Memorial Weekend

Last weekend we had a plan to go camping at Ben's aunt and uncle's house up in Springbrook,WI (close to Hayward). We were going to leave Saturday afternoon and return Monday afternoon. Well the weekend didn't go quite as planned. It all started at 5:00 Saturday morning with Connor throwing up a couple of times. Then later in the morning he also got the diarrhea. He was acting fine and didn't have a temperature so we didn't change our plans. We packed during the afternoon and then we were just waiting until 5:00 when Sarah, Dane's girlfriend, got off of work so we could all ride together. At about 1:00 Sarah called Dane and told him that her car had got stolen at work! Bummer. So she decided she wasn't going to go with. So Dane came over and we were on the way. Normally, a drive to Springbrook would take a little less than 2 hours and shouldn't need any stops. However, since Connor had the runs, we had to stop at least 3 times. And it really sucks when you encounter a gas station that doesn't have a changing table in the bathroom so you end up changing the poor kids yucky diaper in the van. Yuck! We finally got there and had some time to have fun. There were so many kids and dogs for Connor to play with, he did have a blast. Especially on the 4wheelers. He had to test out every single one of them. Grandma Sandy took him for a horseback ride and he thought he was the coolest boy in the world, and then she also took him for a ride on the 4 wheeler. Then it came time for bed, he fell asleep in my arms in the rocking chair and we moved him into the tent. All was going well until he woke up screaming because he had to poop but didn't want to do it in the tent. So out of the tent we went, waking up everybody else in their tents. Now this poor kid has had so many BM's in the last 24 hours that his butt is just raw and we forgot diaper cream, or as the kids would all call it, Butt cream. I don't think any of us got any sleep that night, except Dane, who was passed out in our tent and slept through all the screaming. Finally morning came and we were going to stay all day and night again, but then around noon the rain came and the storm came, and we just decided it was enough. We packed up and left and stopped at Wal Mart on the way home to get some Butt Cream. All in all, the weekend wasn't too bad and Connor was fine the next day with the help of some Butt Cream.

Birthdays

So Friday was my birthday and all I was hoping for was Ben to tell me "Happy Birthday." Well this year I actually got a birthday present too. Ben got me a fishing pole for my birthday as well as the yellow shirt I have on in the first picture. So Friday night we went down to the river in Osceola to try out my new fishing pole and give Connor a chance to actually use his outside in the water. It was a lot of fun, and a good birthday. Today was Ben's birthday and Connor and I got him a bike and a helmet for his present. He wasn't too excited and doesn't think he needs to wear a helmet, but I am very excited to go riding bike (my parents got me a bike for my birthday too). But I can tell from our gifts that Ben bought me a fishing pole hoping I would join him in one of his pasttimes and I got Ben a bike hoping he would join me in something I really like to do. So we both kind of got presents that would benefit ourselves as well. But it was just one way to find more ways to spend time together.

Where's Waldo (aka Ben)?

Well the season of the tree work is off to a start as well. These pictures are from the second tree job that Ben decided to do and it was a lot of work. I even got to help. It is really amazing to watch him climb up in the tree and calculate where to cut the branch so it will land in the exact spot he wanted. He is truly talented at it which calms my fears of him falling out of the tree. I know he is very careful and wouldn't do a job if it was too dangerous. Connor loves to watch his daddy climb the tree and see the tree fall down. He has his own toy chainsaw that he takes with to the tree jobs and he "helps" daddy cut down the trees too. He'll do anything to be like his daddy, it's so sweet.

Carpin'

Well it has officially started, the season of the carp fishing. I have yet to understand the fun in fishing for something you are going to just throw away, but Ben and his friends seem to think it is a great pasttime. This year they have found a spot to go to where they shot 600 carp in four hours. Filled up two 5 yard manure spreaders and the farmer used them for fertilizer. He says that carp are harmful to a lakes ecosystem. When they eat, carp suck in a bunch of mud or sand off the bottom, then they spit it out and digest all of the food that remains. Spitting it out makes the water cloudy and blocks out the suns rays, plants need the sun to grow so they can provide oxygen for the lake. (The first 3 sentences of this blog were written by Nicole, then Ben stuck in the last half).

fun friday

Friday I didn't have to work, so Connor and I got to spend the whole day together. However, we ended up having a pretty busy, but fun day. It started off with a doctor's appointment for me right away at 8:00 in the morning. All went well at the apt. we'll just have to wait for the results to come back. Then we got back home and had some breakfast (that's when these pictures were taken.) After breakfast we went to look at a house that Ben's dad is interested in buying, and then we headed to Ben's aunts house to visit with her for the afternoon.


We had a lot of fun visiting with Monica. Connor loved the orange yogurt she gave him. He was very serious as he ate it and tried to get all the yogurt out of the container, which is even hard for me to do, but he was determined. Connor wasn't too excited about the fortune cookie he tried, he had more fun looking through the hole at Monica while she talked in funny voices back to him. Lots of laughs and stories were passed and then it was time for us to go so Connor could still get a nap in before bed time. Thanks Monica, Feel free to come visit us anytime as well!

Is it done yet??

In December we started our big project on the house, finishing the basement. Since we moved in, I have been waiting for the day that the basement would be finished and we would have more living space. Ben kept telling me that we had to wait until the winter to start it, and then after hunting season as well. Then the time finally came when we could start it. Here are some pictures of the work in progress, and of course, Connor helping out as much as he could.






Yesterday we finally were able to stain the cabinets for the office and get them hung and in place, they still aren't completly finished, but at least we have a spot to put the computer now. Once the carpet was finally put it, we were able to move our bedroom furniture downstairs. Our bedroom is pretty much finished, just some trim in the bathroom needs to be put up, and if you can see in the picture, we still need to do something with the stripper pole! Our family room downstairs has become the new hang out for us. We are always downstairs now, it is so nice to have space in the house that is carpeted.

Family Pictures

Here are our Christmas pictures. Since I don't take Connor to get his pictures taken, we try to take our own pictures. It was about a week before Christmas when I decided we better get some Christmas pictures taken and sent out. This was a Saturday morning and it was about zero degrees outside. Connor was very mad that we made him go outside without his jacket on. So in between pictures we had a blanket and covered him up. I was really surprised to see how well the pictures actually turned out. You can see in the family picture that Connor used his "fake & cheesy" smile for us, but it is still pretty cute.

These are some pictures of Connor playing outside with me and one of Connor's first ice fishing trip with daddy.

And a couple of Daddy and Connor up at the cabin doing their work, and one of daddy and Connor while watching a packers game.

Connor and I had some fun this year with our Easter eggs. We made and colored the Easter eggs on Friday night, and then Saturday we dropped one on the floor, so I thought Connor might want to see what the egg looked like inside so I squished it open for him and he got to feel it, then we had to squish open the rest of the eggs and play with them. We sat there for a few hours playing with the squished eggs, he loved it, but my house smelled like rotten eggs for the rest of the weekend. The other picture is of Uncle Dane's new puppy Cooper.