The Rest of September

Catherine and one of her science experiments.

For Dan's birthday, we went out to eat and then hung out by this little lake for a while.

Dominic and Mommy.

For the record, no one fell in, but they were making me nervous!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

When you give kids Pull-n-Peel Twizzlers, this is what they might do.

The kids picked the hot peppers one day.

They got a lot!

On September 20, 2015, Dan's beloved uncle, Fr. Al Brungardt, died after a battle with cancer. On September 25, we attended his funeral in Victoria, KS.  It was a sad time, but also a joyful time of remembering Fr. Al's life.  There were many family members in attendance.

At the cemetery, just down the road from St. Fidelis Basilica.  You can see the steeples in the background.

Fr. Al was laid to rest.

Later that day, we stopped to visit Dan's niece and her husband.  They bought the original Brungardt house across the street from the Basilica. While we were there, we found out the Homecoming Parade would be coming down the street, so Becky found sacks for the kids to collect some loot.

Here comes the parade!

Horses!

The kids checked out their loot.

We toured all over this neat, old house.

St. Fidelis Now a Basilica!

In early June, Dan took three of the kids and travelled to Victoria, KS, his hometown and residence of his mother and two of his brothers.  On that first Saturday in June, the famous "Cathedral of the Plains" was to be officially named a Minor Basilica, which is a very high honor.  It is the only church in Kansas to be named thus.

Dominic, Anne, and Joseph relaxed with Grandma on the front porch of her home.

Dan with the kids.

At the soon-to-be-named-Basilica, waiting for Mass to begin.

The program.

The procession has begun and in came the Papal Umbrella (it has a really fancy name), which is only opened if the pope comes to the Basilica.

In the center is Fr. Al Brungardt, Dan's uncle.

The bishop to the right is Dan's cousin, Bishop John Brungardt.

The sanctuary of the Basilica.

After Mass and a luncheon, Dan took the kids to the nature trail.

On the trail.

A good time was had.

The kids with Grandma.