Tri County Produce Auction

Big....Big.....News!!!

Thats right, we've got news. For those who have been waiting to hear the news.....
We are excited to inform you that Jim is managing a the Tri County Produce Auction in New Wilmington Pa. The opening day was today and it went really well. I will be working the office with another lady, who has done this before and has the experience and Jim will be clerking for the auctioneer. Several of the people helping us have done this before and will be helping us "newbie's" learn the ropes. All things considered, it went really well today. We will be having auctions on tue and thur till about the middle of July, then it really gets going and sales will be mon, tue, thur and fri. In about Oct, it will slow down to 2 to 3 days a week. We will NOT be moving to PA. We might stay over a few nights a week when it really is busy.

I also have retired from driving my Amish work route, so.... YEAH......for me! After 14 years, my early wake-up call will be no more.

We are looking forward to the change in our lives and spending time together.

Our auctioneer is Vern Yoder.

Grandkids

Our Photo Shoot from Kansas

Kansas Trip

While we were in Kansas, we did alot of fun things. We arrived on a thur afternoon and Michele picked us up in a big 12 passenger van......she borrowed from someone at church so that we could all ride together. After all we did have 5 cars seats and 3 adults to fit into 1 vehicle. SO that was out mode of transportation for the 5 days. It really wasn't so bad, it got us to where we were going. (loudly) LOL

Some of the things we did are pictured below.

We went to Judy and Ken's to see the baby chicks, soooo cute, fluffy little things.

Michele also made us some of her wonderful, delicious hot pretzels. As good as Auntie Anns. I think she could give them a run for their money. They were goooood, gooood. Of course we had to fight Jeremy for them. But he was soooooo out numbered.

Breakfast time....pancakes. And as Greta would say pancakas (Spanish).

Jude loves pancakes, he likes dipping them into cool whip and syrup.

We colored some eggs while there. That was an adventure,

with 4 little ones trying not to spill.

Of course we had to have an even amount for all the girls,

so they were counted out.

And after all the kids were in bed, the adults played Rock Band. Hahahahaa what a hoot. Rockin it out with Jeremy singing a Spice Girls song ( I wanna be) and getting 99%, singing falsetto for most of the song. Yes, Pastors can have fun too.

I played for while too, but got booed off the stage when I couldn't keep up on the bass. But I rocked it out singing Pretty Woman!!!!

We really did have a great time with the Pattersons and was sad to leave, but it was time to head back home on tue. The flights went pretty well and we were all happy to be back home safe and sound.

Thanks Jeremy and Michele and to Greta and Jude for sharing your

beds and your toys.
Happy Easter to all.

WOW.....It's been how long since I updated????

I wouldn't be surprised if nobody responds to this update. That would just mean everyone gave up on me ever...ever updating my blog again.

It's not that my life is soooo boring, because it's not. It's just that....I was taking a blogging break!! "I WAS ON A BREAK!!"

Seriously though, things have been busy here and I just haven't taken time to tell my stories. It's really no use I go back-track and try to catch up, so I am making a promise to all that take time to check my blog, that I'll try to do better and update more often.

In my defense, one of my "new year's resolution's" was to keep up the business books better. I have been doing the books at the end of each month, instead of waiting for 6 months to even get started. So I have been spending more time at the business computer than I have before.

Stayed tuned for some exciting news on a job change for me and Jim too. Haha, I think that might get you to come back to my blog soon. :):):)

We spent Christmas Day at the Masts. It was a really nice kinda quiet, lazy day, playing games and eating good food.

Micah wasn't sure what to do with the gifts and was content playing with the paper and the boxes. Just wait till next year.

You can always count on Marie to have a funny face for the camera.

I am enjoying the shrimp....YUMMY!

Papa was reading the Christmas story and Mattie kinda zoned out!

Such a happy little guy!

We found Mark enjoying playing the leapster Princess game. Hee hee

Silly guy!

Thank you to the Masts for hosting our

Christmas Day. Fun Times!

Dad's 81st Birthday

Happy Birthday 81st Dad ! Christmas Eve is my Dad's birthday and we always have a little party after the Christmas Eve service at church. It's usually for anyone who can come. We had a nice group of people this year.

We had angle food cake (dad's favorite and sugar friendly) , strawberry and ice cream to top it. We also had cheese balls, little smokies, party mix, onion relish dip and Welchs sparkling grape juice. We had a great time.


Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Early Christmas that almost was!!!

Christmas came alittle early at the Johnston house this year. Jeremy, Michele and kiddos came home for Thanksgiving this year instead of Christmas. So the plan was to have our Johnston Christmas on the Saturday after turkey day. I got most of the house decorated before the Pattersons arrived, but waited to put the tree up until they got here. I had all kind of help putting up the tree. I must say we almost had the tree pulled over several times. Jude thought that we put the ornaments on then take them back off!! LOL

Greta had fun with my Holstein horse and the Santa hats. Just too cute!

Jude is such an active little guy. Eyes on him at all times when he is awake!
Well to finish the story now..... Greta picked up a bug somewhere and got sick on Fri with a fever and cough. Her fever kept spiking. They took her to a Urgent care on Sat am and was diagnosed as a viral flu and treated like you would swine flu. But he never actually called it that. So we were all kinda quarantined to the house all weekend. Then Sat, Michele came down with it also. So we were running a sick house and the disinfecting began. And because they were contagious, Marie and crew couldn't come up. It was really a bummer, but you just don't take chances. Her kids could have all gotten sick too, and Micah is just 6 months old and Marie really didn't want to expose him.
So Jim, Mark and I had our Christmas with the Pattersons. We will have Christmas with the Masts at Christmas.
Sometimes things just don't work out like you planned, but you make adjustments and go on, even if it's not how you wanted things to go.
But we missed the Masts being there.

Nana got the 3 girls leapsters, big, big hit!!


Jeremy showing Jim how his ipod works. Jeremy spent alot of time putting a ton of songs on it for him. I had copied a bunch of Cd's on my computer so Jeremy could put them on the ipod. Jim will enjoy his ipod on the long runs in the semi.
Uncle Mark got Jude a tractor and trailer, loved it!!!
He is all boy, lots of tractor noises.

Mark got Jeremy this ladder, Jude thought it was pretty neat. Climbed right up.

I realised I didn't have any pics of Michele, but she will probably thank me, she was looking pretty wiped out. Sat on the sofa most of the time.

It was a pretty laid back evening for us.

Enjoyed the time spent with the Pattersons, too bad sickness had to creep in and spoil some of it for us.

I have a really clean house now, because I spent the day wiping everything down, disinfecting and doing laundry. SO far nobody else got sick.

Lets hope and pray it's gone.

Emma's 6th Birthday

Emma turned 6 on Nov 22 and Marie had alittle birthday party for her with just family at their house for a wonderful dinner and cake. I can't believe she is 6 already and growing up to be a lovely little lady.

Here Mimi is covering her eyes while Joseph brings out her Barbie cake. She loved it!

This cake was way too cool.

Auntie Michele gave her this warm, fuzzy robe, she wore it the rest of the evening and even to bed that night. Nana and papa gave her this hat with a matching vest. She got lots of neat gifts.

Happy Birthday Emma!

Applesauce Day 2009

Our annual applesauce day was about 2 weeks ago and I have just been procrastinating getting these on the blog. So today is the day!!!
Applesauce day just isn't the same without some Troyers Rolls, Thanks Dad!

The process takes place in the garage and outside the back door where we wash and cook them. Here dad and Marie are in the cutting process.

Mattie was here to help us from noon on. Our Amish neighbors kept Mattie and Micah for the morning so we could get most of it done without kiddos.


I did the cooking with 2 camp stoves outside, works really good and keeps the mess out of the house.

Apples cooking in a big pot.

Sally is the blender queen and puts the sauce in the jars.

Jars of hot applesauce, Yummo.

We have a little mystery here......
We did 7 bushels of sauce and should have got about 130 quarts, and we counted twice and thought we got 132 quarts, but after all was said and done there were only 103 quarts. Now what happened to the other 29 jars?????

Now is the time to confess if anyone slipped a few out of my garage late

that Tue evening. The mystery continues.......