WELL, I AM JUST THE HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY LADY THIS MONTH.  THANK U ALL, IT JUST MAKES MY HAIR STAND ON END!!

BRANNON'S BD PARTY..BRANNON AT TOP, MID: LOWELL, TREVOR, LADD A., BOTTOM, WARREN, DREW B,  AND WYATT A...JANUARY BD.

LENNY TOROLA AT MY BD PARTY, GOOFING AROUND W. AN OREO

ME OPENING PRESENTS...AMY, ON FAR RIGHT GAVE ME THE BESTEST PRESENT  I EVER HAD.  A 3 INCH BLACK ROCK, A BROKEN SEA SHELL AND THREE DIMES!  SHE WAS EAGERLY WAITING FOR ME TO OPEN HER LITTLE BAG.  THAT WAS THE SWEETEST THING, I LOVE IT TO PIECES AND AMY, TOO. (DAN AND HEIDI'S GIRL)

SOME OF THE GR/KIDS AT MY PARTY...WHICH WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE!  I DIDN'T THINK TURNING 76 WAS A BIG DEAL....MORE LIKE 80 WOULD BE.  BUT I WAS HAPPY AND FELT VERY LOVED.  THANK YOU A BUNCH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO CAME AND THOSE WHO SENT CARDS.

THE OLD GREY MARE, SHE AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE!
YIKES, I SAY, 76 REALLY SOUNDS OLD!

HERE IS A TEST FOR YOUR OWN  KIDS AND GRANDKIDS.  IT WAS MADE BY MARGIE AND GIVEN TO ALL OF US WHO WENT TO MY BIRTHDAY DINNER.  THEY DREW SLIPS WITH QUESTIONS FROM A BOX, THEN TRIED TO ANS. THE QUESTION)   IT WAS AN EDUCATION FOR SOME...TRY IT ON YOUR OWN FAMILY:

1.  WHERE DID GRAM'S (ME) MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS LIVE?(AND  PATERNAL ON ANOTHER SLIP)

2. WHY DID GRAM MARRY PAPA?

3. WHO WERE GRAM'S MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS? (& PATERNAL ON ANOTHER SLIP)

4.WHERE DID GRAM & PAPA LIVE WHEN FIRST MARRIED?

5. HOW MANY SISTERS (& BROTHERS ON ANOTHER SLIP) AND WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES?

6.WHAT WAS GRAM'S FIRST CAR?

7. WHAT'S GRAM'S MIDDLE NAME? HOW DO YOU SPELL IT?

8. WHAT NATIONALITY IS GRAM?

9.WHAT WAS GRAM'S MOM'S MAIDEN NAME?

10.  WHAT DID GRAM'S DAD DO FOR A LIVING?

11.  HOW MANY KIDS DID GRAM AND PAPA HAVE?

12.  HOW MANY COUNTRIES HAVE GRAM AND PAPA VISITED?

13.  WHO STOOD FOR GRAM AND PAPA AT THEIR WEDDING?

14. WHERE DID GRAM GO TO GRADE SCHOOL?

15. WHERE IN CALUMET DID GRAM HAVE ART GALLERIES?

16.  WHAT YEAR DID GRAM AND PAPA MOVE TO MICHIGAN?

17.  HOW OLD WAS GRAM WHEN SHE GOT MARRIED?

18.  HOW OLD WAS GRAM WHEN SHE FIRST STARTED PLAYING THE PIANO?

19.  WHERE DID GRAM AND PAPA LIVE AFTER CAMBRIA STREET?

20.  WHAT YEAR WAS GRAM AND PAPA MARRIED?

21.  WHERE DID GRAM WORK AS A TEENAGER?

22.  WHERE DID GRAM GO TO HIGHSCHOOL?

23.  WHAT YEAR WAS GRAM BORN?

24.  WHAT WERE GRAM'S PARENT'S NAMES?

THEN A FEW OF  MY  KIDS ONLY QUESTIONS:

WHY DID GRAM PUT THE PHONE IN THE MITTEN DRAWER AT CAMBRIA ST?

WHY DID GRAM HAVE SOME OLD LADIES AND MEN  SLEEP OVER ONE YEAR AT HER BIRTHDAY PARTY?

WHY DID GRAM "LOVE" THE NEIGHBOR BOYS SO MUCH?

WHY DID GRAM LOCK THE KITCHEN DOOR AT CAMBRIA ST?

WHAT KIND OF ODD SANDWICH DID GRAM USED TO EAT?

WHY DID GRAM LOCK THE CAMP DOOR WHEN SHE WAS INSIDE?

SCOTT AND KATHY HALONEN'S BABY...

MY GR/GRAND KIDS...BENJAMIN AND KESHEENA ANDERSON'S CAME TO VISIT

MY SON DAVE'S YARD....BEAUTEOUS!

SWEDETOWN AGAIN

PIETILA MEN, MARRIED TO LOCAL GIRLS, ANN MARIE AND AMY

HEY...WE ALMOST HAD FISTICUFFS, EVA AND LINDA THOUGHT  THE OTHER STOLE HER PURSE!!  GOOD TASTE, WHAT?  EVA, LINDA, KATHY AND MARY

LOREN AND ANDREA (HELMINEN) HAVERINEN, MENAHGA, MN

SCOTT AND KATHY HALONEN, COKATOTOWN, MN
TANYA BERG IN THE BACK

THIS IS MY PARKING LOT.  I JUST DUG MY CAR OUT.  THAT'S ARNE PETERSON'S CAR ON THE RIGHT.  IT'S A HO-HUM EVERYDAY CHORE TO DIG OUT THE CARS. 

SEE, ALL YOU INSIDE WIMPS, KIDS IN THE CC KNOW HOW TO HAVE FUN OUTSIDE!
CHARLIE KANGAS AND ANTTI HELMINEN

FIRST EVER TOROLA LADIES XMAS PARTY AT CARRIES
TOP: MARYKAY ANDERSON, JOANNE TAIVALKOSKI, DONELLE AHO, JUDY HAATAJA, LORRAINE TOROLA, LANA HEINONEN, ME
2ND ROW: KRISTEN TERVO, TRUDY HAATAJA, LAURA HILL, MARGARET HELMINEN, LYNN TOROLA, CARRIE HYRKAS

THE FIRST PIC. WAS "OVER 40", THIS ONE IS UNDER 40...
SHANNA, ISIS, HEIDI, GRETA, KATHLEEN, JOYCE, JULIA, ?, ?ANDERSON
2ND: TESSA, TERVO, TERVO, NINA, ROWENA, TAIVALKOSKI, DARLENE
FRONT: JESSICA, ANDREA, MISSY, EVELYN...ANYBODY HELP W. NAMES?

UNCLE LADD ANDERSON W. NEPHEW TAAVI HYRKAS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TYLER LUBINSKI, MISSY AND MIKE'S...MY GR/GRANDSON

CATCHING UP ON LAST SUMMER:  MARIA, SHARON, LYNN, VERNA

BROTHER PAUL KANGAS, WIFE LINDA, ME, SISINLAW JULIE, BRO. JERRY

CHRISTI (HYRKAS) AND HUSBAND RON WARNER

MALLORY TOROLA AND BF JORDAN ANDERSON

OUR MUSIC SKIT AT OUR XMAS PARTY....THEY NAMED IT "CADE AND OTHERS"
FROM L., PAM W. FLUTE, ME (CONDUCTOR), JOYCE ON KEYBOARD, CADE ON DRUMS, ROSIE, MOUTHORGAN, ISIS W. JINGLEBELLS, JANIE W. CLARINET, DARLENE W. GUITAR, NINA W. BELLS....THEY PLAYED JINGLE BELLS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT VERSIONS WITH THE KEYBOARD SOUNDS. (TAP TO ENLARGE)

CORINNA HAVERINEN, DAUGHTER OF ANDREA AND LOREN  FROM MENAHGA
MY GR/GRANDDAUGHTER...A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE!

boys at church...stan, charlie, etc????

DON D'S BIRTHDAY PARTY....A WHILE BACK
(CATCHING UP ON A BUNCH OF PICS, SO I AM WAY BEHIND)

SAD CHRISTMAS TREE....JUDY R.S TREE WAS DROPPING NEEDLES SO BADLY, SHE UNDRESSED IT OF ORNAMENTS AND STARTED BREAKING BRANCHES OFF....IT WAS SO DRY, THEY JUST SNAPPED OFF.  IT WAS SO FUNNY...THEN SHE HAD TO GET TWO INCHES OF NEEDLES OFF OF HER RUG!  CHARLIE BROWN, THIS BEATS YOUR TREE!

ABBY AND JOHANNA NIEMI...MET THEM IN THE STORE DOWNSTATE...LISA AND JOE'S KIDS,
KARLI AND AMANDA.

JAMES AND EVA STORM  (SEPT)

LISA AND GLEN NIEMI

NICE CHAT WITH AN OLD FRIEND  IN CHURCH DOWNSTATE....WE USED TO CALL HIM "LEGO"...I SAID, "LEGO, YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE WALLY ANYMORE!"  HE ANSWERED, "WELL, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN I HAVE TEN CHILDREN AND LOST A LIL BIT HAIR!"

TESS KASTAMO

MY SPECIAL FRIENDS FROM DOWNSTATE
THE NIEMI'S...ILONA AND STEVE'S KIDS
JANEL, JARED, ETHAN, KRISTEN AND BETHANY

in 1999, these kids just happened to be all sitting on a couch at our christmas party...all by themselves.  I grabbed my camera...so every year, we take a picture at our party, all in the same order.  we have watched these kids grow into young women (and man).
From left, Pam, Rosie Torola, Darlene Helminen, Janie Torola, Joyce helminen, Cade Torola, and Nina Torola...so these are only three of the many photos we took.

2007

1999