MOM LILLIAN'S 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

Where do I begin to tell about our full weekend in N.D.? Carrie I joined the family at the home farm (where Wendell & Judy live, along with their son Aaron, Angie, Hailey, Lexi & Jacob on Friday evening. My sister, Ramona, from Frisco (Dallas area), Tx., and older brother Duane & Linda from Yukon (Ok. City area), Ok., were already there. (All four of us don't get together more often than every few years, so it's a big event when it happens.) Ramona was staying with Mom in her cozy apartment in Hillsboro, but the rest of us had very adequate accommodations in the old Berg house with Wendell & Judy as gracious host hostess.

Late Saturday morning we all were together again for a sumptuous brunch. Judy & her fun daughter-in-law, Angie, had the table beautifully decorated. Carrie and Annette provided the ample fare. The pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins and melon-berry fruit trays were some of the favorites servied.

Celebrating continued all day. A highlight for all of us Berg kids was the opportunity to visit with favorite N.D. auntie, Jeanette, who now lives in Luther Memorial Home in Mayville. Her daughters, Juliet & Sonia, brought her out to the farm. She stayed in the car, but each of us had a change to greet her, love on her and visit with her a little. We may not have understood everything she was saying, but she clearly understood where she was, and we were so thrilled and thankful that she seemed to recognize us and could visit with us a bit! Jeanette is 98 and is aware of that! She even enjoyed her "afternoon coffee" with goodies before her daughters took her back home. As a rare treat, we 6 cousins who had grown up together had our picture taken. I don't know when that has happened in decades, or ever for that matter!

In the evening it was time for sweet corn & grilled burgers (thanks to our talented generation of grandchildren--Aaron Berg & Lance Morrison!), with fresh peaches for dessert. Lance's family joined us in the mid-afternoon, so the farm was bustling with kiddie activity, besides the visiting in various areas of the yard and in the two homes.

Carrie was in charge of making a birthday banner for Lillian, and she did a great job over in Aaron & Angie's mobile home. The great-grandkids helped color in come of the letters and did themselves proud decorating the banner LIBERALLY with stickers! (Can't you just see it?)

Lance's family stayed overnight with the Aaron's Berg's. Don't know how much sleep the adults got, but they all had a fun time together!

Sunday morning it was time for the church service on the farm. Wendell had lined up the order and was in charge. Special music was a hymn by the 4 Berg children (something we do every 10 or 15 years or so), brass duets by Linda on trumpet and Wendell on baritone, and a song by the great-grands with Wendell. Brother Duane (the most right reverend [as he teasingly likes to be addressed]) spoke to us from I Cor. 13, the love chapter, and challenged us to chage our thinking concerning everyone we meet. We could all examine ourselves to see where we need to line up our thoughts, words & deeds with God's ways.

Four of Mom's special friends were invited to join us for the church service: her long-time former neighbor and dear friend, Ida Mae Overmoe; her adopted neighbor-sister, Marlene Fugleberg; and her adopted grandchildren, Rob & Rae Bell. Marlene also brought her sister-in-love, Nannette Bagstad. What a delight! We all went to country school with Nannette and love her!

Following a delicious dinner of beef & chicken kabobs (grilled by Lance & Aaron again), there was more visiting. By mid-afternoon Justin left; then Duane & Linda.
By evening there were only six of us in the farmhouse to enjoy an intimate conversation about the goodness of the Lord to our family through challenging times in past years. It was a warm time of fellowship for Ramona, Mom Lillian, Wendell & Judy, & Annette & Carrie. God has been very good to us!

By Monday morning we were all headed home, thanking and praising God for a wonderful family celebration! We had remembered the heritage of our loving, praying Grandpa, Rev. Alfred Andersen, and could see the thread of answered prayers through the generations of the Berg family.

There were 7 children who could NOT attend the party. They were missed, and I couldn't help but think what a LIVELY farmstead it would have been if they had all been there with the many grandkiddies! They are Duane & Linda's kids: Lowell, with wife Tammie, sons Karsten & Clayton; Colin & his son Preston, & Karen with husband Michael & sons Nolan & Conner. Justin & Annette's son Dirk, wife Nancy, with Thor, Anika & Liv could not come either. Also Ramona's sons, Mark & wife Lisa, with stepson, Austin; and son Erik & Diana & Brett & Ashleigh. And finally Wendell & Judy's youngest son, Brian with his wife Susie & adopted daughter, Melina. We missed you all, we thank God for you, and trust you will enjoy this "epistle" of our time together! WE LOVE YOU!!

THANK YOU, WENDELL & JUDY, FOR HOSTING MOM'S BIG CELEBRATION!!