2018 Seppanen Reunion

 It's been kinda quiet on my blog, because I've been super busy. Dad, Mom, Marcus, and Brittany went to MI on June 14th, so I was taking care of all the chores, plus two of the neighbors'. Sometimes Krista helped me milk at night, but still, it was a lot of chores. I was milking 7 goats in the morning, and then running over and, among other tasks, milking a cow too. With Mom home now, the chores are less, yet I keep feeling like something is left undone: like I have to do something, because I'm so used to chores now. Funny fact: Besides my hands being cramped in the morning when I woke up, while dozing on the ride to SD, I began acting out one of those "half asleep dreams." My hand jerked to the side-I was throwing a flake of hay to the calves. Then my hands began doing milking motions, in my dream! I had a good laugh at that! 

Anyway, there was a family reunion in SD last week(descendants of Mom's parents) so I went to that, riding out there with Aaron, Justin, and Jeff. My friend came out from MI and did my chores while I was gone(she was coming for the church Convention-which started Wednesday-and offered to take care of chores for me, by coming about a week early). I am so grateful, because it is super hard to find anyone who will properly do chores, and almost impossible to find someone who will milk goats as part of those chores! 

Thank you! 😄

Here are some pictures that I got of the festivities. 

  

 

Like all good reunions, we had a candy shop. Brittany was in charge of running it. I was in charge of making cotton candy, therefore I was busy and did not get any pictures of all the little children with eager eyes, gripping their hard earned dollars in their sweaty hands, and deciding what to buy.

The sign on the door means "sweet store" in Finnish. Unfortunately, not many even knew what it said.

 

Ooh, all the choices!

 

  

Trisha and Brittany 'laxing after the store was closed.

We "threw" the cotton candy out of a window to the left of the door, so that folks only wanting cotton candy wouldn't have to squish in through the crowds of people inside.

 The group list-I was on a simple snack.

 This is how they marked decaf coffee, vs caffeinated coffee(kahvi being the Finnish word for coffee). For awhile, decaf coffee was being called "dehorned" in our house, so maybe unleaded is some better than that anyway.

On display were two hand drawn pictures of Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa has been gone since 2006, and Grandma will be turning 90 in December.

 

There were dozens of little kids running around. I know my cousins' names, but when it comes to first cousins once removed, like all these little kids are, eh-can't name most of them.

Kids swinging and playing...

Kids jumping on the tramp...

Kids in the bounce house...

 

 Kids getting in trouble...

Kids around the fire...  

Kids using sidewalk chalk...

Two big kids slave driving a little kid...

At least they helped a little.

 

Snack time, with kids fresh out of the pool.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the kids actually in the pool...

The men's corner.

The "cowboys" were in charge of making their signature "mixture," invented during a camping trip one year. They decided the best way to go about making the supper would be with a specially built huge pan, that weighed over 100 pounds, and could hold 12 gallons. 

They also had two scrapers, which were even engraved.

They toasted the bread first...

...and then made the mixture.

There was a lot of skepticism surrounding their ability to actually make a meal(as well as whether or not anyone was going to like it-most folks did like it), and a large group turned out to watch them. One cowboy was heard to grumble about how "we didn't all go watch you when you were making a meal!"

Once finished, the pan was still hot so they figured it best to serve it, instead of having everyone burn themselves on it.

P.S. Even though this picture makes it look like dog food, it actually tastes good.

Here is a little video I put together when they were doing it.

The evenings were often spent playing/watching volleyball-at least until the sun went all the way down and the mosquitoes came out in droves and began chewing on everyone in site. I don't like South Dakota skeeters. 

 

A majority of the family was able to make it for the reunion, and most of those attendees are pictured here. 

I saw this car on the way home-I probably need that decal!

Patriotic farmers!