Making My Holster

Jonah, Samuel, and I made holsters out of the cow that we butchered. Dad let us keep the hide so that we could tan it.  It was very exciting!

First, we scraped the extra meat off the hide. Then we put it in some aluminum sulfate so that the hair would fall off. About three days later, we took it out and scraped the hair off. Then we salted it and put it in a bucket for later. The last step was to put it in tanning solution.

After we tanned the hide, we cut it into individual pieces so that everyone could have a section. We got to work on cutting out our patterns for our holsters. We got to make our own leather straps by cutting it in circles.

Then I started sewing my holster together. I went in and out and in and out again until it was done. then I tried it on. It was a little bit loose, but I got it adjusted. It was exciting.

Then I got my cap gun and stuck it in. It fit nicely!

Now I could play with it.

It has been great working on my holster. working on leather is enjoyable. You can make almost anything out of leather.

~Isaac

New Floor!

Last year, Dad and Mom decided to remodel the kitchen and pantry. One of the reasons we were going to remodel those two rooms, was the floor. The floor was not waterproof, and it was starting to fade and bubble up from multiple water spills. We started on the pantry first because it was smaller and required less work.

The first step we took on reconstructing the room, was to move everything from it, including our two freezers. We took many baskets and loaded them with the things from the freezers so they would not be so heavy to move. 

We also emptied all the shelves and put the things from them in baskets and crates. After everything was removed from the shelves and freezers, we took them out of the pantry. The last thing we took out, was the deep freeze. It was difficult to remove the deep freeze because it was so long, but after a while, we finely got it out. 

Everything was out of the pantry, but it was put all throughout the house. 

It looked a mess.

Our second step was to take out the floor and to reinsulate the ceiling. 

We started by taking up the floor, and then after the floor was out, we began on the ceiling. We took down the ceiling, then put up more insulation, then repainted the ceiling, and put it back up. 

Next, we needed to paint the walls and install the new floor.

We painted the walls white, the original color, because white went well with the color of the floor. After the walls were painted and the paint was dry, we began installing the new floor. 

The floor required a little more time, because it had to be laid perfectly so there would not be any big gaps where any of the floorboards connected. We worked for a long time cutting, fitting, and tapping the floorboards so they would fit just perfectly in to place. When we finished laying the floorboards, we had only one more step to do, putting everything back in the pantry.

We bought new cabinets for the pantry, and they were one of the first things to go in. The next things were the freezers, then the shelves, then the canned foods. The frozen foods went into the freezers and the flour and oil went into the new cabinets.

We had finally remodeled the pantry, and it looks nice. Our next big step was to install the new floor in the kitchen.    

~Samuel

  

 

   

Merry Christmas 2020?!

Some gifts are put to use immediately, while others get tucked away for use later on. Rhonda’s gift from Christmas 2020 definitely got tucked away for use later on, as the under-the -counter microwave sat down in the shop for well over a year, waiting for its new home in the house. Its day finally arrived however, and now is happily adorning our updated kitchen.

After years of debating changes to our eating arrangements, we finally decided on a final design to the kitchen and updates began. We had always planned on at least a hood over the stove, so electrical wiring was already in place, making the job a little easier. We did have a problem, nevertheless as the cabinet above the stove was 18 inches tall and needed to be only 12 inches for a microwave/hood. It had been many years since we bought the cabinets at Home Depot, and we felt sure they would not still sell the same brand or style. Off to the store we went to check it out and to our great surprise and joy, they still sold the same ones and had the 12 inch one available! With the new cabinet in place and the wiring complete, it was time for the big day of microwave installation.



Everyone joined in the fun as the box was opened and the parts spread out. As with many of our projects, Rhonda is the brains and I am the brawn, as she read the installation instructions preparing for the mission at hand, while the children and I gathered the necessary tools. Excitement grew as measurements were taken for proper placement and securement to the wall. When everything was ready, the machine was lifted in place, the final bolts secured, and the machine was plugged in.



It was like the Christmas gift that keeps on giving, as it was new all over again! Everyone enjoyed pressing buttons, setting the time, checking out the light, and turning on the blower. The highlight was when Rhonda put in a microwave popcorn, and it popped perfectly for us all to enjoy! Good things come to those who wait, and now Rhonda has a nice new 2020 microwave in place for us all to enjoy.

~Mark

The Discovery

Sometimes when you are looking for something like worms, you might find an arrowhead. Or if you’re looking for mushrooms, you might be lucky enough to find a spearhead. You will be very surprised, and extremely excited you discovered them!

About five years ago, Samuel, Isaac and I were going to go fishing, so I got a container and went out to look for some fishing worms. I looked under several logs in the field and found a few, so I headed up to the house. Walking slowly through the field looking at the ground, I saw a funny shaped rock. It was a little bit buried in the ground. I set down my container of worms and started to pull it out. I could not believe my eyes, for it was an arrowhead! I was so excited that I ran straight up to the house to show my family what I found. Everyone was excited and we went down to see if there were any more.

A year later we all were mushroom hunting. Crossing the creek, I saw a little rock on the side of the bank. I walked up to it and picked it up. It looked like an arrowhead, but it was a little bit longer and pointier. I showed it to Dad, and he said it was a spearhead! I was overly excited! I showed everyone and they were incredibly surprised that I found it.

I like to make up a story that a Native American went out hunting long ago and saw a stag in the field. He took aim with his bow and shot. The arrow flew through the air and hit the stag in the side and fell to the ground. The deer didn’t fall, but just ran toward the creek. The Indian grabbed his spear and ran after the deer. He followed the deer and when it started to cross the creek, the Brave saw his chance to throw his spear. The spear hit the buck and the deer then it fell on its side. Running up to the animal, the Indian took out his spear and put it on the ground. Then in his excitement, he dragged the deer to his tribe, his spear long forgotten. That’s where I found it!

Even though no one knows the story of what really happened except the Indian that shot it, I am glad I discovered the arrowhead and the spearhead. I have the honor of finding the very first arrowhead ever found on Providence Prairie! If you happen to walk in a field or a creek, you may be able to find one, too. And don’t forget to make up your own tale to go with it!

~Jonah

Celestial Bodies

The moon shines bright,

It makes great light,

Just like the stars, which look so tiny,

The sun shines on the moon so bright and shiny.



The stars are made of burning gas,

Which makes me think how they pass fast.

I like the moon, the stars, the sun,

Celestial bodies are a lot of fun.

~Unique

Time Capsule

We've recently been remodeling the pantry and kitchen. It's been a project on our radar for a while, and the time and resources finally presented themselves for the job to commence.

Our deep freeze occupied the farthest wall in the pantry and was nestled in behind the shelving that held all of our canned goods. It had started acting a little unusual and we knew that it would need attention. In order to get it out of the pantry, every shelf had to be emptied and removed first. That was fine since we were going to begin working on the pantry anyway.  It all had to come out for the flooring to be replaced.

In order for the freezer to be replaced with an upright one, and shelving to fill in the rest of the floor space area where the deep freezer once sat, it was necessary to move an outlet several inches to the left, or west in particular. Mark fished the wire into its new place and in order to cover the old outlet area, we decided to put a utility cover over the empty box since beadboard lined the wall already.

With an empty outlet box with a cover, my mind instantly fixed on the idea of placing a time capsule inside for future generations to discover! I quickly got to work writing the note and printing off a few recent pictures of us. 

We all stopped the progress of the pantry and prayed for whomever might find the missive.  In fact, that is what the note is mostly about- points that we prayed about for them! We each signed near our face in the photo and folded the surprise and placed it into the empty receptacle.

The lid was placed on and the sentiments were then tucked out of sight behind the shelf we moved in front.  

The pantry is finished and the kitchen is well underway, and the little time capsule sits patiently waiting for the day when its finder unscrews the lid and discovers the folded pages of memoirs- whoever that might be.  Such fun!

~Rhonda

Water In Many Ways

I haven’t ever thought much about water. I know that after it rains, and the sun comes out, the water evaporates and goes into the sky and makes clouds. Clouds are just water vapors and when the water vapors hit chilly air, they condense and fall to the ground in drops of water known as rain.



Sleet, hail, and snow are just frozen rain. 

Snow is made when tiny ice crystals in the sky stick together and get heavy enough to fall.

When it sleets, the snowflakes partially melt and refreeze before they hit the ground. Hail is made when rain is blown into the extremely cold parts of the atmosphere where it freezes. Then as it falls, it collects more rain which freezes on it, causing it to grow. It finally hits the ground as hail.

Water freezes when the temperature is 32 degrees or less. Water boils and evaporates when the temperature is 212 degrees or higher. Water expands when freezing and when you put water in a plastic container and set it out in freezing weather, the freezing water will expand and crack the container.

There is salt and fresh water on earth. The saltiest water on earth is the Dead Sea. The ice sheet of Antarctica holds 80 to 90 percent of earth’s fresh water. This ice sheet is an average of 7,100 feet thick! At the thickest point, it is three miles deep! There’s so much ice, that if it melted, the sea level around world would rise by 180 to 200 feet!

I am thankful for water because it makes things grow, including humans. Genesis 1:6-7 says, "Then God said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, and let it separate the waters from the waters.' God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so." Water is a big part of the earth, and without it, the world would dry up and everything would die. Water does more than I thought, and I am thankful it does.

~Samuel

Icicle Watch

In winter, when it gets really cold, there is a big icicle that grows by the back door. It is so big and thick. Every day it gets bigger. I love to watch it drip. I can barely see it freeze. After a while when it gets warmer the whole thing crashes down.



When the icicle is still on the side of the house, we all hope that it touches the ground and connects. It actually has done this before, but usually it falls to the ground. It is disappointing when you watch it grow and then it falls down. Icicles are interesting to me. I like to study the cool rough lines on them. They are also tasty, too.

The little icicles that hang on the side of the house look so decorative there. From the kitchen window I can see them when I am drying dishes. They are amazing because I like the way that they freeze and hang on.



One of the biggest icicles in the world is 27 feet long. It was found hanging from a bridge in Scotland. That is huge. It is bigger than I am. Ours would only be seven feet tall if it grew all the way down to the deck floor.



I love to watch icicles. They are terrific. God made them special. That’s why I like them.

~Unique

Paper and Glue

I have always loved mail. The hope of a promised letter, the surprise of an envelope arriving just for me, these things give mail an extra special meaning. The thought that someone had been thinking of me and spent their time and energy to let me know, makes me smile. I have a whole bag of envelopes packed with heart-felt missives and dear memories from family and friends.

The other day I had the desire to make cards of my own. Gathering the needed supplies from Mama, I headed to the table. Scissors, check. Glue, check. Paper, check. Ideas, check. I was ready to get started.





I sat down and got to work. Snip, glue, and measure. Ask mama for some advice and if I can use her fancy cutting scissors. Sit down again and work for a while. Make a butterfly template. Time to work on dinner. Done for the day.




Realizing how much fun it was to design my own cards, I asked if anyone else wanted to help me create. Isaac and Unique did. They sat down and produced their own designs. It was fun watching, helping, and designing with them. They both made beautiful cards.




Once the cards were finished and I decided who I would send them to, I began decorating the envelopes. This was my favorite part. Nothing tops a beautifully home-made card, except one in a beautifully decorated envelope.

It was a lot of work and somewhat time consuming to make the cards, but it was definitely worth the endeavor. Although they’re just constructed with a little paper and glue, I am excited to send off my creations. I hope that they will bring joy to the receivers. What better way to tell someone your thinking of them than a joy-filled, personally made greeting card?!

~Halayah