Caroline Church
Happy Independence Day from the Irish/British and Norwegians in your midst. Since celebrating our wedding in Northern Ireland on 4th July 1997, Chris and I have celebrated our anniversary in style – fireworks every year, celebrations in our honour, and everyone in the USA gets the day off – you are welcome!
The best part of the day is getting to celebrate with friends and family and, since we moved to Minnesota 17 years ago, that has meant an open invitation for anyone who wants to join us canoeing and kayaking down the Zumbro River. Sunburn, mud facials, getting stuck, falling in, body surfing the current while holding chips in the air, bug bites, and lots of hilarity ensues. I am pretty sure we look almost identical to the early explorers as they undertook their adventures!
And how do the Norwegians fit into this? Our good friends from Calvary, Kevin and Hanne Lucier and their family have joined us for many of these adventures and if you run into them, be sure to ask how on earth you flip the whole canoe before starting the journey.
Nancy Pedersen
Our family has enjoyed hosting an Independence Day celebration for friends and family for almost 40 years. It all started soon after we moved to Stewartville and discovered the wonderful celebration this small town hosts each year. There are many events from Art in the Park to car shows and petting zoos, food trucks and kiddie parades. The day culminates with a parade and fireworks.
We were so charmed that we decided to invite our family from Minneapolis. Little did we know this would start a wonderful tradition for our family. Over the years we have hosted friends and extended family. Our little gathering has grown close to 30 people in recent years. We try to make this a simple event so everyone can relax and enjoy the day. We provide main dishes and guests bring sides and desserts. Often we will have the opportunity to try favorite recipes including old family favorites. Mom and Dad Pedersen have attended all of these events, often contributing special family recipes. I am enclosing a special pie recipe that our family has enjoyed. We call it Lois’s Peach Custard Pie.
Lois’s Peach Custard Pie
Put fresh peach slices in an unbaked pie shell.
Mix 1 cup sugar with 3 Tablespoons flour & Sprinkle over peaches
Pour 1 cup of heavy cream over sugar & peaches
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
Then at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Serve the same day or refrigerate ( we find it always disappears quickly)
Jill Pearson
The 4th of July will always have a life-changing memory attached for me. When I began dating my husband in college, I quickly discovered his family was crazy about the 4th of July. Clear your schedules, everyone, because we’re doing all the stuff…parades, cranking the homemade ice cream, jello poke cake with a flag made from berries, sparklers and fireworks. I was blessed to participate in this Pearson family celebration for many years, but the most memorable was my 1st year.
It was 1992. About a dozen of us were situated in or around a truck with an open bed, waiting for the Humboldt, Iowa, fireworks to begin. Dave and I got to sit in the coveted double lawn chair because we were the young lovers. The fireworks began. Dave’s baby nephew, who is now a pastor and father of 3 in the Cities, freaked out from the noise and cried the whole time, poor thing. The fireworks were so close, we could feel the ashes raining down on us and smell the sulfur. And then came the suspense-building pause before the grand finale, which is when Dave turned to me and quietly asked, “Will you marry me?” I immediately started bawling and nodding. BEST. DECISION. EVER!
Dave didn’t have a ring because he hadn’t planned on proposing. He had decided earlier that day when he was out on the golf course with the guys, realizing how cool it would be to have the whole family to celebrate with at the end of the night. He was right! When the finale ended with the residual smoke drifting around us, we announced our engagement. The family exploded! Their enthusiasm was so meaningful to me, an only child who quickly learned that joining a big loving family would increase my joy tenfold! I praise God often for the gift of the Pearson family and for the blessing of living in this great country.
