Fish Killer!

We we're invited to spend this last weekend with our neighbor friends, Chris, Jennifer and kids at our other neighbor friends, Joe and Sue's cabin, outside Shawano, for a fun, relaxing and good time. At first we hesitated about dealing with the twins away from home but sometimes you just got say... what the heck! Let's roll with it. We had a packed car, lots of drinks and snacks and ready for the 3 1/2 hour trip up on Friday. It was worth it. Even a huge screaming meltdown by Nicky combined with a rogue rainstorm around Oshkosh pouring buckets of rain which lead to a hour stop at McDonalds play land to re-group on the way didn't deter us - Diet Coke, french fries and running around was the charm - the babies slept the rest of the car ride. The rest of the weekend, the kids slept great and the weather was perfect! Jake loved being able to fish with Dad and the twins just wanted to be in the lake all the time. Jake and Dad went canoeing (broke a paddle and Jake abandoned ship to the Floatilla in a panic which sent Dad under water - totally funny) and Mom and Sue hung out on the Floatilla drinking beers enjoying the napping twins. Lots of boat rides and blazing sun pretty much wiped everyone out.

Saturday night was the funniest event in my opinion. Around 9:30, Sue disappeared outside by the fire pit and I went to go chat with her. But she was standing on the pier. She said she heard a big fish jump and ran out there to see if she could hook it. So I decided to try too. Now, mind you, I have limited fishing knowledge except how to cast and that the worm goes on the hook. I don't touch worms or fish (euw) so my fishing pretty much ends there. But I said, "what the heck" again and threw a line with a fake worm on it into the water. It was like the 2 stooges out there since each of us had a few beers and we we're talking more than paying attention to what technique we had. I caught more weeds with that fake worm and Sue's pants once or twice. It was all comical. Then around 10:30 - BAM! - Sue starts screaming - "I got a big one! I got a big fish! Oh My God! Oh My God!" Everything moved very quickly from there out! I ran up the beach, dropped my pole, tripped on some big root and screamed the whole way! "Holy crap - Sue's got a big fish - get a flashlight - get a camera! Wake up everyone!" Everyone else was either in bed or getting into bed. All the kids (except Jake and Joe), John and Chris came down to see what she caught... it was a 25 inch Northern! Crazy! Biggest smile I have ever seen on her face! Before we got back down there, she had proceeded to drag it about 100 yards on the beach under a light to get a better look and so it wouldn't get away. Let's just say the fish looked pretty beat. Chris & Danny (Sue and Joe's oldest son) got it off the hook and began to revive it. It wasn't looking to promising and we started to call her "Fish Killer." After about 10 minutes the fish started to get it's bearings back and slowly - I emphasize - slowly swam away. We don't know if the poor fish made it but the pictures will last forever. It was hysterical. Look out Babe Winkelman!





















Overall, the weekend was a lot of fun and I'm glad we made the effort to get the babies out of the house and have some fun! Sooner or later I have to spring them from their baby jail. With the mini-vacation over, it's back to painting the shed, getting the windows and new front to the house. Work, work, work. It never stops!

Close to the finish now...

Every weekend the shed becomes a step closer to the finish and the home stretch isn't far away. This past weekend a lot got done with help from John's brother Vince. The rain didn't help on Saturday but Sunday they cranked. Some crazy humidity which makes you sweat in places that you shouldn't but the men got a lot done. We are getting close to painting and putting stuff in there - it should fill up pretty fast. That's pretty sad that it is already full but the garage will hopefully stay clean for a little while until more stuff finds it way in there. 3 kids + 3 times the crap = no room!

Coming together...

The phase of windows and doors of the Garden shed have been complete. Our friends, Jerry & Scott helped John hang the door which took some extra work to make sure it plumb and even. Looks good and the siding was put up with the help of John's brother Vince and our neighbor Dave. It is so great to have helping hands on some of the parts of the shed - it literally was built with love. We owe all of them some nice cold beer! Jake, an on-going helper, will receive his special white soda treat. He's not quite ready for the beer!















Next will be the cedar shake at the peak and the finishing caulking and other touches, then we are painting fools!

Look what I caught.

Jake found this fat toad in the new shed and he "jumped" right into rescue mode and captured it in a bucket. It was a big toad and I think he probably thought he could keep it. Not gonna happen. No toads in this house - eeee. Poor thing was probably scared out of his mind but Jake released him in the bushes to go on with his toad business catching mosquitoes (God, knows we have them bad this year after all the biblical rains) and flies, etc. Carry on Toadman! Jake loves all the wildlife stuff. Well except bees but then who like bees? Sorry bee keeper people.

Yeah, it's hot!!

Babies in diapers - nothing cuter. Except when they figure out how to take them off. It's happened and it's not pretty. Abby's such a ham.

The Leto Shed!

After I think (I've lost count) 13 years, the shed is finally becoming reality. Mostly because our garage has begun to bust at the seams with all the stuff inside of it. Thank God we have been so organized these past 14 years otherwise our cars would never make it in there!

I shouldn't really call it a shed because John is making it like a gardening shed with windows and doors he salvaged from an old plant nursery and a very steep peak. It's going to be beautiful and beneficial. Of course, Jake has been in there helping his dad as much as he can and our wonderful neighbor friends have helped John in holding up the frame, sheathing and roofing. Yours truly has helped when I could holding tresses, sheathing and filling in by mowing the lawn when the twins nap. Next is the siding then paint. I will try and post pictures of the stages as they finish. It's going to be beautiful and large. We may rent space it's so big. I kid, I kid.

We will be replacing windows and painting our house later this summer too and it will really change the look of the house quite a bit. It's been 10 years since we painted it and the windows are original (and crap for that matter :p) but for now the "gardening shed" will be the guinea pig for paint colors. Can't wait!

All of this is much overdue but as you all know, having our family came at a cost but now we can enjoy our kids and fixing up our house a bit.

John is so handy and creative, he has saved us so much money and we feel really lucky! Check back once and awhile to see how things are going!

Who's that following me?

Nicky discovered that someone was following him around and he didn't like it one bit! This went on all morning with the sun shining and I tried to get him to see his shadow but he would have nothing to do with it. Even Abby came spinning through without worry but he still didn't want to see it. It's a cute one. Let's hope it doesn't leave any permanent damage because it will be there the rest of his life and it will be hard for him to shake it. As his mom, I just laugh because it is just another classic hesitant Nicky. He is a very leery, cautious boy.



Then, Spongebob comes on and the shadow fear is gone. Spongebob rules - at least for now!



Happy 4th of July!