Once again, I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted.  A lot has happened!  In June Mildred passed away.  It seems like it went very fast!  She was the glue that held the Kruse family together.  We were all together for 5 days to grieve and remember.  It was only about 2 weeks before Kruse-a-palooza so I wasn't sure if everyone would come back for it or not.  Thankfully they all came back.  Kruse-a-palooza is such an important event for me.  In my job I have seen so many families go their separate ways and loose touch with each other.  I have also seen families torn apart.  I sure don't want that to happen.  In the end, family is all you have. 

Anyway, Kruse-a-palooza happened in July.  Nearly everyone was here.  It gets very hard to pull off Kruse-a-palooza as the years go on.  First of all we have a lot of special diets now.  We have a diabetic, a vegitarian, gluten free, peanut allergies, and those that don't eat pork.  That does limit the meals being made.  And there are so many different interests as far what do, so entertaining is getting more difficult as well.  I try to plan a few things, but sometimes it doesn't work.  In the end we all just want to be together and visit anyway.  Love it!

August was a blurr.  So much going on at work.  I went in early and stayed late most of the time.  I was pretty much in survival mode most of the time.  some of the most stressful times since the weeks following our merger. 

Also our daughter whos is 6 months pregnant is have problems.  Her blood pressure is out of control again.  This happened with her first pregnancy as well.  She is on total bed rest.  That is hard when you have 2 little ones at home.  I take the kids when I can and I made up a bunch of meals and froze them.  Then she can just pop something in the oven for a meal.  Along with that the garden produce is all needing to be tended to.  We were able to can our stuff together until the doctor put her on bed rest.  Since then I have canned ours as well as hers.  I think we have canned over 150 pints of salsa, tomato sauce and chili starter.  there will be more as well because the tomatoes are not all done yet.  it will be so tasty this winter!!!!!

And now I have a week of vacation!  Yay!!!!  I had a week earlier, but it was during Kruse-a-palooza.  That time is always spent either cleaning to get ready for Kruse-a-palooza, in the middle of Kruse-a-palooza, or cleaning up when it is done.  This vacation I hope will be for me.  Today I just putzed around.  Took the kids for awhile and did a few odd things around the house.  Tomorrow I am going to start cleaning out the attic spaces.  They have not been cleaned for 20 years.  Who know what I will find in there!!!!!!  Be afraid - be very afraid!!!!!!!