Fall, Family, and Life

      The temperatures, trees, and calendar all agree...Fall is here. I simply love this season of the year, and living in the Northwoods, the colors are spectacular.
      The past week could be summed up as "The week where we got to see lots of family." After Jackpine, Luke's out-of-town sisters and their families stuck around for a few days, and then over the weekend my brother Jesse came up for a visit.

2 of my brothers. Jesse and Jordan

Jesse came up for a visit to see Buirlen and The Northwoods in their Fall finery. 

This guy moved back to town last month...A fact which makes me VERY happy. The far away town of Ogallala, Nebraska where he got a job after school was simply too far away for me. I'm glad to have him back in our neck of the woods, and as regular supper guest. 

Some of my regal nieces. 

....And Lars

A New Barn out at the Farm...It makes a great stage. 

Heidi and Ephraim

Sampling one of Grandpa's apples

This little boy has completely stolen my heart. 

Beets are delicious!

 Hanging out with Uncle Jesse

Brothers of mine...There are some strong genes running in my family. 

Fall's finery right out my backdoor. 

Uncle Jordan gave us a copy of A.A Milne's Winnie the Pooh 

 Pilot Buirlen...Destination, Adventure

Ready for the changing temperatures

...I lopped my hair off. 

My Kangaroo has moved to my back. 

Friday night fun. 

And so life continues on...What an adventure. 

"Autumn paints in colors that summer has never seen." ~Unknown

"Cherish your human connections--your relationships with friends and family." ~Barbara Bush

Jackpine 2017

      Jackpine, one of my favorite weekends of the year, has come and gone once again. An annual camping retreat my church takes; it's held way up north just a few miles short of Canada. The retreat is from Friday evening until Sunday after lunch, but this year Luke's sister, Martha, and her family were going up early, so we decided to join them. Thursday morning we headed north, ready for adventure. Buirlen thoroughly enjoyed his first camping experience. 

A quick stop at the store and then we were on our way. 

Having a snack with Heidi. They were buds.  

Derek setting up his sign post(I failed to get a picture of the finished product).

Hanging out with Uncle Derek

  

Cousins 

It was a cold weekend, so he wore a lot of layers. He handled it like a champ. 

Why yes, I do enjoy camping, and hanging out with Auntie Martha. 

Luke was itching for a project while we were at Jackpine. He and Derek decided to build a new outhouse. The one on our side of the camp was old and had reportedly had snakes in it last year, so it was a good deal.

Getting started.

It came together nicely. 

And the old one got torched. 

It was exciting. 

Unfortunately it was a rather wet weekend. Friday it decided to pour

Peter and Luke setting up more tarps

Watching from the dryness of the tent. 

Martha, Buirlen, Heidi, and I spent Friday afternoon in the camper. The guys toughed it out under the tarp. 

Happy to be in the camper, slightly less bundled up and free to wiggle around. 

We stopped in at Uncle Peter and Aunt Holly's trailer for awhile. Aunt Holly knows how to take care of cold, damp, people with hot drinks and whipped cream. 

Boys and sticks are a Jackpine tradition, and these two are eager to join the ranks. 

Despite the cold and the damp, we stayed snug as a bug in a rug. 

Doing dishes

Bea, Molly, and MollyBea

Buirlen is in there somewhere. It was cold. 

Luke has attended Jackpine all his life. He missed once when he was 4 and once our second year of marriage because I was in a friend's wedding. I was thinking this weekend that Jackpine would have been so much fun as a kid, and I'm so glad that Buirlen is going to get to grow up with it. 

3 Generations of plaid appreciators. 

Jackpine is also for boys and pocket knifes. Jonathan whittled one for Buirlen so he could be in on the fun. 

 Ephraim enjoying some chili. 

  

Late night campfire fun.

Spool walking... Another Jackpine tradition.

All in all, it was a lovely weekend. Memories were made, fun was had. But it is oh so nice to be home!

 "Oh darling, let's be adventurers." ~Unknown