A Plain Home

Another Entry

I have to admit, I find this whole computer thing really odd. I know to most of you English women this will sound childish but I can't understand how I can type these words here and they end up all over everyone else's computers. My Adam has tried to explain it to me but it's more then my simple mind can grasp for now. Especially when this computer has no cords or wires going anywhere. It just sits here or there and folds up into a little compact black square. Adam says this is a laptop. I have seen other computers in other places that are bigger and have a number of pieces that are used but this one is smaller and can be carried around from room to room.

I was so excited to have so many comments to my initial entry. How fun this is. I even had a couple of e-mails asking me more about our life and our story of how we got to where we are.

I'll try to tell it all without getting to long.

I have adored my Adam since I was 16 years old. We started courting then when I was 16 and he was 19. He courted me for 2 years before we announced our engagement to marry in the Fall of 2005. We both lived in Lancaster at that time. In the Summer of 2005 Adam had a falling out with his father over their family Dairy farm. Things got worse and worse between them to the point that his Father threw him out of the family and he was shunned. To be shunned in the Amish community is a very serioius thing and there was no way he could stay among our people.  My heart was broken and I did not know how I would go on without my Adam. Although I was not supposed to be in contact with him, we still wrote each other and stayed in touch because of our love for the other. He left Lancaster and went to Northern Indiana. He settled in the community of Shipshewanna Indiana. There is a very large Amish community here and that is where we live now. Adam settled and worked here for 2 years. The old Amish family that he worked for owned this land with a house and barn and about a half a mile down the land an additional Dairy Barn. This was good for Adam because he already knew the Dairy business from working with his dad and brothers in Lancaster. This land had belonged to this Amish family for many years but the old husband and wife were wanting to move down to the Amish community in Florida and sell off this property. While Adam worked for this family he was able to make some changes to things which increased the production and earnings of this Dairy for this older man and wife by an very large percentage. When they were ready to move they had much more then they ever thought they would have because of all of Adams work and efforts. Since this old couple had no one to leave this land to they offered it to Adam and he gladly excepted.

In making upgrades to the Dairy portion of the farm he had electric put in the house as well. Although we have electric in the house we still use all of the old appliances that were already in the house that are gas run and work fine. Adam did have a hanging light put in the kitchen over the dining table which I really like because it gives me much more light when working in here in the evenings.

My gas appliances are our stove and cooler (refrigerator) and our deep freeze. I still use the hand washing machine for washing our clothing and ring it through the ringer and hang things on the clothes line. We do not have a television but we do have a small battery operated radio in the kitchen. We do not have a telephone. We still use oil lamps in other rooms of the house and when working in the barn near the house. I do not drive a vehicle and still use my horse and buggy to get around town. Adam only uses the trucks for the company when needed for work of course but he also uses our horse and buggy for none business related things.

It's a bit different to fit in this community here. Although we are obviously Amish, we still live different then most of the Amish around here in that we do have power in our home, my husband does not wear a beard as the other married Amish men do (which I love. I never was partial to those scratchy old things and I love to be able to see my Adams handsome face), although I do wear more traditional Amish womens clothing, I do tend to leave off my bonnet most times and I do often let my hair hang down instead of kept up and proper. We also do not attend the bi-weekly church services here. We just don't feel comfortable. Don't get me wrong, no one has ever been mean or rude to us, but we are definitly a young Amish couple that these Old Order Amish don't really know what to think of.

I think I skipped the part where I ended up with my husband after those 2 years of him being away. So let me pick back up there. After 2 years of being apart I told Adam that I could not bare to be away from him any longer. I did not care what my family thought or would do but I just needed to be with him and be his wife. We arranged for him to come back to Lancaster and get me and we planned to marry. Of course this was NOT ok with my family and I had to leave without my families blessing. I have 4 sisters, 3 of which are younger then myself and 3 brothers that are all older then me. Leaving the community broke my mother and fathers hearts and I have not spoken to them in the time I have been away. I have written to my family but my mother will not write me in return. I miss her terribly and I wish that she would think of the love that she has for my own father and know that it is what I have for my husband. I cannot be without him. I have written to my sisters and my younger sisters have written me in return. They miss me so much and I am so sorry for the heart break that I caused them in all of this. They say that Mamm misses me terribly and cries when she reads my letters yet she will not write in return. Even still I continue to write so that she is updated on our life here.

I was 18 years old when I married my husband and he was 21. We were married in March of 2006 at the local Justice here in Northern Indiana and have been married just over 1 year now. Still no boppli on the way (baby).

My days are filled with doing the things that a wife does. I get up at 4:30am to prepare my husbands breakfast and lunch for the day. He leaves home at 5:30am for the Dairy Barn. I clean the kitchen, make the bed, do laundry, do any baking that needs to be done, feed the chickens, goats and the Jersey cow we keep for our own personal milk supply. I also gather the eggs from the chickens, milk the goats and cow by hand and clean out the barn. When finished in the barn I take the milk inside and strain it and put it in jars and put it in the cooler. When chores are done I read my Bible and pray, sew, quilt, work in the garden, read or write. In the afternoons I usually go down the street to visit with another young wife I have meet. We enjoy each others company and she says she finds me daring and brazen.  I mean really......how BRAZEN can an Amish girl really be????? Sometimes we will take the buggy into town to do shopping, go to the Farmers Market or run errands. I get home 2pm when I do leave home so that I can get the afternoon chores done and start supper. Adam usually gets home by 4:30 and we have supper together. After supper I clean the kitchen and Adam and I will play games together or talk while I quilt or sew, he will read his Bible and pray and we will talk about our days. Early mornings make for early bedtimes in an Amish home so we are in bed ready for lights out by 9pm.

This evening Adam left after supper to head down to the Yoder farm to help out with a Heffer that was having trouble birthing her calf today. I hope all that turned out ok. It's still cold here in Northern Indiana. We may be expecting some snow flurries this evening. I worry about Adam out on the icy roads with the buggy and I never feel relief until I see his horse turn up the path and head toward the Barn.

I am going to go and put a pot of coffee on for Adam for when he gets home so that he can warm up next to the wood stove before turning in for the evening.

Welcome

10:07, Monday, April 9, 2007 .. Posted by boellner

Lydia,
It's nice to "meet" you. I enjoyed reading what you wrote. We are not too far away from you. We're near Hillsdale, MI (near where Ohio, Indiana and Michigan come together), and there are a couple large Amish communities here.

My husband Steve and I have eight children and live on just 7 and a half acres. We have taught our children at home for the past twelve years to avoid the influence of the worldly opinions in the public schools.

Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I look forward to reading more of what you have to share.

Many blessings,
Mrs. Tracie Boellner

Untitled Comment

10:08, Monday, April 9, 2007 .. Posted by blessedmomof10

I so enjoyed reading your blog. I admire your courage to follow your heart -- as I know it must have been such a hard thing to have left your family.

I have been reading the books by Beverly Lewis on Amish life and I have learned so much - I do admire the hard work and family centered lives.

I hope that thru these challenges of your Adam being shunned and having to leave your family you may feel the Love of God in your life. He does love you and your husband and I do hope that you feel that in every way.

I look forward to reading more about your life.

Blessings,
Gloria

Hi

10:10, Monday, April 9, 2007 .. Posted by Chas

Hi, it is so nice to meet you! I have enjoyed your first entries very much!!! I hope to hear much more about you!
Welcome!
Blessings,
Chas

Welcome!

12:31, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 .. Posted by deedee06

Hi Lydia. I am so happy I found your blog. Your life sounds very interesting. I am a 48 year old Christian wife and mom. My daughter, Maria, who is 18 plans to attend Bible school in the fall. The desire of her heart is to be a wife and mother. My son, Jonathan, is 6 and keeps us very busy. What a blessing after so many years of wanting another child. We live in northcentral Montana about an hour from the Rocky Mountains. I look forward to reading more of your entries. I will be happy to answer any questions about Montana or our life you might have.......Blessings from the Big Sky Country........Denise (prairiemom)

Hello!

12:15, Tuesday, April 10, 2007 .. Posted by Jonash2004

I am so pleased to have found your blog! I consider myself a young, learning wife although I'm 25. *smiles* My name is Ashley, I have been married to Jonathan 3 years in June! We have a 1year old son named Samuel and another on the way. We are considered by most of our family to be quite "old fashioned" and impractical because I make our own bread, ect!

I look forward to getting to know you better!
Ashley