sharks to cook, we roasted sausages and marshmallows over the fire.

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When the sharks were cooked, we dug into them—yum!

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Here is a view down the beach.

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Mr. Imagination wanted me to take a picture of his rock. He says this was his best birthday celebration yet!

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Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Fishing, West Coast

Odds and Ends From February 2019

March 30, 2019 by NZ Filbruns 1 Comment

One evening, I took the camera down the hill to where I milk. We are deeply grateful to a local man for allowing us the use of this large paddock, and Poppy appreciates all the grass in it! Pansy has her own fenced-off corner to keep her from direct contact with her mother (for obvious reasons), but they can be fairly close. Notice the mountains across the river? I enjoy seeing them in all their different moods.

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To get into the paddock, we cut across the fence near the top of the hill, using this stile that my boys built (on the suggestions of the property owner). Then, we scramble carefully down a very steep hill.

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I wanted to make lasagna one day, so Mr. Imagination helped me make the noodles. Yum!

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This was one of our first big pickings of tomatoes. Last week’s, about a month after this photo was taken, we got about twice as many as are in this picture! We’re very thankful for such a good harvest from our 104 plants. Today, I’m making the third enormous batch of salsa, since my big boys eat so much. We just happen to have very spicy peppers this year, which makes the flavor they enjoy, so the popular vote this week was to make salsa instead of bottling whole tomatoes and juice. We had about 110 pints from the first two batches; I think we’ll have 60-70 more after today. Hope that’s enough! Hard-working teenage boys eat a lot, and one of them was eating it by the cupful when I asked for taste-testers this morning. Notice the pink and black tomatoes? We had a bumper crop from our heirloom plants this year. We’re loving eating those super-tasty ones!

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Little Miss is watching me write this. She wanted me to write down her story, too: The man was picking apples. Then he saw the big, bad wolf, and then he made a brick house quickly and then he went in it and the big, bad wolf said, “Let me come in, let me come in.” Then the guy said, “No,” and then the big, bad wolf said, “Well, then, I will huff and I will puff and I will blow your house in.” Then he huffed and he puffed and he couldn’t blow the man’s house in. He said, “There’s a farmer’s tree down the road. Will you get up at 6:00 in the morning and come with me to the farmer’s?” The end.

Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Cow, Garden, Homemaking, Random Photos

Book Review—Dead Letter, Book 4 of the Meddlin’ Madeline Mysteries

March 28, 2019 by NZ Filbruns 1 Comment

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Book: Dead Letter, A Meddlin’ Madeline Mystery
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian historical, mystery
Release Date: February 19, 2019

For the first time, Madeline has permission to meddle.

Something’s not adding up in the Wintherwood, Ohio bank, and Madeline’s there to figure out why.

Sent by the Rockland Pinkerton’s office to investigate shady banking practices, Madeline finally has the opportunity to try out all her developing detective skills. From her new disguise to an assumed persona, complete with non-existent fiancé, Madeline takes on embezzlement in Wintherwood, Ohio.

Now, to find the culprit and get back to Rockland before Amy arrives, before Mrs. Barnes gets any sicker, and before Russell writes her off as a hopeless, heartless girl.

As Madeline figures out what’s happening, even Mr. Flint begins to lose confidence in her. How will she prove who is taking the money and why–especially after her primary suspect ends up dead?

Dead Letter is the fourth book in the Meddlin’ Madeline series.

My Thoughts:

I have been enjoying the Meddlin’ Madeline books ever since the first one was published, three years ago. It’s fun to watch Madeline developing her skill as a detective, and at the same time to watch her grow in her walk with God. Then, there is her friendship with Russell…

To read the rest of my review, go here.

About the Author:

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her on the web and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

Guest Post From Chautona Havig:

3 REASONS YOU’LL LOVE THE BOOK AND HATE ME

“This is book four, right?”

I nodded.

He looked at me with those eyes that conjure up the idea of puppy dogs begging for treats. So deceptive. “You’re going to have to up the stakes then.”

“Well, this is the one where she goes into official active detective mode and decides if she even wants that kind of life.”

“Not enough.”

He was right and I knew it. Fortunately, I’d prepared for this moment. You see, I know him well. He’s a horror writer. He likes to torment in ways that make my worst meannesses seem petty (like the time I suggested killing off Chad in Past Forward—trust me. That was kind compared to his ideas).

So, I pulled out my bigger gun and plopped it on the table. I added ammunition. And grinned.

Look, you guys are going to hate me for it, but trust me. It needs to be done. You’ll forgive me… eventually. Maybe. I hope.

Then he did it. He gave me that look. No, not the, “Yeah, baby!” look you want to see when you’ve hit a hole in one. The, “Is that all you’ve got?” look.

The work began. He suggested one thing. I toned it back. He looked like that puppy again—except this time I’d kicked him. Bless his heart, he does love his horror.

Still, he whistled his way out the door a short while later, and I grinned. Compromise is beautiful. But what does that mean for YOU?

3 REASONS YOU’LL LOVE THE BOOK AND HATE ME

First—

Love the book: Madeline as Jane Sempleton is a hoot. She cracked me up from the beginning, and I’m still chuckling.

Hate me: Madeline’s faith and integrity are tested in this one—exponentially. Without giving away too much, her father even rebukes her!!!

Second—

Love the book: Mrs. Barnes is such a sweet mentor to Madeline

Hate me: Mrs. Barnes. That’s all I’m sayin’. Mrs. Barnes.

Third—

Love the book: Snippets of the heart get revealed.

Hate me: Russell. That’s all I’m sayin’. Russell.

So, there you have it. All the reasons you should read this book… and remember that the series isn’t over. Not by a long shot. It’s darkest before dawn. And um… a whole bunch of other clichés.

 

To purchase your copy, click here.

To visit more of the blog stops on this tour, click here.

To enter a fun giveaway, click here.

I was given a copy of this book by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

Links in this post may be affiliate links.

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, CelebrateLit, Chautona Havig

Boys and Their Projects

March 23, 2019 by NZ Filbruns 1 Comment

My boys have been coming up with some good projects lately, like usual. Mr. Intellectual has built this chair. It hasn’t been used yet, because he wants to treat it for wood borer before he finishes it.

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Mr. Diligence was being a clown one day. His little sister had been given a sticker book for Christmas, and when she finished taking the stickers out, he took all the extra and made a hat for himself.

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Simon made these hatchet handles while I was gone. The red one is rimu, the white one is willow, and the dark one is blue gum. He said that wood was so hard that it took twice as long to shape and sand as the others did. The rimu is a pretty hard wood, but brittle; it splintered when he was throwing the hatchets. In its defense, it was 80 years old; we tore it off the inside of the walls of Esther’s room last year. The blue gum is the strongest, and he likes it the best. He made the handle for the knife in the second photo from some redwood, when we lived at the last house.

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Mr. Diligence built me this cupboard from some of those rimu boards. He spent several months on it, off and on, until he finally got the last coat of teak oil on it and the boys brought it into the house a few weeks ago. There are five shelves in it, and it is a perfect pantry for me. Now, the linen closet is much better organized, and the shelves are no longer in danger of collapsing from the weight of the cans stacked on them!

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Mr. Diligence also got started on building the window seat we have been talking about ever since we bought this house. (Can you tell that he has to have a project to work on?) He built a bin into it for Little Miss’s toys. We’re planning to cover it with a cushion as soon as we get hold of a foam mattress to cut down to size. We bought the upholstery fabric for it—but our piece of leftover foam rubber wasn’t big enough. So, the seat is rather hard right now.

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The little boys and Little Miss like to play in the sandbox. One day, they built this elaborate castle.

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Simon occasionally spends some time working on his Austin. One day I found him polishing the chrome.

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Another day he took it on a short test drive. Little Miss was getting ready to cry because I told her she couldn’t go along, so I asked if she wanted to take a picture. This is what she got as he was going out the street. Simon was excited that the car ran, but found out that he has to replace the gas lines. Also, he couldn’t get it started again after he got home.

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Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Boys

What We’ve Been Reading Lately

March 19, 2019 by NZ Filbruns 3 Comments

We read a lot of great books together as part of our homeschooling. Here is what we’ve been reading the last week or two.

Our morning books (read while the breakfast dishes are being washed):

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Note: Links in this post may be affiliate links, and if they are, they will benefit Esther.

We finished Volume 8 of The Bible Story yesterday, and started Volume 9 today. I like to keep a Bible Story book going for the younger ones.

We’ve been working on Who Am I? for several months now, and are about halfway through it. There are a lot of good thoughts about who we are in Christ, in this book.

We’ve been reading David Macaulay’s wonderful books for a few months now, and are nearly through Ship. I love the detail in his drawings!

Loyalty Test was a great book to go along with our study of the American Revolution. It shows a side of history that I had never seen before, and I believe it’s sorely needed. Exactly how much of what we’ve learned is true, and how much is myth? This well-researched book will challenge you, as well as intrigue you.

We read one chapter from What Really Happened in Colonial Times this morning, about Paul Revere from the point of view of his second wife. It was quite interesting!

Yesterday, we read And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? I always enjoy Jean Fritz’s books about history!

Our afternoon books (while lunch dishes are being washed):

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We’ve probably been working our way through the Little House books for most of a year. We finished Little Town on the Prairie yesterday, and started These Happy Golden Years today. Even though I have read this series many times, I still love them!

Mr. Diligence and Mr. Sweetie love Lois Lenski. They ask me to buy them books by her whenever they have an excuse. We’re reading Texas Tomboy right now. For most of the way through, I was wondering if it was worth reading this one, because the girl’s attitudes were so bad, but she seems to be changing for the better now and I’m liking the story after all.

When we were in Michigan, I borrowed The Ra Expeditions from my mother (nothing like taking a borrowed book 9,000 miles, is there!). The day after we got home, I told Mr. Intellectual that it was his turn to choose one of our read-alouds, and that was what he chose. We’re about halfway through it now, over a month later. It’s a bit slow-moving, but very interesting. The last few days, the action has really picked up, as they set out across the Atlantic with this bundle of papyrus and ran into all sorts of trouble.

We’ve also been working our way through Sam Campbell’s Living Forest series. We finished Fiddlesticks and Freckles a few days ago (it disappeared, so I couldn’t put it in the photo), and started Beloved Rascals, the last book. These are great nature stories!

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Books, Homeschooling

January 2019 Photos

March 17, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Whew…I’ve been getting a bit behind. I really don’t recommend taking a three-week trip overseas in the middle of summer, then trying to jump right back into school and preserving the harvest when you get home, if you want to stay on top of things. And then, of course, pregnancy to add to the mix…and a three-day trip to the other side of the island last weekend…well, anyway, here are the last few photos from January. Sometime this week I hope to look through memory cards again so I can start catching up on everything that’s been happening since the middle of February!

The canoe got its last strips inserted, and Mr. Intellectual finished sanding the outside, before we left. They got the fibreglass they need to cover it, but haven’t started that process yet.

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When we see an escort vehicle go past with an “Oversize Vehicle” sign on it, we usually watch to see what is coming. Usually, we see a large digger (excavator), but sometimes it’s something more exciting, like this bulldozer from a gold mine near Reefton. This machine is HUGE!

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Here is a more common sight. I think a little boy was experimenting with my camera to see how he could best get pictures of vehicles going past.

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This was one of our first harvests of zucchini. Isn’t it pretty? We’ve had many times more than this with subsequent harvests; I’m very happy with a number of the crops from the garden.

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Here is a bellbird, as the flax blossoms were coming to an end.

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One day, the boys picked a bunch of peas from a neighbor’s field, after he offered us what we wanted. The boys spent the morning building a pea sheller. It worked well—for a few minutes. Then, something stripped out and they finished the job by hand!

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We sure enjoyed the kittens before they went to new homes!

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Filed Under: Activities at Home Tagged With: Random Photos

And on the Home Front…

March 9, 2019 by NZ Filbruns 2 Comments

My sons who stayed home from America had quite a surprise for us when we came home. I thought they were joking when they talked about building the bunkbeds in their room which I had suggested some time ago—but they actually did it! I was very impressed.

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On the other side of the room, they built a closet to store their clothes and other belongings. This takes the place of some shelves that used to hang above a bed, which I always thought was a bit dangerous, and a couple of dressers. There are a lot of shelves inside this closet. The room feels much larger now, and the boys have room to have a table at which they can play games or build models. So nice! They were very excited to show it to us when we arrived home; I had to look in the window at it before I even came into the house! They also installed a light in the kitchen that I’d been wanting, to replace a fixture I hated.

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They also had time for some fun. A few days before we came home, they went fishing with a friend two evenings. He has a Kon Tiki, or longline, for fishing in the ocean. A small motor pulls the line out, and then another reels it in. They didn’t have a camera, but Gayle took a few pictures of their catch with his phone. These are mostly sharks, which are fairly good eating.

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Filed Under: Activities at Home, Away From Home Tagged With: Fishing

Photos En Route…and More From Michigan

March 2, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

When I looked at my childrens’ memory cards, I found some interesting pictures taken on the way to and and the way home from America. I also found a few more taken in Michigan that I wanted to share! So, here you are.

This was on our first flight, from Christchurch to Auckland, when everyone was fresh and excited!

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I could see Farewell Spit from my window as we flew north. I’ve seen pictures of it at low tide, but it was apparently high tide this time—quite different!

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This was one of the interesting planes we saw on the tarmac in Auckland. I don’t know what airline it is, but the artwork on it was spectacular!

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Our first glimpse of snow on this trip came as we approached Chicago.

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My boys were fascinated with all the big planes parked at the International Terminal in Chicago.

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They also liked the diversion, during our four-hour layover in Chicago, which turned into five hours when the flight crew got held up in traffic, of watching luggage being loaded into the belly of our plane.13-IMG_5449

As we traveled home in our van across the mountains from Christchurch to the West Coast, we had to stop on the way down from Arthur’s Pass, because there are a couple of one-lane spots still from a major storm in November. We were amused by the tourists in front of us—two people jumped out of their cars to take a picture of this waterfall—so one of the boys took a picture of them taking a picture!IMG_3114

On the Sunday we were in Michigan, we drove to Ludington after church to see the ice at the breakwater. I’ve never seen the lake so high against that breakwall! We decided not to attempt walking out on it.

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There was a lunar eclipse that night. Some of us were still awake to watch it reach totality. We tried to wake some of the others up, and they groaned and rolled over. One of those, who shall remain nameless, came into my room a few hours later, still in the wee hours, and asked me when the eclipse was happening—he was quite unhappy to have missed it, and said we should have shaken him. We had.

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And, to wrap this up, here are a few more shots of snow-deprived little people enjoying a rare treat!

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Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Michigan, Snow, Travel

Trip to America—Ohio

February 23, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Our first two days in Ohio were great; we spent the time with Gayle’s entire family. Then, we got hit with a stomach bug. My children hadn’t had something like that for six years (since we were in America another time!), and had very little immunity to it; the youngest had never had anything like it. Suffice it to say, the rest of our time in Ohio was not very fun, and we ended up canceling almost all plans.

The first day we were there, my boys helped their cousin haul some hay.

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We got several pictures from the family gathering, but most had other people in them. Here are a few I can share! This little girl wrapped tissue paper around herself for a “skirt.”  

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This was the first boy to get sick. He spent a miserable afternoon while the whole family was still there.

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While we were in Michigan, my sister received a gift that was shipped in a large box full of cornstarch packing peanuts. I took the box with us to Ohio, and the boys spent a day or two making wonderful creations by sticking them together with a bit of water. Here are some of the things they came up with:

Mr. Sweetie built this boat.

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Mr. Imagination made these boats. Mr. Diligence made something quite creative, too. I can’t remember now what it was, and when we took the pictures he was sick so I didn’t get a photo of his.

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My sister-in-law with whom we stayed made a batch of play dough for the children. The little boys spent hours and hours over a few days playing with it, with her toy kitchen set, and when Little Miss recovered from her sickness she spent every spare minute playing with it, too! I’m thinking I need to find her a kitchen set.

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My boys loved ice skating; they went twice. Each time, two were well enough to go and one had to stay back, but they all got to go at least once. These two enjoyed cleaning off their aunt’s porch and walk one day after a fresh snowfall!

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So there you have what I can share here of our time with family! I’m hoping to get back into a routine of posting every Saturday again, now that we’re recovered from jet lag and I’m not so tired from pregnancy anymore. Yes, we’re hoping for a new addition to the family in about six months! We’re very thankful for the prospect of a new baby, and when we got to hear the heartbeat this morning it was very thrilling to know that this little one is alive.

Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: America, Travel

We’re Home!—Photos From Michigan

February 14, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Six of us arrived home late last week after a three-week visit to Michigan and Ohio, visiting family (the other three stayed home to take care of things here). It was a wonderful trip…and an awful trip…and we enjoyed it immensely…and we’re very glad to be home! The time spent with family was wonderful. The stomach bug that laid all of us low for our last week and a half, and which came home with us to infect a couple of the ones who did such a wonderful job taking care of things here, was awful. I don’t have a lot of pictures I can share, because most of the ones we took are of other people, but there are enough to make a couple of posts. I’m always amused at some of the pictures my sons take!

 

Either the first or second day in Michigan, my mom and I both wanted a nap, so I sent the three boys outside to explore the farm I grew up on. I gave them guidelines so they wouldn’t get lost, and they had fun finding the creek and the woods. Mom’s cat followed them the whole way! There was no snow, but it was very cold; they had fun sliding on the ice. 

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The wedding was beautiful; I really appreciated the simplicity of everything, and it was so good to see my sister making her vows to a good man.  

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The little ones enjoyed playing with Grandma’s toys.

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It started snowing in earnest, and got very cold, after the wedding. My boys loved playing in the snow! We enjoyed watching the birds come to the feeder.

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When I stripped my bed to put on fresh sheets, I recognized the mattress protector! It was one of two Hudson Bay Company blankets that were in the house when my parents bought it in 1972. I had to call the children in to see this bit of history. It’s not in the best shape anymore, but still works as a warm underlay!

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Our trip to Ohio started out very snowy, with slick roads. After seeing 9 accidents, we were thankful to get south far enough to have drier roads!

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Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Michigan, Snow

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The Family:


Dad and Mom (Gayle and Emma)

Girl #1, Esther, my right hand

Boy #1, Seth (Mr. Handyman)

Boy #2, Simon (Mr. Inventor)

Boy #3, Mr. Intellectual

Boy #4, Mr. Diligence

Boy #5, Mr. Sweetie

Boy #6, Mr. Imagination

Girl #2, Little Miss

Girl #3, Miss Joy

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