SUMMER FUN

Milton High School - Milton, Wisconsin Summer Band begins.  Means Nick is going to be a busy young man this summer.  Good luck Nick on all the new music....

Nick is the circled picture with his instrument.  Nick is the son of Lynsley and Chris Hipsky.  Grandson of Dick and Phyllis Connett.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today is Carrie and Dirk Christensen's 12th Anniversary.  You're both looking great.

Congratulations!

Making Jump Ropes

In my spare time (ha, ha, ha), I've started making jump ropes for Carrie and Denver to take to Africa.  This will be Carrie's 7th trip to Africa to be with the children which she has gotten to know quite well.  Denver has been there several times also, and they will both be leaving in August.  This year they will be helping to teach planting a garden and caring for it.  The children didn't know what a jump rope was until Carrie took some one year and taught them to jump rope.  These I am making from plastic bags, cut into strips and braided together.  WHAT FUN...

Looks like a snake, but only a 6 foot plastic jump rope...

Actually it goes pretty fast.  Have three done and only worked about an hour.  Gotta keep braiding...

ANYONE WANT TO MAKE SOME???

2014 Carrie introduced the jump rope...

LaFrenz visit the Wisconsin Dells

While Melissa and family visited the Wisconsin Dells, they became gangsters for a short time.  Cute picture.

Adam (Brianna's friend), Brianna, Jim, Melissa, Michael and Matthew. 

On The Road Again

It has been non-stop traveling for Dick and Phyllis.  Since we arrived back in Illinois, we have made a few trips to Iowa for Alumni Banquet, Memorial Weekend and Family Reunion.  But this last few days we spent time with some RV friends who we meet with each month.  This month we made it to the little town of Big Rock, Illinois.  The campground was beautiful.  We had thirteen Winnebago coaches that gathered for a four day outing.  Out to eat a lot, shopping at unique shops, but two outings that stood out was the tour through a "House of Wool" and for the men, the Air Classics Museum of Aviation.

They came by Air...  and changed history forever.  From the bitter-cold skies above war-torn Europe, to the scorching-hot desert of Iraq, air power has decided the outcome on the battle field - ultimately the world.  As Americans, we owe the freedoms and riches that we're blessed with, to the heroic sacrifices of our fighting men and women in the air; for without their courage and determination, it would be a much darker world indeed.  It is at the Air Classics Museum of Aviation who were dedicated to preserving these planes.  We have four men from our group who were once or still a private pilot, so this was really enjoyed by them.

Dennis Olson (Rockford, Illinois) served in Viet Nam and flew in a helicopter exactly like this one.  This is were he sat.

Dick Connett (a private pilot) in front of the 725

Jim Gastel (another active private pilot) also from our town - Freeport, Illinois

I think the men all enjoyed the museum very much.

THEN, while the men were away, the ladies

went to the big town of Hinkley, Illinois to an old home that has become a house of wool. 

The family raised sheep and decided to open up the home to selling wool and the products.  It was amazing as to what our guide could do with the lambs wool. 

The Esther house was named after the first sheep that they raised, which lived to be ten years old.  The house had many items of what could be made from wool.  She showed us how to dye the wool, how to spin the wool into thread and other techniques.

Our lady on the left (next to me - Phyllis) was our guide. She could make almost anything from wool.  She showed us how to take a "frame",  put some wool in the frame and punch down with a special needle to make felt. 

The heart below is an example.  She also made the owls.  (Purses, clothing, bird houses, figures, bracelets, you name it, she could make it)

She demonstrated how to make the wool into thread...

It was a very interesting morning.

HAPPY TUESDAY

54th De Joode Family Reunion

Family Reunion

Yep, it's Monday again and another weekend gone by.  Dick and I spent the weekend in Iowa again and visited with family and friends.  Saturday we had our 54th De Joode Family reunion at Prairie City, Iowa with sisters, our brother, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  With approximately 69 in attendance, one of the smallest reunions we've had in years. We had food galore, bingo, games, picture taking and visiting.  This year Trudy and her family were in charge. Had a few from the Harmison and De Joode cousin side, but not as many as usual.  Guess they forgot we don't send out invitations anymore, but it is always the same time and mostly the same place each year which was announced last year.  Hope to see more back next year which will be same time and place. 

From left is Trudy Hauserman, Carolyn Richeson, myself - Phyllis Connett, Bev Pearson and Barb McGrean.  All back home now and busy with their own surroundings. 

Happy Monday to all.