IT'S A NEW YEAR! JANUARY 2026 

Santa greeted us at the Harlingen, Texas

airport on New Year's Day!

These guys made of recycled parts guarded our luggage.

December 2025

We went to the Medora Christmas show in Devils Lake

on the 7th, and two of the performing couples

showed off their new babies.

I took Mary Kate to dance class

when we visited, but we didn't

get to her recital.

Bob's "cat"--the only cat on our farm

Hope this ski slope is still here

when the kids arrive!

Last home hockey game for 2025!

We watch the rest of the season on NCHC TV in Texas.

Christmas arrivals began on the 22nd, and by

the 24th the gang was all here!  The kids are

wearing their "Funny Farm Christmas" tees

in their family colors.

Sara and the kids flew to Minot with Donna,

who met them in Minneapolis,

on the 22nd. Doug came on the 24th.

Tom, Trina and kids arrived the afternoon of the 23rd.

Jimmy and Kelly's gang followed an hour later!

Ana's and the girls arrived on the 24th.

Ana and Sara made our tees when Ari was born 21

years ago.  Ari made my apron when she was 6!

Yes, those are actually baby Ariana's foot and hand prints! :-)

Is it too late to be good, George?

I think the shirt belonged to one of Sara's kids.

The kids organized a ping pong tournament

in the basement, pulled sleds by the frozen

dam down the road, played in the snow,

and had Texas hold 'em in North Dakota

These guys are serious gamblers! LOL

Guess who was winning!

After the kids exchanged gifts, Bob threw

forty dollars worth of quarters into the

wrappings and let the kids scramble.

Then, he had them cash in to get dollars.

We had matching jackets :-)

These kids went skiing on the 27th, and they

were still awake after 8 hours on the slopes!

Kathy came by the house in town where Ana

and Sara's families stayed and brought them

supplies to make a thank-you for us! And thank 

you from me and Bob for everyone's 

help while they were here! 

Ana and the girls were the last to leave.

I think Ana is trying to look as tall as her kids.

While we were preparing to leave 

on the 31st, Bob found Harry's coat...bought 

at a church rummage sale for $1.00.

Sent a pic to his daughter in Texas 

who is married to Bob's cousin, 

and she recognized it immediately.

 

November already?!

I am pretty sure the flax is from

our first crop. Palms are pretty

old, too! Pewter was a wedding

gift from friends Carl and Janet

fifty-five years ago!

Ana took Claire to Moorhead, MN, to play her violin

with the Concordia College orchestra. Claire is in the

first circle on the left. The second circle, playing the bass,

is Lydia, the daughter of friends Chuck and Jan, 

who is a student at the college.

Sunset at Killdeer on November 21st

Grace's Confirmation on the 23rd

After breakfast at the church, we 

went to the farm to have cake and 

ice cream.  George attacked the

cake before we got to it.

Grace and her cake...with a little fingerprint 

from George who couldn't resist! :-)

The family with Grace. Andrew was away at college.

Nephew Doug and Jill welcomed 25

family members 

for our 30th annual Thanksmas! 

Another milestone: Not our age. :-)

The prime rib was delicious.

And so was the crème brulee

 

October Still Feels Like Summer

On Wednesday, October 1st, George and I

kept busy while the other kids were

in school (and pre-school). He is pretty

good at pairing up and lining up shoes!

We played outside for a while, then went

into the machinery building and found

the trampoline.

Time for a rest after all that bouncing...

but he got up and jumped around again!

We picked up Mary Kate at preschool, had lunch

at Mama Lil's, and then went to dance class.

The UPS driver left some packages for Kelly,

and she found a surprise inside!

We headed home on Thursday, and Trina sent

these pictures from Homecoming Week at Alburnett.

Recognize anyone?

Caiden was in the Homecoming Court!

And he was crowned King on Friday night.

Oct. 4th..First hockey game of the season: UND 7-Manitoba-0

Tailgating, music, and food before the game. I signed up

at the Buffalo Wild Wings booth...

and won a year's worth of wings!!!!!

Back home to reality...I picked my acorn squash,

baked them all on the 6th, and froze the baked

squash for future use.

My dehydrator has been working full-time

for the past month...taking care 

of some of the 600 apples I processed. We now have

a year's worth of apple juice, applesauce, apple pie mix,

apple cider, frozen sliced apples, and dehydrated apple

 snacks. I hope all those apples keep the doctor away!

Hockey season in Virginia! RJ plays; Julia watches.

Iowa gang is ready for Halloween. There's that

stupid 67 again attacking the pumpkins.

Donna sent these pics from her barge cruise

somewhere in Alsace on the Rhine river.

Sunset en route to the concert on the 21st in Rugby

This Aria Nouveau couple sang music

from operas and pop songs using

their operatic voices.

I painted the old vanity we had in the basement,

and Bob found a sink top. We plan to put

it in the laundry room in townhouse #2.

Made it to the Alburnett football game on the 24th 

to watch Annika in her poms group.

No game score at halftime, so we stayed

for the nail-biter second half. Alburnett

won 13-6 in their first playoff round!

Everyone was home for Annika's

Confirmation on Sunday, the 26th.

On our way to Ana's, we stopped in Clear Lake.

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper

are memorialized in a new interactive museum

in Clear Lake, Iowa, site of their last show.

Guitars displayed in every room, many of which

were donated by performers and fans.

A creative artist donated this History of Rock and Roll.

The original ballroom is next door to the museum.

We did a little dance

just to say that we were there. We stayed with

Ana and the girls that night and got

back to the farm on the 28th.

Never too old for Halloween..Matthew,

Kelly, Luke, Mary Kate, and George

RJ

and Julia loaded up with candy...

Cecelia and Lydia

and Santa who got his 

holidays mixed up! (Caiden)