HOLIDAY TIME

We had family pictures taken when Todd and Kristy were home so will post a couple today.

Howard and Elaine
April 10, 2011

Laurel, Clare, Howard , Kirk
Elaine, Todd

Yes, the Erickson family reunion is on this week!  We get together every three years at Cypress Park, SK.  This is our third one, having gathered for the first time in 2005, then again in 2008.  Mom and Dad's family has grown to 56.  That includes four children and their spouses, eleven grandchildren and their  spouses and now twenty-six great grandchildren ages 13 to 1 1/2. (the 27th is on the way for Jason and Marion.)  Most members of the family are camping but we have reserved a cabin for four nights.

Howard was home overnight on Saturday.  On the way home from church on Sunday, I asked him how he felt about going to Cypress, as I was planning to take him along.  He said "I'm not looking forward to it."  He really has trouble getting around now, walks so slowly.  A campground would not be the easiest place for him so we decided that he's better off staying where he is, at St. Joseph's Care Home.  He was worried that he would be lonesome but I reminded him that I'll have the cell phone and will be only a phone call away.  He used to enjoy visiting, but now finds it hard to do that too.  He has his Aunt Viola at the care home and good friends in Estevan who are faithful visitors so he'll be okay.  I'm planning to visit him before I leave.  Maybe I'll take Dawson along to keep me company on the drive out.

The weather forecast for Maple Creek shows hot weather for the next week with a few thunderstorms thrown in for excitement.  We didn't book a gathering room in the hotel basement or a catered meal this time so we'll be thankful for good weather for all our activities.  The campsite has a covered "kitchen area" and I think Mandy has purchased a good sized tent for the group to use for an extended eating/ activitity/visiting area.  She is a super "in charge" person and we really appreciate all the thought and effort she and Mareena have put into planning this event.  They have booked the swimming pool for an hour on Friday evening so I better pack my bathing suit!

We are having a Norwegian smorg on one of the days so I have baked flatbread and have sandbakkel dough ready to press into pans this morning.  Another day has cream and bread on the menu so I'll cook up some chokecherry syrup to go along with that.  Sandra lives close to a Hutterite colony so is able to bring quarts of good farm cream.  We'll be making homemade ice cream too.  Don't you wish you were part of our Erickson family?

No, I better get at my "to do before you go" list so this will be all for now.  I'll update this next week to let you know how things turned out!