When the Simpsons decide to have a family reunion, we do it up in style. Well at least we have fun. On July 26th we met at Don and Janice's home for a catered lunch and a hired photographer to take pictures. I felt sorry for him, trying to get all of us to line up in the yard. There must be over 30 in the photo but I haven't had time to count yet.

After lunch, a big red Gray Lines bus picked us up for a tour we will never forget. Harold wanted to start from downtown Denver to show his kids how far he had to ride his bicycle to work even in the winter when he was a teenager, sometimes with our brother Norbert on the handlebars of his bike. Then on past our school, Cole Jr. High school at that time. We proceeded on the bus, on Harolds' bike route past where he delivered newspapers, worked for the railroad, swept floors in a packing house and where we all went to the circus when it came to town, at 40 th and York St. Wayne and Ed also related stories about where they worked.

Then the highlight of our tour. How we wanted to see the house where we were raised, we all lived there all of our lives until marriage or the military took us away. The bus pulled up to 4518 Milwaukee St and there was our house, looking a little different but still our house. The neighbors were all in their yards wondering what was going on.

My brother Harold went to the door and asked the man who lives there if we could come in and see the place where we spent so many years. We didn't take the whole bus load in, but my brothers and I were graciously invited in by a very nice man named Abraham.

How exciting it was to see the house, inside and out and relive memories of living there. Next, we went to Clayton St. to see the very first houses that Harold and Virginia and my brother Norbert built, they were soon on their way to becoming very successful.

After that wonderful experience, the bus took us out to Adams City to see the school where my sister-in-law Virginia went to high school and also the first houses she and Harold built in Adams City.

Then we went to Dupont where Virginia grew up, drove past her childhood home and the farm her father had owned in Irondale. The skating rink where we had so much fun had been torn down.

Next we went to see the many apartment buildings that Harold had built near Colorado General Hospital. They still look great!

Back to Don and Janice's, we finished up the food that was left and had a great time talking about our families. We all wonder how mom survived raising 8 of us alone until the boys were old enough to get jobs. My brothers worked very hard to get where they are today. So did I! My sister worked at Cudahy packing house for years.

The young people with us, children, nieces, nephews, grand children, all seemed very interested in our past. They asked many questions and spent hours looking at old pictures that I have from my mom.

We had dinner again on Monday night and then it was time for family to scatter again to our homes here and to other states.

I hope we can do it again.