I had been trading Christmas emails with the Nilsson family in Sweden for several years after they had discovered (via another person) my genealogy website and found we were related through my father’s father’s family. Kerstin is my second cousin once removed. In the latest Christmas email, though, we were asked if we would welcome a visit from them this year, and of course the answer was, “Yes!”
On June 29th my Swedish cousins arrived, and we did our best to show them a bit of St. Louis and to get to know them better. We also discussed our ancestry, and shared information about our families. And K’s dog Belle took to them fairly quickly and was a hit.
We toured around the area, seeing old St. Charles and the riverfront, the Augusta wine region, the Arch, Basilica, Forest Park, and of course eating toasted raviolis at The Hill. Frozen Yogurt also went over big with our Swedish friends. And we learned a lot about Sweden as well.
Kerstin, Johan, and Lennart at Montelle Winery
After we said our goodbyes to the Nilssons, we departed the next day on a 13-14 hour drive to my parents’ home in Minnesota. Since we’d been there during the county fair the past couple of trips, we decided to visit during calmer times, so we drove up the week before the fair this year. Also, since K is in summer school, this time around she and the dog remained behind.
Our time there was night and day compared to previous years; it was very rewarding to put work aside for a few days and spend time relaxing with family and friends.
Mo, Dad, and Mom at Bergeson’s Nursery
Our vacation time is over for the Summer, but Fall vacation plans are already showing up on the schedule….
"é rayhahn, rayhahn" 