Sam and Melissa's Family Blog

Happy Birthday Katrina!

On June 28th we celebrated Katrina turning 6! She is becoming quite the young lady and poses here with Amelia and Becca.

Here we celebrated her family birthday party! It was so much fun to see what each sibling came up with for gifts for her.

This was her friend party, and this year she had a playtime with the Hicks family!

It is a wonderful thing to take the time to cherish each child on their special day and let them know how much we love them

. I just LOVE birthdays!

Fishing in SW Minnesota!

Nate, Antonio and Sam took the boys out fishing, and look what they caught!

I have always been amazed at the good luck Sam has at fishing. It must be some inner instict he has, or maybe just the fact that he is not afraid to work hard at it.

Noe, Sammy and Reuben try their hand at holding it up! Guess it was a little too heavy!

The water sports are the big attraction at Sahlstrom Camp! Whoever wanted to try tubing, waterskiing, knee boarding, and whatever else they come up with will had the chance to give it a try! You may have to wait your turn, but it proves to be entertaining indeed!

Even Grandma Carol and Grandpa Paul get in on the action! What an amazing duo these two are! They can keep up with all the kids and grandkids like it takes no effort! We all appreciate the wonderful example they are to the rest of us. They love God and each other and they make life richer for everyone who crosses their path. They have an amazing gift of hospitality that they have passed on to each of their children. This is SUCH an important ministry to help encourage others and share God's love with them!

The Three Brothers attempt to get up all at the same time to show the younger generation "how it's done"! I am happy to report that they were successful, and everyone onshore was cheering them on! We decided it should be a yearly tradition. Nothing like a little pressure to stay in shape, huh? I think they have all reached the 40 mark, now!

Simeon just loved the water, and with his little floating swimsuit, it was so nice to know he would be able to get back up again if he wiped out!

Sahlstrom Camp!

Every Father's Day Weekend, Sam's side of the family packs up and heads for Leisure Lake in northern Wisconson for a 4 day reunion. It has proved to be a great bonding time for us all in the past, and this year was no exception! The weather was gorgeous, and we made some great memories!

The small private lake offers a perfect setting for fishing, swimming and nature hikes. We also can relax in knowing that the kids are surrounded by family.

Here are some of the girls warming up by the campfire before diving back into the water. They pretty much live outside the whole time we are there!

Rook is a favorite Sahlstrom game and the games keep everyone on their toes! I can still remember being shocked at how loud they would all get if someone would play the wrong card! As newlyweds I can recall Sam consoling me, after a heated match, that they aren't really mad, just verbal! Now of course I understand the Sahlstrom way of expressing themselves! It did take me awhile, though!

Swedish Midsummer Festival

We were able to attend a Swedish Festival on the waterfront of Lake Bemidji. The girls were invited to make a wreath with fresh leaves and flowers to wear during the performance.

Here they all are with their masterpieces.

Kathrin, Katey, Charisma, Annika, Becca,

Amelia, Katrina, Elianna and Erina!

The musicians, which included two nyckelharpa players, were very talented on their instruments and vocals.

Here the dancers are performing an intricate dance where they weave in and out of floral arches.

June trip up north!

A beautiful rainbow on the evening before we headed North for a June visit.

Here we are at a gorgeous resort owned by Steve and Jayne Rutledge. Sam and Ben did a job for him on the way up.
As you can tell, the rest of us were able to relax on the beach and enjoy the lovely scenery. Amelia and Becca pose on the dock.

Annika and Reuben took the paddleboat for a spin.

Kathrin Diconne extended her stay another month which was great fun to be able to experience Minnesota summertime. She was talking to her sister, Julie, in Germany on the cell phone. What a gorgeous setting!