Feterl Family Reunion....

Feterls 2011

Every summer (when there isn't already a family wedding) there is a Feterl Family Reunion. It alters between Sioux Falls and Deadwood. Feterl is Wayne's Mom's side, you may have heard of Feterl farm equipment, augers? That would be the same. There is Wayne's Grandparents Ron & Mary, Their oldest child is Wayne's mom, Gayle who is married to Ken Tonsager and they have Jenn & Wayne. Jenn is married to Mark and they have 2 little girls Maddie and Megan. Then there is Gayle's brother Kevin who is married to Jan. They have Miranda, married to Jordan, and Brett with girlfriend Amy Goodrich. Then there is Gayle's sister Rhonda who is married to Ken Koch. They have Justin married to Amy Pulse Koch (there is another Amy Koch in the family), and Kyle with girlfriend Kathy. These guys are all a hoot! We always have a blast and the boys enjoy all their great uncles, aunts and cousins' attention too.

Amy & Brett, Jordan & Miranda, Jan & Kevin

Amy& Justin, Ken & Rhonda, Kyle & Kathy

Kandi & Wayne, Mark & Jenn, Gayle, Maddie & Luke, Ken, Zach & Megan, Andy

Grandkids & Spouses

Grandkids 

Great Grandkids

Grand & Great Grand

This year the reunion was in Sioux Falls at the Residence Inn Suites. They were one or two bedroom suites with kitchenettes and living rooms. We had video game tournaments, card and board games, disco bowling, Harry Potter 7/2 at the theater, shopping, swimming, family pictures and my family slipped away to Falls Park (I had never been).

Great Uncle Kevin

Hangin' with the Girls

Hangin' with the Guys

Great Grandkids Circle

The boys & Uncle Kevin

We also celebrated Ron & Mary's 55th Wedding Anniversary while there! It is so amazing to see two people who have enjoyed each other as long as this and have created such an amazing family tree. This was the first time we had all been together since the year before at Miranda and Jordan's wedding.

Pitch Tournies

Another part of every Feterl gathering are the cocktails and Caronas that come with. Jan and Rhonda are quite possibly the most entertaining ladies I have had the pleasure of sharing cocktails with. It is ALWAYS a good time! Rhonda gave a very descriptive and choreographed impromptu of Kyle killing a spider for Kathy with a sock at their apartment. If you were there you are now laughing at the memory.

Ladies Table

Apples to Apples

We can't go to Sioux Falls without going to Hartford to visit Grandma and Grandpa Tonsager. I love their house on the river at the mouth of Wall Lake. Ken & Darlene have an amazing garden they keep. Darlene gave us lots of plants to take home and transplant. Even through our golf ball sized hail (next post), most everything we brought home this time lived. Its always nice to visit and catch up over lunch before heading out.

snake skin

Wayne and I agreed that every trip out to Sioux Falls we would stop at a touristy stop on the way home so that the boys and I could learn some SD heritage and see all the things Wayne is sick of seeing. This trip we chose the Corn Palace in Mitchell. The boys and I had never been there. Their love of corn (naturally having Nebraska heritage) had them intrigued at all the art made by the corn. We ate some terrible but festive corn on the cob on a stick and met Cornelius the ear of corn.

Falls Park....

What a great trip!