Memorial Day Weekend

Leila (at right) with friend Jenna

It's only the end of May, but despite an epic winter that didn't want to leave us, it already feels like summer around here. Flowers and leaves and green grass everywhere. Blue skies, birds singing, 70 and 80 degree days. What a welcome change-! We struggle here in Wisconsin with the long winters, but no one appreciates the change of seasons and the coming of warm weather more than us. Every season feels like a new beginning and comes with its own array of favorite pastimes.


Speaking of happy moods, look at our smiling kindergarten graduate! Leila had a great first year of school-- she learned how to read, she can count past 100, tie her own shoes, and has learned how to make friends. We're proud and happy for her :). This summer she will participate in T-ball and hopefully swimming lessons.

Emma playing drum during Memorial Day parade

As some of you have heard, our 13 year-old daughter, Emma, found out she has Lyme's Disease. It flared up on our way home from Kentucky. During the long car ride home, her knee became increasingly swollen and painful. We thought maybe she'd hurt herself playing basketball, but when it still hadn't gotten better after a day at school we took her in to Urgent Care.


The doctor had already seen several cases of Lyme's that day, and he thought it was significant that we couldn't pinpoint a specific moment that Emma had injured herself. So he ordered the test done, and it came back positive. We learned a few days later that she has had Lyme's for awhile... it was not newly contracted, but had waited till now to flare up. So we will have to watch her health... I've been reading up on Lyme's, and it isn't always easy to shake. But so far she's responded well to treatment. She played in a 2 day basketball tournament this past weekend and has started softball practice as well. On Memorial Day she marched with the school band in a parade down to the cemetery and a program for veterans.




Leila, John, and I at Mom and Dad's

A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I went to Rhinelander to visit Mom and Dad and see my brother John, who had flown in from New Jersey to visit. We had a good time hanging out with John and my other brother, Bill, who was also there. We played croquet, had a campfire, and went for walks in the pines (so, in other words, did all the usual Bragg-Kid-Home-Visiting Stuff).

My brothers John and Bill

Emma and my dad

Burning up yard waste over campfire

John

Another fun recent activity was attending a birthday party for our nephew Nathan's 4 year-old daughter Macey. Nathan threw the party at his house, and since the weather was nice and he has a great backyard, we spent most of our time outdoors. The kids present enjoyed the trampoline, swimming pool, and playground equipment. Adults enjoyed sitting in the shade around a picnic table. There was a piñata for the kids, an ice cream cake, and lots of good picnic-style food.

Macey taking a swing at her pinata

Macey opening birthday presents

Nathan overseeing the pinata

Fun in the shade

My mother-in-law, Jane, with her oldest son Brent (Macey's grandpa) and Jonathan and Alicia

Leila didn't let not having a swimsuit along prevent her from getting in the pool

Jonathan, Alicia, and Jack came to the party, too, so afterwards we took Jack home with us for an overnight play date with Leila. Jonathan and Alicia picked him up the next day (Memorial Day) and had a cookout with us.

Colfax highschool marching band

Grandpa Jon helps Jack see the parade

Alicia with her patriotic drink in hand

Jonathan and Jack play croquet in our wild backyard

Leila takes a swing at the croquet ball

Jack shows me Woody

Jonathan

Me and Jon

The weather was great all weekend, so we were able to get a lot done outside. Jon planted our garden and finished siding and painting the front of the new addition he built onto the front of our house. When it's done it will be a nice 3 season porch for us. I think he did a good job blending it in with the rest of the house.

Flowers in the back yard

Our vegetable garden is planted

New addition on right side of house

Our outside cats, Mama Kitty and Iggy

My quirky birdhouse from Susan (something started building a nest in it; I see grass inside)

Except for the perennials in our garden, Jon rotated this year's plantings for fertility. Our perennials are rhubarb, strawberries, asparagus, and some herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, mint, and oregano). We also have a garlic crop that was planted last fall. The new plantings are tomatoes and peppers (lots of different types, which we use for salsa as well as fresh eating), green beans, onions, peas, carrots, squash, watermelon, and beets. We will add summer squash and zucchini this weekend. I will plant lettuce and kale again at my neighbor's greenhouse, and we will probably do corn in her garden, as well, because it's located by her dog pen and the barking dogs do a good job keeping raccoons away.


So that's what we've been up to! Hope summer finds you well :).

Grandma Jane's Birthday Party and Trip to Kentucky

I think I can safely declare that it is now springtime in Wisconsin... I hesitate, of course, because this was one long, relentlessly cold winter for many of us here in the north. But finally the snow is gone, our grass is greening up, and our early-blooming perennials are standing proud.

Jon and his favorite "kid"

Spring time!

This year my mother-in-law's birthday fell on Easter Sunday, and her daughter Sally arranged a surprise family gathering for her at the Lion's Club pavilion in Holcombe. All of her kids and most of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to make it.

"Happy Birthday" banner for Grandma Jane

 The family has gotten so large that it is hard to get everyone together in one place, but the pavilion is just the right size. It has an indoor/outdoor feel with plenty of picnic tables under its protective roof and a restaurant-style kitchen, counters and electrical outlets for setting up a potluck buffet, and a nice outdoor play area for little kids.

Many of Jane's grandchildren and great-grandchildren

Since it was Easter, there was an Easter egg hunt for the little kids, as well as a dance. Sally had brought over a comfortable chair for Jane to sit in while she watched the little kids play and opened her gifts.

Ann, Jane, and Sally

After the Easter egg hunt

Nephew Adam and his fiance, Jess

 It's been a rewarding 20+ years getting to know my in-laws. The little kids I met when I was first introduced to the family have grown up and started lives of their own. Many of them are pursuing their education or careers, marrying, and having children of their own. Meanwhile I'm getting to see my brothers and sisters-in-law become grandparents.

Harrison and Jackson

Emma was making funny faces / noises

Boston Hank

There are a couple of new babies in the family that I met for the first time at Grandma Jane's party. One was little Boston Hank, son of Lisa Meyer (daughter of Jon's sister Sally).

Kelsey, Luke, and Harrison

Gift opening

Calvin

 The other baby I met for the first time was Calvin, son of Eric Sime (son of Jon's other sister, Ann).


Jon's brother Brent provided the two photos below. The first one is of five of Jane's grandsons, lined up from oldest to youngest: Andy, Adam, Nick, Jonathan, and Luke.

Then

Now

 The photo just above was taken at the party in April and is those same five grandsons, standing in opposite order (youngest to oldest, this time): Luke, Jonathan, Nick, Adam, and Andy.


Just recently we made a trip to Kentucky to visit a couple of the grandchildren missing from the photos above: my stepchildren Susan and David. Susan lives in Kentucky with her husband Jay and two dogs, Hazel and Olive. Before we arrived she had driven to West Virginia to pick up David and Logan. We all stayed at her house for the weekend.

David, Susan, Jon, and Leila

The weather was warmer than we're used to but not exactly hot... it got up into the low 70's while we were there. Good enough-! On our trip over, we started spotting some trees with leaves around the Madison, WI area, and more and more as we continued south. There were lots of flowering trees in Illinois and Indiana. Most, but not all, of the trees had leaves by the time we got to Kentucky.

The Johnstons

Jay's parents, Sharon and Dave, visited with us for awhile. We had an enjoyable hike in the hilly woods with them at one point. Jay's dad is very knowledgeable about the local plant life and helped us identify some tree nuts. On a previous visit he found some "poke" along the roadside that we tried. It was interesting and kind of tasty.

Just missing: Jonathan

 Logan and Emma spent a lot of time playing basketball and catch outside with each other and some neighbor kids on Susan's block. We played a board game one evening. The most memorable meal award of this trip went to the Chinese restaurant Susan and Jay took us to for lunch on Saturday. Unbelievably good, authentic Chinese food. Yum. We will return.

Jay on the roof

No Kentucky Derby pics, but how about this cool evil-looking factory?

Bare feet in the water

Leila latched onto Susan like a second mother. She slept by Susan every night and pretty much I was an old potato to her till we left the state :).

Silly picture!!!

The Little Kids

Two peas in a pod

Happy hiking

David

David was his usual happy, gentle self. He went on some walks with me by the river.

Exploring off-trail

Looking for beech nuts

Big Strong David = Piggy Back Rides

Kitchen

The kitchen re-model has been coming along, but isn't finished yet. The cupboards are hung but they don't have their dark wood facing or doors yet. The sink, stove, and refrigerator are all functional, and of course the floor and walls are mostly done. Little bit of painting and trim work still ahead.


All in all, it was a wonderful trip. I'm a baby when it comes to long car rides, but we managed to make it back in one day on the way home. It was nice getting back earlier than planned and having that extra time to rest before our normal lives resumed. Thank you Susan and Jay for being such wonderful hosts.