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This column will wrap up March 2023 and another month down in history. It's unbelievable how fast time goes.
We moved to Michigan from Indiana in March 2004, which is 19 years already. Lots of changes in those 19 years. Our oldest child was 9 when we moved, and we only had our six oldest children. In May 2004, daughter Lovina was born, and then Kevin in 2005.
We have been helping daughter Loretta and Dustin, and we hope we can go again next week. They will host church services at their house at the end of April, Lord willing. This is their first time hosting it.
On Saturday, son Joseph and daughter Lovina and Daniel (Lovina's special friend and Dustin's brother) were helping. Lovina cleaned out some cabinets, and the boys helped Dustin get some more trim on that wasn't finished from when they remodeled their house. The services will be held in their pole barn, so that has to be cleaned out yet.
On Saturday, we had supper at daughter Elizabeth and Tim's house. Tim had the grill and deep fryer going. On the menu was grilled ham, fries, cheese curds, cheese, chips, cinnamon rolls, cookies, ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches. All of our family was there except son Joseph and daughter Lovina. After supper we played games.
On Sunday, husband Joe and I were the only ones home all day. In the afternoon we walked across the road to daughter Loretta and Dustin's house. We played Marble Chase with them, and they told us to stay for supper. They put pepper poppers and ham on the grill.
After supper we played Marble Chase again. Joe and I were teamed up against Dustin and Loretta, and we were ahead in the games we won. We probably should've quit while we were ahead. Haha! They ended up winning the most games. It can get pretty exciting, and it's always fun to see which team wins.
Denzel was happy watching and sitting on our laps until he decided he should move the marbles, too. He's OK letting me hold him until Grandpa Joe comes around, then he wants to go there. For some reason it's way more fun hanging out with Grandpa.
Yesterday, daughter Elizabeth dropped her daughters Allison, 3, and Andrea, 1, off here before she picked Tim up from work. They took Timothy (T.J.) to the doctor and they changed his cast to see how his finger is doing. As I wrote last week, he somehow got his right pointer finger caught in a bike chain, and tore off part of his finger. He underwent surgery to reattach it and was told his whole arm would be in a cast for six to eight weeks.
The doctor said it's healing well but his finger won't look normal the way it did before. He won't have a fingernail on it, and it's going to be shorter than it was. Basically, what they did is use the part that was cut off to cover the open wound. By doing this they didn't have to cut below the first joint.
It won't look normal but at least it wasn't worse than that. T.J. was excited to show us his new cast, and this time the doctor put on a blue cast. Last time it was white, so he was glad he could have a colored one. T.J. is an active little boy, so it was a good thing he had the cast changed. His other one looked dirty already. Typical for a 4-year-old boy.
Abigail, 6, came off the bus here, and she was glad to spend some time here before her parents came to pick up the three girls. We enjoyed having the girls here.
Daughter Verena came home after her dentist appointment yesterday and stayed the night. Today daughters Elizabeth, Susan and Loretta and all their little ones will come for the day. I want to get a breakfast casserole in the oven soon so it's ready to eat when they come. It's been a while since they all came home for a day together. Susan has a few more to bring than she used to, but she enjoys it. She is a good mother to their five little ones.
Ervin and Susan left their five children here Saturday while they went to town. Five children from ages 3 to 6 makes for never a dull moment. They are all precious. God's blessings!
Cinnamon Bun Cake
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Topping:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped nuts, optional
Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan.
In another large bowl, mix the two sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble swirl through the cake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean from the center.
Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Best served warm straight from the oven or then at room temperature.
Lovina Eicher is an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan. Readers can write to Eicher at P.O. Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply), or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.