Current Activities-2003

2003 was celebrated with a movie and dinner on New Year's Eve
and then we were guests at pot-luck dinner of Flossie Webber at
her son's home on New Year's Day.

Joyce Cumiskey's 80th Birthday

In the center is the birthday girl and cousin, Virginia Swenson.  On the right is Joyce, holding one of the triplets,
and her daughter, Nancy, the mastermind of the big surprise party attended by over 100 friends and relatives. 
On the left are the men in Joyce's life, sons Bill and Scott Morin, son-in-law Jim Bishop, Grandsons, and a couple of the triplets her Great-Grands.

Sean Galton and his fellow Missionary's in Arequipa, Peru and below are pictures he sent of the city which is the second largest in Peru. It is January and summer time in Peru as you can tell.

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Brady Swenson graduates from University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science in General Studies with a Major in English.  He is going to the Peace Corps in early June, serving as a teacher of English in Guyanna, South America.  Below are some pictures of his graduation and party in Lawrence at his Dad's home.

One of the greatest thrills of a KU graduates life is the walk thru the Campinile at the top of Mount Oread and proceeds into Memorial Stadium.

L to R-The graduate and his Dad, Mike Swenson-Cousins, Aimee Lane and Kris Beam giving Brady a lift-Mike and Charneil with Brady and Blake.

L to R-Brady with his favorite Professor of English-Brady and Blake with their Dad, Mike Swenson and Mother, Nancy Artzer-Grandpa Swede with Aimee, Kris and her freind Mike Money.

L to R-Debbie Beam with daughters Amiee and Kris, grandaughters, Courtny and Adrianna Lane along with Marty Fromm-Virginia Swenson talking with Mike's neighbors along with Jack Swenson, Swede's older brother-Brady with Bill and Jackie Fromm and their daughter Marty and the twins.

L to R-The Caterer-Marsha Swenson(Mike and Char's other neighbor and not related) must have told a funny joke, Marge Holtom, Brady's Grandmother is in the picture on the lower right-Adriana is making pretty music maybe playing the Jayhawk fight song  with the recorder.

Home for almost 30 years-Sold

On the left is the very clever sign that is used by this company, I believe they named the dog, Griffith, since there is no longer a Griffith in the company.  My daughter Debbie is Director of Client Services for the company and was allowed to be the listing agent.   Everytime I mowed the yard and moved the sign I asked "Griffith" get to retreiving.  Well on May 23, 2003 just a little less than 2 months, a sales Agent from another company gave Debbie a very nice birthday present by selling our home on that day.

Well here is the happy couple that started dating just about 30 years ago and purchased the home in September of 1973.  And so a new phase of our blissful marriage starts at the La Casa Grande Apartment and Townhome complex, where we were married 30 years ago in October at their party House. (pictures to follow soon-Here some are-You will have to visit to see the rest).

Adriana Lane Graduates from Kennedy Academy Pre-School

Adriana Lane, Swede's youngest Great-Granddaughter, stood proud waving her flag as the class sang "God Bless the USA".  She was among 17 in the class of 46,  moving on to Kindergarten in the Fall,  who are members of the 100's club and also the Ready to Read Club Member.  We wish her well as she begins Kindergarten next fall in Arizona and her ambition to become a Doctor as she stated during the program.

The Lanes move to Arizona

This is Chris and Aimee Lanes new home in Arizona near Phoenix.  The pics that follow are of the interior rooms and also
a couple of the Great-Grandaughters Courtny and Adriana. 

Pictures of Kris Beam and Mike Money at the Grand Canyon after visiting in Phoenix at Aimee's

All of the pics taken in Arizona and at the Grand Canyon were taken by Kris or Mike in July 2003

September 27, 2003-Virginia and I went to the KU-Missouri  game.  It was the biggest crowd to ever see a KU-MU game in Lawrence(51,071) and we were treated to a great game on a rather warm day under a Kansas blue sky.  KU 35-MU 14. The coach gathered the team, in front of the jumbotron, sans the goalposts taken down by the exhuburant student body after the game.  KU has not played before this big a crowd at Memorial Stadium that wasn't a Nebraska game.

Swede and Virginia's 30th Anniversary Gala October 18, 2003

What's a party without balloons!!! The happy couple at the altar and then the traditional seal it with a KISS!!!! With as many of the family as could make it to the gala event. Virginia's family is on the left of the picture and mine is on the right with Grandchildren Kris Beam and Blake Swenson in front in the fourth picture.  Brian Fox was here for the party but was not feeling up to par and had left before picture taking was done. Mike Money is added in the photo on the right, as he is Kris Beam's significant other, and who know's where that sort of arrangement leads but I think the family all hopes  for the best. Yes what a wonderful and happy family we have and to those who couldn't make it, we'll just come see you some time in the future.

L-R Our good friend Gloria Foster is ready for the guests-Flowers for this renewal of our vows-Guests have been arriving and actually Quentin Reed and his companion Nonie Light were the first one's-The Altar was furnished by Gloria and were used in she and Jim's wedding a few years back at Christmas time, you will see Jim later in some pictures.

L-R We find the Photographer's favorite guy to hang out with and they are our very good friends Michael and Margaret Bates!!!-Virginia and her cousin, Joyce Cumiskey,  from Pittsburg,KS-Virginia's cousin, Ann Palmer, here in Topeka is gracing the gala with pretty music and will accompany Herschel Stroud during the ceremony-Our best friends from Red Lobster, Jocelyn Burton, Angel Washington, and Louise Church assisted our guests most graciously during the evening-Well Swede seems to think maybe they needed a little help and Jim Foster seems to be supervising and hopes for a beer or a cool drink out of that.

L-R Virginia with her son, Bob Fox with his stepdaughter, Cary Wagner, and his Mother-Lois Stanwix and her daughter Debra Stanwix from Wichita, long time friends of Virginia, going back to when her husband sang with Chet Fox in Barbershop quartets-Louise Banta-Nancy Banta, who is working on a gift for us-Jackie Stroud and Virginia, Herschel and Jackie wanted to introduce us when she was a widow and I was divorced in 1973, well the rest is History.

L-R Donna Hartzell, a Church friend and Yahtzee groupie, Cherri Koehn and husband,Bill Koehn, is behind her. They are good friends of mine from my days selling pharmaceuticals and also are church friends-Jack and Joyce Swenson, Jack's daughter Barbara Logan, a teacher here in #501 and her friend Woody Weidner. Jack is my older brother and he and Joyce have been married a few years back. Interestling enough is that Woody and my son, Mike were classmates at Topeka West-Louise and Tom Knoebber, longtime Barbershop friends of both of us-Tobias Schlingensiepen, one of our church ministers, is observing closely the conversation between Bob Fox and Flossie Webber, who is a high school classmate of Virginia's, Brian Fox, our Grandson from Glenwood Springs, Colorado,  is swigging down what we hope is a Soda Pop. He must have went back to our home in the complex soon after as he was not feeling to whippy on this trip.

The ceremony has begun with some dialog from myself and Virginia on our journey from 1973 to 2003.  Dick Dickinson and Tobias Schlingensiepen, our Ministers at First Congregational Church, will renew our vows soon. We all are now listening to Herschel Stroud sing "As Time Goes By"-The photographer caught Bannon Beall as her parents, Tom Beall and Andrea Palmer holding their youngest daughter, Ann Beall, standing in the food line-Our good friends Jim and Gloria Foster from church-My Daughter in Law, Charneil Swenson, is in the foreground and at the near table are Lois Stanwix, Estyl and Dan Bowser(former weather man Dan Henry for WDAF in Kansas City and before that a teacher at Roosevelt Junior High, and a long time Barbarshop friend of the family, and at the far end is Marvin Maydew, Ona Maydew and probably Debra Stanwix hidden behind Dan.

L-R Donna Hartzell, Betty Stark, Helen Jensen, and Flossie Webber, all friends of both except Betty, Helen, and Flossie are classmates of Virginia's-My Brother Jack, my Grandson Blake Swenson, and Swede-Blake's Dad, and my son Mike, and me-Now the girls want in this party also so they are my Daughter, Debbie Beam, and her daughter Kris Beam, also my youngest Granddaughter. I repeat what a wonderful family we have.

Well all good parties must end sometime and we end this with our very dearest friends, Jocie Burton and Angel Washington, without who's assistance this party couldn't have been the huge success it was-And Sunday at Church you see the happy couple at the altar with the flowers, oh so so so beautiful to commerate this our 30th Wedding Anniversary.

Pictures to follow from a trip back in time where we spent our first honeymoon in the Ozark Country

After spending our first night at The Big Cedar Wilderness Club, about 10 miles south of Branson, MO, we traveled to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and went to the Crescent Hotel.  The picture, on the left above,  shows it opened May 20, 1886.  Interesting to the Swenson family might be that the man pictured in the paper is James G. Blaine, who ran for Vice-President, had arrived that day and expressed his opinion that Eureka Springs had a very bright future.   Swede's Uncle Jim had as his middle name, Blaine,  as also his youngest son, Scott, also carries that as his middle name.  Blaine was a Republican and as all know, we are Democrats. The middle picture shows the Dining Room, where we had a good lunch, and on the right, we persuaded someone to take our picture.

The pictures in the center show the exterior and the interior of St. Elizabeth Church, which is one of the most visited places in Eureka Springs. On the left is a picture of flowers and various statuary depicting  the life of Jesus and on the right is another garden around the church.  We lit a candle for our Grandchildren.

Big Cedar Wilderness Club-Our home for the next four days-Ten miles south of Branson.

We had what they call a Studio King Suite-Furnished kitchen, dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator.  Nice southern view of the Ozarks from the Patio.  Very comfortable in the Phoenix River Lodge.

Because the Wilderness Club is a Timeshare community they asked if we would take a tour of their facilities and they would give us 100 Big Cedar dollars to spend as we wished.  No problem, we have done this a number of times and have easily learned how to say NO!!  It truly is a wonderful place to vacation but to buy at this stage of our lives would not be practical. The pictures are the lodge next to ours which is where their corporate offices are. The taxidermy animals were really spectacular and were all over the buildings in Big Cedar.

Top of the Rock Golf Club

The view from the Top was simply gorgeous and the Jack Nicklaus Par 3 nine hole was really fun to play.  Certainly the best Par 3 I have ever played. Had a 37, 35, and a 36 for each of my rounds. Had some good tee to Green shots but sometimes took that extra putt so missed par on those holes.  The last picture is yours truly at #9 tee looking towards the lake.  They are building an Arnold Palmer Driving range and training facility to be opened sometime in 2004 here at the Top Of the Rock.  Guests of both Big Cedar and the Wilderness club may use all the facilities on the property.

Pictures below are taken while on a One Horse Carriage for Two ride around Big Cedar

Our last night at Big Cedar, A complimentary Dinner at The Top of The Rock Restaurant

We couldn't have had a more wonderful time than we had on this trip, a fitting tribute to 30 years of Bliss!!! and now on to Branson for the weekend of shows, music, and laughter to cap it off.

The two pictures below are scenes of where Virginia came to Branson with her folks by train.   The area on the left is where the Sammy Lane Cottages and swimming pool were in the 1920's and the train station on the right was the Missouri-Pacific Depot in those days.   Virginia's Dad worked for the Santa Fe and they could ride any rail line with their pass from the Santa Fe.  This was the high life of Branson at that time.

Branson Today

Our first show was the Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes as the Headliner.  Really a very beautiful show but no cameras allowed inside the Theater.  This is the Rockettes tenth and last season in Branson.

The Branson Belle

Simply a magnificent day aboard a very new Paddlewheeler, The Branson Belle.  A great show and lunch, we thought the best dancers and good music from the Dixieland band and then they switched to the big band sound later in the show.  Those were great Cappuccinos also in the souvenir mugs.

Andy Williams "Moon River Theater"

Well I kind of goofed because I didn't take my camera inside because of the first show's experience.  Well I obviously should have so we just have pictures of the outside area.  The picture on the right shows a sign saying Peach Tree Motel.  That is where we stayed in Branson just a long block or so from the Moon Theater but very uphill so we drove and parked as close as we could that night.  Really a wonderful show that Andy put's on and when you think of it,  he is 76 years young come December 3, 2003.

Yakov Smirnoff-A real laugher of a show

What an entrance, the camera just wouldn't work fast enough to get it all, but this is a facsimile of a space ship, and what came just before this shot, must remain one of those, "You had to be There" OK!! And what follows is two hours of almost constant laughter mixed in with Cossack Dancers and other acts.

Yakov had a segment of audience participation for telling good jokes and the picture on the right shows the winner based on audience applause, with Yakov being the applause meter. So then the winner gets to be a Talk Show host and interviews Yakov and they tape all of it for the person.   It was really quite funny.  Then the man in the pictures on the right is actually the Producer of the show, but on stage now he is a juggler with name of Slim Chance.  Slim was equally as funny all during the show.

Yakov appeared here as a Cossack Dancer but during this part of the show he had tear away costumes and portrayed many different persons.  He himself dance with the Cossack Dancers at one point but had a small chair attached to his posterior, thus he wouldn't fall on his behind.  He truly is a great story teller, loves America and his favorite line after a joke is, "You never thought of it that way did you", But YOU Will Now.  Of course the audience picks up on this and becomes part of the show themselves.  A wonderful end to our trip and now we make a stop in Pittsburg, KS on the way home.

We see the Pinamonti Triplets in Person

WELL ARE THESE JUST NOT THE CUTEST TRIPLETS!!! L-R Zoie-Sophie-Izzie until someone corrects me.  They really are a riot to watch and I'm sure parents, grandparents, and great-grandma Joyce enjoy each and every day with them.

Engagement announcement and the Happy Couple

Kris Beam and Mike Money have announced their engagement and the wedding is to be May 22, 2004. Kris is the daughter of Debbie Beam and her former husband Gene Beam.  She is also the Granddaughter of Swede Swenson and Marge Holtom. She is employed as a Title Officer with Columbian Title of Topeka and Mike is a Boom Operator with the 190th Refueling Group of the Kansas Air National Guard.

Thanksgiving at the Palmer's

The pictures L-R Nancy Banta and Virginia with the Neddlepoint Nancy did for our 30th and it wasn't quite finished then. Ready for framing soon. Ann Palmer talking with Louise Banta. Jerry and Ann Palmer (Virginia's cousin) with Lynette Palmer holding Bradley the youngest Palmer.

L-R Chris Palmer and son Jack-The Banta's with Virginia-Bradley found someone to play with him-Ann Palmer and Swede's daughter Debbie Beam.

L-R Cary Wagner, our Grandaughter from Kansas City now and a friend Pam.  Sunsets are always pretty from the Palmer's country home and as we all know Kansas sunsets are different everyday. The three Palmer boys, Nicholas, Jack, and Bradley waiting for dinner to be served.

A very nice Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Christmas at Mike's in Lawrence

L-R The two youngest, Kris and Blake have the privilege of handing out the presents and you can see that we are all waiting for them to complete their duties then we all open at once.  In the mean time the three eldest kids show off for Mike's new camera.  These pics are all taken by him.

L-R The U-Haul box is full of books for Brady to take back to Guyana for his students.  Brady is serving in the Peace Corps and teaching 7th and 8th graders.  His girl friend Alycia Erickson looks on along with Marge and Bill Holtom.  Mike's Home at night.  Debbie shows off her present from Blake, the evolution of the Kansas Jayhawk t-shirt.

L-R Blake and Swede are showing off their presents for the cameraman. The center pics show the efforts of Brady and Paul Swenson, a neighbor of Mike's, during the game of Gestures.  Brady and Alycia relaxing on the porch.

L-R Brady, Kris, Blake hamming it up with Mike Money and Alycia Erickson. The crew is relaxing and enjoying the nice warm weather on the porch. Two Bro's having a serious discussion probably about politics or sports.

Charneil and Marcia Swenson hamming it up for the cameraman. A good time was had by all.

Family gathering for Christmas with Aimee, Courtny, and Adriana at Debbie's new Home

It was great to have Aimee and the girls back from Arizona and they seem to enjoy the umbrella's we got for them when we were in Branson this fall.

In the picture on the left is Debbie, Kris Beam and Mike Money, Bill Holtom, Blake Swenson, Brady Swenson, and Alycia Erickson with back to the camera.  And on the right the girls are opening some more presents from family.

King Pong for the Second time in 2003

These wonderful kids and Grandkids that are in these pictures gave this Ping Pong table to me for my 75th birthday and last June, before Brady went off to the Peace Corps in Guyana, we staged the 2003 King Pong tourney which Brady won defeating the previous King 2002, his Grandpa and the editor of this web site.  Well as this page tells us we sold our home on Westwood and moved the table to our garage.  When Debbie, my daughter, bought her new home it was decided that the table needed a more warm atmosphere so Mike Money and a friend moved it to her basement. So since all the grandkids were home another King Pong tourney was held to inaugurate the table's new home. Numbers are put in a hat and those who wish to play draw a # and are seeded in brackets with Ist round games being the best 2 out of 3, the second and championship rounds are the best 3 out of 5.  Because these pictures were taken by me, Grandpa Swede, you can see that any of the games that I was in, I didn't get a picture taken.  The point in relating this is that the pictures above are Ist round games with the exception of the second from the left which is of Brady, the current King playing his brother Blake and Blake won to advance to the finals for the second time this year.   Blake is shown on the far right playing a very intense game with his Dad, who has been King Pong two or three times in the history of this contest, which began in 1977 on a New Years Day. The other two pics are Debbie Beam and Brady in their Ist round game and Mike Money and his fiance, Kris Beam. Just for the record I played Alycia Erickson in my Ist round game and Mike Money in my second game and was fortunate to win those matches and met Blake for the championship.  Well by golly, gee whiz would you believe that at 75 and 76 years young it is my privelege to have been soundly beaten by both Grandsons in the same year.  The picture on the right below show Blake holding what is to become a traveling trophy and Blake plans to leave it at his Dad's home in Lawrence. Well this is probably more than you wanted to know about this tradition that keeps the family interested in a common pursuit. I hope maybe I can find pictures of previous years and make some sort of a display for Debbie's basement wall.  Thanks to all of the family for another great year together.

This is what happens when one loses out in the early round, Mike Swenson shows off his new toy to Adriana and she is laughing because I was taking this picture of her, what fun!!!! I expect Mike and I have played in the most final games of these tourney's but the grandson's are going to catch up and who knows maybe one our fairer sexes will make it there again someday.  One just has to keep Hope Alive.

On to 2004 and a New Year and another New Page for the Site!!!!