Of cousins, covered bridges, and candy sticks

This past weekend I was SO excited to get to spend some time with a few of my cousins, one of whom I see very seldomly. We met in a town called Newton Falls (which gets its name from the waterfall there, just so ya'll know...it took me a while to figure that one out, lol) where we had dinner and went for a walk in the park. It was a blast, complete with blowing bubbles, gummy worm eating contests, and laughing so hard that soda just about came out of our noses.









The next day, we went to a covered bridge not too far away (which just so happens to be the same bridge where one of my uncles proposed to my aunt!).


Jessie!!!!!!!!!


inside the bridge- I really like this one :)




complements of Jessie!

We enjoyed taking some pictures there before heading to the general store to pick up a few things.




YUM!


Jars of penny candy- this was a favorite when we were little...we awould always bring along a few dimes or nickels when we went to this store so that we could get some sweets :D


We passed quite a few Amish buggies on the way there, not an uncommon sight around here, but something which I've never attempted to photograph (the Amish believe that taking pictures breaks the 2nd commandment about not making a graven image, so you have to be careful about doing so. That's why all these pictures are from behind :D). While I was looking over these pictures, I was thinking about the simple way in which these people live. Most of them don't have cell phones, cars, or televisions. They live as a community, helping one another out when a barn burns down or a baby is born. They're quick to forgive and turn the other cheek. Their ways intrigue me...maybe it's because of the fact that this is the way in which my great grandparents grew up. My dad's family is from Lancaster, PA an area very populated with the plain folk. My grandpa grew up Mennonite before marrying my grandma and moving to Ohio when my dad was a baby. It's so strange to think that they once lived in a world so foreign to me. Anyways, that was my random though of the day :)