It's August 11, 2024 and the party goes on!

 Busy times continue at our house and everyone who stays says "it's so easy to stay at your house - no stress" and I don't ask what they want for breakfast or what they need or whatever!  I point to where the "stuff" is and they are free to ask.  I grew up on a farm where we had "company" all the time and I was the one hosting the sleepovers when I was in school as it was "easy and fun".  I guess I inherited the "relax and go easy" gene!

So - a year ago niece Carrie visited with little Gus and Jenny, Rooke and my sister-in-law Kathy and Gus was just over a year old and was born in March 2022 on my birthday!

And this year Gus still loved all our matchbox cars and all the kid stuff that I still keep in a "special place" handy to get at.  We got to meet Gus' dad Joe and they live in Portland and also had their cousins on their mom's side as they could pop in for a simple brunch/lunch and visit.  

Joe, niece Carrie and grand-nephew Gus having fun.

niece Carrie at about age 7 - my brother their Dad died from a nasty cancer in 1983 and left 3 little girls without a dad but lots of family to help out.

Next up - get together with my retired work crew from the hospital and it's always more fun than ever and we rotate homes so I'm up next and we try for every 2-3 months.  I was very lucky to have such great work mates.

Next up first week of August - daughter Jenny and granddaughter Rooke visited from California and for the first time they got to go to the Jolly Fisherman family reunion and meet and remeet LOTS of family and tall tale tellers.  Jenny and Rooke looking sweet and silly!

And once again Alex caught the biggest fish on Big Elbow Lake - 3 of them as a matter of fact and we do eat fish and my sister-in-law cooks it.  My brother Kent and Karen have a cabin on the same lake, fishing poles, a pontoon called the Party Barge and it's so easy!

And of course we had a ladies day out to shop and have lunch in Park Rapids - no falls or rapids in the little town but lots of nice little touristy shops for Minnesota!  And they still have a huge Ben Franklin store and it was great.  My Grandma Schultz used to go with me to the Ben Franklin in a nearby town and I could sit at the counter with her and order a dish of ice cream.  Spoiled granddaughter from the farm:)

Son Chris and granddaughter Lucy now 16 in front of one of our favorite restaurants in Little Falls MN.

Super good food at this local restaurant called AT Black and White and AT stands for "at the".

California granddaughter Rooke now 17 and a senior in high school visiting the live bait shop to get ready to fish.

Interesting supply of worms, nightcrawlers and other "stuff".

What else but a stop at a brewery in Little Falls and the guys at the counter are of course Ross and Chris.

And they also had a bag throwing place and not easy to be a big winner.

Lucy in front of our double cabins 3 and 4 next to each other.  It is in the prairie and not fancy and no air conditioning which we didn't need anyway.

Jenny and Rooke out on the dock in front of our cabin and of course what else but a bird house on the end.

As always the first day of arrival my brother Kent hosts the dinner at his cabin on the lake and we always get a "pretty darn good" group as we say in Minnesota.  And most exciting my nephew and his wife are having their first baby due in December so prayers every day that all goes well.

I am not the oldest of the gang and my brother Kent is just after me and I guess we are both known to "tell stories" and others actually listen and at times look a little skeptical.

Another nephew, his wife and their 2 cute little doggies.

Supposed there is a haunted cabin up through the woods - truth or lie?  and Lucy and Rooke - 1st cousins decided to go up through the woods and found it and had to climb over a couple downed trees on the way - made it back jsut fine.

Evening cruise on the party barge and it holds quite a bunch of the gang and it is beautiful at sunet and still and relaxing.

Every night is the campfire and what else but s'mores for a little sweet treat and sharing stories or sometimes "tall tales".

Last night at our house an dinner out and Rooke got a kiddie cocktail that had fruit juice that had to be dumped out of the little shark and turned the drink pinkish red.

First reunion at Jolly was in 2009 and this is son Chris and Alex on the party barge and Alex in 4 years old and still loves Jolly and is starting his 2nd year of college.

2009 - family group.

My mom is front row right side with white hair, black shirt and we had so much fun and she said "if something happens to me you have to keep doing this" - and guess what this was in August and the next April she died of a heart attack at 83 years old so we gotta keep it up.

My mom and little Lucy who was about 1.5 years old.

And just last week the last of the generation before me my dad's first cousin Mavis died at age 90 and she was the youngest of the generation and now I am the oldest of the next generation.  We have a huge family on all sides and mostly German.  I keep in touch with her kids and grandkids and her husband was my Chemistry Biology teacher in high school so I had to do good and that's why a have a minor in Chemistry from the U of M.  We plan to go to the funeral in my hometown of Red Lake Falls MN where I haven't been for 11 years, no family lives there and she is being buried at our family cemetery out in the prairie which is filled with half or more of our relatives including my parents, brother, grandparents, great grandparents and great great grandparents.  Wow!

And the adventure goes on and 30 days until our next travel adventure so more coming soon!