Family, Fun and Fireworks...

After months of preparations, this weekend, the long-awaited family reunion took place. Four generations gathered together at the family farm to celebrate the "Slektstevne". 76 people, ranging from 4 months to 91 years old, gathered together for a weekend of reminiscing, traditional farm games and food, food, food.

For some, this had been months in the making. For us, the past week was a flurry of activity. By Friday night, I had handmade 76 badges, painted 8 wooden signs, made 12 metres of bunting, picked and arranged 20 vases of wildflowers and decorated 28 candle jars. I was exhausted... yet in comparison to some of the others, my contribution had been very little. A marquee had been put up, an entire farm cleaned and tidied to pristine condition, a small museum created, invitations delivered, admin completed and food and games prepared. It was no small feat.

The family farm stems back to around 1500, perhaps longer... no-one is entirely sure. And gathered together were the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of Hans and Marta Haug.

The wind blew something fierce, but it did not dampen our spirits, and the rain stayed away, which was such a blessing. We spent the afternoon enjoying a BBQ and caught up with family members, some of whom had not been seen for years.

The children ran around playing games, climbing trees and generally exploring while the rest of us enjoyed good food and great company.

 

After lunch, there were games galore... games that have been played on this farm for years...

... and years...

...and years...

Even the littlest ones were able to take part!

And then Great-Uncle-Sigmund took us all on a tour of the farm... showing us around the barn and the house and the land... every explanation dotted with stories and family history.

In the evening, the marquee was opened up and we enjoyed a feast!

Some live entertainment and some more tales from the past, before a breathtaking firework display from the jetty to finish it all off!

By ten o'clock, the wind had grown stronger and it was clear a storm was brewing. The marquee was secured, and people took the cover of the tent as the electricity went out across the peninsula.

To us, it didn't matter... candlelight was perfectly fitting for ending a wonderful day celebrating together.

A memorable weekend we will not forget in a hurry!