Christmas morning w. the Helminen gang, then we had bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, toast, coffee....

.

Brannon feeding the chickadees out of my window...what a thrill!

Overnight guests: Lowell, Warren & Brannon Torola

Andrea & Loren, Dave & Ann, Walt & Lynn, Margie and Brian

Christmas Eve at my apt.

Me (looking just like my mother), grandkids, couple great/grkids, girlfriends and boyfriend at our annual christmas party at the Mohawk Gym

Wayne Hyrkas, Brian Torola, Mike Lubinski

Lizzie and Brian

Dave explaining the electricity game

Getting ready for the electricity game

Getting ready for the electricity game

Two teams doing the caterpillar game

Mr. Grinch (Roger Helminen)

Brian & Margie's crew doing Mr. Grinch song.

First old man on the golf course, "Boy, it sure is windy!"

Second old man, "No, it's Thursday, not Monday."

Third old man, "I'm thirsty, too, but I forgot my coffee."

My sweethearts keeping me company. They slept the night.

Wall to wall grandgirls sleeping in my living room last night

Kindergarten Xmas School Program, Calumet

Miranda hendrickson, Danny Loukus & ?

Top, Allison Johnson

Bottom: Dane Anderson, Kiira Berg, Noah Haataja

Top: Addie Anderson

Top: Bruce Helminen, Lydea Heinonen, Anders Johnson

Bottom: Kalee Halonen, Tate Johnson

Bunch of pics. from our gingerbread making tradition

Joyce (Margie's) and Janie (Dave's)

Peter Torola #3 checking out Wally's camera (Dave's boy)

Stanley (Margie's) and Sven (Wally's)

Steve making his house...

Steve, Brian torola (Dave's), Roger Helminen (Margie's)

some more pics from gingerbread house making, a tradition in my house since at least 1985..

Marisa (Carl's) constructing a tall one

Bruce (Margie's) with his masterpiece

Warren (Carl's), Stanley, (Margie's)

some pics from our 32 kids making our annual gingerbread houses at my house in the dining rm

Stanley (Margie's) and Sven (Walt's)

sorry, ya gotta lay down to see this!

Paul Torola (Dave's) and Rowena Torola (Walt's)

Ann and Maddie Torola (Dave's), done with her house

Pam Torola (Carl's) & Oriana Torola (Walt's) building houses

oh, pooey, said Ina...my gingerbread house fell apart!

Bill & Megan Pelli, godmother Diane Pelli (Middle)

Double baptism, gr/kids of Jean & Bob Pelli of Zion

i'll post pics from little kids hockey at the "Bi" off and on

Dave, Lizzie, Sarah (Kangas) and Carl Torola

Helminen, Torola

Gettin' ready to play again

Bunch of boys taking a break from hockey

urho and ben, gabbing while the lil kids play hockey

our sweet carolers at my apt. tonight (friday)

I hope I get the names right: front from left: Johnson, Kangas, Oja, Keranen

back: Helminen, Newman, Kangas , Loukus, and Erkkila

besides me, laila liimatta, judy roepke, marianne and arne peterson enjoyed their singing. after they left, we had coffee, and arne told a few hilarious jokes that pete told him a while back so we had a very fun evening.

my first cousin (my dad, his mom sibs) Doug Raudio of Marquette...in Calumet Church last Sunday

hang on, the model-A trip on pete's memories will probably be on wed.

Eskola Trio

Birthday bash for Carol Eskola, Mon, 12-13-10

Front row, Ethel Eskola, Carol, Barb Heinonen, Ellen Torola

Top row, Kathy Johnson, Marie Cooper, Judy Roepke, Julie Kangas,

Carol Jurmu, Anna Anttila, Phyllis Limanen, Corinne Leppen

story of pete and his model A

Here's Pete and his passengers, drove from Zion to Laurium when they were in tenth grade. Pete bought this car for $75 and a couple years later sold it for $75. The story of the Zion to Laurium trip is on Pete's memories. Note Pete's hat.

Those of us who helped pack the boxes to be shipped....

Joanne Heltunen, chief of this military operation....telling us how to pack, do dis, do dat, and so on. Did a good job, too, and we thank her very much. There are 20 men and women from our church who will recieve care packages for Christmas.

Leanne & Lois Sedar, Carol & Paul Peterson

Diane and Dan Anderson and the guy behind the hood.

The "contributors of conifer" this year at the North Pole tree farm at son Carl and Beth Torola's...kids Lowell, Warren and Brenan

some deer hunting pics....e-mail me some more!

Bunch of tired hunters sitting around visiting at Hyrkas hunting camp...

photo by wally

At Hyrkas camp, deer hunting time...Glen & Wayne Hyrkas, I see, but you can figure out the rest.....photo by Wally

Eskola camp during deer hunting time...photo by Wally