2013 Johansen Family Reunion in Rice Lake

When it was decided that Dad and Ev would come up to Wisconsin for a couple of weeks this fall so we could celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary with them, I knew I wanted to make a Kransekake for the dessert.  Once we hatched the plan to have both a Johansen Family gathering and an open house in the Luck community, I planned to make two of the Danish cakes.

After mixing up the dough of butter, almond paste, sugar, egg yolks and flour, it was time to fill the pans.

My 'technique' is probably not how the pros do it, but it works.

Each ring in the pan is filled with the soft cookie dough.

The baked dough puffs up a little.

Once cooled, I turn the rings out onto a paper plate and then freeze them for party day.

Saturday was an open house at my house in Rice Lake.

We were 35 counting all the little kids and adults.  

It was a nice day, and the kids made good use of my big yard.

Here are a few photos from the day.

Angie handing little Ivan to Great Grandpa Valdemar

Bryce and Milli fit just right at the little table and chairs

Charli photo bombed the littler kids

Milli asked if I had sidewalk chalk and once I got that out, the kids had a ball.

Bryce got into it.  Can you sit like that?

Great Grandpa Valdemar with Jens Henry Valdemar

Big smiles

Valdemar looking over an album of wedding photos with niece in law Heather.

Little Ivan trying to add to the driveway art.

Emily brought her volleyball along, and Jack and Gage had a football.
Owen and Stella were hanging out with the big kids.

Linsey brought her friend Josh to meet the family.
We liked!

Kathy and Heather

Kyle and Jens and a little school bus I had intended to send to Laila, but Jens got it instead.

Megan is a volleyball player too.  Milena was watching from the little picnic table.

Milli was very serious about her artwork, as she is about many things.

She did not want me to look at it until she was completely finished.

For a while there was quite a group of artists busy as their creations.

I hope their Moms did not mind that these kids were covered with chalk when they went home.

I love these pictures of the kids.

Such a simple thing and so entertaining for the kids.

Owen and Bryce were messing around pulling out the dead canes from the tiger lily patch.

I made a deal with Owen that if he pulled them all, I would pay him $2 and if he did a good job I would give him a bonus.
He got it all done.  $3 out of my pocket and no sore back, excellent!

Wynni seems to enjoy whatever she does.

More Wynni work

Charli is starting to have a hambone, :-)

Emily and Ivan joined in the art work.

Charli listening to her Grandpa

The buffet was open.
Bar B Ques, veggies, chicken salad, beans...summer food.
Glenn, Ryan, Elliana & Milena, Dorothy Rydberg, Mike, Ev and Kaija

Jens and Kyle

Jens opened every drawer and door in my kitchen,
I'm not sure what he was looking for.

I caught Jens in the act in the following sequence of photos.

He saw something that caught his eye.

He got closer so he could see it better.

He went in for the grab.

And came out with a tomato.
I took the stem off for him and bit it in half, but he decided to not eat it.

Sitting on the cooler just like the big kids.

Kathy and Gus

Here is the iced Kransekake

Add some Danish flags and it is ready.

Milli was very proud of her work.
She told me that it was a heart in a circle and surrounded by hearts.
She told me that she drew this so that I would think of her.

Ryan, my Mom's first cousin Richard Rydberg, Glenn

I got my turkeys out that I made last year, fake pumpkins work pretty well.

My driveway artwork looks great, it's fun to see it each time I walk out of the house.l
I hope it lasts a long time.

After a long and fun day visiting, once our guests had headed for home, 

Dad & Ev and I settled down for a relaxing viewing of this week's episode of Lawrence Welk.