HAPPY (BELATED) ANNIVERSARY, JASON AND MARION

On November 8, 2010 we were in Swift Current, SK for the wedding of our nephew, Jason Scott Sanford, and Marion Corcoran.  It was wonderful to have most of our Erickson family there for this special occasion.  Jason was the last of the eleven cousins to wed and we were all so happy that he and Marion found each other!  Just a few weeks before the wedding, Marion's dad was in a car accident in Regina.  We are so thankful that his life was spared and that he was able to escort his only daughter up the aisle, albeit in a wheel chair.  Nieces Joan and Heather provided lovely piano/flute music. We were all treated to a lovely roast beef supper followed by a program, dance and buffet lunch.  No groom has ever been toasted quite like Jason was by his groomsman, Craig Dumontel!

My blog really isn't late as the wedding celebration continued the next day with a lovely brunch followed by the gift opening.  My traditional gift to nieces and nephews has been a wedding wallhanging done in hardanger and cross stitch.  I remembered to take a picture of this one so I'll add it here.

The weather took a turn for the worse that Sunday afternoon and number 1 highway east was even closed for a time due to icy conditions.  We were heading west to visit the Ledenes in Brooks so were okay.

Jason and Marion have been blessed with a son, Blaine Martin and a daughter, Katie Elizabeth.  Sandra and Merle enjoy having these two grandchildren close by.  Blaine keeps pretty close to his dad and Grandpa Merle and loves to go with them to the field or anywhere they will take him.  One day Jason put Blaine in the cab of the grain truck to keep him safely out of harm's way.  But that didn't deter Blaine - he figured out how to get the window open and proceeded to fall out to the ground below.  There were quite a few tears, but no broken bones!  Another time, Blaine followed Jason a little too close for comfort.  Jason climbed up the ladder on a grain bin to check things at the top of the bin.  He heard a noise behind him and there was Blaine up on the roof with him!  Calm and cool, Jason worked his way around Blaine to the ladder and they climbed safely down together.  I don't think Jason leaves ladders beside any of his bins these days!

Blaine is the 25th great grandchild in the Milford and Hulda Erickson family.  Katie makes twenty-six and evened it out at thirteen boys and thirteen girls.  There have been no additions to the family this year for the first time in twelve years.  Here's a picture of the 25 taken at our last Erickson reunion in Cypress Park.  Blaine is the baby that Megan is holding in the left side of the picture.  We are looking forward to our next reunion in July, 2011.

We were thrilled to have a visit from Jason, Marion, Blaine and Katie the week of Howard's birthday.  Katie is such a happy little girl, has a big smile for everyone.  We are anxious to see her and Blaine again.  Maybe we'll get out to Frontier this fall if the weather cooperates.  North Dakota has a winter storm watch on for tonight and tomorrow so we may have to cancel an appointment in Regina on Wednesday.  We are "fair weather drivers".

When I wrote Sunday's blog about Abbey and her friend I forgot to tell you about a special job they did that Friday afternoon.  They wondered if they could clean Salem church!  Abbey had stopped by there with Clare a week or so before and she noticed that it was quite dusty. So we gathered up mops, brooms, dust rags and a pail of hot water and were off on our cleaning trip just two miles north of our farm.  It didn't take long to dust the windowsills and pews while the girls were busy doing the floor with their two mops!  It was very special to have two nine year old girls wanting to keep this little country church in good condition.  I don't think it has had a fall cleaning since it was closed in 1963 but maybe this will be an annual tradition for Abbey and friends.  What a fitting tribute to the great and great great grandparents  in the cemetery just east of this church by the side of the road.  But an even better tribute is her "Faith of our fathers, living still".