The week of July 20-26th of July, our whole family went to Okoboji Lake for a week of family time and fun. It was such a wonderful time with everyone there. When you get 22 people together for a week, one never knows. But it was wonderful. Everyone had a great time. There was so much laughing and teasing. What fun!!
Jay and I even went tubing, can you believe that!!!!!!! Jay wore his socks so his feet wouldn't get sun burned, and I kept yelling, going too fast!!!!! Every boat that went by us, gave us the thumbs up, we were the oldest ones out tubing that afternoon. Our oldest grandchildren thought it was cool, they even taped it. They kept saying, I can't believe it.
We had our family picture taken, Thank you Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!!  along with each family and grandchildren and our kids. It was so fun.  Thank you all for your cooperation and patience.
It was a wonderful week for Jay and I to have memories of for many years.
Thank you kids, grandchildren, love you all. You made our week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's still been raining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing much has changed in the last few weeks, it is still raining most every day, we are up to 18.8 inches since April 1. I am so glad I have my garden in raised garden boxes, they are doing great, where my garden use to be, it is flooded.
We got our corn and beans I in the ground, they are growing, but they don't look the best. Actually, the beans look pretty good, but the corn has lots of open places.
There has been so many evacuations of towns around, we still have to be thankful for where we live.
New Hartford was evacuating today, town is flooded.
Kathy, are you fishing at the property yet?  Jay was just saying this morning, he thought the first round of reds would be starting about now. Think he wishes he was up there.
I am still waiting for the grand boys middle names and birthday dates, could you send them to me. I relative is putting a family book together.
Have a good summer.

Well, one would never know we had drought last summer, when we had less than an inch of rain from the 8th of April till late in August.
This year we have had from the 1st of April till today, 13.4 inches of rain. And more predicted, who can guess.
My strawberries are doing great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Actually everything in the garden boxes are doing good, if I didn't have them, my garden would have been flooded. We had our first broccoli last night, oh so good.  Now if it would just keep the sunshine out for several days, we could get the corn and potatoes cleaned out in the garden at Bryan's. Pretty muddy there.
Pray for sunshine.

Happy Memorial Day to Everyone!!!!
We usually go camping over Memorial Day week-end, and this year was no different.  We camped in Decorah over the week-end, camping Paula and Rob and Jaydin, and Bryan and Austin.
Debbie & Paul and Amanda, Teagan, Jesup, Christian and Matilda. It rained and rained and rained!!!!
Thank goodness we had a hard covered camper, Bryan and Austin camped in their tent for 2 nights, Paula's stayed with us in the camper for two nights, then they had to go home, so when Bryan's tent dryed out on Sunday, he put it away and they stayed with us on Sunday night.  We were glad the kids could camp with us, had a good time anyway. Just wish is hadn't been so cold and wet.
It rained the whole way home and we had 1 1/2 inches of rain in the rain gauge when we got home. We had had sooooooooooo much rain lately.  Last year we couldn't get much of a drop, this year it doesn't want to shut off.!!!
Hope everyone had a peaceful week-end.

I know they say, just wait a day in Iowa, and the weather will turn different.  They are RIGHT!!!!!!!
Last Sunday, May 12, it was 30' out with a little frost when we went to church..  Monday it was very windy, and started to warm up, in the 60's and 70's.  Tuesday we took off for Decorah, our favorite place to camp, and by 2 pm in the afternoon it was 97' and very hot!!!!! How can that be, frost one day and two days later record high temps.  Wed. came in with 70's, just beautiful, so we had some great weather for camping. Suppose to stay in the 70' for a while, can handle that.
Happy Mother's Day out there to all the great Mother's I know.
Our garden is doing great, we are planting sweet corn today. Lots of things are up already, and eating asparagus too.  Sooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  This is just crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It started snowing yesterday, yes, May 2, and snowed all day, all night and is still snowing this morning. It melts a little , but we still have 4-5 inches on the ground. it hovers around 30-33 degrees. You would think it was December out side instead of May.
And we are lucky, some places got 10-12 inches of snow.  Only in IOWA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Next week it is suppose to be in the 60's and 70's.  I can hardly wait......
Please Mother Nature, be nice to us.  It's been a lonnnnnnnnng winter.

  Well, it finally seems like spring, the weather has been pretty nice the last couple days, actually we had a great week-end. We got our potatoes planted along with broccoli, onions, radishes, spinach,and kolorabi.  We got mulch and mulched around the garden boxes , raspberries, strawberries and apple trees. So nice to be able to work outside. Really tires a person, but sleep comes great.
I got the flower gardens all cleaned out today and now we hear on the weather that it is only suppose to be in the 40's tomorrow. With a chance of snow on Thursday. I can't believe how strange this spring has been. The farmers were just getting started on planting, I am sure they will go until it starts raining or snowing again.
The grass sure has turned green and grown. Here tomorrow it is May 1st. where has the time gone.
Keep thinking spring.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!