First Day of School 2009

Juliette 2nd grade Lucy 4th grade Major 6th grade Carol 8th grade

The Back Pack

Every year, Carol can never find a back pack that is pink enough for her.  So this year, she talked me into making one for her.  She picked out the fabric and we found a pattern.  I was a little nervous that it would look bad, but I think it turned out pretty good.  She loves it!  It is exactly what she wanted!  It wasn't that bad of a deal, if you don't put any value on your time!

Bluewater - Modern Days

The rest of the week the kids had fun riding the quads, riding horses, playing in the barn, playing in the fort and just hanging out with cousins.

We also had our traditional talent show.  The girl cousins performed "My Party Dress" and it was so hilarious!  They did a great job!
The kids performed "Kokomo".  It was supposed to be a family band with Carol on the keyboard, Juliette on drums and Lucy on something, but Major was the only one who practiced, so the girls just sang and danced a little.  But it was cute and they did a great job!
The boy cousins performed "Muscles" to the tune of "Popular".  It was hilarious!!!!!!

Bluewater - Pioneer Days

This year for our Nielson family reunion at Bluewater we did the pioneer thing for two days.  We all wore authentic clothing.  We cooked over the fire.  For breakfast we made pancakes, bacon and eggs.  We made beans, baked bread (in the dutch oven) and had fried chicken and potatoes.  The second day was better, because we got the hang of things.

The girls washed clothes in the wash tub and hung them out to dry.

The boys gathered wood and found time to make stilts, do leather work and play in the barn.
The kids played a pioneer game with a hoop and two sticks.  It was actually a fun game!
The girls washed the dishes after each meal and sang and talked.  They felt like they spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  They also did some embroidery.
We ended with a dance that was a big hit!  It was a great experience!

I started to enjoy being a pioneer  - after I cheated and put on my tennis shoes (I was getting blisters from my boots) and used the running water.  Hauling water got old really fast!  We sure appreciated our pioneer ancestors and were glad we could wear comfortable clothing and take hot showers!