Thanksgiving!

I know this post is really late, so my apologies everyone.

This year we had Thanksgiving up in Manitoba Canada with our sister Andrea and her family.

It was so nice to spend time with the whole family, including Joel's parents.

The table is ready!

Everyone, minus a few...

The pumpkin pie was scrumptious!

The pie face game.

Leana absolutely loved spending so much time with all the aunties!

Cuddles with Aunty Miranda.

Ethan with his grandma...

As you can imagine, we were all wanting to hold this little guy.

Me enjoying time with this little bundle of joy.

So precious!

~ The Maendel family ~

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and forget not all his benefits:

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 103:1-2,5

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Fall Projects

This Fall was spent mostly by doing outdoor projects and activities. Such as... Squeezing apple cider, fixing up horse sheds, and building a brand new white fence for our horses.

Our family had the privilege of helping a friend out by squeeze all these apples.

Cranking up a storm!

Filling jugs with the delicious golden liquid.

It's so rewarding to have your golden hard work put into jars, ready to be stuck in the freezer.

It's been close to 10 years since we've done anything with our horse sheds. As you can imagine, the roofs and siding were getting pretty rotten! It was such a good feeling to have the rotten plywood replaced with steel siding.

Cutting the steal...

Laurissa, hard at work pounding nails.

After many hours of work, we now have a nearly completed fence.

Dad and Matthew cut down this dead tree.

Cutting up the logs...

Laurissa, our excellent deer slayer, managed to get two deer this year. A seven point buck and a small doe.

We canned most of the meat this year and got 41 quarts of delicious venison canned for the winter.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any other pictures of this "fun" job that we did. But I did manage to get this one of Miranda.

I'm sorry everyone, for not being faithful in posting these past couple of months. I will TRY to be more faithful updating our blog in the future. But yet...

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

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Introducing...

A new bundle of joy! Ethan Joel Maendel, our nephew/grandson came into this world October 30th.

Thank you Jesus for your hand of protection on this precious baby boy!

"Lo, children are an heritance of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in a hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."

Psalm 127:3-4

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Homeschool Family Camp

Camp was again another awesome year! With around three hundred attenders from over eleven different states. We definetly had a very blessed five days!

There were lots of inspiring messages, good food and fellowship, games, sports and so much more!

Mr. Wissmann gave the evening messages.

Each night one of the families would get up and share some songs and testimonies.

Here is the Bontrager Family.

Lots of volleyball!

I'm not exactly sure what this game is called, but it's very simaler to 4 square.

Gaga ball.

Miranda and Allison with some of their friends.

The gun range.

Time to shoot some clay pigeons!

The mighty-mighty-scoop-noodle-challenge is ALWAYS a highlight!

We also enjoyed playing some card games.

This year we played some Family Feud. Homeschool style!

For the first time, Miranda and I (pictured in the middle) had the opportunity to participate in a skit during the mother/daughter time.

Another skit.

Story time with Grandma Maryann.

Chelsy and Allison Bontrager gave a little class on dress.

Our group memory session was 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

"But thanks be to God which give the us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

If you all enjoyed these pictures and would like to see more (because there were a lot of people that took pictures this year) you can click here... http://media.villagecreek.net/2015-Fall-Retreats/2015-Home-School-Family-Camp

  

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