July in Minnesota

We recently spent two months visiting family and friends in the U.S. After being in Bolivia for three straight years, some things seemed rather striking to us: the wide, smooth roads; the idyllic main street of Mtn. Lake, with it's shady trees and neat houses and yards (but no DQ, alas); the smell of cornfields and fresh-cut grass; the wide store aisles and overwhelmingly huge choice of products; the good, rich food; the doctor who listened to our questions and didn't send us home with a arm-length of prescriptions we'll never buy; and the joy of singing from Hymnal: A Worship Book. What a country! :)

Below are a few photos from our month with the Harders in Minnesota (we didn't take nearly enough):

Oma convinced Jonathan to love this form of transportation, even after he had a bit of a strong reaction to the first longish trip in it.


Jonathan loved the farm - the dirt, the lawn, the dog, the pickup, but most especially the tractors. We think his idea of paradise is riding around with Opa on one of the biggest, loudest ones. Here they are in the barn hayloft.


Jonathan was sixteen months old during this time. The defining experience for him, unfortunately, may have been a nasty case of impetigo.


We were lucky that David and Rachel came to visit during our time in Mtn. Lake. Here we are with them, Grandparents Harder, and aunt Kathleen and Sophia.


One afternoon the Elmindorf Hutterite Community made some 2000 verenike for the Minn-Kota MCC relief sale, which my mom helped with. We got to attend that sale in Souix Falls in July, and met some old friends there.



We also attended the wedding of Ramont's cousin, Verlin Stoll, in Minneapolis. Ramont's parents and 91-year old grandmother were also there for the event. This was a good foretaste of our month of August.