Another Lake in Wisconsin

High Cliffs State Park, Wisconsin

Day 10 of our trip finds us in our 3rd day at this location.   Located on the northeast side of Lake Winnebago and about 30 miles from Oshkosh, this park is heavily wooded with every spot being very private.   This is a park that apparently is typical of the northern US - no water at the sites so we are trying to conserve.  We swam at the beach area of the park in the lake and it was like being in Galveston without the salt.   This lake is the largest in Wisconsin (10 miles across) and only 21 ft. deep at the deepest!

Prior to arriving we attended the reunion.   We had so much fun!   Kids swam at the beach.  We divided into 5 teams of 14 people each with assignments that were easy but certainly brought us closer.   We (Cliff and Deb on the blue team while Jennifer and Johnnie were on the green team and Christian was on the black team ) Points were determined in many ways including a Minute to Win It segment.   Cliff came in first in getting an oreo from his forehead to his mouth using face muscles only - FUNNY.  In another segment of the program that didn't have anything to do with the "game", was a talent show which included some serious violin performances and dancing along with some pretty funny comedy routines.  Christian along with Mira Hougen (about 8 years old), John Hougen (5), Kristen and Katherine Fast made Viking shields and hats and presented a little play about the Vikings.

We took a boat tour (on the mail boat) of Lake Geneva where there are many mansions and camps for varying groups along its shores.   During the Chicago fire of 1871, many people moved to this location while their homes were being rebuilt (such as the Wrigleys, founder of Nabisco Corp., Otto Young {who bought up most of State St. in Chicago after the fire when others thought it would never be rebuilt}     his house has about 18000 sq ft).   These homes are mostly owned by the 4-5th generation.

We enjoyed all of our relatives so much.  We now have people to visit in Va., Wash state, Iowa, Nebraska, Wi and thanks to Judy Falness - Minneapolis.  Saturday evening was Cliff's birthday and we celebrated with an outdoor musical located on the grounds of George Williams Conference Center called "Music in the Air". It was well done and the singing voices were outstanding.   We sneaked out of our Hougen meeting after Tom Hougen showed a comedic look at Norway through power point.

We celebrated the birthdays of 3 ninety year olds.   These are all my first cousins.   Kathrine K who is my dad's sister Laura Hanson's child, Esther Taylor (daughter of my dad's brother Olaf) and Flo Stuen (daughter in law of Dad's sister, Agnes).   They are so sharp and fun!  Esther is on a walker and Katherine just gets up and down like no tomorrow.   She sat on the steps while waiting to get into Yerkes Observatory and just popped right up when we went in.  Flo had a fabulous wardrobe!   Flo told an interesting story about Rev. Johan Olai Hougen (my grandfather) who was instrumental in raising money for a silver cross to be placed in a church in ? Norway (I will find out the name of the town) because the original one was destroyed or stolen.   Money was sent from the US and the people in Norway thought it would be better used for something else.  So in the 30's, the plan was resurrected (pardon pun) and the cross was placed in this church.   Rev. JO Hougen's name is on a plaque close by where immigrants from Norway to the US were listed.   My cousin, Tom Hougen, has pictures of this.   Cliff told us when he was in Norway,he visited this church and saw the cross and had no idea that his great grandfather was instrumental in having the cross purchased and placed in the church. (Another reason to know your roots if you can).

Picked up dogs on Sunday am so we missed church service which was beautiful I am told.   J and I were concerned about no one coming forward to organize next reunion.   However, when we returned from picking up the dogs, we were informed that 6 outstanding relatives from the next generation came forward enthusiastically including Kjell and Nicole Knutsen (Uncle Joel's grandson from Houston).  yea!  Tania Hanson (my dad's sister, Laura's great grand daughter) agreed to do the website since that is her vocation.   Another relative is an event planner so she has a data base of places to have reunions in US including church camps,etc) so I am asking my family to show up in 2014 as it would be a reunion for us too (that includes my kids and John's family as well)
Corby and William came from Chicago to pick up Jenn and Cliff and Christian so we all went to lunch and had a short visit.   We hooked up the RV and headed north to our next stop - missing everyone.

Two funny things!
At the reunion, we all ate together in a private room.   After watching how our hosts got our attention to make announcements, Christian got up on a chair on July 21st and hit his spoon on this cup and said, "Attention everyone.  Today is my daddy's 36 birthday and I want everyone to sing to him."   After a round of laughter, we all sang to Cliff who was getting coffee on the other side of the room."

Now the embarrasing one
When were returning from getting our dogs on Sunday morning, we thought Corby had arrived but didn't know where he and the rest of the family were.  So we went to our room to make sure everything was out of it and I wrote the following text message to kids.
"We r back.   We have gone to our room for a sex.   Where r u?"    We didn't get a response but did find them.    Later I looked at my text and we died laughing.   No wonder we got no response since my "sex" should have been "sec. (for second)"

We are going on a hike now and we will try to go to Oshkosh Air Show tomorrow if the weather permits.   Will post some pictures asap.