A few months passed and it was now the middle of August, and the Lay's went to the Graff farm for a picnic like they did every summer. They all set out a large sheet where they placed all the food, and everyone just laid there on the grass around the sheet. Fred, as he did every year, brought a lot of homemade wine and beer for everyone. Little Joey Gruber, age 9, and his younger brother George, aged 6 were both looking up at their Uncle Fred as he was talking and laughing with the men, drinking his whiskey.

Fred spied down at his little nephews and grinned like a devilish little boy! He leaned over to little George and whispered in his ear. "You wouldn't want a little swig of this stuff, would ya, Pudge?" He snickered.

The little 6 year old nodded his head yes, surprisingly! And before his parents could say anything, his Uncle Fred actually gave him a little! "What about you, Joey?"

"Fred! What are you thinking? Giving the boys whiskey?" Frances got onto her husband.

"Oh, it won't hurt 'em!" He laughed. "If they're interested in it, why not?"

"If you keep it from them, they'll always wonder about it...Gives 'em something new to try out anyway." Joe Gruber, the boys' father said.

"I don't really want my kids drinking whiskey, thank you." Nona said.

"Okay, I won't give them anymore..." Fred said. "I promise." He looked down at his nephew George. "That stuff good?" He whispered, chuckling a little.

Little George said quietly, "Kinda." and ran off with his brother to go play.

Helen had brought Eddie to the picnic. They'd been dating for about 4 months now. She introduced the rest of the family to him, and to their friends as well. Ed Graff sat back quietly, but inside he felt blue. He wished he had gotten up the courage to even ask Helen out...but even so he had known his chances were very slim. He knew they had been dating a while now, and he was trying his best to get over her and move on...yet, he felt he couldn't.

Helen and Eddie were sitting out under a maple tree, watching the little kids play around.

"They're so cute." Helen laughed a little at her cousins. She giggled as one of the littlest one accidentally fell down, but just as quickly, got back up on their feet.

"Yeah...guess so." Eddie smiled and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend.

"Why do you guess so?" Helen smiled, laying her head against his chest and snuggled against him. "All kids are cute."

"Yeah..." Eddie smiled, and rubbed her arm and laid his hand on her waist. "Just never really thought about little kids before."

"That's okay." She smiled up at him. "I love you still." Helen laughed and kissed him.

"I really enjoyed meeting the rest of your family." He smiled. "They're just great."

"Good, I'm glad." Helen smiled and kissed his nose. Eddie chuckled and his nose started twitching. They both laughed.

"Aw, it's so cute!"

"What?" Eddie smiled.

"Your nose! It twitches just like a little bunny's would!" Helen giggled. "I'll call you that! "Bunnie" It's just too cute...like your nose!"

Eddie laughed a little.

"But the rest of you is just adorable!" Helen smiled and kissed him a few times. "Can you believe how long we've been dating already?"

"No...but .it's been a great few months." He smiled.

Helen had written a little note to him and gave it to him now. And he read it out loud. "You're really pretty wonderful, and that's the reason why, I feel so lucky and so proud to know that you're "my guy"..., Helen."

"I love you...Bunnie." She giggled again and kissed him.

"I'm crazy 'bout you, baby." Eddie smiled. "I loved your little note."

"Really did like meeting everyone...I'd like to take you home to meet my parents and siblings." He said after awhile.

"I'd like that." Helen smiled. "What are their names?"

"John Walbrun's my dad...my mother's name is Rosina, Oh you'll love her. She's a sweetheart... Anyway, I'm the second of four kids...First is Bert, then me, then there's Rosa, but we call her Rosey. Have ever since she was little...And John's the youngest."

"How old are you all?" She asked.

"Oh...Bert's 24. You know that I'm 23." He smiled. "Rosey's 16...and John is 13."

"Oh wow!...They sound wonderful, Eddie. I can't wait to meet them." Helen smiled.

"Was thinking of bringing you over today if it's okay with your parents."

"If it's alright with them, great."

"I'm sure Mother would want you to stay for supper. She's a wonderful cook!"

(

And so Eddie took her over to his parents' place. A cute little home with a white picket fence around the property. There was also a cute little arbor with vines and flowers all over it. They walked up the little sidewalk up to the house and a pretty young woman came out and met them. She was tall and thin as a rail, and her dark brown hair was pulled back into a bun. She wore a nice flowy skirt and pretty suit jacket. And though fairly tall, she wore high heels! Her brown eyes looked sweet and kind. And as pretty and thin as she was, you'd think she was a model of some kind.

"Bert!...Can't stay away from home, can ya?" He laughed. "She and Paul got married just last week." Eddie stated. "Bert robbed the cradle...the kid's only 19!" He laughed.

"Eddie...Age is just a number." Bert said. "Paul and I don't mind the five years between us."

"Well, congratulations on your marriage..." Helen smiled.

"Oh, thank you." Bert smiled widely..."And by the way, Eddie...Paul and I had lunch over here...plus I think I forgot a few of my things...Now, let me guess who this is...that girlfriend of yours...Helena, is it?" She asked and shook her hand.

"Just Helen..." She smiled.

"I'm Eddie's sister, Bert...It's nice to meet you!"

"Pleasure to meet you too...I don't mean to be rude, but is your name really Bert?"

Bert laughed. "Eddie didn't tell you?...No, it's not. Just a nickname!...My real name is Gilbertha...It's okay to laugh! People usually do...or they think it's just horrendous!...I never wished to be called that, or Bertha, or Berta. Or Gillie or anything like that, so I chose Bert...Plus, ANYTHING'S better than Gilbertha!" She laughed.

"You were more like my brother growing up anyway." Eddie joked. "Always with the boys."

"I was always with the boys so I could check them all out!" Bert laughed. "Wasn't stupid!...Anyway, enough talking out here, let's go inside!"

And so the three of them went in side where Bert introduced Helen to nearly everyone. "This my husband, Paul Ivor Bardrick...and this is our Father and Mother, John and Rose Walbrun..." Bert went over to her husband in the chair he was sitting in and sat on his lap. Her arms wrapped around him gently.

"I thought you said your mother's name is Rosina!" Helen turned to Eddie.

"Oh it is, people call her Rose instead."

Rosey Walbrun came downstairs and joined everyone. "Hi there..." She smiled at Helen. "Eddie, is this the girl you were telling us about?" Rosey was a pretty little thing, looked almost identical to her older sister Bert! Looking at them side-by-side, you'd think they were twins.

"Sure is!" Eddie smiled and wrapped an arm around Helen and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"She's nice-looking." The sixteen year old smiled. "Very pretty too."

"Why thank you." Helen smiled at her, then glanced at Bert, and then at Mrs. Walbrun. She noticed something about the women in the Walbrun family. All wore their hair pulled back in a bun.

"Hello Mother." Eddie smiled and kissed his mother on the cheek. "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Helen Lay."

"Oh ja, hallo!" Rosina Schoberl Walbrun spoke in a broken English...You could really hear a German accent to her voice. Sometimes the German words would slip out while in the midst of speaking in English. "She is beautiful, Josef." Even in the way she said his first name, Joseph. The J sounded like a Y...She was the only person who was allowed to call him by his first name. He insisted in going by his middle name instead.

"Very...pleasedt...to meet you." She said, taking Helen by the hands. "You, ah...stay for supper, yes?" Rosina smiled. "I em vurking on mine English...It ist good, yes?"

"Yes Mother..." Eddie smiled a little. "Better everyday."

"Zank you, Josef!...Now, you stay for supper, yes?" She asked Helen again.

"Yes, thank you." Helen smiled. "Might I help you? I love to cook."

"She very sweet girl!..." Rosina smiled and nodded her head repeatedly. "I like her already!"

"Ve don't expect you to, ma'am." John Walbrun smiled. He was a very kind-looking gentleman. Always had a smile on his face. And he sounded almost identical to his wife in the way they spoke! Though, Mr. Walbrun didn't speak as much English as his wife did. He mostly spoke in his native tongue.

"Oh, I'd like to help though." She smiled.

"Can if you want to, I guess." Eddie said. "...Where's John at?"

"Still up in his room." Rosey said.

"I go get ihm..." Rosina said and went into the other room and called up the stairs. "John!...John, come down!"

"Why?" The thirteen year old hollered.

"You vill see...now, come, come! Schnell!" She said. "John Christ Walbrun!" She hollered as he wasn't listening and hadn't even come out of his room yet.

"I'm coming, Mother!" He shouted and soon trudged down the stairs.

"You vill listen next time!" She said firmly. "Right ven I say..."

"Yes Mother."

"Vhat ver you doingk up zere?"

"Resting..."

"You are young, my son! Der young not need to rest!...You put in full day's work, und zen you can rest...Now, come."

"Yes Mother."

Rosina and her youngest son walked into the room where they all were. Helen introduced herself to John.

"Hello...I'm Helen Lay, Eddie's girlfriend."

"Yeah..." The thirteen year old said. "Eddie told us all about you. You seem real nice." The boy told her and took a chair next to his sister and brother-in-law. He had a rounded little nose and full lips. Dark hair and brown eyes like the rest of his family. John looked a lot like his mother and a little like his father, like his sisters did.

"I go get supper on der table...Bert, you and Paul stay for supper as vell, tonight!" Rosina said, turning to them before she went into the kitchen.

"Thank you, Mother...I'll even lend you a hand in the kitchen!" Bert smiled, getting off from her husband's lap and followed her mother into the kitchen.

"I think I will too." Helen stated, and started to follow them.

"No, I'll do that!" Rosey said cheerily. "but thanks Helen!...Eddie, you go show her the upstairs!" She smiled. "Just don't get too carried away up there, you two!" Rosey joked.

"I'm goin' up to my room too...and you guys DON'T come in!" John told them.

"John!" Eddie scowled. "That was a little rude, don't you think?"

"Sorry!...My room's a mess! I don't want you seeing it!" The thirteen year old told them. Helen laughed softly. "Reminds me of my brother at his age."

"Kept a messy room too?"

"Yeah...plus he had his guns and furs everywhere."

"I knew I liked Freddie for a reason. He's a hunter."

"Yeah...Eddie loves hunting! He got all his guns in his room!" John piped up.

"Speaking of rooms..." Mr. Walbrun laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Vhy don't you clean yours before supper? Hm?"

"Yes Father." He said, and slumped his shoulders and stomped a little upstairs to his room.

"I like your little brother." Helen chuckled and held Eddie's hand while they walked upstairs together. "Too funny sometimes!"

"Yeah.." Eddie smiled..."And he's usually a great kid. I don't know what's his deal with Mother and Father..."

"Oh Eddie, he's thirteen!" She said. "They get about that age and they get a little attitude!"

"Yeah. I guess you're right, babe." Eddie smiled and put an arm on her waist.

"You do A LOT of guessing..." Helen laughed and smiled at him.

"I guess I do." He chuckled.

Eddie showed her the upstairs. It was just composed of bedrooms. The first room when you came upstairs was Rosey's and next to that was Bert's old room. Bert's room was still set up like it was...though there was no furniture or pillows or covers on the bed. She had taken that with her. There were a few pretty pictures hanging up on the walls still. They walked out of that room, and across from it was a closed door, that was Eddie's parents room, but they didn't go in. Next to that room was another room, which was John's...and next to Bert's was Eddie's room. They went in and he showed her a lot of his things. His guns and furs, and a lot of his guns were in this large red fancy-looking wooden gun case. Looked like a huge dresser of some sort...Eddie had all sorts of Native American relics. Flint arrowheads, feathers of all sorts...there were even some Indian posters up on the walls...He also loved sports, so just about anything you could imagine, he played and had something of.

It was different being in his room, but Helen sat on his bed and tried to say something without showing she was nervous.

"You have a lot of interesting things in here."

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a barrel of interesting! I like things like guns...to things about Indians...to boxing...to the Martial Arts!" He chuckled.

Helen smiled and was quiet for a bit. But soon said something. "You parents are just wonderful. Your brother and sisters too."

"Thank you. John's a good kid...The girls are sweethearts, really...Though I don't know about Rosey sometimes, she just loves to tease!" Eddie laughed.

"I was wondering about what she said to us!" Helen said. "I mean, the most I've ever done with you is making out." She smiled a little.

"Oh, Rosey was just teasing about the Walbrun gene...When it comes to sex with us...we're always..." He began, but it was a little awkward.

"Do you...want to have sex...with me?" Helen asked him quietly.

"Well...yeah. Eventually." He smiled. "When you feel you're ready."

Helen sat on his bed and was quiet for a long time.

"I'm sorry if talking about this made you uncomfortable...I won't say anything more." Eddie began.

"No. It's not that...It's just...Eddie, I can't be ready for something I've never done before."

"True..." He said. "I guess...we just...do it when the time's right."

"Yeah." Helen smiled a little and leaned in so she was inches away from his face and her lips pressed against his. She went back and forth, kissing his top lip, and then his bottom one, turning her head and felt him do the same, while feeling his full lips on hers. He kissed the rest of her face and went to her mouth and used his tongue a little. Helen felt him grab her waist. She started breathing a little more heavily as he went back to her face and trailed down her cheek and then her neck with his lips and tongue...

"HOLY SMOKES!" They heard a voice shout out. "You always suck on a girl's face like that, Eddie?"

They immediately stopped what they were doing and snapped their heads to the door, Helen turning beat red!

"Well, do ya? Geez!"

"John...get out!" Eddie raised his voice. "Out of my room!"

"Heck no! I wanna watch!" 13 year old John grinned.

"John...Get!" Eddie said shoving his younger brother out the door.

"Can ya teach me how?"

"JOHN!" Eddie yelled.

"Mother says supper's ready...what I came for anyway. Not my fault I saw you guys..."

"Get your ass downstairs!" He said angrily.

"Shut up!" John said to his older brother and bounded down the stairs. "And you ain't supposed to cuss!" John came into the kitchen and sat down at the table, Helen and Eddie came down soon after that.

"Vhat was going on up zere?" Rosina asked. "I heard yellingk."

"John was being a pest."

"Was not!...I caught 'em swappin' spit!"

"John...you don't say such things at der supper table. Ist zere own business anyvays." His mother said.

"They should've locked the door or somethin' if they didn't wanna be..." John began.

"Zhat's enough from you, now." Mr. Walbrun told his son. "Halt den Mund." He said in German to him, meaning, "Shut up."

"Why are your parents okay with this?" Helen muttered. She was still red in the cheeks. Mrs. Walbrun noticed.

"It's okay, Helen!...It's natural thingk. Boy haz...uh...vhat ist it said? Feelings...for girlfriend...Girl ist same way to boyfriend...Zhat's normal!...Not vurry!"

Helen smiled a little, but she was still a little bit embarrassed.

"Now, come come! Zit down everyvone!...Ve eat now!" Rosina smiled, as Rosey and Bert and she were putting the last of their feast on the table.

"Ve have leg of lamb...very gute! Ah, also Frickadellen vhich is German meatballs und also ve hav spaetzle too." Spaetzle is a German flour and egg based homemade pasta.

"I love spaetzle and meatballs!" Helen smiled.

"Ja...gute!" Rosina smiled. "Mine husband does not care for lamb much, zo I make two meats instead. Very easy...Ve also hav bread und sauerkraut. You like, yes?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes." Helen nodded. "I grew up with German food...My Father's from Baden-Wurttemberg." She said as they all started eating.

"Ah, close to Bavaria, yes!" Rosina smiled. "Ve come from zere."

"My mother's parents are from Bavaria. My Grandpa told us some about their trip over to America.. It took them months to make the crossing of Germany to America. It was very rough and many were sea sick on the ship. One person died and was buried at sea...My grandparents, the Gruber's, didn't plan to stay long. Only six months to a year and then they had plans to return to Germany. They didn't though...They thought of America as wonderful, the land of milk and honey."

"Land flowing vith milk und honey, ja!" Rosina nodded. "Very good story...I remember vhen ve came over. Trip vas hard and long, like you said. Many sea sick...und some die."

"Erzahlen sie die Tomaten!" Mr. Walbrun laughed. In English it meant, "Tell her the tomato story!"

"Ah...vendors on ship vere selling tomatoes und I didn't know vhat it vas." Rosina chuckled.

"Funny story, really." Mr. Walbrun chuckled. "She called zem ...ah..."Liebe Apfel."..."love apples."

"I didn't know vhat zey vere!...Zhat's vhat I thought zey looked like...to me anyvay!" Rosina laughed and covered her face. "Und I didn't like zem much anyvay."

They talked a little more about Germany and Rosina told Helen about her mother and father, Hans and Maria Schoberl...and her brother Michael...her other brother Gilbert, who's nickname was Wolfgang.

"Ve named Bert after ihm." Rosina smiled. "He ist Catholic missionary priest in Brazil. Good man."

"That's very interesting." Helen smiled. "We're Catholic as well."

"Oh very nice!" Rosina smiled. And went on. "I also hav sister, Theresa Schoberl...and younger sister Katherine Schoberl Seldmair. She live in La Crosse, Wisconson. Has own shop for dresses."

"Dress shop, Mother. " Rosey smiled.

"Ja, dress shop...Zhat's vhat I said!" Rosina said. "Anyvay, und zen der youngest, der baby, ist John Schoberl. Ihm and wife Annie live in Colorado Springs, Colorado."

"Bert and I plan on moving to Colorado. " Paul Bardrick said. "Hoping to set up a large cattle ranch somewhere between Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells."

"Ja, but you two stay few years...Not be in such hurry!" Rosina said.

Mr. Walbrun chuckled a little and said in German, "Give us grandchild first!"

Paul laughed a little and held Bert's hand. She just smiled back at him.

"Tell another story, Mother! Please?" John asked.

"No...I sure Helen ist done vith stories now."

"No, please tell another!" Helen smiled. "I like them."

"Tell the one about you and the college girls, Mother!" Rosey giggled. "That one was hilarious!"

"Oh." Rosina laughed a little. "Vell, I worked at girls college. I vas cook zere...One day I thought to hav little fun vith girls zere...I dippped...ah...vhat ist it called? Flannel...rounds pieces flannel in pancake batter., vithout zem knowingk...Ze girls chewed and chewed and chewed! I sought zere jaws vould fall off!" She laughed as well as everyone else.

"Mother was always a bit of a trickster." Eddie laughed. "Gotta love a good sense of humor."

Suppertime was over and then they sat down to some apple strudel. After that, Helen helped them clear the plates and things.

"You very sweet girl." Rosina smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "So glad my Josef met you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Walbrun." Helen smiled. "I loved being here tonight."

"Ve be seeing a lot more of you, yes?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am...I would like that."

A/N: A lot, if not all of these little things I included in this chapter are true! Let me start and see if I can name them all...

Fred Lay gave his grandkids whiskey! Lol. In this chapter I used his nephews...but if I remember correctly, he may have even given them some as well! Always ended up with Frances getting after him for it. Lol.

Every summer, about every two or three weeks, they would gather at the Graff farm for picnics. They'd spread out a sheet and put the food on it, and they'd sit and lay around it...Fred would always bring a lot of homemade beer and wine.

For some reason, I guess Eddie never really liked kids. I don't get it.

Eddie was into guns and hunting and loved sports. He played on a football team when he was in the C.C.C in the 1930's...I think he may have been interested in Indians things, and that's why my grandfather, his son, was as well.

The little note Helen gave Eddie, was actually part of a Christmas card she gave him tears ago. :)

Helen called Eddie "Bunnie" because his nose would twitch. Lol...It was either that, or...something else. Lol...Eddie signed all of his cards he ever gave to her, "Love, Bunnie" :D

Gilbertha Walbrun was actually named Gilbertha after her Uncle Gilbert Schoberl who was a Catholic Missionary priest in Brazil...They actually called Gilbertha, Bert! :) She married Paul Ivor Bardrick...She was 5 years older than he was! Lol. :) They set up a large cattle ranch somewhere between Kit Carson and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado with the $40,000 Paul came back with from WW2...They later sold that place, and set up a dairy farm in Minnesota...Bert and Paul never had any kids of their own, but my grandpa said she was a most wonderful aunt to all of her nieces and nephews. Not much is said about Paul, though...I think there was a picture where Eddie, him, and my grandpa and some friends had caught some game or fish or something and they were all standing around with their beers. (Well, my great grandpa Eddie was!) Paul was a tall man, I remember from looking at the picture.

Uh yeah...there's this Walbrun 'gene' I guess you could say involving sex...I think you know what I mean. Lol.

All the people I desrcibed in this chapter were real. :)

Rosina Schoberl Walbrun spoke in a broken English, so I hope you caught that when reading her 'lines'...The words in italics are the actual German words...John Walbrun, her husband, spoke mostly in German, I believe. Didn't speak in English well.

The story I used about Rosina and the college girls, putting the flannel in the pancake batter and having them chew on it was true! Lol...And it's either her, or it was my great great great grandmother Franziska Gruber that didn't know what tomatoes were and called them "love apples." on their trip to America...I believe it was Rosina.

Sorry if I've forgotten something...but if you have a question, feel free to message me! :) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!