Alice Raatz's Family Xmas 2007

Christmas in Oakes was a bit off this year. Without Dad there, there was certainly an element missing that will never be returned.

The time with family is precious. Nathan, Ian and I drove from Lake Park, MN to Oakes to spent a Monday and Tuesday with Mom (Alice) and family. It was Kate's turn to work on Christmas, so she returned home to Buffalo.

My brother Dale and his wife Teri came from Grand Forks as well as their son Francisco. Their daughter Cassandra was home on leave from the Navy along with her (just announced fiance) Craig from Alabama. Craig is also in the Navy USS Iwo Jima.

My sister LuAnn and her husband Steve who live and work in the Oakes area also joined in the festivities.

My niece and nephew Katie and Cody Benzel drove here from Montana to spend time with their grandma's in Oakes while on holiday break from college. They are both doing very well and I am excited to see them happy!

I wish I could have seen Lori and Troy Stark as well as Joe Anderson and his girlfriend Sarah, but time was short for us and we drove back to Buffalo to have Christmas with Kate at home.

Look at the slide show below!

Jerry Spiesz Christmas

It was that time again! Kate, Nathan & Ian and I went to Jerry and Linda Spiesz' on December 21 through 23. Kate drove up on Friday with the boys and I went on Saturday morning. The days were spent talking, eating, opening presents and doing more of the former again. It was nice to see Kris, Deborah and their girls as well as Beth and Christopher. As time goes on, our lives evolve but the connection between us remains strong.

See below for a slide show of the festivities.

Spiesz Family Holiday Gathering

We had fun at the home of Steve and Judy Schwanke in Sartell, MN for a gathering of the Spiesz Family! We had lunch at their home and then proceeded to take photos of everyone. I think this is the first celebration we have had as a whole group for more than 10 years. After the festivities we all adjourned to the local bowling lanes for a bit of a post feast workout. Fun was had by all!

Look below for a slide show of the photos for the event.

Ian's Set Building Services

Some of you may have heard that Ian has been doing a fair amount of set building lately. This past summer he helped build the set for the Guys and Dolls play; and this fall he was Set Foreman for the Joseph and The Dream coat high school production. Below are some images from his handy work.

Happy Turkey Day!

Well the day has come and gone. We had fun and visited and ate... and ate... :)

Dale, Teri, Cisco and Mom joined us for the day. The weather was chilly and we had a bit of snow. But who cares, we stayed inside and stayed warm.

Nathan had to work at Walmart at 5pm, so it wasn't too much later that the whole group left and went back to Oakes.

Almost Turkey Day!

Well it's Friday the 16th and all is well. Except for the weird allergic reaction I had to something. No fun!

Only three days of work next week and then a four day weekend! Yesss!

Tonight we are all going to Joseph and the Techy Colored Jacket! Okay, so that's not the official name, but whatever... It's being put on at the high school and is a big production. Ian spent several weeks working with the Master Carpenter and ended up building most of the set. He is even getting a Letter in the Arts for his hard work. He is aiming at lettering three times this year.

Well, gotta go see Joseph!

Dwight

Hello!

My first blog... my first post... hmmm

I'll have to think about it...

Okay... I thought about it...

I uploaded the photos and video clips that I took during the recent gathering we had in Oakes to honor my Dad (Marvin) who passed away recently in a car crash. The photos and video clips are of family and friends celebrating time together. Let me know what you think.