I Love Fishing!

I don't think I have ever had the opportunity to say how much I LOVE FISHING!  Now, I know I currently live in Alaska.  Apparently it is the greatest place to fish.  I beg to differ. 

If you have ever fished a Missouri stream, lake or pond, I guarantee that you will understand why they are the best places to fish.  Ever.  There is a peacefulness in fishing.  The breeze bringing the sounds of nature as you sit quietly, your senses open wide and awake.   My Papa's friend has a large lake in the country that we have fished over the years.  Early on Father's Day, I got to go with the "boys" to go fishing.  Really, I just told them I was going too.  I'm just that way.  You should know that by now.

Anyway, my Dad, my Papa, my four kids and our cousin packed up and off we went.  Some went in the boat, some fished the dock.  I stayed on the dock (that is where the fish were).  The moment our worms hit the water, fish were biting!  I was the bait and fish girl.  I don't mind.  I cast out lines, baited hooks and removed caught fish to the stringers.  Between my Papa and myself, we were not without something to do.  I only had time to snap a couple of shots during fishing time (which required me to clean my camera after we finished due to fish guts). 

 

Here Av is getting fishing tips from his great grandpa.  We all learned from Papa.  

 

Baby O's first fishing trip!  She caught the first fish.  (I caught the biggest one.)

This is the only picture I was able to get of someone's fish on the line.  The rest of the time I was a busy girl!

 

 Baby O loved to fish with her Poppy.  My Dad was so patient with her wild beginner casts.  She did not hook a single person. 

 

 

 

 

All the kids packing it up and heading out.  We caught a good mess of fish.  Fried them up a couple of nights later and filled our bellies.  Large mouth bass, blue gill and sun perch make for a wonderful feast! 

Everyone wanted a picture with the fish. 

 

 

 

 

We also had a rule... You catch it, you kiss it.  We almost had Baby O convinced that if you kissed your worm before you cast it out, it would be lucky and catch you a big fish.  She wouldn't buy it.   

The stringer was too heavy for her to lift, so Isaak helped hold it up.

 

 

Isaak almost got close enough to kiss that fish. 

 

 

I always kiss my fish.  Probably why I am a successful fisher-woman.  Probably not, but that is the story I'm sticking with.   

The crew...

I love watching the kids discover and explore the natural spaces around them as well.  Little E and Baby O spent a great deal of time figuring out the floating wood pieces that were washed ashore from recent floods. 

A perfect end to a successful trip... a prairie field full of purple cone flowers.

Father's Day Races

Happy Father's Day! For Father's Day we did 5k and one mile races as a family. Here is our "before" picture.

Here is Little E running his heart out. He came in third for the kids one mile!

Baby O did the 100 meter dash. She was the last race of the morning and was just about done. She cried the whole 100 meters! It was so pitiful. She made it through.

Isaak placed 1st for his age division in the 5k. He is so too cool these days.

Av took 1st overall in the one mile.

Little E took 3rd in the one mile.

Baby O finished and was not happy about running at all. However, she did wear her medal around all day long and insisted on wearing it to pick up pizza as well. Ellis won a door prize of a gift card to the BEST pizza place in Jeff City!

 

Here we are after all the races. I believe Isaak is looking toward the future. The other kids are just crazy faces. Brad and I are just relieved that we didn't collapse on the road and are still able to walk.

Finally we had to make our pitiful faces like baby O did during her race. Looks like Isaak and Av aren't that pitiful.

Tomorrow, fishing!!!!!! Bought my license today. Can't wait.

 

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CAMP TIME

Does anyone remember their summer camp experiences? This week all the kids attended some kind of summer camp. Isaak attended the University of Missouri wrestling camp. Being that he is 13, his level of interest when we talked to him on the phone, was minimal. He stayed in the dorms on campus and ate in the cafeteria. A regular college experience to some degree. I was jealous. I wanted to stay on campus all week too. I love college campuses, don't you? I feel so scholarly when I am there. I especially love Mizzou. It is such a beautiful campus. Sorry, I babble.

Av went to science camp this week. It was an ocean biology focus. On the first day when we took him he said it sounded just like school. Classes, bring a lunch, etc. When we picked him up the first day he said it was not like school at all. He enjoyed it very much.

Little E an baby O had camp with me and my mom. Each day had a theme. Play day, museum day, science day, art day, etc. We have been to art, archeology, anthropology, and veternary medicine museums. We have played at all the area public parks. And we have made art related to all our experiences. FUN! I know my mom and I have had a blast. Seems like the kids are enjoying it as well. I only have pics from this camp as I was not at the others.

Here are the kids running to climb up on the columns on the Mizzou campus where we visited art, archeology, and anthropology museums.

 

Science exploration day. We found tadpoles, dragonfly nymphs, exoskeletons, tiny frogs and slugs.

Museum of Veterinary medicine. Little E is totally in his element.

 

We are all going to run 5k and 1 mile races this weekend, even baby O. Then a bunch of fishing and golf for Father's Day. We will get to spend next week with my brother and his family, go to a Cardinals game, and all he girls are going to the Queen's High Tea. I can't wait!

 

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Turtles, Strawberries, Frog legs, and Camp

Summer in Missouri. Finally arrived. We took longer to drive this year. Mostly to give Brad a break in driving. I did my share of driving the "beast" too. I drive the long straight stretches, preferably when there is little wind. We arrived to beautiful mid-70's weather, blue sky, and relaxation. Here is what we have been doing so far....

The turtle migration is in full force...

Sling shots were found...

Poppy disposed of a black snake that was getting into the garden...

We picked strawberries and talked to the chickens at Uncle Chucks farm...

 

 

Granny and baby O put the fairy garden out. So many interesting bugs were in the garden...

 

Russleville had their annual Frog leg Festival and Tractor Show. E and O ate frog legs with Poppy. Always so much fun! Now the kids want horses...

We took Isaak to University of Missouri yesterday for a week long wrestling camp.

Av started science camp today.

Little E and baby O started camp with mom and granny. Today we visited all the Jefferson City public parks and had a picnic.

 

 

 

Tomorrow, more camps. Brad is working on his golf game. And I am soaking up the heat!

Till the next adventure.......

 

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I Did It

I have successfully posted to my blog via the iPad. Whew! Two weeks till summer vacation!

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Brave New World

I have once again moved out of my comfort zone and am attempting to learn new technology. With our summer vacation quickly approaching, I find yield needing to familiarize myself with blogging on my iPad. This requires an app of course. So here I am trying to learn how to use it. Hang in there with me. This is a trial post.

 

Ok, posting pictures was easier than I thought. Adding this text seems to be manageable too. Now let's see how it looks published.

 

So now I am trying to post and have hit my wall.

 

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Let's Go Fly a Kite!

While Brad and the big boys were in Anchorage at a wrestling tournament, we were home battling more Spring wind.  Yes, the wind helps rid us of the snow and dries out the ground.  But, it also stops some of us from going outside.  Little E said he couldn't stand it anymore and HAD to go outside.  Well, what could I say to that?  

Out we went, kite in hand.  Need I say more?......

Apparently, kite flying is a sport that requires eye protection.

Whose kid is this?  Yes, she very much dresses herself.  As she is the last child, I just don't have it in me to argue.