This column has to be out earlier than usual, so, having written a column just a few days ago, I decided to reminisce and look through my past columns of over 23 years.

I would have forgotten some of the stories I wrote about the children if I hadn’t written them down. If you can find time to write down cute stories about your children growing up, that would be great. How nice to read them and remember the precious time they were under your care in years to come. Life is short, and we never know what the future holds. Changes come, and we lose loved ones much too early. Sometimes memories are all you have left.

Here are a few cute stories I wrote about in my columns 20 years ago. Son Joseph, 4, is such a neat little boy. He won’t wear a shirt if a button is missing. He doesn’t like it if his pants have a hole in them either. I guess that way I get my mending done sooner. Seven-year-old Benjamin is exactly opposite. He doesn’t care what I give him to wear. It’s surprising how siblings can be so different. Two-year-old Lovina is going through the stage where she repeats everything she hears. Joseph gets so annoyed when she always repeats what he says and does. Now, Lovina is starting to complain about her dress when Joseph complains about his shirt.

2006: Joseph and Kevin have been taking a nap since lunchtime. While they were sleeping, Lovina was playing “mommy” to her little doll, which she calls “Ken.” She doesn’t pronounce the “v” in Kevin, so she calls all babies “Kens.” Her eyes look droopy, so it probably won’t be long before she falls asleep, too. (As Kevin grew older, he couldn’t pronounce Lovina’s name either, so he would call her Nyah. That is why a lot of our family and her friends call her Nyah to this day.)

Also, 20 years ago, we were building our new house. In June 2006, I wrote: Our new house is having siding put on today. We also have someone lined up to build our chimney. On Saturday, my husband Joe and brother-in-law Jacob installed 31 windows in our new house. It took the two of them five hours to install the windows, which I thought was pretty good, especially on a hot day. (Back then, Joe and Jacob always helped each other with their work. They were first cousins. We still miss him! He died much too soon (age 48). Once again, we put it in God’s hands.

2006 was a busy year for us as we gradually worked on our new house whenever we had time. It took us over nine months to get the final inspection so we could move in. In February 2007, we were finally able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Even though not everything was done, we continued to work on it after we moved in. In February 2007, I wrote: Seventeen-month-old Kevin loves it when we turn him loose in the new house. He’ll run around trying to see everything at once. We have to make sure we close all the bathroom doors and put a gate across the stairway. I’ve caught him a few times running on top of the table. He’s so full of energy, and 2-year-old Lovina seems to enjoy helping him get into trouble. She never really got into my things like Kevin does. I think she’s trying to get attention. Even though they are 16 months apart, they are almost the same height as Lovina, who is very petite. They almost look like twins. Such sweet little angels. What will life be like when they grow up? It helps to know God has his protecting hand over us.

Our sympathy goes out to the families from our home community as they mourn the death of Henry Eicher, 50, his two sons, Menno, 25, Paul, 18, and their 23-year-old neighbor, Simon Girod. They were on their way home from work, and the van they were traveling in was hit head-on by an oncoming semi. More family members and their driver were hospitalized. Our prayers go out to them and Henry’s grieving widow, children, grandchildren, his son’s young widow and two young children and extended family and also to Simon’s family. Henry is a double cousin to our son-in-laws Dustin, Daniel and daughter-in-law Grace’s mother. Such an awful tragedy! May God be their guide as they go through this difficult trial in life and give them the strength to go on.

God bless!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

Dash of pepper

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon salt

10 ounces fresh or frozen broccoli, thawed

In a large pot, saute the butter and onions until the onions are soft. Add the flour and stir constantly to make a paste, about 3 minutes. Gradually add broth, milk, salt and pepper and whisk constantly until thickened. Chop broccoli and add to the mixture. Heat 5-10 minutes.

Option – add 2 cups of shredded cheese at the end and stir until melted

• Lovina’s Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher, an Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife and mother of eight. Her three cookbooks, “The Cherished Table,” “The Essential Amish Cookbook” and “Amish Family Recipes,” are available wherever books are sold. Readers can write to Eicher at Lovina’s Amish Kitchen, P.O. Box 234, Sturgis, MI 49091 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply), or email questionsforlovina@gmail.com and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.