Howdy, and welcome!

Hello there!
Thanks for stopping by the Herrlinger Family Blog! I am Naomi Herrlinger. I began this blog as a way to keep up with friends and family who are interested in a peek at our daily life, and to share some of my thoughts and experiences. Our family is located in Boyceville, WI, on a rural county road that isn't much traveled. In 2006, the Lord provided several instruments for our family to begin to learn and use -- and after that, He began providing opportunities for us to publicly reach out and minister to people through the music and the message He put in our hearts. It's been quite an adventure -- many new and unique experiences, and lots of learning and growth along the way!

Let me "introduce" you to my family.

Our Dad, Bill, is -- well, we won't say how old (I mean young!) he is! Anyway, Dad sings bass in our family band, and he plays bass guitar and upright bass. He is the leader of our family, and of our band.

Our Mom, Cathy, is -- well, we won't say how young she is either! :)  Mom is Dad's support and right hand! She helps keep our family's schedule together and running smoothly. She also is our hammered dulcimer player!

My oldest sister, Andrea (26), was married on August 27, 2011. She and her husband, Joel Maendel, are expecting their first child (my first niece or nephew!!!) this coming August. I can't wait!

Then there's my brother Justin (21). In our band, he sings backup bass, and he is our banjo boy! :)  He also plays guitar. Recently Justin has enrolled in trucking school.

My brother Matthew (19) is next. He sings tenor, and plays dobro and guitar. Matthew works for our neighbor (milking cows), who owns a dairy farm.

Then comes Laurissa (17). Laurissa is one busy girl! She works several jobs (milking cows, baking at "The Grain Bin", and "head babysitter" for our neighbor's 5 children), and also enjoys spending time with her horse, Sadie. Laurissa sings lead in our band, and plays mandolin, fiddle, and guitar.

I'm next! I'm 14 years old. I started my first job this fall -- milking cows for a local farm (the same one Laurissa works for). Among other things, I do a great deal of the babysitting for our neighbors, as Laurissa is often not home to do it. In our band, I play fiddle and guitar -- and I play a decent amount of piano as well. In my spare time (which there hasn't been much of lately! :), I enjoy reading, writing, scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, and drawing, to name a few.

Next on down the line is my sister Miranda (12). Praise God! Recently, she and our youngest sister, Allison, came to know Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Savior and Lord. So exciting! Anyway, Miranda is a huge part of our babysitting "process"! Often, in the evenings, she and Allison are the only ones available to keep them. And they do a good job of it, too. Miranda sings lead in our family band, and she plays the fiddle. She's also learning piano.

Last but certainly not least is Allison (10). I think there's probably upsides and downsides to being the youngest in the family, but our Allison does a GREAT job of it! She also is highly involved in our babysitting job, and the children love her. (Well, they love all of us. :)  Allison plays fiddle and accordion, and she too is learning piano.

And of course we can't forget our critters! Sadie is Laurissa's beautiful dark-haired Quarter Horse mare, and Scamper is our faithful pumpkin-coated kitty with white socks. :)

So -- that's us in a nutshell!

Thanks again so much for stopping by our family blog, and COME BACK SOON! :)  There will be more pictures/posts added before long!

Have a great day, and many blessings to you and yours.

~Naomi for the Herrlinger's