On Monday the 23rd, we traveled 25 minutes to Wyoming for dinner at cousin Tressa's house. (We sure got around, didn't we! Seriously, for the non-locals, Wyoming is a town in Minnesota about 1/2 hour from Daniel's.) If 8 isn't enough, try 11. Jacob & Philip did well in holding their own against the onslaught of so many of the female gender.
Thanksgiving Day in St Croix Falls. Laura's parents joined us for the day to ride herd on the hoodlums.
On Friday night after Thanksgiving, we went across the river into Taylors Falls, MN, the town where mom once lived. They were having a parade to celebrate the lighting of the town's Christmas lights. The kids got to hear Mrs. Claus read a story, choose a balloon figure, and go on a hayride through town. For more on that story, complete with professional photography, please visit the blog of Laura E. Birx (gigglingirls.blogspot.com).
On Saturday, we traveled north to see the places where my grandparents grew up and to visit family that lives in Pine City. One of the places we enjoyed seeing was the little schoolhouse in Danforth, where my grandpa went for all 8 years of his education.
Uncle David gave me directions to find the farm where my grandpa grew up and lived through the war years. Unfortunately the directions to turn down a certain road and look for a junkyard were all the directions I needed. The house stands today in a declining state, as a lonely reminder of long ago memories.
Here is the same house in 1943, with Grandpa Philip Johnson and Grandma Valera, with her brother Donald in his army uniform.
We also visited the cemetery in Danforth, where my great-grandparents, who immigrated from Sweden, are buried. Here Jacob Martin is at the grave of my great-uncle Martin Johnson, who died as a soldier in the Aleutian Islands in World War 2.
Later in the day, near Pine City, we visited the farm of my other great-uncle, Clarence Nordstrom. He farmed with horses all of his life and was well known in those parts for his skill with horses. He died in 2001 and the house and barn have been sold, but the family has kept the rest of the 200+ acres. They have built 2 cabins (and outhouses!) where they get together during the summer for fun and reminiscing.
Dusk falls on the Nordstrom farm and on the memories it holds for me. The family would gather every New Years Day for a real sleigh ride, and we were often privileged to be out there for that. That farm and that family are some of the treasures of childhood that I will never lose. We hope to be able to provide the same types of fond joys for our children to look back on.
Sunday was our last day in those parts, and God gave us a nice blanket of snow to enjoy as we followed Daniel (silver van) to church.
Kost Evangelical Free Church. Where mom grew up, where Daniel goes to church now, where Grandpa & Grandma Johnson are buried.
After church, we went out in the churchyard and had got Philip's picture at the grave of his namesake, Philip Johnson.
Back home, we had more fun in the afternoon, and the twin cousins had their picture taken together. Sarah Beth and Abigail, the four-year-olds, are also known as the curlie-cutes.
Cut from a different cloth, Rebecca enjoys some classic root beer in celebration of our leaving.
And one picture from the trip home, the windy city with the Willis (aka Sears) Tower in the skyline. After that, and once past Gary, Indiana (a little bit of New Jersey for those who might be homesick), it was nothing but farms and mountains till we got home. We left just before 4AM central time and got home around 12 AM central time. Just a little bit of driving, but are we ever ready to do it all over again!
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