Maddie's Christmas Program

The Newburg School Christmas Program was nice... it gets a little lengthy (2 hours)... but they have K-12 singing and band. Maddie is in the Girls Choir and High School Choir.

BRRRRR...............

It astounds me that in the 1800's, when insulation, electricity and furnaces weren't what they are today.... some crazy Norwegian's decided to stay and live here! And what amazes me even more is that after that first winter, they didn't pack up and move south! It's been below zero for.... too long already. And the snow keeps coming! Enjoy the pictures!

December Birthdays

We have lots of December birthdays. If I forgot anyone let me know.

Carolyn Mjoen 12/10
Lisa Willis 12/11
Sandy Spencer 12/14
Gerry Brauch 12/19
Symphony Davis 12/21
Cooper Spencer 12/25


Happy Birthday to all our December Birthdays!!!

Grandma's Goro Recipe

Hi. Linda wanted this recipe, but I thought "maybe others do too..." so I decided to post it here for everyone. Grandma used to make Goro (A Norwegian Cookie)... I remember coming in her kitchen while she was making it, and she would have it all set our in neat little piles and be wrapping it in tissue paper to stuff into old Velveeta cheese boxes so she could mail some off to others. We always got to eat the "broken" ones... I got the recipe from Carolyn Miller (our neighbor), she got the recipe from Grandma years ago and still uses it today to make her Goro too.


Goro

1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
Blend Well
1 Cup Sweet Cream
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

Start with 1 cup Flour and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder. Then add more flour to roll. Roll thin.

Make form to match your goro iron out of thin cardboard. Use form to transfer to goro iron.

Enjoy!

:) Crystal

Maybe you've all seen or have these photos...but I just thought I'd put them out there... Since our password is their names.

:) Crystal

50's Party

Last weekend we went to a 50's Bday party for the daughter of a friend of ours. They took pics of all the girls beside this classic car. Good idea, huh? We didn't poodle skirt up, but a lot of the girls did! (The party was at the Air Base--if any of you are trying to figure out the background of the picture)

By the way, we are enjoying seeing everyone on facebook! Don, Maddie and I each have our own now (because we want to have "myfarms" on there). Thanks to all for making us your "friends"...and if we haven't found you yet, look us up!!

:) Crystal

Maddie's Volleyball

Maddie's Volleyball season is just finished up, but here was her team picture. She really did a great job this year. It's fun to see how much progress they make from one year to the other....and if she gets much taller (which we suspect she will) she will be spiking without having to jump!

:) Crystal

Aunt Pauline

I went to Denver Colorado and visited with my Aunt Pauline in Aurora. Had breakfast with her and her son Gary Brackelsberg before going to see the Jacksonville Jaguars stomp the Denver Broncos. Gary only remembered me from when I was a little kid. Also visited the elk in Estes Park with a good friend from my college days. It was cold and hazy that entire weekend. Happiness is a fuzzy sweater. The Blue Angels are practicing for an air show this weekend at NAS Jax and we live on the flight plan. I am on night shift this weekend, and with 4 jets flying in formation just over the house makes for tough sleeping during the day. Planning to go see my daughter Sheila in Chickamauga Georgia next week. My daughter Sarah and her husband Jon are coming to Jacksonville for the Florida/Georgia game at the end of the month. I have begun RCIA at San Jose Catholic in Jacksonville, much like Lutheran confirmation. Something I been wanting to do. Take care, Tim

Once Upon a Pond

We've had a great time with our yard art -- this is our pond.

Back in 2000 we started on a garden in the front yard. Originally the pond was going to be a small feature in the garden; but it sort of took over. This is the fist picture of the completed pond - back in 2003. I'm searching the files for a history of the pond as it developed over the years.

A disaster started two weeks ago today when fish started to die -- It has taken most of the two weeks to get them medicated and the water stable again -- I think we lost at least 100. I hope we have it now. We have gold fish and koi and some darker colored fish (I can't recall their name, but they glow in the dark if you have underwater lighting, which we don't).

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For any of you who have Facebook, please look us up and "be my friend". You will find Ron and I there, Wayne's family, and don't be frightened by Lori's picture (she can be kind of scary, but don't tell her I said that; she may not read this page) -- and Crystal and Jodie too.

Went to Tampa to see Sarah this weekend, caught 2 Minnesota Twins games Saturday and Sunday. The Tampa Bay Rays never had a winning season before. Rays clinched their first ever playoff birth Saturday. Wild scene. Twins won Sunday!!

Mjøen
In old Norwegian means "where the river is most narrow"

The Mjøen family comes from Oppdal Norway. http://www.oppdal.com/?pageid=447

The Mjøen house on a Norwegian phone card. Known as Baker's Place as grandpa's brother was the baker there.

http://www.norskfolke.museum.no/en/Exhibits/The-Open-Air-Museum/The-Countyrside/The-Tenant-Farmers-Holding/

The house on the upper right and far below is the house my grandfather was born in. It was on land leased from the crown. The house was later disassembled and placed in the Norsk Folkemusuem in Oslo. (Mjoen's are tourist attractions!) When I did the family tree and emailed to the Mjøen's in Oppdal, none knew the house was in the musuem in Oslo. Back in the 1990s, at times I was emailing so many in Oppdal so often that I would know what there neighbors were doing before they did. A Mjøen was the mailman there and he would hear from several on his route that I was writing.

Halvor Iversen Mjøen b. 1826 my great grandfather(mentioned on that museum website)
John Halvorsen Mjøen b. 1869 my grandfather(came to North Dakota)
John Alfred Mjoen b. 1916
Timothy Wade Mjoen b.1962. the tradition of having a son in your mid 40's ends here.

My grandfather, John Halvorsen Mjøen, competed in the biathlon in Scandinavia and France. That sport where you cross country ski and shoot targets. He came to America in 1893. His immigration register in Norway says he was headed for Quebec. I have a photo of him with his sister Carrie Gunderson taken in Minneapolis. He was a stone mason in Hillsboro ND and homesteaded our farm in 1899. He traveled by bike. He was a stone mason and farmer. He may of built the foundation of the Traill County courthouse, not sure yet. He built the stone foundation of the Bottineau and Williams County courthouses as well as many basements, cellars and barns. He cut the huge stones by drilling holes with a manual drill and pouring water in the holes, the water froze and cut the stones very straight. Hauled them on horse drawn sleigh. I don't know how he stacked them??? Must of been strong. He traveled to town on skis up into his 70's and hauled the groceries on his back. His wife, my grandmother only spoke Norwegian. In fact my father Alfred only spoke Norwegian up until he started school. Grandpa had a brother Ole in Saskatoon, that bunch is all in the Vancouver area now. They owned an asbestos mine in western Canada. Not a real good business these days. Grandpa had one half sister who lived in Michigan, her husband was the cabinet maker for Henry Ford (the Bill Gates of his time) A descendant of one the brothers who stayed in Oppdal was Haakon Mjøen who should of had a gold medal in the 1968 French Olympics but was DQ'd by a French judge. "tricherie salaud juge!" http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_/ai_n9674963

Brauch Family Football

Just a reminder that our games this weekend will have live audio and video feed at www.glenwoodsports.com . We are 'Lil Rams Football. Micah will be cheering at the Black games at 10:00am and 11:30am. Zack will be playing on the Gold Junior team at 1:00pm. Tune in and watch them go.

They will be making up last weekend's games. I'll let you know when they webcast them.

Love y'all
The Brauchs

Here is another picture of some mean hombres we ran into in Medora ND this summer. They looked familiar to us, but the one with the gun in the back was pretty stand-offish. We kept our distance.

It was fun seeing the Black Hills area, wild horses, Teddy Roosevelt's cabin, etc. We also went to a Dinosaur Museum in Dickenson. The kids liked the thousands of rocks (cool geology) better than the dinosaurs.

We had a fun time doing it all. We climbed some hiking trails and saw lots of cool vegetation and wildlife.

Catch you all later,

Love, Jodie Mjoen

Hey all. This is so cool. You all recognize the family barn, constructed in 1918. I remember Grandpa telling me he was two years old when it was built. Most of us have some great memories in this old fella. My best are probably swinging from the rope in the hay loft with Uncle Tim and by brother Jeremy. I always liked the livestock on the farm too- seeing baby lambs, pigs, horses, etc.

We are all doing fine. I am in Minneapollis with Mom, Dad, and Jeremy and we are going to the Colts vs. Viking NFL football game tomorrow. You can watch for us on TV, we will be on the Colts side, 50 yard line, 27 rows up. We'll be painted purple and yellow! Just kidding, no paint.

Maxine started soccer practice today and her first game is tomorrow. I will miss it, but Brandy and Vivian will be there to cheer her on. I will be at next week's game.

By the way, this picture was taken last summer by Crystal, so it is pretty recent.

This is fun. Thanks Debbie for setting it up. Keep in touch all.

Love,

Jodie Mjoen

Hello from Topeka

Last Sunday we participated in a pie auction for Habitat for Humanity sponsored by our book clubs. My Chocolate Peanut Butter pie sold for $50; and Ron's Banana Cream pie topped that by selling for $65. The auction raised $1500. Five Lutheran churches are working together on the house.

We are searching out some new hiking trails in the area. Ron wants to get in shape to climb a mountain next year (Longs Peak, Colorado) and I enjoy geocaching; so we plan to do some adventuring together this fall.

I'll be watching for news; and thanks, Deb for setting this up. Linda

And my favorite picture of the girls!

This was a whimsical picture I decided to do while Max & Viv were here and we were taking the pics. It's so much more dramatic in black and white...

Oh, and the previous post.... I took the liberty of sharing the picture of Madelyn, Maxine and Vivian with Grandmom & Papa (John & Carolyn). Hope they don't mind, they are all just so darn cute!

Hi from Crystal, Don & Madelyn

Hello! How much fun is this? And that's the first picture I've seen of Sarah in......years! Hope you both get adjusted to your new city and get settled in.

I'm attachiing pictures from when Jodie & Brandy's girls were here with us on the farm for a while this summer. The cousins sure enjoy their time together and never seem to get enough of it (some things never change, huh guys?).

Debbie, thanks for setting this up. I hope everyone adds stuff and enjoys it.

:) Crys

Hi!

Hi everyone! This is Sarah Brewster. I thought I would add something to the blog, so here it goes. Jon and I have just celebrated our 1 year anniversary on August 18th! This is one of our wedding pictures. We rented wave runners and went to a Rascal Flatts concert to celebrate. :)


Jon and I recently moved to Largo, Florida, and live about 2 miles from the beach now! It's nice here but we miss Tallahassee and all of our friends. I just started my internship with Pinellas county schools as a school psychologist! I will be graduating from FSU in 2009. I really like my job so far and there is always something new to learn. Jon just graduated from FSU in August and now works for Operation Par as an access counselor. Well, I guess that is all for now!

Brauch Family Football

Zack's first football game of the season is this week. They are going to try and webcast it on http://www.glenwoodsports.com/. Gerry is an asst. coach. The game is Saturday at 1:00PM. He is on the Glenwood Gold Junior Team. Micah will be cheering at the Glenwood Black Junior and Senior Team games. So log on and watch. I'll post pictures after the game.

Welcome

Welcome to the Mjoen family blog. This is a place for us to post our news and pictures. If you need help posting your stuff email or call Deb. Can't wait to see what everyone has to share.