A Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection by Amy Clipston

Author:Amy Clipston [Clipston, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-310-31907-8
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2012-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 2

The van bumped and rattled down the long rock driveway to his sister’s large white farmhouse. The dairy farm had been passed down through the Schmucker family for four generations, and Caleb’s parents had lived in the apartment at the back of the house until they passed away.

The white clapboard home still looked the same as he remembered from his childhood. The vast three stories sprawled across the front of the property, while one large white barn and three smaller barns sat behind it, housing their livestock and farming supplies. The white split-rail fence outlined the large pasture, and Sadie’s gardens — her pride and joy that she replanted every spring — ran the length of the enormous house.

Happy childhood memories swirled through Caleb’s mind. He’d spent many hours on the porch with his parents and extended family during the warm months. The back pasture was where he and his cousins would play baseball.

During his teenage years, the pasture became the site for impromptu volleyball courts during youth socials. And it was at one of those socials where he’d met Barbara, who’d been visiting her cousin for the summer. Caleb had taken one look at Barbara’s beautiful smile, and he knew he’d met his future bride.

“Dat?” Susie’s little voice brought him back to the present. “We’re here, ya?”

Caleb leaned over and touched her chin. “Ya, we are.” He glanced toward the porch and found his seven nieces and nephews filing out from the front door. “You go ahead and greet your cousins. I’ll grab our bags and pay the driver.”

“I can’t wait to meet them!” Gripping the pumpkin pie in her hands, Susie trotted up the front steps to the circle of cousins.

After grabbing their two bags, Caleb paid the driver and then made his way up the front steps, where he was engulfed in hugs from his nieces and nephews.

“Caleb!” Sadie’s voice rang through the crowd. “It’s so gut to see you!” She pulled him into a tight hug. “How was your trip?”

“Gut,” he said.

“We were beginning to worry about you,” Sadie said.

“We made a stop on the way,” Caleb said, glancing at his daughter, who bit her bottom lip. “Susie wanted to bring you a pie.”

“This is for you, Aenti Sadie.” Susie handed her the pie. “We stopped at the farmers market for it.”

“Oh, it smells appeditlich.” After hugging Susie, Sadie motioned for them to come into the house. “Kumm! Let’s eat!”

Caleb sat between his nephews, Samuel and Raymond, at his sister’s long kitchen table. Across from him, Susie was engrossed in an animated conversation with her cousins about school.

Robert cleared his throat and Caleb bowed his head in silent prayer. The aroma of baked chicken and freshly baked bread filled his senses and he smiled. Being surrounded by family warmed his soul, and he thanked God for the opportunity to spend Christmas with them.

When Robert’s fork scraped the plate, Caleb glanced up at the gaggle of arms resembling an octopus reaching for the dishes and bowls of food in the center of the table.

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