Family reunion in Minnesooooota

Waconia, MN

Our Minnesooooootan Trip #3

Although Chris wasn't interested in going to MN for the Family Reunion / Graduation Party... well... you know him! You can't get him to leave the Coloradian mountains. I was barely able to make him go to the ocean - the first time 5 years ago - and now you can't make him get out of the water! He'd just like to snorkel the whole darn day!

So. Although he said we weren't going, it took just one phone call from Michelle on New Year's Eve to make him change his mind. I still don't know what she told him, but I'll be always grateful to her, since we both had really great time back home!!! :o)

Here are some pictures of that visit:

The trip didn't start very good
for Chris...
this is his first ticket EVER!!!
He was sooo upset, that he made me laugh A LOT!!!
:O)
I know.
I'm terrible :o>

Wag Jr was very busy,
when we got to his grandparents' house

And good uncles Ben & Jerry
Ah, no!
Ben & Chris played right away with the Twins.
I guess they were missing their own old toys as well!

Lilly doing somersaults

...and happily playing with her uncle Chris

Jeanette was planning for this picture quite a long time and didn't want to hear a "no", so we had a Family Pictures Time... thanks to Melanie, who patiently took pictures of all of us:

The Ratz Clan

The Original Ratzzzsss
(Be careful of the guy,
if you're playing cards with him...!)

Chris' favorite hobby... taking pics

...and Sarah's "favorite hobby",
when he doesn't want to :o)

The Ratzs from St.Bonnie
(they said that the guy in green is "mature" enough to move to College. I have just one question... isn't green the color of a ripe fruit???)

The Schorr-Ratzlaff from CO (missing 2)

...now I know why Chris doesn't
like taking pictures!

Big Silly Moose playing
with the Little Earthquake
(...watch out Justin! You're playing with the fire here!)

The Fantastic 5

The Silly 3

FINALLY a photographer
who doesn't cut our legs!!!
(Where are the bodies?!?)

Almost forgot...
a serious pic of the Ratzs from Vail
for my Family & Friends as well

Gotch-YA!

The Little Brother has always to try
what the Big Brother does, right???

Chris playing with the little toy...

and Tsunamy playing with... big toys!!!

The Scary Poodle from St.Bonnie
(scary for the Twins... go figure :p )

Kids playing on the beach

Guitar Hero Competition
(Yep! I suck. But I was the official photographer!)

Iowan car

Minnesoootan car :o)
(I guess these 2 pics will get me hard time with Matt & Jo. Oh-Oh!)

Strolling in Waconia...
Lake Waconia

Old City Hall

Old Mack 'n Thuns

Catholic church

Chris' elementary school...

with its "little" playground
(this is barely just 1/2 of it!)

Little street in little Waconia

The second elementary school in Waconia

Carver Cty Historical Society

WWII tank

Another little playground

Pic with Lucy & Lake Waconia

Big kids waiting for the airplane #1

Big kids waiting for the airplane #2

Hawaii final pics

Great Beaches

We didn't get much of a chance to update pictures from our Hawaii trip until a few weeks later (tonight). After getting back we both were busy with work and then a trip back to Minnesota for our nephew's graduation from high-school. Here are some more pics.

A little tennis today

Chris is about to get soaked from a big wave

Turtles everywhere

Looking good

Picture person cut off our feet (again)

Goofy trying to open a coconut

Another great beach

Wasted time at time-share presentation

Eating chex mix and checking e-mails

Sarah sitting on a weird chair

Beautiful flowers (and wife too!)

Coffee everyday - (too much coffee) but GREAT

No more road, too much lava

Everyone takes a picture of this one

Going into a lava tube

Posing

Everyone had Chrysler PT cruisers from the car rental place. Tough to find our car.

Volcano! We are doomed !

Volcanoes in the distance

Sarah watching sun go down

Playing some old Indian checkers game (my butt hurts)

Geckos on the walls

Paradise every day (beach, snorkel, read, relax, snorkel, beach, repeat)