Back to Minnesota - 8/26

Goodbye Aunt Beth!

Hello Minnesota!

Welcome to Edgerton, where windmills abound. 

Grain silos are HUGE!

Aunt Edith's home. 

Cousin Abbie's home and shop

These are her current projects

And her showroom

She is a really sought after taxidermist

Aunt Ev (my grandma Ada's sister) and Uncle Ed

Dinner with the Post family at Chandler Park - most of the family lives in Chandler and Edgerton, 2 small towns about 10 miles apart, or on farmland in between

Great-Aunt Kathy

Boys table. 

Uncle Jim and Aunt Sue

Family Reunion - Edgerton, Minnesota - 8/26

Today we traveled from Iowa back into Minnesota where the remaining living brothers and sisters of my grandmother on my mom's side live.

It was such a treat to have dinner with eight (!) of my great aunts and uncles.

Sanborn, IA - 8/25

Today we had a down day in Sanborn Iowa. We hung out with cousins. We walked along Main Street and checked out the grocery store. The kids played in a park, which was really a plot of land owned by an individual in the town who has set it aside for people to enjoy. Every once in a while, between houses, there is an empty lot that someone could buy and build a house on, but is usually owned by someone in the community perhaps the owner of the house next-door and is left for open space or used for a community garden, etc.

Cousins!

Today was full of family and fun!

I am so thankful for our stop here in Iowa to see family! 

The kids enjoyed small town today. They got to walk from one end of town (where we're camping) to the other (Aunt Beth's house) all by themselves. Then they hung out all day and I didn't always know where they were, but I knew all was well. 

My cousin Caresa. I stayed with her 30 years ago. She came to CA a few summers later. Fun to meet again - with lots of kids!

At Aunt Beth's home

Uncle Gene took us on a tour of a museum that is yet to open. 

We had 10 kids along. 

Scott found his first car. 

Sy found lots of fire trucks. 

These phones are part of a museum exhibit! What? Cell phones are old?!?

My Aunt Edith and her daughter Aunt Lois drove down to say hello. 

This is not a day care! Aunt Beth has 29 grandkids. So it's a big family party! (:

Cousins

Cousins

Cousins

Ingalls Homestead & drive to Iowa family

Pa & Ma Ingalls' graves

The dugout house (like the one on plum creek

Making a jump rope and testing it out

The little schoolhouse 

Starring jo as pa and my as Laura 

driving the wagon

Afternoon drive to check out silver lake (By the Shores of Silver Lake)

Headed out of South Dakota 

Through Minnesota to Iowa

We saw LOTS of corn and every once in a while a farm house and barn

So excited to see the Bakkers after 30 years!

Ingalls Homestead

At school...

All dressed up

Sy had to recite his 2s with "his class"

Ky drove the wagon back 

Kik found a bird that had fallen from a nest

Shucking corn

To make corn cob dolls (or Jedis for the boys)

Look at our corn cob Jedis !

Grinding wheat in the coffee grinder - just like Laura did in The Long Winter 

Sharpening tools and making a jump rope

Works pretty good!