Rebecca Turns Eleven

Today Rebecca turned eleven years old! She celebrated with her girlfriends yesterday.

I did some face painting. Jessi and Monica wanted to look like cats.

A cow (Cameron) and a butterfly (Rebecca).

Butterflies were the theme of the party. Rebecca even found a butterfly pinata.

Gifts at parties are always fun!

Becca made pizza pies with her friends.

They ate them too!

It is a lot of fun to be eleven!

A Spring Evening

Becca and Hannah enjoy the spring evening by taking a quick rest in the pasture behind the house.

Easter in Ithaca

Isaac is greeted by two of his sisters early Easter morning.

Caleb jumps off the Treman gristmill porch into Isaac's arms.

The family along the path to the gorges.

Mom is helped down the steps by Dad. The steps were steep.

Looking over the gorge.

Enclosed by the depression-era stonemasonry.

Tremendous.

Our Easter morning dawned with a sunrise car trip to Ithaca. We attended Isaac's church and enjoyed a majestic rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. After church we went on a hike and witnessed Ithaca's splendid gorges. Most of the above pictures were taken at Robert H. Treman State Park. Treman State Park is a marvel by way of nature and craftsmanship. During the Great Depression, a group of hard working artists built beautiful stone stairs to facilitate the walk and beauty of several of the waterfalls along the trail.

A Day in the Life of Nate

Wake-up comes early at college. Nate says that he wishes he could bring his college bed home. He said that he sleeps really well at college. You have to wonder if it's the bed or the busy life.

When Nate steps out the door of his room, this is the scene that welcomes him. Inspiration for a busy day, I say.

Saturday involves some time for breakfast at Panera Breads. His favorite? An artichoke-spinach egg souffle.

The noon hour greets Nathaniel at Kinkos. Nate has been in charge of a project for Princeton Pro Life. April 17th begins the Respect Life week. This sign (printed at Kinkos) will sit with a memorial of 347 blue and pink flags on the Princeton lawn. Nate says that he is amazed by the amount of time and energy that people give to a cause.

Follow-up: The sign generates a bit of Princetonian press:

The Daily Princetonian

Bentley Farm Celebrates Easter

The Perukel family invited the family for an egg hunt today. The children report that a bounteous supply of chocolates and sweets were present.

Dad celebrated spring today by making the long-awaited purchase of a rototiller. He and Jacob had fun turning over the soil in the garden.

Atonement Friday

Here at Princeton, Nate and I just attended a Good Friday prayer service. An overarching theme of the small gathering was that we will never know the agony that Jesus endured for our atonement. There is nothing that we can do to repay Christ for this sacrifice. May we believe on the full atonement of the blood spilled at Calvary. May we be a people who offer thanksgiving and rejoicing.

Your blood has washed away my sin,
Jesus, thank you
The Father's wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank you
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table,
Jesus, thank you

Picking Rocks

Today was a seaonally warm day. Luke, Hannah, Jacob and I spent a good part of the morning picking rocks from the recently tilled field. Among all of the jobs that a farmer does, this is probably the universally most despised. But, if this is as bad as it gets, farming is quite the way of life.

Sun Sets on a Tilled Field

The old alfalfa field was tilled and seeded today. Hans rented a tractor to do the discing and the John Deere was responsible for the seeding of oats.

From a Prison Cell

A Wedding Sermon from a Prison Cell by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Tegel Prison, May 1943

Most people have forgotten nowadays what a home can mean, though some of us have come to realize it as never before. It is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary. It is not founded on the shifting sands of outward or public life, but it has its peace in God, for it is God who gives it its special meaning and value, its own nature and privilege, its own destiny and dignity. It is an ordinance of God in the world, the place in which – whatever may happen in the world – peace, quietness, joy, love, purity, discipline, respect, obedience, tradition, and with it all, happiness may dwell.

Bentley Surveys Bentley Farm

Unsung Heroes

Hannah and Clarence keep this country running. The dairy cows help too.

Buttonbush Pool at Bentley

Buttonbush Pool

A garter snake.

A butterfly.

A salamander in frog eggs.

A turkey vulture in flight.

One learns new and interesting information about the land they live on when it is being prepared for development. One such piece of news was that we have a unique ecological habitat in the midst of the Bentley Woods - Buttonbush Pool. One may not recognize it for much of a pool upon meandering in the woods - it is not much more than a fairly large puddle. But, according to the experts it is a habitat that could attract an endangered turtle species. So, today we went to the site of Buttonbush Pool to check out this ecological hot spot. We didn't find any turtles. But we spotted a fairly wide array of other wildlife including a garter snake, a salamander swimming in frog eggs, a butterfly and a turkey vulture in flight (spotted on the journey to Buttonbush).

Upside Down

Becca and Caleb had fun hanging at SPARC Park.

Tokens of Spring