Fishing at the lake

I am going to do a bunch of posts today, hopefully get caught up with the pictures I've been promising you!

First post is about the day we spent at the lake two Saturdays ago. We were there for nearly 9 hours, and these are my favorite pics.

Andrew really enjoyed fishing this day...probably had something to do with the fact that he actually caught 3 fish this day, he was VERY excited! This is the biggest fish we caught this day, the rest of them were very tiny. Small, but still made for a fun day. (we did release all the fish...none for dinner!)

Bethany and Abbigail quickly lost patience with fishing. They made their own fun. Playing in the water, going for walks, laying on a quilt in the shade (this is where I was most of the afternoon!).

Our lake is very beautiful. This is one of the "springs" across the highway from the main lake. This is where we caught our fish (and where I believe I caught the poison ivy! ICK!) Beautiful. (that is Andrew's red fishing pole sticking up in the middle of my scenic picture!)

There was painting in the morning at the kids' activities. Most of Bethany's wore off during the day, but Abbigail's stayed. This is how the girls looked about 2 minutes after we left the lake. SLEEPY gals! Andrew never gave up, though!

More lake pics...my new favorite!

I told you I had some cool pics from the lake from the other night. First of all, the picture of Warren and his first fish of the year. It may look small, but for a croppy, it's pretty good sized (that's what he says anyway! ;o))
The kids weren't too into fishing this night, instead Bethany started collecting rocks. Abbigail and Andrew soon joined her. This is the "rocket" they made out of their rocks.I got a crazy idea to take their picture as they looked out at the water, I think it turned out pretty cool. I took a bunch of pictures, some into the sun, and others at an angle. Which do you like better? Now, if anyone knows how to change the header on these blog things to include a picture...help me out! :o)
Besides collecting rocks, the kids also had a good time just climbing around on the rocks. No snakes came out to greet them like they did last week...now that was good times! Out of my three children, which do you think ran off SCREAMING..."SNAKE, SNAKE!!" Yep, Andrew. The girls just stood there, and backed away slowly. Not Andrew...I think they could here him screaming all the way back in town. Good thing they were just little baby garder snakes.
I am so glad we do this as a family...this is what memories are made of!

Long awaited Lake Pictures!

I've been promising pictures from the lake for quite a while...today I'm delivering! Gotta love this new laptop that I can bring in the living room and post while still supervising the kiddos.
First we have pics of the lake...such a beautiful setting. Can you believe this is in the middle of Kansas? It's so amazing to drive the 10 miles, it goes from flat farm land, and as you go around a curve in the road, suddenly it becomes very hilly and rocky...just down the road is this beautiful lake. Yes, it is a man-made lake with a damn, but still! This is the day Andrew lost his pole. He was feeling a bit 'down' after the incident! He cuddled up in our blanket until supper was ready. We enjoyed a yummy dinner, then SMORES! No, Bethany doesn't usually wear make-up, this was the same day as her dance pictures! :o)
We went to the lake again last night , but went to the other side...different perspective! Hubby caught a fish in the first 5 minutes, but nothing else for the rest of the evening. We gave it to another couple there fishing because hubby doesn't think it's worth it to clean just one fish, not enough to eat anyway! I got some awesome pics last night, can't wait to get them loaded!! So, I guess you'll have to wait for more pictures, but haven't you had enough for one day??? ;o)

The Lake...

I'm too tired to do a full recap of the lake adventure last night...so here's the shortened version...

We arrived.
I started getting dinner ready while Hubby and the kids started fishing.
ANDREW donated his fishing pole to the bottom of the lake.
Many tears were shed.
Supper was eaten.
Smores were devoured.
We came home and went to bed.

A better recap, stories, and great pics coming when I can think strait...it's been another great day, but I'm exhausted! This nice weather is great, but I don't sit down much, too much sunshine to enjoy! :o) Tomorrow it might rain, so I'll hopefully be able to blog a little more! :o)

Going to the Lake...

There have been some questions as to our weather, and going to the lake. Well, outside right now it is 72 beautiful, sunny degrees. When I say we are going to the lake, I don't mean we are going swimming or boating! We enjoy standing on the shore or a dock and throwing in a fishing line (or pole in Bethany's case)...grilling out, running around the quiet lakeside...making it not so quiet! We enjoy listening to the birds, counting the rabbits we see, watching for deer...lots of fun stuff to do. Some days during the summer, we do go swimming in the beach area, but most evenings we just enjoy the beautiful scenery. It is so amazing to look at the surroundings and realize we are in the plains, but the area surrounding the lake does not look very flat. There are bluffs, cliffs, valleys...it is beautiful! If we get out there early enough, I will take lots of pictures!

Hubby is on his way home from a meeting that was 2 1/2 hours away, and he's still about an hour away right now. I'm trying to get everything ready to go. By the 4th or 5th time we go each year, I have all my stuff for the lake all together and it's just a matter of putting it in the car. However, since this is our first trip, I have to locate everything that has been put away since the fall. Hopefully I'll have it all ready by the time hubby gets home and he can just change clothes and we can hop in the car and be off!

Lake...here we come!

Just in case you are curious...here are some pics I took the last time we were at the lake in October...

What are we doing???

If you've asked that question, here are the answers!

Our furnace and AC were torn out on Monday, just in time for the coldest night of the year! No heat...but we didn't freeze! It's now Wednesday and they are still working on getting the new one in and hooked up. I can smell some kind of glue coming up from downstairs. The men told me they put out the pilot lite on the water heater so that they don't explode down there...I just hope they all make it out alive! :o) Thankfully it has not been too hot or cold, and we have not needed the AC or heat. Hopefully they will finish today. 95% efficient...those bills should be lower this year! The heater and AC that were in this house have been here since the house was built in 78...29 year old stuff is not very efficient...very high heating and cooling bills even though we keep our temps very warm in the summer and cool in the winter. I can't wait to feel WARM this winter!

I took all three of the kids to the dentist yesterday, me too! The hygienist said that my teeth were the best she'd seen all day, very little deposits! If you knew me as a child, this is a miracle! Every time I went to the dentist I had at least one or two or three cavities. I HATED going to the dentist because of the inevitable fillings that would follow. Bethany and Andrew also had wonderful check-ups...unfortunately Abbigail has her first cavity. Right between two of her back teeth. She will have to have a cap put on the tooth. :o( She's very scared about it...and I can't blame her. Warren has offered to take her so that I can stay home and do the running with all the other kids...but I want to be there to hold her hand. Poor baby. She gets it fixed on Nov 5, so please keep her in your prayers that day.

We went to the lake last night to enjoy a beautiful evening. By the time we finished with the dentist and had supper, we only had about 1 1/2 hours to enjoy, but enjoy we did!

Abbie got a nibble and almost got the fish in, but it got off the hook, she was disappointed. For some reason, that girl has all the luck when it comes to fishing! She and her brother had the exact same bait on their hooks, everything was the same, but she always gets the nibbles and catches, he has only caught one or two. It was fun to spend some time with no TV, computer, or other distractions. Just fun with the family. Bethany throws out her "fish" and reels it in so excitedly..."I caught a fish! I caught a fish!" We're trying to teach them all that a secret to fishing is to whisper only...no talking loudly...so her whisper "I CAUGHT A FISH!" is so adorable! She's just a card.
The lake we go to is surrounded by these beautiful cliffs and hills...in WESTERN KANSAS! No, it's not ALL flat! We love just watching the sun set, counting the rabbits, looking for an owl in his hole, and enjoying our time together. We finally gave up and came home when we could no longer see the bobbers floating out there.

I'll try to remember to take pictures next time before it gets this dark!! :-)

What a week!

First of all I want to thank you for your prayers. Both Andrew and Dad are doing better. Dad's recovery will be a long process, but he's moving in the right direction.

One of our favorite family activities is going out to the lake. There is a state park about 10 miles from our town, small, but lovely. We like to take our little grill and do hot dogs, hamburgers, or brats. My husband and Abbie love to fish! (Just ask her who catches more fish...SHE does!!!) Yesterday the weather was beautiful, so we decided it was a good evening for fishing. While daddy and Abbigail are off trying to "feed" the fish, Bethany and Andrew play while I get supper ready. They were having so much fun just being kids. Andrew picked up a stick to practice his Jedi training (anyone else have Star War fans at their house??) and Bethany just ran around non-stop! Eventually she stuck her hand in the fire ring (we weren't using it...she didn't get burned!) to touch the ashes and coals left from someone else's fire. She didn't realize that she had black on her hands and she wiped it on her face...I guess she's exploring her Native American heritage! Another family we know from town came as we were finishing our dinner, so the kids all played together while I cleaned up. It is such a good time to just get away for a little bit. No TV, no computer, no cell phones (REALLY! There is no service out there!). Just quiet (for the most part!!) We always enjoy it a lot!
Today was a busy morning. Andrew's school had it's "Spring Program" at 10:00. They did a little play called "Upside down Frowns and Splashes of Joy." It was really cute. It was about how we can take simple everyday things and remind people that Jesus loves them...and that turns their frowns upside down! After the play, they recited all of their memory verses and their songs for the entire year. They learned a Bible verse and song to go along with each of the fruits of the Spirit. Boy do those little kids have a great memory! And to watch as 15 little kids try to stay together singing and reciting...PRECIOUS!

As soon as the program was over, daddy stayed with Andrew and Bethany for cookies and artwork, while I ran to Abbigail's school for the 1st Grade Mother's Day Lunch. I was a bit late and of course she was worrying...even though I told her that I would be late, but that I would be there! We went to the gym so they could show us a dance they had been practicing. Abbigail grabbed a boy's hand, and he looked mortified. Poor kid. She just kept dancing and dancing...it was so funny. Someone needs to tell that girl that boys are supposed to lead. :-) Then we had lunch and I read her class a book while her teacher tried to find some of the kids. Apparently we took too long to eat (talked too much I guess!) The kids usually go outside for recess right after lunch, but by the time we were done, the 2nd grade was already out on the playground, so she told us to go back to the classroom, but some of the kids had already gone outside. So I got to play teacher with the ones in the classroom while she went to find the ones outside. Boy do I miss teaching!!! I don't want my kids to grow up too fast, but I can't wait to get back to the classroom myself. Thanks Abbigail for a wonderful lunch. Thank you Andrew for a great play. Thank you Bethany for the extra hugs. Thank you, all three of you, for loving me and making me smile!