Daily adventures! Each day brings unique things to do, and sometimes even the 'ordinary' is extraordinary!

In the back yard, we had a mulberry tree. The kids grew pretty proficient in climbing up into that tree. Here is Doug, up among some of the smaller branches.

Another shot...whew, you are up pretty high, Doug!

Diane liked using the swing.

Always testing abilities when you are a kid...just have to see if you can 'do' it!)

Dressed for church. I made Diane's outfit, but not Doug's jacket.

Pretty cute, and snazzy looking!



Another beautiful summer day at the lake. My brother-in-law Al and my sister Margaret on the dock with Julie and Jeff. Diane has the blue air mattress, and Doug has the yellow one. I think that is my niece Susan and I out there in the deeper water (as you can see, this was a perfect place for kids to play, as Susan and I are quite a way out from the dock, and the water was not even waist-high.)

And...another pose on the dock. This is me with Diane in the water next to the dock.

Doug giving Diane a short ride in the little blue boat...safely close to the dock!

 Sometimes the Wisconsin cousins came to Iowa for a visit. In this photo, the various Hansen kids are eating supper on the little patio behind our house. (At that time we had made a picnic table using an old wooden cable spool for the base, and painted plywood for the top...lots of innovation when your money is tight!) Left to right - Janine, Beth (hidden), Steve, Doug, Chris, Diane and Tom (turning to look at the camera). Janine, Steve and Chris are the children of Vern's sister and brother-in-law (Connie and Gordon Hansen); Beth and Tom are the children of Vern's brother and sister-in-law (Rev. Ronnie and Alberta Hansen). Vern's sister (Connie Hansen) married a Hansen, so her last name remained the same.

Uncle Gordon watching television in Vern's folks' basement with Doug and cousin Steve. Must have been Christmas...there's the tree!

I see I will have to back-track in the next blog, because there is my little Dave in this picture, and we haven't seen his 'baby photos!' In this photo, taken in the back yard of Connie and Gordon's farm home, are (left to right) Ron (Vern's brother), Fran (Vern's mother), Alberta with their youngest - Tina, sitting on the foot rest of Ron's lawn chair, Tom standing in back of Gordon, (not able to identify the girl in pale pink behind Janine...maybe one of my older kids can help?), then Janine in darker pink, with the farm dog enjoying the attention. Next is Beth (Ron and Alberta's oldest daughter) with Connie and Chris (sitting on Connie's lap), and Vern's sister Viva Kay behind Connie. On the right with the yellow shirt is Connie and Gordon's Steve, then me holding little Dave, and in the red shirt.... Doug. 

Here we are having a family dinner in the basement of the small house that Vern's parents owned. Left to right are Gordie Hansen, me, Diane, Chris Hansen, Vern's dad Paul, Steve poking his head up, Vern's mom Francis, probably Vern's sister Viva (although we can't see her face here), and Vern's older sister, Connie.

And, here are Vern's folks - Paul and Fran Hansen. The wall hanging on their wall was from Papua New Guinea where Fran's uncle Jim Wright and his wife served as educators much of their lives. I also had one of those 'barkcloth' wall hangings, but I left it with Vern when I moved out (in 1974), and I don't know what happened to it. I'm sure it would be quite valuable, according to Antiques Roadshow...coming from a primitive culture such as that...oh well...

So, that's it for today. More to come. Now that little Dave has been spotted, it is time to focus on him as a little guy, just joining the clan! Stay tuned...