Sommerer Family Website

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heits point

Not too late to use your Thrivent Action Plans for Heit’s Point or elsewhere!

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My mom, Aunt Jane to some of you, sent this to me:

Dear family,

I talked to Mark Nolte at Heit’s Point today.  If you have unused Thrivent projects you can turn them in before the end of 2020 to be used between January and April of 2021.  To use them for Heit’s Point, mark it as a servant project.  Your part will be coordinating and planning.  He has had several go through as “Help with Volunteering” for whatever is needed.  Set the use as supplies and an amount of $250.00. You can even change the address to: 

Mark Nolte
Heit’s Point Lutheran Ministries
28345 Heit’s Point Ave.
Lincoln, Mo. 65338

That way, you will not have to get the project to him (it will be sent right to Heit’s point).  If you do not want to use it for Heit’s Point,  find another worthwhile project and submit for.  It has to be done before the end of December.

And I would just add that if don’t live in Missouri, it is probably easier to pick a local charity to use the free $500 dollars that everyone with a Thrivent Insurance policy or Retirement Account has.

Becky’s Change Challenge

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Dear Family,

As you have read in Lloyd’s Family Emails about Heit’s Point, I Have Been CHALLENGED. With a lot of thought, this is my response and my challenge back at the Family. HERE I GO…

I am going to confess my DEEP Dark Secret of my Life!!! I am a JAR hoarder!!! I humor myself by filling them with coins. My sister has given me many unique wine and whisky bottles (EMPTY) over the years to fill with coins. 

This was a head shaker for my son when we moved. His dad had to tell him, quote, “Don’t ask, just move them.” The Jars of Coins come with stories throughout my married life. They were backup money for vacations, or taxes, or “give a life lesson to your son about giving….”

My story with my son is a Jar of Dimes. When my son graduated from high school and went off to college, it was very hard for me to come home from work with him not there. I was thankful for Christmas Vacation and his return home. His return came with the statement, “I have no money for Christmas Gifts.”My lesson to him was to sit down at the table and to sort and roll a Jar of Dimes. Then he could take them to the bank and cash them in for Christmas Gift Money. 

That day was great. We laughed. We talked about presents for his dad. We bet on how much money the dimes would make. I got good quality time out of that Jar of Dimes.

This is my answering challenge to Lloyd and Pete: I am giving 1 Jar of Dimes, 1 Jar of Nickels, 1 Jar of Pennies and 1 Jar of Quarters. I challenge you to clean the cupholders in your car and your ashtrays. Give your change to Heit’s Point. Give a week’s allowance. Give what you can because it is getting doubled by our Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. I intend to take their money, and thank you to them for offering it. 

Becky Cary

2019 Reunion Planning Post

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Dates:

The 4th of July falls on a Thursday next year. The majority of people said that they wanted to come July 5 – July 7, Friday to Sunday (like “normal”). There were maybe 10 people who wanted to come on Thursday and make a longer weekend out of it. Since then, there is another group that wants to hold a family event at Heit’s Point on the 4th. Christina has asked Heit’s Point to hold a couple of rooms at the Spitz Center and the Lodge for our family to use on the 4th of July. If you would like someplace to stay on Thursday night, please let Christina know within the week.

Spitz Center vs. Pavilion:

We decided not to immediately make a choice on whether to use the Spitz Center or the Pavilion. We would like to just be in one place, and if it looks like the kitchen in the Pavilion will accommodate our needs, then we will plan on using the Pavilion. The Pavilion, providing the kitchen and restrooms are good enough, would be our first choice. If it does not look like the Pavilion will accommodate our needs, we will look at just using the Spitz Center.

Meals:

People generally agreed that having 2 meals worked out better than having 3 meals. I don’t think anyone went hungry. We decided that instead of Breakfast and Supper, we would do Lunch and Supper next year. That means an earlier Lunch and Supper at, more or less, the same time as this year. Breakfast, in as much as you want to eat breakfast will be on your own on Saturday. We have not made any definite plans about breakfast on Sunday at this point.

Other:

For at least the last 4 years (that’s how far back I checked) we have had church at 11:00. We will have church at 10:00 next year. Someone will have to wake Steveup. In the past, we’ve tried to have everything cleaned up before church. We will have to see how that works next year.

We decided that Peter was going to be in charge next year. Hold on to your hats everyone.

Nothing Better Than Being a Sommerer

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As promised, here’s Whitni Sommerer’s paper that Danny mentioned last week, and that everyone wanted to read. Nice job Whitni.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a family is defined as “close relatives or a social unit.” I am part of a family filled with closeness and love. I am a Sommerer. Being a member of this family means everything to me. When we are together, good times are guaranteed, and memories are made. The miles between the families do not seem to matter once we see each other face to face. The best aspects of the Sommerer family are the reunions we have every year, the communication between us online, and the uniqueness that defines us.

Every Fourth of July weekend, my great-grandparents’ children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great great-grandchildren gather together for a fun and exciting reunion. Heit’s Point is the name of the camp where the igloo coolers stocked with food are rolled in, and the lawn chairs are set up. The location is a quiet, grand-daddy long leg infested wooden area off the Lake of the Ozarks. Roughly two hundred or more people make up this down-to-earth family, and we are continuously growing every year. No one goes hungry or thirsts here. Scrumptious potlucks, country-cooked breakfasts, and numerous snack foods fill the tables. Sweet ice tea made by my Uncle Mahlon is the hit drink of the weekend. Everyone is so full of sugar; we can’t help but have a good time. While the sun is still shining on Saturday evening, the whole gang goes out to the old ball field and plays a fiercely competitive softball game. Because there are so many people, each team has about twenty to thirty players. Midnight hits, and many people are still awake playing card games, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows, singing, and drinking. Following the church service on Sunday morning, we all say our good-byes and head back home.

Following the reunion, pictures and videos of the exciting weekend are placed online. While sitting at home on the computer, the internet allows anyone to browse through our own website, Facebook profile, and YouTube videos. We are a popular family indeed! Pictures, videos, and information about my family can be found on all three pages. The mastermind of the website and Facebook profile is my computer whiz cousin, Lloyd Jr. With his talents, he even posts random videos of the family on YouTube including my Grandpa Ralph wearing a chicken hat while performing on stage. Even though our family is spread all over the United States, we are still able to stay easily connected with each other. “I miss you!” or “I’ll be home for Thanksgiving.” are the quick messages sent between my cousin, Katie, and me.

The road trips may seem long when we travel to see each other, but a simple message online fixes the anticipation of what will happen when we meet again. My immediate family is like no other family; we are unique. One reason we are unique is that we value having a family filled with many kids and grandkids. Also, large, extended families like ours are not commonly seen in the United States. Traditional “get-togethers” for the main holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are at grandma and grandpa’s house. Instead of watching up-to-date movies, the shooting of guns in an old John Wayne western movie are heard. When I think of watching a movie, I crave the salty, homemade popcorn my grandma cooks on the stove instead of popping a bag in the microwave. Keeping close ties with each family member is important when maintaining peace, and we succeed at it. Problems never occur amongst anyone. Everyone is full of love and we are thankful to have each other. A special talent lies within each member in my family. At the young age of fourteen, my cousin, Joseph, is now an Eagle Scout. Vincent plays the piano flawlessly while Aunt Melanie’s voice is breath-taking when she sings. Anna can sing Christmas songs in German, and my brothers can fix any computer or mechanical problems.

Unfortunately, a lot of my extended family lives all over the United States, and I never get to see them. We take advantage of our weekend-long, camping trips at Heit’s Point by spending quality time playing games, singing songs, and eating delicious meals. Even though we are apart, we can still instant message or email each other with our very own website or Facebook. The uniqueness that defines our family makes us special. I wouldn’t trade my family for anything. Their love and support has helped me to become the woman I am today, and I can’t thank God enough for them.