On Sunday, we attended church at niece Verena and Melvin’s house. Verena is Joe’s oldest sister MaryAnn and Jake’s daughter.

Melvin and Verena have two sons and Lord willing are moving to Goshen, Indiana. We wish them God’s many blessings as they make this move. May they enjoy their new home. Home is where the heart is and we found that to be true when we made the move to Michigan 21 years ago.

Sister Verena went with us to church at Melvin’s and has been staying here since. After church, the three of us went to visit nephew Steven for a few hours. Son Joseph and Grace had also been to church at Melvin’s and came to visit Steven too.

I took Steven the cards from you readers. Thank you so much for your kindness. Steven really appreciated the kind words on the cards and the gifts of money. He doesn’t have an income so it means more than you know. God bless you!

Sons Benjamin and Kevin, daughter Verena and Daniel Ray also came to visit with Steven for a while.

Steven had an appointment in Ann Arbor yesterday so I am wondering if all is healing well. He seemed to be doing much better than last time we were there.

Dustin, Loretta, and sons, Joseph and Grace, and Daniel Ray were our supper guests Sunday night. I made tacos which is always easy to make.

Grandson Denzel, 2, had to have three stitches put in by his lip. He fell, hitting the edge of a coffee table and cutting his lip open a little. This happened while we were on our trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Everything healed okay and he was able to get his stitches taken out. When the doctor asked him how he was, Denzel said, “I’m fine.” Then she asked if she could take his stitches out and he said, “No!” She asked if she should leave and he said, “Yes.” Denzel and Byron, 1, are typical little boys and are a handful to keep an eye out for. Haha! They keep Loretta and Dustin busy.

On Saturday, Joe and I with my friend Ruth attended the Christmas Bazaar at the Honeyville Auction Center in Topeka, Indiana.

When we came home, I thought I needed to make supper yet but daughter Loretta had called and invited us to come there to eat. We had baked chicken and potatoes and all the trimmings.

The little boys were delighted to have Grandpa, Grandma, and uncles Benjamin and Kevin there. It was nice to not have to make supper.

My daughter plans to come home tomorrow for the day. Plans are to make cutout cookies and decorate them for the Christmas season. This is one of the recipes we will try. God’s blessings!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ginger

1/2 cup cocoa

Directions

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight who lives in southeastern Michigan. 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 [email protected] and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.