Sweet Honey from the Honeycomb

Yesterday we went to Tinker Nature Park and Hansen Nature Center for their Harvest Festival and got to watch them extract honey from their hives. It was neat since I had never seen it done before. They had brought a large number of frames in from their honey boxes. (We didn't get to see them do this.) First they scraped the honey off the frame.


















Frames were then put into this centrifuge extractor.


















Here are the three steps we saw inside: scraping, the extractor machine and then the man in the tan shirt is filling honey bottles to sell.














We got to sample many snacks made with honey and took some recipes to try at home. Today we tried one of the recipes and made some yummy cookies made with honey. We bought this little bee filled with honey to take home. It was so sweet and it was fun to know that it had been attached to the honeycomb that morning!
































While there we also got to listen to some live music while we snacked on donut holes and apple cider.














We also explored the Tinker farmhouse and the barn and got to learn about old farm equipment and even try some out like this potato sorter.














Whenever you go to Tinker Nature Park you always run into some kind of wildlife. There were LOTS of people there so we didn't get to see nearly as much this time but this snake was out sunning himself on the boardwalk so we took his picture.














It was a fun science, history, and PE field trip. School on Saturdays is fun!

Getting Wet at Darien Lake

This weekend and last weekend Darien Lake was running a "Carload" special that allowed everyone who could legally ride in your vehicle (were seatbelted) to get into the theme park for $24.99 plus tax and parking. We had never taken the kids to an amusement park because it is expensive but we decided that we should go because we could get in for such a cheap price.

Our first ride was the ferris wheel. We didn't actually get to get a real ride on the ferris wheel because it started to rain just as we got to the top so they got the other people off then brought us off and let us off as well. It was fun to get up so high to get our first look around the park though. Can you see how excited Lydia was??














Caleb was a little bit nervous of the height!













After getting off the ferris wheel it started raining pretty hard. We headed to the kiddy area where we got completely soaked from the rain dropping off the hot air balloons we rode in (sorry, no pictures, it was raining too hard to get our camera out!). We rode several of the kiddy rides (even Glenn and I got to ride some of them with them) then headed out to check out the rest of the park. Since we were already soaked Glenn and Caleb decided to try out this ride. It ended with a free fall into water that completely soaked the bridge that didn't leave them with one dry spot.






































Hannah was the most dare devil of all the kids to start out with. She asked Glenn if he would go on this ride with her. By the end of the day we all (except Abigail who was too short) rode this ride.














I think that the kids decided that the spinning rides were their favorite. They all (again, accept Abigail but she was too tired by that point) loved the Sleigh Ride ride the best. I am not sure what they liked best.. that it took them up and down and in circles and into a cave part or the fact that they got to ride it 3-4 times in a row without getting off :) (going to Darien Lake on a rainy day in mid-September is actually very nice... there were just about no lines. Glenn walked right up to the Viper (roller coaster) and rode it. I think that my kids got an unrealistic view of what amusement parks are like from this day :)

The only ride that we had to wait in line for was the Tin Lizzies. Caleb and Hannah lead the pack followed by Lydia and me then Glenn and Abigail took up the rear.


























The kids also got to practice their driving skills in the bumper cars. Caleb was so excited to drive his own car!














We rode them several different times and one time they even let Hannah get behind the wheel on her own (even though I know that she was too short!) She was very excited though and did well.



























Abigail was so bummed because she wasn't even tall enough to ride in a bumper car, let alone drive one. Late in the afternoon we found the kiddy bumper cars and she was so excited! (She looks like a drowned rat, doesn't she!) The bumper cars didn't work out as well as she though they would because she never actually left this corner and wanted to get out long before the ride was over. The other three liked it though.























It was easy to find the kids all day because of their rain coats. This is how the rides looked most of the day.... just us.... which was so fun! We were soaked and exhausted at the end of the day but Lydia wanted to go back again the next day anyway. I'm glad that we did it. I don't know that I would want to pay full price for all of us to go there but I think that if we could get in on another car-load deal we may just do it again and by then Abigail will be big enough for all of the rides too, probably. Anyway it was a fun day and we made some great memories... Next time I just need to remember to bring dry pants and underwear for myself and Glenn (not just the kids) but, boy, did those sweatshirts feel nice when we got back to the car! On our way home we stopped at Olivers in Batavia and each got a chocolate treat. I remember stopping there as a kid with my dad. We've noticed it many times over the years driving past but have never stopped. It was fun to bring Glenn and the kids there to share some of my memories. I'm so glad Glenn had last Saturday off!

O Great God

We sang this song yesterday in church and I love it. It has been going through my head ever since and since I don't know all the words I had to look them up (thank God for the internet :)) I couldn't find it on a quick search of youtube so you'll just have to read the words. This is the cry of my heart today.

"O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me”

“O Great God” by Bob Kauflin

The 3rd verse has particularly been meaningful in our Abram-like life... "Help me now to live a life that's dependent on Your grace." So often I don't want to live dependent on Him, I want to depend only on me but that is not how He wants us to live.

I am so sad today because Brian and Kristina are leaving today for Jordan for 4 weeks. By the time that they get back we will be in our own place again (still don't know where that will be but God does and He has always provided places for us to live before (at least 12 so far in our 9 years of marriage) and He rarely gives us much advance notice of where the next place will be.) It has been a very sweet time living with them and our friendship has deepened even though we didn't really see them a lot because of their work schedules. We are going to miss them as they are gone and even when they get back because we won't see them most days just because we are sleeping in the same house. If you could keep them in your prayers I am sure that they would appreciate it. They are going to be working in a tuberculosis sanatorium there in Jordan as the only doctors (it is run by a nurse) and getting another taste of what medicine is like overseas, this time in the 10-40 window.

"You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me"

Spirit of America

On Friday, being the cool homeschoolers we are we took a field trip downtown to Blue Cross Arena to watch the US Army's Spirit of America presentation. It was really cool! The US Army Orchestra and Concert Band performed. There was a walk through history through the eyes of soldiers by the 3rd US Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard." It was neat that all the "actors" were actually soldiers and neat to see from a soldiers' viewpoint why they do what they do.

Here is what the kids thought:

Caleb: "My favorite part was the war. " There were scenes portraying battles from various wars: Revolutionary, Civil, WWII, etc.
Hannah: "I liked the music." Her favorite was the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
Lydia: "I liked the woman with the baby but it wasn't real." There were a few scenes of soldiers writing to people at home and wives reading the letters from two separate parts of the stage area.
Abigail: "I liked the cow and then he's dead." I am not sure if it was a cow but when Abraham Lincoln was giving the Gettysburg Address she thought that there was a cow up by the fence and she was upset that it never came back out. She also liked the horses that came out and rode around during Paul Revere's Ride and at a couple of other times in the performance. She wasn't very impressed with the loud gun and cannon shots though.


I think that my favorite part was the US Army Drill Team. It was amazing to watch them perform with their bayoneted ten pound rifles. I didn't get a good shot of them but here are some pictures from the performance. I think that my favorite picture is the one where George Washington is talking to the soldiers with George Washington on the background.

Glenn says his favorite was probably the bugle and fife group too but all the groups at the end where they were in groups of 3 wearing the uniforms from different periods was very cool also.

It made both Glenn and I proud to be Americans. It was good to see how soldiers think and how proud and determined they are. If you ever get a chance to see the Spirit of America it is well worth it!! It is only being performed in Rochester this past weekend and in Worcester, MA next weekend this year. If you want to find out more about it check out the Spirit of America website. I just checked out the website again and saw that there was a 3 minute mini version of the 2+ hour show to give you a taste of what we experienced here.

This last shot is of Caleb with two of the buglers from the Fife and Drum Corps.

Outside Fun

Last week we had a lot of fun outside. We were out riding bikes in the driveway and noticed a refrigerator box down the street. We had recently checked a book out of the library about cool play places that you can make and I was very excited to make one and was SO excited to find a box! We looked through the book and decided to make a castle. We had so much fun making it and playing in it.































On last Wednesday to celebrate the beginning of school we met up with my friend from church, Anita and her kids Felicia and Cameron, and went to the Brighton Library. We checked out books and then went out to play on the playground and have a picnic. It was fun to play instead of stress on the first day of school. I brought my camera but completely forgot to take pictures :(


Then on Saturday we invited the Files, another family from church who live just around the corner, over for brunch. After eating the kids all went outside and played in the driveway and made up a little town and rode their bikes on the street and were often "put in jail." Here are some pictures from the day.

I think Hannah is helping Gabe guard Josiah in Jail.














Following the basic traffic patterns.

Here is Lydia in her Flower Shop.















Here is Hannah in her hotel.














Abigail is a patient at the Hospital















We were told that Priscilla didn't like little kids but I think that our kids helped change her mind :)















The kids also got to start Awana this week at church. Here they are showing off their bags. We didn't have "first day of school" pictures so here is, well, I was going to say "the next best thing" but I think that it is an even better thing b/c we love homeschooling and AWANA. All 4 kids are in AWANA this year in different classes. Abigail is in Puggles (a new group for 2-3 year olds), Lydia is in Cubbies again(for 3-5 year olds), Hannah is in Sparks again (for K-2nd graders) and Caleb is in Truth and Training (for 3rd-4th graders.) We had a fun first night. I volunteered to help with T&T because they needed some more female leaders and had a good time. Oh, and I forgot to mention another un-pictured event is that we started a new small group for our church here at the Lishawa's house on Monday nights. For childcare we just let the kids play upstairs and watch a movie. There were 11 adults and 5 kids present and we had a good discussion about "fighting fair" the sermon series that all small groups at church are discussing this fall.

Laid to Rest and Fun in the Pool

It has been a long week. We celebrated Labor Day on Monday in Waterloo with my family. The day started at Maple Grove Cemetery where we laid my dad's ashes to rest. My brother directed the brief service where we shared stories, songs, and scriptures to celebrate my dad's life. I was able to share some from my blog from the month of June and how God has worked in my life to help me through the grief process. It was a meaningful time for me. I was kind of dreading it because I knew that I was going to be standing in front of the graves of the 3 people that had had the most impact on me growing up - my dad, my mom, and Grandma Hansen. I miss them all terribly but God proves Himself faithful time and time again.

Afterwards we headed down the street to my Grandparents' house for a brunch picnic. Here are a family picture of us and with Russ and Camy. The kids spent most of the afternoon in the pool playing with cousins and having so much fun. Caleb got to play with Kyle which he loved and the girls got to spend time with Ehren and Ali. Caleb is getting better at swimming. He still doesn't have the greatest form but it is getting better. He jumped off the diving board for the first time on Monday and swam to the shallow end. I wasn't sure if he was going to make it or I was going to have to jump in with my clothes on to rescue him the first time but he became a little fish by the end of the day. We have missed not living so close to Grandma and Grandpa's pool this summer. I can't believe it was the first/ only time we got in it this year! My Grandpa said that it was worth having the pool just for that day since everyone was enjoying it so much. It was good to catch up with family members too that we haven't seen in a while.

This last picture is of Caleb on his new bike that we bought off Craigslist last Sunday for $15. It was a belated birthday present which we are so excited about (he is too, can you tell?)

He Giveth More Grace

Today we are burying dad's remains. I have no idea what today is going to look like but God gave me this hymn by Annie Johnson Flint to help me through after my quiet time this morning.

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Thank you God for the grace that You give and that it is limitless. Give me strength through this day and help me to shine for You. Amen