Maple Syrup

                                                  Trough- like container

                                                Putting sap in a bucket

                                       Sap being put into the plastic container behind the tractor

                                                          Fearless sap collectors

                                            container connected to pipe

                                       Pipe caring sap to the Sugar Shack

                                            Stirring the maple syrup

                                            Hot dog roasters

                                                             A bucket of sap

Sap coming out of the  pipe

Well here we are in the month of March. I can't believe that our time here in Philippi is coming to a close. The first weekend  of this month we went and helped make maple syrup up at the farm. First we went out to 10 trees to collect the sap out of the buckets. The buckets were frozen over so we had to brake the ice to set the sap out of the  buckets. We then put the sap in a big plastic container on the  back of the tractor and took it back to the sugar shack to boil the  syrup. To get to the  sugar shack we put a pipe in the  large plastic container and let it run down hill to the shack. There it emptied into a large metal container. Below the large metal container was a trough like container where there was  boiling water. When the metal container was full of sap we let small amounts of sap into the  boiling water. While we waited for the sap to boil down we at hot dogs and chips for lunch. We roasted our hot dogs over the fire underneath the trough like container. 

Crazy February

Hello all,
  It's been "another manic Monday", well not exactly Monday but maybe the whole month of February. I guess we will see how many of you know this song =)

February was super fun with our "growing family". It was great to have even more laughter in the house and even more crazy girls...not sure how well the boys are coping though lol. We were blessed with many learning components this month and last. Jim & Karen Skidmore took the group in for knitting and pottery, later in the month Lester took the whole group cross country skiing. Ines and myself (Hallie) took the group for self-defense class, that was interesting =)

At the end of the month we took Mel to Pittsburgh for her return flight home, before we dropped her off we had the chance to experience the Incline plane and check out Carnigie Science Museum. We stayed at Pittsburgh Mennonite church for the evening and then checked out Carnigie Natural History & Art museum  both were wonderful experiences!

This weekend we will be enjoying time with our church family at our church retreat and next weekend Amos' dad will be joining us for a long weekend!

Thank you for all your support and prayers of the Service Adventure family!
Hallie

The Incline Sisters

Astronaut Kei 

Most amazing home-style food ever!!! 

Scientist Kei

New family and Laurelville - pictures

Mel and Shannon

crazy mom

snow-angels 

New family XXL

New family members and Laurelville

In the last month our family has grown and Josiah and Amos are stuck with 6 girls now...

Shannon Weniger from Kansas arrived in January and is working at the Meyer's Clinic.
Mel from Germany arrived in February and is working at Heart and Hand Ministries. Unfortunately she is just staying for 4 weeks...:(

After picking up Mel at the airport we went to Laurelville where we convinced tons of on-the-ground-staring highschoolers to participate in Service Adventure ^^.
Hallie preached the sermons (and did an awesome job as always) and we were personal assistants like nannies, nailholders, crosscarriers, papercutters and paperfolders...
But that's how family works, one for all and all for one.

Even though Mel was extremely tired because of the 6 hour time change we had a great weekend.
We didn't have enough snow to go sledding but cool people and good food made up for the missing outdoor activities.

PS: Since our unit computer is still broke (for 1 month now...argh) no pictures in this post... :'(
Pray that it'll be fixed this week and I'll get some cool pictures posted ASAP!!!