Sweet Home, Indiana!
Well, this vacation I’ve been on for two weeks has truly been vacation. There are no beaches in Indiana, no old cities or new places to explore… but there are a few of my favorite things….
There is my new niece Emma, for one thing. She started to smile while I was there, which for a baby who doesn’t do much but eat, sleep and poo, this was a glorious thing!
One of the great things about Emma is just watching her facial expressions and trying to guess what in the world she may be thinking. This shot, for example, I think she is either greatly concerned about where she is about to go or else she is trying to poo and there is some belt of some kind that is oddly in the way.
Emma wasn’t the only baby I got to see. It was also my first time to see little Jayden Heckaman. Jayden is my friend Amanda’s 8 month old boy. CUTIE!!
Then there is 4, almost 5 year-old Tyler (Amanda’s first son). He’s a little firecracker!!
It was fun to see the little Heckaman family, Adam, Amanda, Tyler and Jayden. (Yes, Tyler is missing from this picture).
Of course, Amanda and I got to be our old, weird selves… err… at least, I did. 
I got to see the Martin kid’s too:
And Debbie and I were overjoyed as we got to treat ourselves to the spa!
This was all up in Amish country. For those of you who do not know Indiana (maybe some of the Europeans who’s US knowledge hasn’t yet extended to the great state of Indiana YET), Indiana is known to be Amish country. Here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:
The Amish are an Anabaptist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada (Ontario and Manitoba) that are known for their plain dress and limited use of modern conveniences such as automobiles and electricity. The Amish separate themselves from mainstream society for religious reasons: they do not join the military, they draw no Social Security, nor do they accept any form of financial assistance from the government, and many avoid insurance.
Most speak a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch (or Pennsylvania German) at home and in church services, and learn English in school. The Amish are divided into separate fellowships consisting of geographical districts or congregations. Each district is fully independent and has its own Ordnung, or set of unwritten rules.
I even snapped a shot of a horse drawn carriage I drove past while I was there:
So far, soooooooo good on my trip home. We’ve even had some nice weather to boot. Only a couple more days left of ‘vacationing’!!