Christmas 2008 last of Julie's apartment

This is Julie's bathroom.  It is located to the right of her bedroom.  It is quite old fashioned.  You can see she has art every where, it actually is quite attractive.  She has made it very homey.

Christmas 2008 still more of Julies apartment

This is Julie's bedroom, it is on the right side as you walk into her room.











Then as you look straight ahead, you can see this desk and book shelves.  These windows look out into the back yard, and she can see her car, and start it from this window.  the photo below is of her bed.

christmas 2008 more of Julie's apartment

this is Julie's kitchen.  When you come in from outside, you wall through two doors, with a closet to your left in the entry area. When you look to your right, this is what you see straight ahead.










These are her kitchen cupboards.  She has an old fashioned sink, it has only one compartment.




Apartment size gas stove is to your right side.






On the wall to the left of first photo, she has her airplane map with some notes, and now she has added photo's of her day by his airplane, and photos taken of her when she soloed and passed flight test.

Christmas 2008 Julie's apartment

This is a view in Julie's living room,


This is the wall that goes into the hall.At the left and to the left side of sofa, is where her table and chairs are setting, then as you continue around the room, the computer desk is opposite the sofa, and continuing around the room is the mantle.  It is  over the fire place, which isn't functional.
















Computer desk, etc.


fire place,
mirror in it
reflects when candles are burning.
Door at right
goes out into her
sun porch
which is really
cold now.  but where
she keeps
art supplies
and more
books

Christmas 2008

We first drove to Grand Forks, and after lunch and a brief time in the store, we drove to the country church near Reynolds.  They have a wonderful candle light service, Most of our family was able to be there.  They hadn't been able to have their Sunday School program because of stormy weather on the previous two Sundays, so they had it at the start of the service.  It was our second Christmas program that used computer to presen their program.  I was impressed with how they did it.  They went out to a farm and had the children dressed in costumes and acted it out there. 

       After the program and candle light service, we drove to Alicia's house,  John Jacqui and Tessa, Gregg's parents and grandma, Leon, Shawn and Brenna, Jack and I were there.  The girls made a delicious turkey and ham meal with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, salad, lefsa, and rolls, and atleast three kinds of pie was there for us to enjoy.  After wards we shared gifts with each other.
   I was blest to see the joy that Leon experienced as he shared with his daughters, that was a blessing to see.  Grandpa and I don't give much in the way of gifts,  but we did share some special dishes with Jacqui, Alicia and Brenna.  They were dishes that had belonged to Jacqui's grandma.  Most of all girls, use them.  They are not for keeping, they are for using and their are a lot more still here.
   Jacqui made us a special calendar, it has everyones birthday on it and photos.  That is special.
   I had taken along the christmas photos, and so Jacqui and I looked at them that night, as they were driving back to Grand Forks.
   Dad and I got up early the next morning and quietly left Gregg and Alicia's home and drove to Bismarck.  We spent that day with Julie. The top photo shows Jack and Julie before we ate our Christmas day dinner, we ate later in the day.  A gal at work made this cake that we shared.  Children, think of all the cakes we made for Jesus through the years.
   We even took a photo of all of us together.  it was a good day, I am sure that a year ago we would never have thought we would see all of these changes.
    You will ahve to go to John's site for photos of our time with them at Alicia and Gregg's house.

christmas with family

Tuesday evening, Jerry, Julie, Jackson and Jesse were with us for a meal and sharing some gifts.  We took the traditional photos, This is the first Christmas that this family has been with us.
















Her Jack and I are with the boys.  We did sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out the candle on the cupcake.






















Here are Jesse and Jackson by our tree.

Christmas

We rarely saw a Santa, but on atleast one occasion Ed Schultz came to our home.














When the children were young I was involved in helping Dorothy Damschen with Good News Clubs.  At Christmas time we would have Birthday Party for Jesus, as a result we had a birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday for our Christmas, too.








This is the last time the children were all together.  Jacqui is the reader that year, Some place I have a photo of them with the Birthday Cake, too.


Later that evening we went for a Hay Ride, Chuck and Alice brought their children over and joined us.  Gabe was just a baby at the time.  Do any of you remember that.


We took this photo of the children together.

Each of you has a home, you have the opportunity to create the memories that you want your children to treasure. 














 When the children were young I helped Dorothy Damschen with Good News Club and we would have Birthday Parties for Jesus, as a result we started doing the same with our family and have continued doing that through the years.  On this

Christmas

Here are some photos from various Christmas times together.  This was a year when Don and Ann must have been with us and also Grant and Lucille. 













This was a time at Grandpa and Grandma Neidlinger's on Christmas morning.













This was a Christmas when Ann was with us from Nicaragua, she is barely visible on the right side of the page.

Christmas

This is our first Christmas, we had only been married a few months and barely living in our home.  I really think that my Grandma and cousins were with us, but I don't seem to find a photo.  What I remember is this.  I was a Christian and God was prompting me that we were to read something about Christmas before we opened our gifts.  That had never happened in my home as a child.  I had this tract from Lutheran Bible Institute and so be fore we started opening gifts, I said that I wanted to read this to them.  I remember feeling nervous about doing that, but still knew that inside of me I was to do it.  I remember my Grandma afterwards telling me she really appreciated my doing that.  I know it was what God wanted me to do and we have continued since that time  reading the Christmas story to our family.  It depends on who is with us and their ages, just how we do it.  Sometimes from a Children's book.  I remember one year Jack and I and the children were alone and we acted out the story.  I think Julie was about three at that time.  During the years that my parents were able to be with us.  They would spend one Christmas with Ann and one with us.  In earlier years Don and Ann would come to Hampden some years.  I see photos that show Grand and Lucille with us, too.  We were together with my family on Christmas eve and with Grandpa and Grandma Neidlinger for Christmas Day.  I think you all remember Grandma O'Briens last Christmas, I wanted to go see her on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, but they were predicting a storm and she told me she didn't want me to come.  It did hit and so hard that you couldn't see anything in the yard even.  She was invited downstairs to be with her neighbors and the next day her high school friend Clara Fawcett invited her to her home in Devils Lake.  I was very thankful to be at home, there were people who were stranded in their cars that night.

christmas

This photo is taken in the O'Brien house, you should all recognize it.  I think that they tried to take photos of us to remember the day.  But I think we were alone for Christmas eve.  I don't remember any great amount of gifts.  Actually rather simple compared to today.  We looked forward to the box from our Uncle and Aunt in Washington.  They had a store and probably sent items from there, I think I may still have some things from them.  I think we probably spent Christmas day with Uncle harry and Aunt Beatrice, Matt and Mavis and girls, or sometimes that Uncle Clarence and Aunt Eva came with our cousins.  When ever Uncle harry and family came,  my dad usually gave the men haircuts some time while they were there.  One year they were with us for either Christmas or New Years and a blizzard came up and they stayed over night with us.  As to gifts, my parents usually got us one nice thing.  I remember the year they gave us clock radios, they were really nice ones and we had them for many years.

Christmas

I have been thinking about Christmas and so here are some thoughts.  I don't really remember much about my early Christmas, I think we were by ourselves, though pictures do show us with family.  But I think that happened on Christmas day.  I treasure this photo of me with my Grandpa and Grandma.  It was taken in front of a window to give light, there weren't flash at that time, or atleast my family didn't have such.  I found this photo of Jack when he was a baby, if you look closely they have set the Christmas tree outside, so they would have light enough to take the photo.  I can't tell you anything about his Christmas, there are very few photos.  His family was small too.

blizzards

I have been thinking tonight about previous blizzards that I remember.  Right now this one isn't nearly as bad as some I can remember, but give it time.  It is those ones who come so quickly that are bad.  One year 1956, I was in eighth grade, we had a lot of storms, the road east of our farm home had cuts that were above the height of the car almost the entire mile.  I think at one point they had to bring in the national guard that year to help clear snow.  There was a really bad blizzard in 1966, some place I should have some photos of that one.    The blizzard of 1941 is before my time, but it is significant too.  Many people lost their lives in that one.  It just didn't work to get out and walk, you could miss the mark by inches and keep going.  Rose Potulny was in that storm and wrote about it.  When Jacqui was a baby, she was sick and we took her to Dr. Hilts one night, and on the way home we went into the ditch (actually into a cut on the side of the road.)  It was on the road between Starkweather and Hampden and by the house that Chuck now lives in........  We had to stay in Mpls an extra night because of blizzard up here when we were on our way home from Florida....The last year that my mom was with us, we had one of those quick storms, I wanted to go see her on Christmas eve but she encouraged me to stay home(they were warning about a storm), and it hit hard and fast, so I was glad I was at home, her neighbors blest her and she spent the evening with them.......Then the one night when i was going home from working at Monkey Shines in Devils Lake, the storm hit after I had left town, and I couldn't see anything except the white line on the road,  I saw lights at Garske and drove in and stayed with Erickstads.....We also got stranded in Minnesota on our way home from Mpls.  Kati and her mom and sister were with us.  They closed the highway.  It stormed at home and people stayed in Cando that night after a basketball game.....I remember the day the announcement came over the tv, they were looking for Bennet Stapleton, he had taken his brother to the train, beautiful night.  No heavy jacket, and on the way home he got on the wrong road, got stuck,possibly stormy and he was there for several day before they found him.  He survived....  I think the weather forcasting is causing people to be more careful.  So be careful.  Mom

family

It was the Sunday afternoon nap,  I am not sure who is sleeping the most, but Brutus moves from near one of us to the other.  Do you think the cat is a bit spoiled?

family

Today was a busy day, Dad and I drove to Park River, to meet Julie.  She got a ride in an airplane with her instructor and they took the air plane back to Bismarck.  It was getting dark when I took this photo.

Happy Birthday Brenna

Today was Brenna's 23 birthday.  She was with the Teen Challenge staff and students.  They were at Lakewood Park bible camp.  I went there late in the afternoon.  It was special to me to see her on her birthday.  I don't think we have been together on her birthday since she was a really little girl.  I am going to try and find a photo of her from then.  Happy Birthday Brenna.

youth

I was noticing a toy that lays in the little office at the back of the house.  It is a long stick with a little can attached to the end, and attached to the end of the stick right by the can is a string and a rubber ball.  It brought back memories.  One that I need to tell you.  When I was in high school, some families had parties, or should I say some of the young people had parties and parents weren't there.  I was invited to one, and part way into the evening, some of the guys came who had been drinking, and a few girls drank, too.  Because of the way it was at home I didn't feel very comfortable in the situation.  I didn't go to any more parties like that.  But my parents had a party in our home.

 They may have had several parties.  I have pictures from those events.  I remember that they were there, they made games, like the one I described at the beginning.  I think that everyone had a good time. 

I recognize Ronnie Lunde and larry Erickson in the top photo.  You recognize it is in the "porch"  The photo at the right is Janice Hoiland, Kaye Simon, Bonnie Dahl, and Betty Tunseth.






You recognize the living room at the farm.  The photo was taken looking down from the stairway.  I don't know what they used for music, but they were dancing.  That is a memory that I share with you tonight.

jerry is 4 years old

Here we see Jerry on the occasion of his fourth birthday.  Our cakes weren't so fancy then, and it doesn't look like we had any company.  I think that grandparents were usually with us for our birthdays.

jerry's birthday

This is Jerry on the occasion of his 1st birthday.  He was just like any other little boy, he probably wanted to dig into his cake.  But I don't remember the occasion

Today we say Happy Birthday to you and you have seen many birthdays since that time.  We love you.

lunch time

This is a "I Remember" story.  Taking lunch to the field for the men was a very significant part of the day.  I have found a couple of photos that show different periods history.  One is much older than the other.  I also remember sitting by the hay stack eating the lunch together.  It was the haystack that was being made that very day. It wasn't just any old lunch, it was important that it be very special.  Grandma Helen was good at creating lunches, but it also was very time consuming for her.  I think the children enjoyed the trips to the field and being a part of "lunch  time."  They could run around and play.  Grandma Lennie is the driver of the older car.  I am driving the newer car.  Jack is in the car, Glenn to the left, and Oscar to the right.  We also took noon meals, and that was quite a production.

Hot Cross Buns

Julie, this is especially for you.  I made Hot Cross Buns last night.  I know they probably aren't quite like yours.  I didn't have white flour, so they are heavier.  Some of my family turns up their nose to candied fruit, but I can eat them.  Have a great day Mum

family

This morning as I was on the treadmill I was thinking....

Yesterday I talked to Julie in Australia and she was asking about things to bring.  It brought to mind when they moved to Australia.  I remember the last day that Jerry went back into his home and took video's.  We waited in the car, I had such a sense of saddness in my heart for him at that moment.  Now we are seeing a reverse as Julie is having to do the same.  I haven't had the experience of leaving my home.  I know you children have said that you would push it in.  But if my life circumstances make it so I have to move to some other place and that house is still there, it will be sad.  Unless ofcourse god works in my heart to know that I need to make a change.

 Father, help us to give our lives and things to you that we are willing to go where you want us to go and to be what you want us to be.

family

It is 2:57 a.m. and I am writing.  I am home alone, Jack is in Fargo for airplane symposium,  Julie in Grand Forks for a concert, she and Shannon stayed at Jacqui's because the road is terrible. So they didn't go to her house. Brenna and Shaun need to leave really early for Bismarck and they closed I 29 because of the drifting and ice(I think).  Well at 2 a.m. I got a call from Chuck wondering if I had a shovel(he didn't know dad wasn't home) so I drove over to where they were stuck on their road.  Those low vans don't do so good, they get hung up on the driftand the snow was hard.  I took two shovels and put on a lot of clothes,  Chuck and I did the shoveling, but he really didn't have the appropriate clothes,  finally Alice got out and I told her to get in the back of the jeep as there were more clothes.  Frank and Dorothy were along, I don't know where they had been but I think that they had picked up Gabe who had been to the concert that Julie, Shannon, Shaun, Brenna and Alicia had been at.  It is time to say goodnight, maybe the cat and will get some sleep now.  Mom

family memory

Today, we have had sort of a blizzard.  Julie got to Fargo about 8 p.m. and started for home.  It was after midnight, or about then when she arrived here.  She was really tired, I am sure that her own bed looked good.  She slept in today, and Jack and I have been in the house all day.
    We continue with our genealogy project.  Jack has been reading about his relatives from a scrapbook sent to him by his cousin.  Our conversation prompted me to get out the Walsh County atlas where we found a lot more information.  I am making copies of the family stories and putting them in the three ring binders with their family genealogy. 
    Tonight, I got a call from a relative of Jack's that we did not know, but by calling another person we have found out about her.  Her grandfather was a brother to Jack's great-grandmother.She is interested in genealogy and will call again tomorrow evening.
    When I think of a blizzard day, I think of the times that my father would take us for fun rides.  He would use a flat surface behind his tractor, the flat surface might be the hood of a car.He would tie it to the back of the tractor and we would sit in it while he would give us rides around the yard.  It was a lot of fun.  I think my cousins Mary Ella and Betty Clare remember those times, too.
    My dad also liked to ice skate (and roller skate) so he made us a little skating rink out in the yard, somewhere south of the light pole.  He could figure skate, making "8"'s,etc.
    We usually had a really big snow bank on the road north of our house.
    One winter we really had a lot of snow,  I think it was about 1956.  The road to the east of the O'Brien farm had a bank that was higher than the vehicle on both sides of the road.  It had been plowed many times and it just kept getting higher and higher,  I think we missed a lot of school that year.

History

     This photo was taken in 1953.  It evidentually was a family gathering at my home.  It is special because my Grandparents, and Jack"s grandparents are present.  I also see my Uncle and aunt, and Jack's parents.  I note the clock on the shelf in the corner.  I still have that clock.    I note that Grandpa Oscar is sitting on the antique chair that sits in our bedroom.   I don't see any of us children, we probably were sitting in the kitchen.  Would they have ever realized that in the future our families would be united because your dad and I would marry.
     I know that my mom was a very good cook, and a capable hostess.  I have only one memory of times that she entertained.  She had a china bowl, it was a quite thin china and she always served cole slaw in it.I have it so I had to go look at it, she had written under it that it was my grandmothers. 
    The room looks much the same to this day.  I guess you children could also remember many meals served in that room.  Any memories that you can share?

I remember

So you want me to write.....Dad is sorting photos.  I have tried to add this photo to this site, but I don't seem to be very successful.  I will tell the story anyway.   The photo wouldn't mean anything to any of you but it does to me, and to dad.  One time when Janet was in high school, we flew her and another girl, Laura Axmann to Ellendale for a youth conference at Trinity Bible College.  Janet was in a speech meet at Devils lake. so we picked them up late in the day and took them to the airport.  We got up in the sky, we were above the clouds and it looked like this. Though I remember the clouds as being whiter.  It was beautiful.  Dad said, we need to go below the clouds so we could navigate.  So he made a few circular manuvers and down we went. Beneath the clouds it was getting dark.  So we had to watch for the lights of the towns.  We flew to Ellendale, Pastor Dave met us at the airport.  We left the girls there and we flew back.  We got back to Devils lake about maybe midnight.  We left the airplane there and drove back to the farm.  It is a good memory.

history

Some of you know what I am doing here at home, but just in case you don't I am writing a geneology record for each part of our background,  Neidlinger, Obrien, Goldsbury, Wise, Blasky, Gorecki, Cissner, Hall.  Those are the families that are your heritage.  And in most cases we have written information about them.  It was just a bit mixed up.  There are photos here and I am putting them with each family.  The rest of the photos are going to be in photo boxes with them divided into catergories. 
    We have a suitcase full of photos that we don't know who they are and so when we are gone you can just throw them.  I don't want it to be that way with these, so my desire is to bring order to the situation.
    The end result I desire to write a story about some of the more interesting photos.

listening to God

God does desire to speak to us.  When I was in the cafe, I frequently would pray and ask God do you really want me to be here?  I never felt that I had a clear answer to leave.  One day I was in Devils lake, I had just gotten a piece of pizza from KMart and was sitting in the red van, when God spoke to me.  No, I didn't hear anything audibly but inside of me I had this beautiful sense that I was to do something, it it was very clear what it was.  So I went home and did just exactly what he said, within a week I was done at the cafe.  In three or so weeks, Ronna and her children came home.  Later in 1997, or the summer after the flood I was walking down the road west of our house, and again God spoke in my heart.  This time he said,  you are done with 4-H and with coordinating exchange students.  I gave up those things and that fall, John, Jacqui and the girls came to live with us.
    Now I did have times in my life when I feel that God spoke to me, but I didn't listen.  Then I experienced problems,  and I am sorry if they affected any of you.  It is sometimes hard to give in to what God knows is best to you.
    In the night, Saturday, God nudged my heart and told me I wasn't to cook at camp.  I tried to push the thought out of my mind, but it was there to stay.  By morning, I knew that I had to be obedient.  After church I told Jack and Julie and I know they don't necessarily understand because they know this is something I really enjoy doing.  I have talked to Jay and Paula.  It is official that someone else will take my place.  I can't say that I haven't felt sad, but I know that God is in it.  There have been things this  week that have  been helping me to see God's hand.  I haven't closed the door on my love for camp or being involved there, but not the way it has been. By spring and summer, I will know what God has in mind.
    I feel that each of you needs to know about this.  Listening to God isn't always easy, but being obedient brings with it great rewards.