Big Snow in Chicago

The snow hit Illinois on Wednesday - it looks like more than we have in MN.  Luke says Sota loves playing in the snow.  Sota is not a puppy anymore!

Sota

Christmas and Sledding on New Years Day

We had a wonderful Christmas - all three of them!  Sunday the 23rd in New Richmond (sorry, we forgot the camera), the 24th and 25th just the two of us (so relaxing!) and Saturday the 29th with the kids and grandkids (totally awesome).  My wish for everyone next year - to enjoy three fabulous Christmases like we did in 2012.

Jack, Parker, Dan and Dave went sledding on New Years Day (I was the camerawoman).  It was chilly -  brrrrrrrrr. The movie is awesome - listen to Dan and Parker (which one of them hollers Ya Hoo at the end???) and followed by Jack and Dave (with someone telling everyone to "get out of the way").

Total. Holiday. Awesomeness. 

Enjoy.

Parker is fearless.  So is Dave.  A perfect match  :-)

Check out this video of sliding down the St. Olaf hill.  Such fun!!

Dave, Jack and Parker went to get the tree.  Dave picked one, Jack picked one.  Parker looked at both and picked Jack's tree.  Our best tree ever.

Oh the weather outside is frightful.....

Thumbs up!  Let's hit this hill!

Can you tell who this is?  We recognize the smile!  It's Jack!

Pictures

Thanksgiving in Wisconsin at the Deerfield

4 Generations

Sota!

Here is a picture of Luke's adorable golden retriever pup, Sota. What a cutie!

Happy Halloween!

The kids were adorable in their halloween costumes.  Dan, Nicole and the kids joined friends in their more populated neighborhood.  A good time was had by all - Jack the spider, Parker the dinosaur and Reece the batman.  Nicole made Jack's spider outfit - awesome!

Say "Trick or Treat"

Tommy (Jack's friend), Jack and Parker

 

Jack got a turkey!

Jack and Dan went out this morning for Jack's first turkey hunt.  Less than an hour later, Jack had his bird.  His first shot hit his target!  His aim was perfect - but next time he will tuck the gun a little tighter into his shoulder.  Enjoy the pictures!

Jack goes hunting

Jack's first hunting adventure started this morning!  Dan and Jack headed to the meadow to look for turkey.  Good luck Jack!

Our Pumpkin Patch

We had a great crop of pumpkins this year.  We planted a lot more than last year and perhaps a little too close together as it was hard to get in the rows and "scar" them like I usually do.  I was able to do some for the kids, but Jack's pumpkin was chewed up by moles/voles/chipmunks/mice/squirrels. We share the garden 50/50 with the critters. 

This is about half of the pumpkins we got from the garden. Dave brought a lot of pumpkins to decorate the LTC at the hospital and I gave pumpkins to all my co-workers kids.  Dan, Nicole and the kids got a bunch, we gave a bunch to the Johnson's, and Dave will give the rest to his co-workers for their kids.  Any leftovers and the chickens get them.

Pictures from Dan's game camera in the valley

Dan has his game camera set up in the valley to scout for the big one.  Here are two pictures from September.  Check out the velvet on the second picture.

Another out of order post - Our cookout at LTC

We volunteered to cook the meat for the Long Term Care Center at Northfield Hospital for their annual family picnic.  This is the fourth year that we've done it and we plan to do it forever, or until we burn the meat and they kick us out.  The first two years were burgers and brats and the last two have been marinated pork loins.  Each loin weighed 5 - 6 pounds each and we did just over 60 pounds.  Dave brings our big grill and it takes 2 shifts.  We smoke with apple wood chips and cook the meat to 135-140 degrees and tell the kitchen (they carve) what time to slice it (so it can rest).  It turned out so well last year that we put in an order for pork loins too!

Out of Order - our trip to the State Fair - a photo gallery of what we ate!

We go to the State Fair for the food...

deep fried sweet potato fritters with cream cheese "dip". Yum.

Reece's first state fair!

Poutine - french fries with white cheese curds covered in gravy.  No bad, but the gravy tasted like KFC

We shared all the food - everyone got a taste of everything.  Some things were tougher to share than others....

Look natural, I said

London Broil monster sandwich

We can't remember what food this was.  But we ate it and it was good.

Breakfast sliders.  The best deal at the fair.

The highlight of our state fair visit every year.  Deep fried pepperocini, a leinie's beer from the Leinie Lodge, and an adirondack chair to listen to the performers at the bandshell.

Reece stuck with milk for his first SF trip

Movie taken of the Big Slide

breakfast

Dave and Dan go bear hunting in the BWCA

Dave and Dan went hunting for bear in the boundary waters.  They went in outside of Ely, snowbank lake.  They portaged over to Disappointment Lake (7/10ths of a mile, done 3 times) with 400 pounds of gear.  Canoed to the north end of Disappointment lake and camped there.  Beautiful camp site and they were there for 4 days, hunting and fishing.  Didn't see any bears, but saw a wolf and lots of grouse. Dave says he will definately go there again, but not to bear hunt. 

Dan in tree stand