Family Picture Night

written by

posted on

June 7, 2022

Good morning Family Cow Tribe!

It's been a few years since we shot 'pasture pictures', as our family affectionately calls them. I think the last was 2019. So it's time again!

But first of all, just a bit of nostalgia...

As I recall, Summer of 2010 was our first pasture picture. Some of you may remember that too! It was 12 years ago! Jefferson was only 4 and I guess that means that Dawn and I were only 40.

August 2010: The very first 'Shank pasture picture'. There were only eight of us! (Nine if we'd count Dingo. Judging by the way she's smiling, it seems she thinks she's family!)

Fast forward 12 years, now we have 21 'somethings' to line up. While the lining-up gets done... Winfred gives his 1 year old Addison, the littlest Shank farmer boy, some Daddy time.

And cousins, Tatiana and Clara, spend a little girly time.

"We're just going to see the turkeys, mommy!"

Ok so let's get a grandchildren picture first. All nine of them... The littlest, Sofia and Kataya are pretty new! Sofia is 5 months and Kataya is not quite 2 months.

Kataya looks like she wonders what this is all about. Nikolas knows... it's time to throw grass in the air! :)

Is everyone here yet?

Wait, Grandma wants one with the two newest, Sofia and Kataya... "They won't stay babies long," she says.

Seriously, Dawn? Were these nine 'grands' all born in the last five years? And one more is coming yet this August?

Whoa! The grandchildren sure come faster than the children! But it's all good... Someone else is potty trainin' em! :)

Now it's time for the whole family. The bigger family almost takes a traffic director. Dawn rises to the challenge! When Mom says, "Jump" the family says, "How high?" :)

"Oh, stop it." she says. "Somebody needs to be in charge of the posing!

See the camera, children? Be sure to look at the camera!

Hey, looks like we're starting to get our ducks in a row!

Click photo for high quality view...

Everyone smiling?... This one might be good!

Click photo for high quality view...

Now let's spread out so we can put names with everyone... Hey! Is this our extended family? :)

Roland and Jefferson / Kaylita & Wesley and Kataya / Winfred & Brianna, Tatiana and Addison / Dawn & Edwin / Laverne & Gwendolyn, Nikolas and the twins, Gianna and Geneva / Jeanette & Rodrick, Andre, Clara and Sofia.

It's been a delightful evening... We hope you enjoyed it as much as we have. So long! See you around! It might be 3 years till the next 'pasture picture' evening.

If you think our hands are full... you should feel our hearts. The Lord has been so good to us!

Yes, it’s a timeless truth.

Children are an eternal blessing,

An heritage of the LORD:

The fruit of the womb is His reward.

As arrows –

In the hand of a mighty man,

So are the children –

Of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who,

Having his quiver full of them,

Shall not be ashamed.

He shall speak with

The adversaries of God

And will have their respect.

Thoughts based on Psalm 127:3-5

Grateful to be...Your Farmers,

Edwin and Dawn Shank and Family

YourFamilyFarmer.com

God Designed it. We Respect it. That Explains it!

Rodrick & Jeanette are moving to Colombia, South America

Good morning Family Cow friends, Today I have some news that's a bit personal, but it only seems right that you should know. Our oldest son, Rodrick, with his wife, Jeanette, and family are planning to move to Colombia, South America next month. Yes, you heard right. Colombia South America. Just above the equator. We still can hardly believe it either :) Our church conference is starting a new congregation there at the request of local Colombians asking for a Biblical church and faith community. But it's also located on the border with Venezuela, so a big part of their work will be to help relieve the ongoing Venezuelan refugees crisis. This new congregation, "Amigos del Prójimo" (Friends of the Neighbor), is located near the border town of Cúcuta, Colombia. Jeanette grew up in Guatemala, and Rodrick has spent time there so both of them are fluent in Spanish and understand the Latin American culture. For this reason, Dawn and I were really not totally surprised that the mission board thought of them when looking for families to establish the new church plant. Their combination of skills and cross cultural experiences made them seem a natural fit. But that did not exactly make giving them up any easier! We are still working on that process! Here are a few pictures from the area near Cúcuta. Distributing meals to the homeless... Música, anyone? 😉 I'm not sure what the point of this car was, but Rodrick said they heard it coming from several blocks away... Checking out the countryside... Sofia with a new little friend Exploring a mountain road (part of the Andes mountain range) After months of prayer and consideration and several visits to Colombia, Rodrick and Jeanette made the tough decision to answer the call to move there for an indefinite length of time. Though it is hard for us to let them go, we do give them our blessing.One comfort is that Rodrick is not abandoning The Family Cow. With today's technology, he'll still be able to do much of the management work and accounting work that he has done before... so this change shouldn't necessarily impact you, but it will represent some definite changes for our family and team.Rodrick plans to work remotely, doing many of the same business administration duties, but he will turn over the General Manager role to his younger brother Wesley. Rodrick also plans to continue giving management support to the Olde Tyme Meats butcher shop team.The other four brothers tell Dawn and I not to worry about the farm and business management, but I know there will be changes. We'll just need to find our way one step at a time.Dawn and I are not sure who's making the greatest sacrifice—the ones staying or the ones moving. :) I guess it is all of us. And that's ok.As far as Rodrick and Jeanette's Amen Acres farm, if all goes as planned, we'll have one of the other brothers live on that farm to manage the care of the grass-fed beef and pastured pork.There is no doubt about it... we will greatly miss having Rodrick and Jeanette, Andre, Clara, Sofia and Leo nearby. But they remind us that airplanes fly both ways, that they will return a few times a year for visits, and that we of course can come down to visit them too.Who knows—maybe someday Rodrick and Jeanette can grow cacao beans and make single origin organic specialty chocolate for our Family Cow tribe. How neat would that be? Don't think it's impossible. Just last week we introduced single origin organic coffee straight from Jeanette's family in Guatemala. :)In spite of unknowns, some things never change. We do know that "all things work together for good to those who love God." (Romans 8:28) So... we'll just focus on loving God and we'll trust Him to work out the good that only He knows! Faith, Hope and Love,Your farmer - Edwin for Dawn too

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"We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it."