My full name is Henrietta Rachael Yoder.  I am ten years old.  I live with my Dat, my Mamm, my Grossmutter and Grossdawdy, and my six brothers and sisters in Lancaster, Pannsylvania.  We live smack dab in the middle of Amish Country.  It's 'cause we're Amish.  Even me.

My brothers are named Isaiah, William, and Joshiah; as for my sisters, their names are Eva, Rebecca, and Anna; I'm stuck in the middle.  I'm the fourth from the oldest.  I get along with them most of the time but sometimes my big brother and sisters like to tease me and try to make me cry.

Mamm and Dat get so mad at them whenever they do that!

My youngest brother (Isaiah) is handicapped.  He is in a wheelchair.  He was born with something wrong with his brain and because of this he is brain-damaged.  Some people feel sorry for him.  I don't, although sometimes I get sad because he will probably never walk or talk on his own.  I like to read to him, hold him in my lap, sing to him, play with him, or tell him stories.  I love it when he claps his  hands or laughs!  He has the biggest, sweetest smile!

When I am not halping my family on the farm (excepting for Isaiah; he's exempt; while we take care of the land, Grossmutter takes care of Isaiah), I like to read, write stories, play outside in our big, backyard, visit my friends Hannah, Elizabeth, Cornflower, and Deidre, go to the community store on Saturdays if we don't have too much work to do (that is a rarity!), and go to Amish church on Sundays.  I don't much care for the services, as they're very long, but once we have dinner-on-the-grounds, that is the best part! 

Besides eating good Amish cookin', we kids get to run around and play.  I like chasing the littler kids and playing with Hannah, Elizabeth, Deidre, and Cornflower.  I love to have fun!

Some Saturdays if we don't go to the community store, we go downtown and go out to eat at one of the Amish restaurants.  Sometimes we go eat at Englischer places like Golden Corral, Bob Evans, or Cracker Barrel, but we usually eat Amish cookin' mostly. I don't mind it, but I hate it when the Englischers stare at or point at us and whisper amongst themselves! 

How would they like it if we did that to them?? That isn't very nice if you ask me!

Worse still is when they stare at Isaiah sitting in his wheelchair.  Isaiah is a little boy; he is not an object to be pitied!  Some people need to grow up and get a life of their own instead of making other people's lives miserable!  That makes me want to go ferhoodlt!!

Well, Grossmutter wants me to help her with the laundry, so I must go and not tarry.  Grossmutter doesn't like it when I dilly-dally.  I will write in here again soon; until then, this is Hen Yoder saying goodbye!  Take care and may God bless you always!

~Hen.  :)

~End of part one.~