By Gloria Yoder

Hi to all of you. How I would love meeting you all in person. Amazing how one can “get to know” people without actually meeting them! By now I feel like I know some of you quite well!

We have plans this weekend of traveling to Ohio where Daniel’s cousin is getting married. And in case you have the same question everyone else is asking, whether we’re taking all the children or not. “Yes, we are planning to take all of them with us, we didn’t know which of them we’d want to leave here so we decided we’ll just make an adventure out of it and all go!” Thankfully we were able to hire a bus driver who will be taking us. Traveling by bus is much easier with five little children than going with a van. Julia and Austin were thrilled for the chance to have a bus ride, especially since we’ll be traveling with their little cousins and other friends. Hopefully, the six and a half hour trip will pass swiftly with starting off at 3:00 am. Ya, the children are all supposed to sleep soundly on the bus until daybreak! With me being the type who has a tendency to worry about things, I can just imagine one of my little ones letting out a loud shriek just after everyone else has settled down for naps and awaken the entire busload including other sleeping babies! Thank God for my calm, steady husband who isn’t worried a bit and thinks everything will turn out just fine! I can just hear him say, “It’s okay if not everything goes perfectly, children do cry at times, that’s just part of life!”

“Okay, thanks Daniel, I really did need to hear that. Now what about restless little ones in a wedding with 500 guests and you feel like everyone is watching you as you make your way out to the nursery for the fourth time in an hour?” Hmmm… I think this mamma needs to quit worrying about the days ahead and what people may think and start refocusing onto the One who is able to direct and bless each step! In reality, God has miraculously provided in less than ideal situations each time as I trusted him to show us the way. 

Anyway, I should be heading to bed. Everyone else is sound asleep and since I get to be on night duty with our two baby boys that need to be fed during the night, I try to not go to bed too late. Thanks to my dear hubby who takes over when the boys, who are our little morning birds, with their “wake up song”, are ready to rise and shine before we are! That is my time to pop in ear plugs and sleep a while longer. Of course Daniel is always concerned that I get a nap in during the day since my nights are a bit choppy, which has been a bit more of an issue these days with Mr. Flu Bug who has been working on giving the children coughs, colds, and fevers this past week! We hope and pray that we’ll all be healthy, ready to spend time with our Ohio family.

Goodnight to you all and may you also be blessed by the providence of God as you cry out to him! 

 As for a recipe perhaps we’ll go with the mashed potatoes that are traditionally served at Amish weddings, which we’ll be having on Saturday at the wedding.

AMISH WEDDING MASHED POTATO

• potatoes  (enough to fill a 6 quart kettle)
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1 /2 cup sour cream
•  1 /2 cup butter
• 3-4 cups hot milk or to right consistency (it will depend on what potatoes you will be using
•  Salt (1 1 /2 tablespoons or to taste)

Instructions

1. Fill a six quart kettle with diced and peeled potatoes.
2. Add one and one-half inch water, turn on high until boiling.
3. Turn the heat down and simmer until they are fork tender.
4. Once they are tender they are ready to be drained and mashed.
5. Add remaining ingredients, mash until thoroughly mixed.
6. Next, put 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until browned.  Pour browned butter over mashed potatoes before serving.

This recipe can easily be broken down into smaller batches.