Visiting the Hansens in Wisconsin

Two days ago we left Hillsboro, Wisconsin after visiting for three days with my (Harold's) daughter, Cassie Hansen and her family.  She and her husband Ron live with their 9 remaining children on a farm there where they've been dairy farming for over 13 years, milking 51 cows twice a day and running an organic operations which makes their milk worth more.  Their oldest son, Eric, lives with his wife and new daughter (four months old, my first great granddaughter) not far way.  Eric has just started a business in metal fabrication, doing large and small jobs of machining, constructing, and repairing, mainly focused on farming equipment.  So far, the business is already growing nicely.

Cassie and Ronnie and their family live a different life from most of us.  They are almost completely self sufficient, growing all of their own produce as well as meat.  They are very conservative in their religious beliefs and chose to live where they do in Wisconsin because there is a large community of people there with similar beliefs.  They live very faithfully in accordance with their beliefs and have raised their children in the same tradition, and have imposed very strict rules of behavior on their children as they've grown up.  The result, so far, has been for their children to be a remarkably self confident, competent, and happy group who seem to be following in their parents' footsteps.  Barbara and I stand in awe of what they have accomplished with their children and their determination and constancy of their devotion to the path they've chosen.  It is not our path but we admire and respect the lives they've been living.

 This is a recent photo of the whole family.  On front row, left to right, is Elaine (age 11), Ezra (age 8), Owen (age5), Ronnie, Uriah (age 7): behind, left to right, is Allison (age 19), Andrew (age 17), Abigail (age 15), Alex (age 21), Cassie, Elizabeth (age 20), Dara (wife of Eric), and Eric (age 25).

Here is a photo of Eric, Dara, daughter Gilanah and me at their home. 

                                           Ezra, Owen, and Uriah are outgoing, fun-loving guys

who loved bean-bag horseshoes.

                                          We all watched a DVD on Sequoia National Park and shared our travels.  Their home schooling was very useful as we discussed geography and how the parks were developed and why.  Here, left to right, are Abigail, Owen, Elizabeth, Uriah, Allison, Elaine, and Ezra.  Andrew and Alex were out in the fields until late that night cutting, raking, and baling hay.  Life on a farm is 24/7.

Here is Owen collecting lettuce from his garden to feed his pet rabbit.  Each child has a garden plot with flowers, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, squash, etc. that they maintain all by themselves.  A thorough visit of each garden was a requirement and a lot of fun, the pride they have in what they have done is very rewarding.

This is Andrew (17) with his pet squirrel.  Andrew and all of his older brothers are absolutely amazing when it comes to fixing or building anything.  They all know how to weld, can repair any engine or motor, and have an enviable ability to calmly fix anything.

We will soon post our visit in Michigan as we camp alongside Lake Superior after a long trip down from Wisconsin and Indiana, through Chicago and up into Michigan.