Early Summer Roundup, Installment One: Having a Ball at Minneota Hall

We had a crazy June full of fun activities-- traveling and hosting both near and far. I think the last "normal" weekend I had with nothing going hasn't been since before track meets started, so sometime back in April I guess... June really topped the cake, though. 

We started with our Farmers Union conference in Bozeman at the beginning of the month. The following weekend was the Rudyard softball tournament (we hosted two couples, one with a baby).  After that was the Bangs Family Reunion and Tom's 60th birthday bash at Minneota Hall (We hosted three people for that one). Then, we left for a road trip through Washington, culminating in a beautiful wedding in Seattle- one of my high school friends. The day after we got back from Seattle, my parents and brother came to town and we were busy hosting them and showing them around the Glacier Park part of the state.  June has definitely been non-stop fun.  It was so great to see so many of our friends and family and do all the cool things we did over the past six or eight weeks. Even though it was such a great start to the summer, Jeff and I both agree that we are now more than ready to simply be at home and get some work done.

With all that has been going on, I haven't had time to do much on the blog. So, I'm going to try to play catch up and do several updates all this week covering some of our highlights of the latter part of June and early July. We'll call this little mini-series Early Summer Roundup. 

Early Summer Roundup, Installment One: Having a Ball at Minneota Hall

The first installment of Early Summer Roundup features the party we had at Minneota Hall for Tom's birthday. It was a milestone birthday ending in a zero and definitely required a big celebration. 

Minneota Hall is an old Community Hall in the country just a few miles north of Tom and Carol's house.  There used to be a small country school there, too, and they would occasionally have "Minneota Play Days," with lawn games, volleyball, baseball, spelling bees, and other activities.  The hall hasn't been used in some time, so there was A LOT of cleaning up to do before holding the party here, but it couldn't have been a better locale to celebrate!

 Carol had this cake made to commemorate the 60th birthdays of Tom, Dan, and Darwin-- all three of them turn 60 this year. The cake turned out perfect!
There were plenty of food and libations to go around...

"Not Responsible for Accidents..."

The inside of Minneota features a cool little stage where they used to hold pageants and plays, I am told.  The floor used to be waxed for dances.

For the birthday boys, Adria made three beer "cakes" with the favorite beers of each respective guy.  She did awesome!

The weather was beautiful that evening! Definitely nice enough for a game of volleyball in the grass, just like in the old days.

Some kids have fun simply playing on the old playground.  Do they even make playgrounds with slides, swings, bars, merry-go-rounds, and teeter-totters anymore? 

Some adults enjoyed the playground as well...

 

Two pen-pals who met a few years ago were reunited at the Minneota party!

Overall, the party was a great success. Friends and family from all over the country came to join the celebration.  A good time was had by all.