Summer Bucket List!

I made a list of some fun activities I want to do as a family this summer.  It's called the Gerdes' Summer Bucket List, and so far, we don't have many things checked off the list!

One thing we did get checked off the list was riding the downtown Sioux Falls trolley! Derek had the day off on Wednesday, June 17th, so we headed downtown.  We had lunch at Fiero Pizza. We had never eaten there so it was fun to try something new!  Everyone loved it and we can't wait to go again!  The boys loved that the table was a chalkboard... a total mess!

Bronxk laying on his daddy's weight bench!

After lunch we hopped on the trolley and rode down to Falls Park and then thru downtown.  The kids loved it!  I enjoyed listening to the trolley driver point out some of the historical things downtown!  

Bronx pushing around a kid size cart at the toy store downtown!

 Later that night, we stopped at The Attic for supper.  Yes, we ate out twice in one day!  Sometimes that's just how we roll! The boys LOVE getting Shirley Temples!

Thursday, June 18.  

The weather finally cooperated so I took the boys & a few daycare kids to the McKennan Park Children's Theater to see Goldilocks and Da Bears.  It was a cute play & the kids loved it! Another bucket list thing to check off!

More baseball!

Friday, June 19.  I took the boys to Wild Water West for the first time this summer!  We met Stacy & Norah there, so the boys enjoyed having a friend to play with!  

  

Not even 5 min. in the car and he fell asleep on the way there!

Asleep in the car on the way home too!

Some really weird clouds in the sky!

 Showing off his new sunglasses!

June 20:
Boston & I served lunch at The Banquet with our church group.  It was a great experience!  We helped wipe tables up after the guests were done eating.  The guests were very appreciative and thankful for the work we were doing & loved visiting!  Seeing the kids come through the line was really tough to watch.  I held back tears a few times.

I wanted to try and get a nice picture of Bronx so I could get his birthday invitations ordered.   He did not love the idea at all, and it did take several attempts & some bribery.

June 21:  Fathers Day!  After church we had lunch at Hu Hot (Dad's pick!), then went to Laurel Oaks to swim for the afternoon!  In the evening, I took Boston & Brigham to Husets with Grandpa Ron & Grandma Lisa!  

 Grandpa Ron standing up at Husets to be honored as a father in the stands!

 The boys in the pits after the races.  They have so much fun!  Another bucket list item!

Wednesday, June 24th:  The boys lost their playoff baseball game so the season is over.  

Lots of tears after a toss loss, but they had a great season!

June 26:  Bronx's very own photography skills.  His feet :)

June 28:  Boston spent some of his birthday money on an NBA Lego Set!

There are nights, and afternoons, that I would just love to be able to put Bronx in his bed and let him drift off to sleep on his own.. but then I would miss out on this.  Trying to find a good balance between the two :)

Uncle Larry

My Uncle Larry passed away on Saturday, June 13th, in Fairbanks, Alaska.  It was my prayer for weeks that he wouldn't have to die alone, and that prayer was answered.  God's timing is always the best.

Larry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer back in the fall of 2014 and chose not to do any treatments.  He was always a pretty private person, so I don't know the exact details of his diagnosis or the treatments that were recommended, but I do know that Larry didn't want to live through those treatments just to prolong his life a few more months.  He always lived life on the edge, and that wasn't going to change in his final months of life.

On April 25th, the Brendsel crew got together in Willmar, MN to see Larry and his boys before he headed to Alaska.  He had bought a cabin there prior to his diagnosis and he really wanted to get settled in and enjoy it awhile.  It was hard for us to understand his reasons for leaving 'home' when he was sick.  I know he didn't want to be a burden to anyone, and probably didn't want his family to see him suffer.  Unfortunately, he got quite sick as soon as he got to Alaska, so I am not sure how many days he truly enjoyed.  We knew his weeks were numbered, so in late May the family back here decided that someone had to get to Alaska to be with him.  My mom and her brother Kelly ended up buying tickets to fly there for a week.  In the end, they ended up getting the tickets transferred to Larry's two sons' name.  I am sure Larry felt more at peace having his kids by his side.  I know he was mostly in and out of sleep most days, but in the hours he was awake, they had good conversation and closure.  More answers to prayer!

Larry's boys were scheduled to fly back to Sioux Falls on Saturday evening, June 13th, and that afternoon before the boys had to say goodbye to their dad to head to the airport, Larry took his last breathe with his kids by his side.

We celebrated Larry's life on Saturday, June 27th.  His ashes were buried in the Colman Lutheran Cemetary, next to family.  It was a beautiful service.  I hope Larry was watching over all of us. I am sure he would have loved seeing all of the family come together to catch up on life.  It was time to start mending the fences.

Larry's beautiful urn that was engraved in Alaska!

 So many memories in these pictures.

My Grandpa Harold hugging Nancy.  Larry's first wife.  We love her like she is still family!

Lonny, Dusty & Kim visiting with Grandma & Grandpa.  This was answer to many prayers too!

 A flag being presented to the boys for Larry's military service.

 The boys putting the urn in the ground.

 After the funeral & lunch at the church we all headed to Taya & Chris's for more family time.  

It was a fun afternoon!

Bronx & Tash's daughter Allaina!

 Bronx & Tash's oldest daughter Kinleigh.

 Bronx was all about the watermelon!