Simple Grace Ministries

Helicopter Rides

2007-05-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

At a Memorial Day celebration in New Jersey this week, Dad and Mom told us kids that there was a "big surprise" waiting for us. We sang twice in the afternoon and the suspense was killing Bristol, who asked every hour if we would get the surprise soon. After tearing down and loading the bus, we drove across the street and found out that our host, Bill Welte, had arranged for helicopter rides for all of us!

What a treat to be given this once-in-a-lifetime privilege! Thanks, Bill!

What's Up With the Hitch's?

2007-05-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Since we have disappeared from the blogging world for over a month, it's about time we gave you an update...or several! I'll let the pictures take the place of an explanation.....

Thankfully we were very close to a repair shop when our tag tire blew, and it was only a short while until we were back on the road again and homeward bound!

Recording

2007-04-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

For the last two weeks we have been in the studio from morning until evening every day working on a new CD! Since they say "a picture's worth a thousand words," I'll let the photographer tell the story...

Behind the scenes of every recording project is an engineer who is essentially the glue of the process. We have been blessed with Evan as our engineer for most of this project. We appreciate you, Evan!

SPRING UPDATE!!

2007-04-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Delaware! We were blessed again by amazing hospitality all along the way.

We're so thankful for the opportunity to do what we do. God is good!

Here are some pictures of the last couple weeks.

We always smile at the long Amish clotheslines
that are strung all across Lancaster County, PA.
We loved these so much, we installed one at our house!

We shopped the "Amish K-Mart", the name used by locals for
the local Amish-owned variety store near New Holland, PA.

The Transport for Christ Benefit at Yoder's Restaurant in New Holland
was a great evening. These folks provide chapels and spiritual leadership in truck stops across America! We enjoyed a Pennsylvania Dutch meal, which we don't get too often!

Jim and Kathy enjoy a happy moment singing on stage at the Simon

Graber Complex concert in Odon, Indiana.

Sterling shares his musical gifts at the Risser's Mennonite Church in Elizabethtown, PA.
We appreciate his stepping up to take over some of Luke's parts for the group.

A friend, Karen Stoltzfus, came to one of our concerts at

Southside Baptist in Dover, DE. We enjoyed catching up before

and after the service. Thanks for coming, Karen!

Pastor Chris Kondracki, of Southside Baptist Church in Dover, DE, and the boys share some special moments before the Easter service.

Avery shares a testimony on Easter morning. It was a joy to share the victory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ's glorious resurrection with our spiritual family on Resurrection morning! His powerful resurrection is our bond of unity with believer's everywhere!

Sharing some "sibling cooperation" during the Easter concert!

How DO they do that?

Lucas ministered an original song for the congregation.

Spring means baseball, and the Hitch's had a friendly game at the Stauffer's in Ephrata, PA! Here, Sterling waits for the pitch. . . . .

. . . . Havilah concentrates on getting a hit . . . . .

. . . . Blake takes the turn at first base . . . . . .

Kathy was our pitcher, and leans into the pitch . . . . .

. . . . O-o-ps! Luke was covering second and collided with Blake in a close play . . . . .

. . . . that stopped the game for a medical time-out. Superficial injuries only . . . . . .

. . . . brought Bristol up to bat. His focus and form were a set-up for a great hit!

. . . . Bringing Lacey up to the batter's mound. The outfield was ready . . . . .

And Blake waited for the play. . . .

and the afternoon went on-and-on 'til everyone was too tired to go on anymore. . . . .
. . . . and then we talked about it for days!

We renewed friendships again on this trip, and thank the Lord for His blessings of family, friendship, health, spiritual security, and the privilege of serving Him every day, be it through music, fellowship, prayer, counsel, finances, physical labor, personal testimony or just standing firm in our faith in Him! HE IS THE PURPOSE OF IT ALL!!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Pet 1:3-5

G L O R Y !

Lacey

2007-03-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Larissa (Lacey) Leigh Hitch was born on March 30th, 1984, thirty days past her due-date and only thirteen months behind her older brother. She had so much hair when she was born that Mom had to style it almost from the first day!

Lacey and Nick had a very close relationship...perhaps partly by coersion? [smile]

Lacey loved taking care of "the baby" when we were younger and she always tried to be the first one to earn the dime or quarter Mom gave away when we girls changed a diaper while Mom was pregnant and couldn't stomach it. Lacey was a classic older sister who took it upon herself to fix up the bruises and mishaps the rest of us created, and although we never could figure it out, she could often put Nick in line by her persuasive smile and sweet voice.

Lacey has loved fishing since she first got a rod in her hand but none of us liked taking Lacey along on our fishing escapades because she always came home with a fish when the rest of us came up short on our luck. Lacey even let us have her secret fishing spots after she'd gotten her catch of the day but it never did us any good. To this day she holds the reputation of being the master angler in our family!

Lacey graduated from high school in 2002 and has since taken over homeschooling Bristol. She also pays the family bills, makes the majority of the meals, strives to keep the house clean, her horse worked with and her mandolin practiced. And after all of that, you can always count on Lacey to have a listening ear to anyone who needs a long talk.

Happy 23rd birthday, Lacey! We love you!

Bristol

2007-03-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

When baby Bristol Levi Hitch was born at home on March 24th, 1998, we had a kitchen scale to weigh him on. We were taking bets as to how much he weighed but no one came anywhere close to guessing right! When the scale said 10 pounds, 4 ounces, we quickly assumed that the scale was incorrect. Much to our surprise, we discovered that it was accurate and our baby weighed over 3 pounds more than any other Hitch baby had weighed at birth. He was full of surprises from the first breath!

Having three older sisters who thought he was the cutest thing alive, Bristol couldn't ever escape from a camera...even to have a thoughtful moment in the garden.

Our very first concert was less than two months after Bristol was born. While practicing for countless hours in the basement, Bristol would sit in a sling on Avery's hip and he quickly learned that falling asleep was his best option at the first note he heard.

Bristol's favorite attire was that of a "real cowboy."

Always trying to stay up with his big brothers, Bristol learned young to tie his own tie (which he always does for stage), style his own hair, polish his own shoes, and...well...keep those whiskers from showing.

Happy 9th birthday, Bristol! We are so thrilled that God has put you in our family!

Spring

2007-03-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

The first week of spring has brought our attention outdoors to the greening grass and budding gardens. With the help of our good friend Sammy Siegmann from Wisconsin, we tackled the job of raking the yard this morning. It feels good to walk outside in bare feet and feel the spring sunshine!

"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth." Hosea 6:3

Lucas

2007-03-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

Lucas James Hitch joined our family on March 19th, 1988, and due to a fast birth, Dad and Mom thought they'd lost him when he was born. He quickly pulled out of his hard start and became absolutely determined that he would take in as much of the world as possible...so much so that he insisted on being held outwards from the time he was a newborn.

Lucas loved to fish but also loved telling tall tales about his fishing adventures. He could captivate his audience for long periods of time, mostly because his stuttering, hoarse voice was so cute.

He started playing guitar at age 10 and wrote his first song that year.

Luke gave everyone a heart-throbbing thrill when he became the first (and only) Hitch child to ever roll their vehicle.

Luke and his girlfriend, Jamie

Happy golden birthday, Lucas!

They're Here!!!

2007-02-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

After waiting almost seven months longer than the predicted release date, we are SO excited to announce that Avery's new book is officially in our hands!

Six skids of books totalling 5,000 copies and 8,000 pounds was delivered to us via semi. If you haven't signed up for a copy, you can order one from Avery's website at www.averyehitch.com.

This morning, Lacey helped address the 150 envelopes that were shipped to fulfill pre-buy orders

Havilah was a big help addressing envelopes and filling, sealing and stacking

Glory to God for bringing this project from beginning to end successfully!

Prison Crusade

2007-02-21T17:04:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of our recent trip down south was the annual We Care prison crusade we are involved in. We sang in four men's prisons on four consecutive nights and Dad had the opportunity to do the teaching in two of them as well. We were thrilled when we showed up to our first prison and a We Care volunteer had gotten clearance to take pictures during the service! So, since prison pictures are few and far between we thought we'd share some with you. (Unfortunately Blake, Sterling, Havilah and Bristol weren't allowed into the prison the night of the photographing so these pictures are only of the five of us who are over eighteen. It was a challenge doing an entire concert without the younger four!)

Prayer with volunteers and inmates before the service

The inmates are usually the most lively, attentive crowd we sing to all year. We appreciate their respect and enthusiasm so much! They are the ones who make coming into the institutions something we look forward to every year.

Dad loves teaching in the prisons and sharing his testimony with guys who can relate to where he has been in the past.

"Seeing their faith He said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven you.'" Luke 5:20

Hello!

2007-02-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since we let ya'll know what's going on out here on the road. Unfortunately, I still can't upload any pictures because our internet service has changed and we rarely get enough service to even connect, which means it's way too slow to upload anything. But, I thought I'd say hello without a picture this time. We are in Florida and are finishing up our last few concerts before we head back to Nebraska.

Thanks for checking back. We hope to give you a better update (with pictures!) very soon.

An Artic Front

2007-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

We have made it to south Texas, and along with all of the natives, we are suffering with "extremely" cold weather! (We almost had to put away the short sleeves!) As you can see from this morning's newspaper headline, these Texans are getting a real taste of a cold, hard winter with temperatures dropping all the way to 35 degrees overnight.

Here is the excerpt from the newspaper that accompanied this picture of a bundled up construction worker:

"I didn't even want to go out and get my paper, it was so cold (Monday) morning," Harlingen resident Omar Lopez said. "I had to dust off my old sports coat just to go out and get the paper."

Lopez was one of many who traded Sunday's short-sleeved shirts for Monday's heavy coats, hats and gloves as temperatures dropped below the 40-degree mark.

Drivers were dealing with the arctic weather that can make for slippery spots.

We'd like to assure our family and friends back in Nebraska that even though we have abandoned them during their -6 degree temperatures this week, we are "suffering" through our own acrtic front down south!

(For goodness sake, it almost hit freezing!)

On the Road Again

2007-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

Five bags of cat food stacked at the end of the sidewalk can only mean one thing...

...We're hitting the road!

The last month has been full for the Hitch family. Although we didn't book any singing engagements, we found our days filled with music practice, mountains of neglected office work, all the uncompleted honey-do projects, and some much-needed time with relatives and friends. Now we are on the road again, heading south for five weeks. We cherish your prayers for safe travels and we look forward to seeing many of you along the way!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

Men change day-by-day, year-by-year,

Their opinions and hearts never steady.

They change their ideas, ambitions and plans,

Their beliefs and traditions don't firmly stand.

There's only One whom we can put our trust in,

He's steadfast and pure through the ages.

Jesus Christ doesn't change through centuries, no, never!

He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Hebrews 13:8)

~AEH

Glory

2006-12-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

In May of 2005 a friend of mine, Mardel Connell, called me and said she'd like to breed her mare for me and give me the foal. I was extremely excited! I had dreamed of having a foal for a long time. Actually I had tried to breed my mare twice and both times she didn't end up getting pregnant. So, for the next 11 months I waited, and waited and waited... Finally on April 30th she was born! A little blue roan filly! She had to stay at Mardel's place until she was weaned, but I used every excuse possible and went and saw her often. :-) She is now home, at our place, and fitting in quite nicely. I would just like to introduce the newest member of our herd:

"Very Darling Glory"

aka "Glory"

~Lacey

Glory enjoys a run in our pasture.

Ain't she pretty? :-)

Thank you, Mardel! She's a dream come true.

If ya'll want to come out and see her, I certainly don't mind showing her off. :-)

2006-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

Wishing the residents at Garden Square
Nursing Home a Merry Christmas!

It was a pleasure to spend the evening singing and enjoying the
fellowship of the the people at Garden Square. The food was amazing!
Thank you for having us!

December Project

2006-12-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

This month, while we are at home, the men in our house have taken on the project of removing and rebuilding the front porch. Our century-old house has begun to shift this past year, so the guys decided to see if our sagging front porch had anything to do with the problem.

Nick and Bristol did most of the tear-off work

Digging holes for footings

Aaron Wubbels, a good friend, stopped by one night and ended up joining the work crew

The new porch is considerably higher than the old one

The old pillars were salvaged to keep as much history intact as possible

Add a porch swing, a few seats, a clothesline and some cats and it looks like home sweet home again.

P.S. A little piece of information...for those of you who noticed that our house has two front doors side-by-side, we've been told that it was built by Czechoslovakians, whose tradition was to have two front doors (we're not sure what the use is!). Since Mom is part Czech, we figure we belong here!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us." Ephesians 1:3-8

A Christmas Gift

2006-12-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend some friends of ours, the McKay family, came to visit from Wisconsin. Before they went home, they blessed us with a long-needed gift: a new dishwasher!

Look, Mom, no more adding gallons of water during every cycle!

A huge "thank you!" to Scott and Brenda for your generous gift!

Havilah

2006-12-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

We kids were betting quarters as to whether Havilah would be a boy or a girl. We awaited her arrival with much anticipation and Havilah must've picked up on the excitement because she came almost too fast to make it to the hospital! On December 14th, 1993, forty-five seconds after Mom arrived to the emergency room via ambulance, baby Havilah Rose Hitch was born.

"There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid!"

Havilah with bottle lamb, Hosanna

Havilah's first horse was an old mare named Queenie. Havilah quickly learned how to hold on because Queenie loved to lope and hated to stop! (We tried to keep the pair within the bounds of a fence...)

Alaska is Havilah's snow white kitten

Happy thirteenth birthday, Havilah!

Look Who's Fifteen!

2006-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

We were staying at Grandpa and Grandma's house when Sterling James Hitch was brought into the world on December 9th, 1991. We kids were ecstatic when we heard we had gotten a new brother during the night!

Sterling fell asleep everywhere...especially in his high chair every day during lunch!

One-year-old Sterling

Singing "Just Call on Him"

Games on horseback

Sterling bought his best horse, Haily, when she was 15, and did the finishing touches in her training to make her into one of our best horses today.

Happy fifteenth birthday, Sterling!

Who's the Secret Friend?!?

2006-12-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

Every beginning of December, our family exchanges names and for the entire month we have a "secret friend." This is the person we buy a gift for on Christmas, but each person also does special things for their "friend" every day. We find gifts on our pillows, our beds made or our cars cleaned. This evening, Blake had a wrapped box on his pillow...and it was moving!

"Bagheera," the black kitten, is happily getting used to his new home, and the big question remains:

"Who did it?"

Lucas

2006-12-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

Last night in Arnold, Nebraska, Lucas hit a milestone in his life. He was invited to do his very first solo concert in a remolded theatre and he performed an hour-long concert of all original songs with Nick and Blake backing him on bass and drums. We cheered him on and laughed at his rather unexpected moments of humor.

We're so proud of you, Luke!

5-year-old Jace Connell eagerly took the front row of the theatre and was all eyes and ears

Goodbye to the '73 Eagle?

2006-11-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

Since we are now settled into our 1993 Eagle, we are attempting to sell the "old" bus. It'll be sad to see our home-away-from-home drive away in someone else's care, but we're also looking for it to be a blessing for someone else for many more years. We have many memories in that bus!

P.S. If anyone is interested in purchasing the bus, you can call Dad at (402)432-3812 or look at it on ebay by going to www.ebay.com and searching for "1973 Silver Eagle." The auction ends on December 6th so we hope to have it sold then. We appreciate your prayers in this matter!

Thanksgiving Review

2006-11-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

With the Thanksgiving holiday over, we thought we'd post a few pictures to give you an idea of the way we celebrate Thanksgiving...with lots family (and a little food!). We are so thankful for a close extended family!

Just a few of the treats that showed up at Grandpa and Grandma's house on Thursday

Grandpa, cousin Hope and Havilah discussing horses

Baby Tobey Roberts is the youngest member of the Vagts family (Mom's side)

Some of the older girl cousins. L-R: Sonya, Lacey, Stephanie, Megan and Avery

Grandma LaVina

Grandpa and Sterling

6-year-old cousin Madison Mae

We took a long walk (just over the next hill, right Mom?!?) after the big dinner, and Grandpa followed in his truckster to help the little ones home. The little girls ended up walking and the truckster was full of boys and the puppy, Kenna!

The group who went to the lake. L-R (are you ready for this?): Back: Cousin Stephanie, Uncle Darryl, Grandpa, Aunt Sue, Uncle Dale, Aunt Cindi, Nick, Lucas, Jamie, Cousin Sarah, Sterling & Blake. Middle: Cousin Ashton, Kathy (Mom), Cousin Matthew, Avery, Havilah & Lacey. Front: Cousin Paul, Bristol, Cousin Nathaniel, Cousin Hope, Cousin Madison and Cousin Sonya. Phew!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

Lord,

I'm thankful for YOU! For how You keep me growing, through Your word, your still soft voice, your servants and leaders, through teachers and brothers and sisters in Your family, through my family and life's experiences.

I'm thankful for the incredible family You have given to me. There is no possible way I can express my pleasure in each child You created and gave me the privilege to enjoy. The miracle of life, and all its inexpressible depth of interaction and emotion and bonding is a mystery and amazement to me. Somehow Your love trancends the love I feel for my family, and I can scarcely imagine the magnitude of Your love for me! You have illustrated Your eternal love through the wonderful husband you gave me, who loves me dearly and gives his life to care for me and shares my life so intimately. I am profoundly grateful for Jim, Lord.

I am thankful that each child calls you "Lord," and has come to know You personally.

I am thankful for Simple Grace Ministries, Lord. I am glad for the privilege of sharing You through the music You give to us. I am thankful to serve Your family in whatever ways You ordain. I am thankful for TRUTH to share. I am thankful for Your power that changes and heals hearts even through broken vessels. Thank You for honoring our family by sending us. We are truly thrilled to go in Your lofty name.

Thank You for growth and change and challenges enough to keep us at Your feet. Thank You for life's basics of food and home and health and love and friends. Thank You for peace in our land and godly leadership. Thank You for freedom to worship and educate our children according to Your principles. Thank You for still giving miracles, and giving us faith to believe in them. Thank You for being Father and Saviour and Spirit eternally, Lord of life abundantly, my Ancient of all my days! I love You with all my heart.

~Kathy

Florida

2006-11-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

To the southerners in Alabama and Florida, November is a time to stay off of the "cold" beach and start hitting the tanning salons. However, to us northerners, November down south is an opportunity to...

...play in the "warm" water...

...watch the sun rise...

...and set...

...and turn white skin red!!!

We also got to sing for many Florida and Alabama congregations...

...And Kenna got in a little sleepy time in Avery's bunk.

Mom's sister Cindi traveled with us on the southern tour! Aunt Cindi stayed surprisingly cheerful for being stuck on a bus with nine other people and a dog, and we came home with a few inside jokes and a whole load of memories. Thanks for sticking it out with us, Aunt Cindi!

Blue Angels

2006-11-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

We have been traveling in Florida this November and while we were down there, we had the awesome opportunity to sail in Pensacola Bay with a friend, Jim Britnell. He took us out in his sail boat one afternoon and we watched the US Navy Blue Angels perform their air show!

The Blue Angels show was performed right above us

Avery relaxing on the boat

The boys learned a thing or two as they helped Jim put the sails up and down

Thank you, Jim, for taking time out with us!

Introducing Kenna

2006-11-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

As if nine people weren't enough in a little farmhouse and on a 45-foot bus, we have recently added a new member...a puppy! Avery was very excited to get an eight-week old puppy at the beginning of November and Kenna has been traveling with us for almost two weeks now. She adds a lot of life to the bus!

Kenna is a Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix

She is very patient...even when taking a bath!

Hello Again

2006-11-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

We have lately disappeared from the blogging world because our Internet service on the road has been too weak to post pictures! So, here we are again...we hope to post more pictures and updates very soon.

It's Snowing!

2006-10-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

When we made the plans to head North in October, we expected colder weather, but not a blizzard! We got a surprise in Lansing, Michigan.

Time Out

2006-10-12T14:28:00.000-07:00

This week, after a very busy weekend singing in Wisconsin, we had the opportunity to travel to the east side of the state to visit with some good friends, the Siegmanns. After the work was done on the farm, we got to take a trip to Cabellas and the boys entertained us with some lively "Dutch" ping-pong!

Back: Nathan, Lucas, Noah, Blake, Sterling; Front: Bristol & Lincoln

Lacey, Sammy and Avery

We are so thankful for good friends across the country!

What do you get when you have four week days at home?

2006-10-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lots of bus work!

Nick has been installing an AquaHot heating system this week

And Dad has been doing electricity

For an update on the bus project...the exterior is now painted and the interior is in the process of being finished! Mart Graber from Indiana donated and installed all of the cabinetry, bunks, bed and doors. Dad and the boys are in the process of finishing installing the lights and plumbing, and then it'll be ready for carpet and a ceiling! We are driving the new bus on our trips now, and getting the old one ready to sell (anyone know of someone who wants to buy a bus?). Thanks to all of you who have supported us in every way as we tackle this project!

It's Off!

2006-10-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

After five weeks in a cast, Mom's arm is finally free! The doctor cut off the cast this morning to reveal a swollen, stiff arm. Mom still has a long road ahead of her...she has very little movement in her wrist and she has to wear a splint for several weeks.

Praise the Lord for a qualified doctor who did an excellent job with the set.

Cruise Review

2006-09-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

Many of you have asked about the Alaskan cruise that we ministered on July 28th through August 4th, but thus far we haven't been able to share any pictures. So, here's a review...

The Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas

We sang five times while on the ship

Mendenhall Glacier was absolutely breathtaking! The brilliant blue color of the ice couldn't be captured by the camera.

A baby ice berg

During our time in Alaska, most of the days were overcast and chilly. We've yet to see anything as tenderly rustic as Alaskan scenery.

Mom celebrated her birthday on the ship!

Every night our stateroom attendant made animals out of towels. This monkey was left hanging in Dad and Mom's room. That's some talent!

As always, the food on the cruise was outstanding. This dessert is made out of pure chocolate.

Our last stop was at Butchert Gardens in British Columbia. The gardens are world-renowned.

L-R: Jim, Kathy, Blake, Avery, Lucas, Nick, Sterling, Lacey, Havilah and Bristol

The biggest blessing of the trip was having family to share it with!

A Penny Parcel

2006-09-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been thinking, "Isn't Avery's new book supposed to be out by now?", you have every right to wonder why you haven't been contacted concerning it's release. A Penny Parcel was originally scheduled to be released July-August of this year, but the date got moved back and we are now looking into November before it's available to the public. Avery has been putting in long hours this week doing the final edit, and when she sends the manuscript back to Winepress Publishing with her stamp of approval, the process will be rolling.

The finished cover of A Penny Parcel

You can now take advantage of a pre-buy special. Send a check for $16 written to: Avery E. Hitch, 14200 SW 42nd St., Martell, NE 68404. If you order before the book is in our hands, Avery will cover the shipping charge!

Also, check out Avery's new website: www.averyehitch.com

(If you order the book from Avery's website, the computer will automatically charge you shipping. Please send all pre-buy orders via US Post to be sure you receive free shipping.)

Mom

2006-09-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's been just over three weeks since Mom broke her arm and she's right back in the action. She was put in a temporary splint until a week ago, when the swelling finally went down enough to put on a permanent cast. Even a broken arm hasn't kept her off stage...she hasn't missed a beat!

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wilkerson

2006-09-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wilkerson!

On September 15th, Lacey and Avery were honored to stand up in the wedding of Junaita Hershey and Paul Wilkerson. The wedding was in Sparta, Wisconsin.

Avery helps the flowergirl get dressed before the wedding

Thank you, June, for your friendship over the years. We look forward to watching your relationship with Paul grow even deeper. We love you!

Happy Trails

2006-09-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm.where should I even start? It's been an incredibly busy summer (is "hectic" too strong of a word?), and a lot has happened around our place. Last weekend our family (everyone except Dad and Nick) had the exciting opportunity to participate in a horseback ride along the Dismal River near Mullen, Nebraska. Our good friend, Mardel, put the ride together, and our group consisted of our family, many of Mardel's siblings, and our friends Neisha Esh from Ohio, and Samantha and Noah Siegmann from Wisconsin. We hit the trail eraly Saturday morning, and with nineteen horses, eighteen riders and two dogs on the trail, we had quite a party going on!

Eleven of the eighteen riders.

The original plan was to begin riding Saturday morning, ride approximately fifteen miles to a campground along the river, then spend the night and ride another fifteen miles on Sunday. All was going well until about 11:30, when the horses broken into a lope, Luke's hat flew off, and Mom's horse shied from it. With quite a bit of grace, Mom slipped to the right side of the horse and landed on the ground on her right arm. Everyone stopped to see if she was okay, but it turned out that she had a broken arm! Plans quickly changed and as Mardel's brother, Casey, used an umbrella as a temporary splint and others went to find cell phone service, we drafted plan B. Lacey would stay behind with Mom and several others to wait for a vehicle to take her to the hospital, and the rest of us would ride on to a nearby campground and wait for pickups and trailers to take us home. Mom was a trooper, but it was hard for all of us to ride away.

Noah and Bristol crossing the river

Although we were heavy-hearted the rest of the day, the campground was beautiful and we pulled out our saddle bags and let the horses graze while we ate lunch.

Noah's gelding, Storm, tried to steal a bit of Sammy's sandwich but she would only give him a kiss!

Havilah and Neisha waiting to load Jane into the trailer

At the end of the day, it turned out to be a happy ride. Mom got her arm set (although it took five hours before she arrived at the hospital to receive treatment), and everyone went back to Mardel's hometown and relaxed. The 2006 Dismal River Ride will certainly be one that we will never forget! A huge "thank you" to Mardel for all the time and effort you put into making our Labor Day weekend the best we've ever had.

Mom is learning to do everything left-handed! She says she can't wait to get back in the saddle.

Welcome to our new blog!

2006-09-07T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! In an effort to keep you better informed on what's going on with the ministry and family, from the new bus conversion project to the tours we make every weekend, we've created a new blog. Thanks for stopping by and we invite you to visit regularly!