Fam-tastic!

Had a fam-tastic weekend. Loosely translated: I had a great time with my family this weekend.

Got up to my parents' place around 5 p.m. Saturday. This was my first return visit since the tornado cleanup day. Wow. There's such an emptiness there. So strange without all our trees!

Two of my sisters stopped by there as well before we headed into town. Got 2 special gifts. One was seeing my 16-year-old niece looking really healthy and doing well in recovery from her surgery. The other was a Vikings window flag my brother-in-law happened to pick up off the road somewhere... and he'd be caught dead before he'd drive around town with it on his vehicle. (We'll take it, Rick. Thanks!)

As you can see in the picture above, all my siblings except my sister in Texas made it to the party. Four of the grandkids also were able to make it so it was a nice gathering. We had our own "party room" at the Hog Wild BBQ Grill so we could really whoop it up... if that's what people do for their 83rd birthday.

We had a good meal plus cake and then Carter and his cousins played some tunes in the jukebox -- including "Happy Birthday." Then my dad gives Carter another dollar and says, "Play some more songs on the nickelodeon."

Nickelodeon?? Oh Dad, you're showing your age!

Apparently, someone picked some good songs because it got my mom and dad out dancing for one anyway!

After the party, we went with my sister Renell down to her place in Hudson and spent the night there. Today, Jim and I did some Christmas shopping in Hudson (there are certain things you can only find close to or across the Minnesota border).

Then the 3 of us headed over to Eau Claire to pick up Casey for some Christmas shopping at the mall. We take the "big boys" shopping early so they can pick out what they want, then I wrap it and hope they forget half of it and act surprised Christmas morning. At least then, they are getting what they really like.

After some shopping, we had a delicious, filling lunch at a place called Milwaukee Burger Co. If you're ever in Eau Claire, I highly recommend it!!

We got back to Rapids by 5 p.m. and stopped at my in-laws to borrow a vehicle and then stopped to see my other stepson, Clay, to wish him a happy 18th birthday (tomorrow) and best of luck on his gall bladder surgery (also tomorrow). I guess it may be his most memorable birthday yet.

Now we are home, unpacked and getting ready for the Packer-Vikings game tonight. Don't worry, I'm not gonna talk any smack here. We haven't earned that right yet. I just hope my team shows up.

And a win, well, that would really make a fam-tastic weekend complete, wouldn't it?