It becomes really exciting when we can meet each others families and hear there stories.
Today I am going to share with you some of the cherished memories of our weekend.
Here's a short snippet of each women and what she treasures.
And what is Her treasure?
Her Family!
Ellen...we know you love your kids.
"There's my kids!" yelled Ellen and she took off from the table.
And all heads turned. Yes, the party was on!
Ellen was running to meet Laura and Josh.
They had driven up from Seattle to support their Mom and have their books signed officially.

"Oh my, Look who's arrived!" Bev was delighted.
Bev's father, (Henry Boldt) turned 90 years old and made the long trek.
And yes, Bev was trying to explain to him who this fellow was.
Russ Eanes is the Executive Director for
Menno Media
and you could tell that her Dad was quite impressed.
I missed an important photo of Irene....
but I can still hear her voice ringing in my ears.

Then another Papa (John Henry Bartel) came along and his beloved Helen.
This is our Papa who celebrated his 101th birthday.
He is featured in the Celebrations Book and
was so thrilled and delighted to meet the 10 women.
I was honored to have him pass his book along for signatures.
Thank you ladies for acknowledging him in such a special way.

"Oh, my goodness...Look who else has arrived"
Bev, was delighted that her daughter in law,
Adele and her mother had come to celebrate.
She enjoys all her grandchildren, but especially those who live close by.
Meanwhile Bev's newly renovated kitchen is almost completed.
Can you imagine new recipes flying out of her kitchen?

We arrived at Winks.
Anneliese was in my car...and she exclaims...
"What is Kristal doing here? She doesn't even live here."
She chats to her daughter and is totally confused,
why her two daughters and granddaughter would be at Winks.
Winks had invited Kristal to play her violin during our book event.
It was meant to be a total surprise for Anneliese.
Tears of joy streamed down Anneliese's face.
She was overwhelmed with love and joy.

And then came Broni and the twins, Emme, Spencer and Ryder.
Judy looked at them with an usual expression.
"What are you doing here? I didn't expect you."
Judy thought that she only watched them in their sporting events.
Not so! They were out to watch their favorite Grammy.
And then Heidi came, with out her little ones. She needed a break.
Once again, Judy too, was touched to know that family cared enough
to celebrate with their Grammy.

Another sudden burst of energy came flying through the doors.
"Oma, can you sign my book?"
It was delightful to have Ellen sign her crepe recipe for Silas.
They loved the cupcakes...Thanks Kristal for supplying them.
What a treat. I won't tell you how many they devoured.

Thanks Sheryl for bringing your daughter Julia along.
It was fun to have my one and only sister join this event.
Julia, a budding chef, was caught by surprise when I presented her with a gift.
She loves to experiment with recipes.
How many dozen cinamon twists did you make?
She is even getting paid for her baking.

Mr. Janzen, Kathy's Dad, and his new wife, Alice.
Many of us have known him for years.
He knew my parents well and loves to talk about their friendship.
He is so happy that his daughter Kathy and I are friends.
But when he spoke to Judy, he hollered...
"Of course I know Big Bill" (Judy's dad)
You could feel Kathy's excitement for her Dad and his new bride, Alice.

Lovella our leader...was estactic also as she recognized faces in the crowd.
Heidi, Jerry, Ken, Mary and of course her adorable grand kids.
When I came in the door, I saw Terry sitting with someone..
I said, "I know you...and then I realized that it was his Mother,
who had sat for hours waiting for the Mennonite girls to sign her book.
Then came the year of the Sunday School Class...they were
bestest best friends.
Anneliese, Lovella, Flo and Kathy.
How could we ever survive without Lovella's leadership?

Some of our gals did not have family, Betty and Char,
our sisters from the Winnipeg and Steinbach areas.
Meanwhile Betty has been texting her daughers, Brenda and Alison.
She loves seeing text messages from her grandkids.
She can't even take a pause from her phone during our breakfast hour.
She's hooked.
Meanwhile Char, is our cheerleader...she greets us every morning,
with a positive quote, verse, or pleasant reminders for the day.
She loves her Em's, Amy & Richard and Jeremy.
She loves to chauffer her children and is waiting for grandkids?????
In her spare time she cooks for everyone in Winnipeg.
June 6-8 will see us visiting Manitoba...and we can't wait.
Julie...you did not let us know when your daughter Romay,
walked in the door,at Winks....
I know what she and her daughters mean to you.
They love you more than anything and you are the best for them.
Next time I will give you the loud speaker...Your gentle spirit was too quiet.
If you ask Julie about gluten free recipes...you can hear her for miles.

And here we are all together, young and old...
Mr. Boldt, with Bev...and Papa with me,
and all of the Mennonite Girls.
It was an honor to have them share there legacies with us.
Somehow we all felt special moments throughout the weekend.
We thank you family and friends!
It truly makes us humble to see you supporting us.
Always look for any opportunity to celebrate with family and friends.
Coming Next!
Let's see how Mennonite Men spend their time during a book launch.