It was our daughter Susan’s 28th birthday on Jan. 24. We also celebrated my sister Liz turning 55. I wish both of them many more happy and healthy years.

I don’t get to see Liz too often. I think I only saw her a few brief times in over a year. There are over 100 miles between our houses, and we both are busy with our families. Liz and Levi have 10 grandchildren who keep them occupied.

On Sunday afternoon, Joe and I went to daughter Elizabeth and her husband Tim’s house for an afternoon snack after church services.

Their four children were excited to have Grandpa and Grandma come to visit. Abigail, 7, wanted to play Uno and Timothy (T.J.), 5, wanted to play Trouble. I haven’t played Trouble in quite a while, but T.J. kept me straight in the moves.

Allison, 4, is a quiet little girl and is contented sitting in a corner playing with her dolls or whatever she has at the moment.

Andrea (she will be 2 on Feb. 14) is all over the place picking on her sisters and brothers. She is a little sweetie and can win over our hearts so easily. She’s started crawling on the toilet and doesn’t want to go on the “little potty.” She is doing good for her age, going to “potty” without her mother reminding her.

On Saturday all the men and boys came to help set the trusses on our 40-by-80-foot pole barn.

This project was intended to be done before the winter weather began, but it all takes time and money. We cannot store hay in our barn due to the roof leaking too much.

The foundation isn’t the best, so we decided to put up a pole barn for storage.

Lunch consisted of scalloped potatoes, grilled chicken, meatloaf, baked beans, lettuce salad, cheese, hot peppers, brownies, coffee cake, jello, sugar cookies and ice cream.

Temperatures were only 10 degrees when they started with hanging the trusses. But the sun was out, and it warmed up to almost 20 degrees.

We appreciated all of the help.

Joe’s work has been slow at the truss and metal shop where he works. Hopefully, it will pick up again once the weather is better.

Sons Benjamin and Joseph and nephew Benjamin must not have had enough cold after helping with putting up the trusses Saturday. They went ice fishing for a while afterward. The lake had a lot of people on it ice fishing.

Ervin and Susan’s children have had fun sliding on their pond since it’s frozen. They enjoy it when Ervin goes out there with them. Maybe in the next few years, they can learn to ice skate.

Daughter Elizabeth was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. She would be glad for any recipes that are diabetic-friendly. She is doing a great job of keeping her blood sugar to normal, although anyone who shares this diagnosis knows it’s not easy.

Diabetic-friendly

Dessert

2 cups water

1 small box sugar-free Jello

1 (6 ounces) container yogurt

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, stir in jello and then stir in the yogurt. Try to match the flavors of jello and yogurt. Place in refrigerator until set.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan. Her two cookbooks, “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, 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.