Scheels in Fargo

We spent a day in Fargo and we found time to spend some time at the Scheels Sporting Goods store.  They've got a huge ferris wheel in the middle of the store and lots of bows and guns that the boys enjoyed looking at.

Joshua and Caleb rode together and hung on tight as they neared the top.

I managed to get them to give me a little wave.

They also had a play place with a climbing wall.

Joshua

Caleb

David

Scheels also managed to get a few quarters out of the kids at the shooting range.

More of Grandma Effie's

Paul's Dad modified this wagon for Paul and his sister Debbie probably 40 years ago.  The older kids used it when we lived in North Dakota and now Sarah is enjoying being pulled around by her brothers.

Anna and Joshua are getting the garden ready to plant.

The kids are planting corn.  David is making sure he helps because Grandma said she was going to serve pop to the hardworking gardeners.

One of the boys favorite projects while we were in North Dakota was to trap gophers.  They checked their traps daily and got a total of 29 gophers.  Below Quentin is holding his first victim.  I sent my camera along with him to get some pictures of them setting the traps, unfortunately it disappeared from his coat pocket.  Somewhere out there the gophers are having fun taking pictures of each other.  I had to get a new camera, which wasn't too bad because the cameras keep getting slimmer and trimmer.  My new one fits easily right in my pocket.
The kids are climbing on Grandma's steel building, which Anna refers to as the culvert building.
We enjoyed taking walks out on the runway.  Most of the trees in North Dakota are planted around farmsteads.  When you walk out of the shelter belt the wind really howls.  Paul learned to fly in a Citabrea on this little strip.
After church one Sunday it was so nice out that we had a picnic in the front yard.  Annie and Rags are our two dogs in the picture that we left with Effie when we moved to Alaska.  They've grown old and distinguished over the years as you can see by their white faces.
Paul got out his old saxophone.  We'll have to take it back to Nondalton with us so Paul can play with the kids in their worship band.
When we first arrived in North Dakota the spring flood waters were still receding.  This year there was a lot of flooding and the farmers were way behind schedule in getting their crops in.  Joshua is out on the raft in a little pond that forms every year in Effie's yard.  By the time we left there wasn't very much water left.
The kids got Grandma Effie's golf cart out and used it to trap gophers and race around the farm.
In Alaska we very rarely hear thunder or see lightening.  We had a pretty good storm one night so the girls got out of bed to go out and see the lightening.
Deborah enjoys reading and Grandma Effie has a good selection of books.  Deborah read a fair number of them while we were there.

David and Anna out by the old cow barn.

Nick & Janee's, Gore's, Kroeplin's, potluck, etc....

We are in North Carolina now at my Mom & Dad's house, but my blog is still back in North Dakota.  It'll take me awhile to catch up because we are doing so many cool things.  I would like to report and praise God that Deborah has not had any new hives in over five days.  The kids are doing great and really enjoying their trip.

Paul and I are having a hard time staying slim and trim on this trip because we've been having so much fun enjoying wonderful meals prepared by good friends we haven't seen in five years.

Below Paul's cousin Nick and his wife Janee had us over and Janee set such a fine table the kids were awed (which was a good thing because it made them shy and quiet for a little while.)

The little boys couldn't wait to get done with their meal so they could eat the candy Janee had sitting by their plates.

Ron & Cindy Gore had us over for pork chops.  Danielle Gore is giving Anna a ride on their 4 wheeler.

Ken & Sharon Kroplein who farm our land now had us over for supper too, but I forgot my camera.  It was fun seeing their daughter Shannon all grown up and married.

Visiting the Ehmer's

I am really quite terrible at keeping up with people, even some of my best friends (if any of you have noticed). I always have great intentions, but the letters that I write in my head often never get written and sometimes halfway written but not sent. But there are some people that I can see for the first time in years and it seems like only yesterday. I suppose our hearts are knit together by the Holy Spirit.  It has been fun renewing those friendships and creating those bonds with new friends.  One of those friends are the Ehmers, we got to spend some time with Tom and Raquel while we were in North Dakota and it was great fun catching up with their lives and meeting the kids born after we moved to Alaska.

Katia Ehmer is a month older than Sarah and they had fun "playing" together.

Jessica Ehmer, Deborah and Quentin are getting pulled behind the Ehmer's golf cart with their roller blades on.

We went to the Pizza Ranch together.  Below Paul and Tom are visiting over pizza.

The kids had fun playing games together.

Abigail and Deborah are already missing Jessica....

The girls and Paul went over to the Ehmer's on a few Wednesday nights for Youth Group that Tom & Raquel lead in their home.  Below Tom and Austin are borrowing Raquel's wheelchairs and are playing wheelchair basketball.

Visiting the Rekken's

On our trip one of the things that continues to amaze me although it shouldn't is how much all the kids that we are seeing for the first time in 5 years have grown. Below is a picture of Deborah, Abigail and Mikayla Rekken. Mikayla has just shot up, well, as much as Abigail and Deborah have... duh...
It was great fun to visit Blaine & Judy and their two kids Aaron and Mikayla and see how well they are doing. They were out to Nondalton to visit us I think 4 years ago. Driving home after we had a delicious supper and visited for awhile, it was late and it reminded me of all the times we would drive home from their house after bible study. Many times it was near midnight by the time we got home and we would have to carry the kids in to their beds. The stars were always so bright driving through rural North Dakota. I can remember one night we could see the Northern Lights like we never had before or since. Red dancing lights stretched all across the sky. God's handiwork is awesome!
The Rekken's are all very musical. Aaron has got among other instruments a nice drum set in the guest room. The kids had great fun playing it.