Written by Jill on Jan. 9, 2017

Happy Birthday Ardella!!! Happy Anniversary to Curt and Bonnie too. Thanks for everyone's birthday wishes. I do check the family website, but don't post like I should. I spent a lot of time with Marley over the Christmas break. I was off so she came and stayed 4 days with me. She is getting so big and we have so much fun together. We are great game players. Yahtzee is one of our favorites. Thanks for all the wonderful old pictures!!!! I especially love the one with Barb and I on those horses. I loved those as a kid. Good ole oak park. Hoping everyone has a special New Year!!!! Lots of love,

Written by Cindy on Jan. 3, 2017

Hi all, Sitting in my kitchen, looking out the window, watching the snow coming down-ick! I'm so happy to be in the nice warmth of my house, won't go out unless I have to! We are suppose to get several inches and major cold(below 0), I know for some of you that's normal for this time of year, however, I'm thinking more and more of going south for the winter-lol. Enjoyed all the pictures you sent, Barb and Pete, couldn't tell who was using the snow blower at Robert and Ardella's but thank goodness for this wonderful invention. We don't use ours too often but with Ron's bad back and my disdain for the cold its great to have. Jill bought herself one earlier this winter and she is so happy she did. We're all getting old and just can't do all those physical things like shoveling anymore. I hate to hear Uncle Curt is out chasing cows in this frigid weather. Happy Birthday by the way!
Loved seeing the old pictures, why did we feel the need to wear dresses? We should have been in long underwear and comfy pj's-ha! The parents and even Grandma Lue look so young-we were so lucky to have each other and all the traditions of being together. Thank goodness someone took pictures to preserve those precious moments. We love when you post them!
Happy 2017! love you all!

Written by Desiree on Jan. 3, 2017

Happy Birthday Uncle Curt! I hope you're inside enjoying crab and relaxing cause you deserve it! Belated birthday wishes to my wonderful sister too and Happy New Year everyone. We had a quite New Year's Eve but did make it to midnight. Chance was up at Vail partying with the rich folks and snowboarding - oh to be 22 again lol! Hopefully ND gets a break from the snow and deep freeze soon. Val's pic looked like a scene from an alien world. Also thanks to Barb (and Pete too) for posting the old pictures. So much fun to see those - it seems so long ago, in a place far far away ha! Love to all and stay warm.

Written by Val on Jan. 3, 2017

Happy Birthday today to my dad! In keeping with pretty much an annual tradition, it is a bitter cold evening! We also had another 10 inches or more of snow yesterday! So after fighting the cold, snow & cows today, hope you can spend the evening in the warm house enjoying your crab legs! Happy Birthday Dad!

Written by Barb & Pete on Jan. 1, 2017

Written by Val on Dec. 31, 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! Hope 2017 is a good year for everyone! Especially hope for good health for all, as that is such a blessing! Wishing Jill a wonderful NEW YEAR's birthday! Hope you are out celebrating! The Heislers will be celebrating New Year's Eve at home. I'm like Cindy, feel old and just happy to be at home. I have ribs and baked potatoes cooking in the oven & we will enjoy those later this evening. I plan to have a glass of wine with my dinner to celebrate the New Year! Very nice that we have a long weekend with Monday off too! Unfortunately, we are under a winter weather advisory once again! Supposed to have 4-9 inches of snow between today and Tuesday and of course WIND! We are set to fly to Las Vegas on Thursday for a short visit with Erica, so hope we don't have any major delays.

Thanks Barb for posting the great vintage photos (under old pics to the left) and the snapshots of Christmas 2016! Love, love, love the old photos ! So fun! Can't wait to see them all! Thanks for doing this!

New Year's blessing to all!

Written by Bonnie F. on Dec. 30, 2016

Happy New Year to all the HHF'S! Always enter this new year with the hope that it will be a good and prosperous and healthy New Year for all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jill on January 1, hope my card made it and hope you have a great day. Plan to stay home and take it easy tonight, I am excited to make potato dumplings with ham. Grandma Lue's recipe. Curt says it is not authentic dumplings as they are not hard as rocks and don't have a tiny piece of ham in the middle(per Hostfest dumplings), but I like them anyway.
Last night Val and I attended Rita Holte's wedding reception in Minot at the Sleep Inn. She married Tim Axtman in a private ceremony earlier at t he inn. I must say, it was a beautiful party , lots of good food and snacks and fun to see relatives and to celebrate with Rita, she is a special lady and I am happy she found her soulmate.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all, Love, Bonnie F

Written by Cindy on Dec. 28, 2016

Hi everyone, Just had to say thank you to everyone for the Christmas cards, letters, and pictures-you're all so busy but still able to get out your cards and letters-maybe if I start in July I could get them done-LOL! Here I am, no job and still unable to get cards done, I should be ashamed but guess I'm not since I haven't sent any out in years, maybe its because my "news" is pretty boring!?
Loved all the interesting news, was really excited to hear about Kathleen, what a wonderful and daring move to make in your life and totally change what you're doing-WOW-really would have loved to have done something that exciting while young and single, all I can say is "you go girl" And loved your card Shelley, got a better look at your "model shot"- very nice. Been seeing the news showing all the snow in ND-yikes, glad I'm not there!
Had a nice Christmas Day at Ron's brothers home, Jenny and Matt got to join us there on the 25th so Grandpa Jack and Grandma Marge got to meet the new boyfriend, I think they're giving him the thumbs up. He's such a nice guy and very comfortable with everyone, he and Jenny seem like "opposites" but as Greg says "you and Dad are opposites and you get along", guess that's true. She got beautiful new dishes for Christmas gift, no "ring" so guess I won't get to help plan a wedding any time soon-ha! Don't think that's on Jenny's agenda so guess I might have to put that dream to rest.
Was fun to have Greg around for a few days, always lots of eating out, think he gets kind of tired of us but too bad, we're the only parents he has.
No big plans for New Years Eve, not that its anything new but hate that I'm so old that I'm fine with staying home! The rest of you better get out there while you're young enough to enjoy it! Those older than me get a pass-lol.
Happy New Year everyone. Love you all!

Written by Val on Dec. 26, 2016

Written by Desiree on Dec. 25, 2016

Belated birthday wishes to the best brother-in-law in world. Happy 61st Ronnie! Merry Christmas from the Conner's too. We've had a very nice day. I made a Christmas Quiche this morning, then we opened presents and then we went and saw the Star Wars movie at our new "luxury" theatre with the reclining seats and cocktails. Dave's sister and her husband met us at the movies. Very cool!

It snowed this morning and has been very windy all day. This evening we're watching the Bronco/Kansas City game and it's not looking too good for our guys but it's only the second period so fingers crossed.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We miss and love you all!

Written by Sue on Dec. 23, 2016

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a great time celebrating wherever you are!
Happy Birthday to Ron. I hope you have a wonderful year!
I know some of you are about to have a blizzard so hope you stay warm and safe. We are having 80 degree temps, which are a bit unseasonal even for here. So much for using my fireplace! Steve and I are thinking about going to Galveston Island on Christmas Day tomorrow! If you can't beat the heat we may as well embrace it I guess. I'll make a small Christmas dinner for us when we get back, if we go. Kathleen left on the 19th and returns from London on the 29th. We'll celebrate Christmas then and open gifts, etc. Steve is trying to,persuade me to open at least one gift tonight but I'm holding strong so far! Kathleen's boyfriend is British and invited her to join him in England for Christmas with his family and a little sight seeing thrown in. Since he grew up there and she's been there before, they are trying to do things neither of them have done. I know they had tickets to "Wicked", but I'll hear when she gets back what all they did.
Kind of a strange Christmas, but they've all been different for us these past few years so why not?!
Watching the Vikings play right now as I'm working in the kitchen. I think Steve and I will make a couple h'ordourves for munching on tonight and some Christmas cookies. Didn't make lefse or krumkaka this year. Just made a bunch of homemade candy.
My love and Christmas wishes to you all!

Written by Bonnie F on Dec. 23, 2016

Merry Christmas everyone of you HHF'S
Hope everyone has a safe and warm and happy Christmas! Love, Bonnie F

Written by Val on Dec. 22, 2016

Early birthday wishes to Ron Thompson! I thought I better write this today, as tomorrow I most likely will forget! Hope you have a great birthday Ron! Your parents must have been thrilled to receive a new baby boy on Christmas Eve!

Written by Cindy on Dec. 22, 2016

Very sexy, Shelley! I'd just look like an old hag, so don't even try lol. Enjoyed seeing what you're up to.
Nice to see your Christmas wish, Val. You put the rest of us to shame, I'm always so impressed by your diligence to remember every birthday, anniversary, etc. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives.
Greg came to Greeley last evening for a few days during Christmas, fun to have him around, wish Jenny had more time at home. We went to see the new Star Wars movie today-really liked it, but part of it is having Greg to explain it to me ha!
Have a "holly, jolly Christmas" and stay warm.

Written by Val Heisler on Dec. 21, 2016