Our Trip East and Back: Day 6- August 5, 2011: Beaver Creek to Tomah WI

Bobbie and her friend E. got up early so they could get some pictures before we left.

Soon most of we children were out there.  In two hours we took over 200 pictures!!!!

6 of we big girls.

Great place to get pictures!!

Toes!!!

The explorer.

'The Safari'!!!

Then it was time for breakfast.  I believe we had cold cereal. After breakfast we finished packing the van and trailer.

We wanted to get some pictures of both our families together (it was a lot of people!!!).  While we waited for everyone to gather, we took some more pictures of just us kids.

After taking the family pictures we went and used the restrooms, said goodbye and loaded up.

We got on the road at 12:03 pm!!!  A little later than we had wanted to, I think!!!!

Had to stop in Luverne for gas.  Then we were on our way to our Amish friends in WI!!!!  We were going stop by and see then then go to a camp ground for the night.

I believe most the children fell asleep.  I didn't as I had some hand work I needed to get ddone.

At  3:00 pm we stopped at Albert Lea For food and restrooms.we went to McDonald's again!!!

By 5:00 pm we were starting to see familiar territory.  For most of our childhood we six older ones grew up in WI.  Our dad is buried there.

At 5:21 we crossed the Mississippi River and the Wisconsin border!!!!  Three cheers!!!!

Mississippi River!!!!

Now we were counting the miles to Tomah!!!!

5:32 pm- 28 miles!!

5:36 pm- 25 miles!!

5:48 pm- 13 miles!!

5:59 pm - Exit 1 mile!!!

6:00 pm- TOMAH!!!!!!!

6:06 pm we saw the first buggy!!!  It was the first time ever for the little ones.  We older children saw them every day for a year when we lived in the area seven years ago.  And we saw them when we were littler when we lived in the area!!!

We had to stop and Aldi's in Tomah for food.  We left there at 6:35 pm.  We were headed to our Amish friends where we had lived for nine months, seven years ago!!! (We hadn't been back in those seven years.)  We had kept up letter writing with them, but we didn't tell them we were coming>  I think we sent them letters a month before we left!!!!

6:52 pm  We arrived at our friends!!!  It was good to see the look on their faces when they recognized us!!

We piled out and they guessed who was who!!!!  Few of us had changed much.  Just gotten taller.  There were four more children then when we left!!  I think they only got Bobbie and Butterfly mixed up!!!!

They had just started milking their 63 milk goats ( they milk them all by hand).  Since all of we big girls knew how to milk (we learned from them! and we milk our own goats by hand), we helped them. It got done faster!!!!

After milking the Mom went up to the house to start supper.  The two boys (oh it was just the Mom and two youngest boys in their mid 20's, as the father had died a couple of years ago) had to go and finish shocking oats.  And they had a load of manure to spread.

Everyone except the Mom's, Billie, Butterfly and the little girls went over and helped shock oats.

It was dark when we got home.  Me and the two little boys rode home on the manure spreader with one of the boys.  It was fun!!!

Wee had supper when we got home.  Then it was time to get our stuff from the trailer and go to bed.

I believe this was the only night we got into bed before 11 pm!!!  But only by 15 minutes!!  I think!!!!

Peacock Girl.