Wheres Ray/Wendy yr 2

Friday, July 22, 2016

A Bit of Touring and Fun

Hi all,
 Our stay by Mukwonago is starting to wind down, only two weeks we will be headed to Custer. While we are getting hitch itch we are having a good time here. The change being here in summer verses the fall has worked out well. We have had many good visits with family and friends.
 Last weekend my brother Corey from Maryland came in for a short visit. Corey works in DC for the commerce department and was attending meetings in Chicago after the weekend. My brother Russ and I joined him for a tour of Miller Brewery for business purposes,) and we checked out Clock Shadow Creamery in downtown Milwaukee getting some good Wisconsin squeaky cheese.
Brothers Russ and Corey



 After that we got in a nice visit with dad then hurried home as we were meeting Colleen at a new festival in nearby Elkhorn.
Whoopee we got in on the first annual Ribfest!! How cool! It featured a few big name barbequers and a couple local up and coming contestants. They also featured a music stage and a craft exhibition.
 We opted for the Friday show featuring a country band. While we had a good time listening to the music we had a better time spending with Colleen and her two youngest Lukas and Isaiah.

Lukas and Isaiah enjoying a funnel cake
 Wendy and I had some time to kill one day between doctor appointments and decided to bum around downtown Waukesha a bit. Waukesha is the proud birthplace of Les Paul. Les Paul was a jazz, country, and blues songwriter, along with being a luthier and inventer. He was a pioneer of the solid body electric which made the sound for rock and roll possible. He teamed with Gibson Guitars producing the Gibson Les Paul used by the likes of Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Eric Clapton.( and maybe Dan Goan? fellow rver.)
 It was fun running around getting pics of the guitar statues at different locations though we only had my phone camera and I'm sure people were thinking what is this old couple doing looking for Pokémon.)

Waukesha was also noted for spring water and White Rock Bottling Co.





Monday, July 11, 2016

Family Fun!!

Hi all,
Hope you all are enjoying a fun and safe summer. Our weather in Wisconsin has been pretty decent, getting around 80 during the days but dropping to comfortable sleeping temps at night.
 We really are having a good time and enjoying some nice family time together.  We started the month with a nephews wedding on July 2nd. Wendy's brother Randy son Dillon tied the knot with Kristen. We volunteered to help with a rehearsal dinner cookout and gave us a chance to visit with them.
working hard.)
 The wedding was held outdoors and luckily mother nature provided us with good weather.
Lyn, Randy, Patsy, Wendy, Sonny, and Ray

 No time to rest we rolled into the 4th of July weekend. We enjoyed a parade with my brother Rusty at his sons (Lee) house. Sister Dar and Dennis also were there. Lee and Lisa were super hosts putting on a great picnic meal after the parade. They have the most smiley kid you ever saw, 15 month old Reece always flashing a big smile.
Wendy, Ray, Dar, Dennis, Mary, and Russ

Lee, Reece, and Lisa
 On the fourth we took a evening cruise on our sons (Nate) pontoon boat. Rusty, Mary, Dar, and Dennis joined us, although just a bit cool a good time was had by all.
 This month is definitely going to fly like no other, as next up our daughter Amanda and her hubby Pat were flying up from Florida to spend a week. She flew into Lacrosse, WI where son Alex is attending college. She got in a nice visit with Wendy's folks. Then got her sister Colleen to set up her rv so she could stay here for the end of the week.
 She had us on the move, pontoon boat ride #2 with some of Pats family to a fish fry by the lake, capping the cruise at sunset bay.

Captain Nate, Alex and gf Emily

 Saturday we gathered a big ol bunch and headed to a Milwaukee Brewer game. Our group was most our family and some of Pat's. It was so nice getting all our kids together,  with us on the road and one living in Florida these meetings are getting rare.
Love this Bunch

Best kids ever- Amanda, Nate, and Colleen

Emily and Alex

Lukas rockin the shades
 But our main reason for all this happening was grandson Noah's graduation. Sunday was a picnic to celebrate the milestone. Noah plans to attend a tech college for auto repair.
 Cool we now got a chance to have most all the grandkids together for an updated pic.
Grandsons Noah, Isaiah, Alex, Lukas, and Manuel

Amanda, Pat and Alex with grandpa
  Also super nice we were able to bring my dad for the gathering. He lives in a nursing home getting good care and close enough to allow family to visit often. Special props to Russ, Mary, Dar, and Dennis as they go above and beyond making sure dad is well cared for.