"The Land of 10,000 Lakes" is also the land of my parents' families. The main reason for our mid-July departure from Spokane was the family reunion in Spicer, Minnesota on July 17th.

The three of us, Mom, Dad and I, drove from Mom's hometown, Pipestone, Minnesota, north to Dad's hometown, Redwood Falls, Minnesota, on Friday. My Dad's brother and sister and their families all booked rooms at the same casino we'd be staying at, Jackpot Junction. 

All five families arrived Friday night. My Aunt Noreen & Cousin Lori, Cousin Nicole and her kids, joined us for supper at Dari King. Later, my Uncle "Buzz" and Aunt Norma, Cousins Brynn and Mark and their kids, arrived from Illinois. It was great to see everyone there, but the main event was the next day. 

Saturday, we all drove up to Spicer. The owner of Mel's Sports Shop, Greg Melges, hosted the event at his house on Green Lake. I had the opportunity to meet many people I'm related to on my father's side of the family, including a few I had met on Facebook before the event. Weather that day was wild. There were severe thunderstorms, tornadoes (not affecting us, but close by) as well as beautiful sunshine.

After the event, our group of families went back to Redwood Falls for the night. My cousin and I explored the casino floor and spent some time together after we got back before we called it a night.