"Watch Out! I'm Going to Cast!"

We had some friends over last Thursday with a night of fishing in mind. Right after they got to our house, the guys left to check out a fishing spot. When they got back with word that the fish weren’t biting there and they were going to a lake with a promised supply of fish. They invited anyone who wanted to go and so us three girls (Gabrielle, Stephanie, and I) went with (we are slightly the fisher-woman types :)).

We get to the lake, the guys take the best spot, so us girls find some other place to fish. We get set up (grossing out at the worms on our hooks ) and cast out. Oh, somebody’s bobber just disappeared! After a series of jerks, reeling, and squealing, the line is wound back up and we look earnestly for the fish on the hook. Aw, it’s just a piece of seaweed (or is it called lake weed in our case?).

Okay cast back out; making sure you don’t hook yourself or anyone next to you. Or that you don’t fall in the lake while you’re casting (and there were a few close calls to both of those precautions! ;)). I hooked Gabrielle’s shirt sleeve!!! And once she came close to falling in the lake when she cast!

Despite our novice beginnings we caught a few fish between us girls although none of them were big enough to keep. But we enjoyed the scenery; setting sun, fog slowly drifting over the water, fish jumping at the bugs, and sounds of the warbling of bull frogs. It was quite peaceful and we had a nice time.

In fact, everyone had such a good time that we want to do it again. I just hope that none of us really hook each other or fall into the snapping turtle infested lake next time :D!!

More Gabe Pictures

Okay, for all of you (Britt included ;P) who have wanted to see more pictures of Gabe, here they are. Everytime I see him I take advantage of the opportunity to use the camera. :)

Need I say that he missed the ball? :) ^

Pictures

Okay here they are. Sorry for the delay. I've been extremely busy this last weekend and didn't even have time to be online. So enjoy the pictures and little story! :D

Gabe's plane was scheduled to come in at 7:30 Friday evening, so we left at an hour safe enough to stop at the zoo for a little while. We got to the zoo and found out they had closed about ten minutes before we had gotten there. Well then lets go see what the amusement park has. We drove around the corner and stopped in front of the park and went in to see what was going on. We weren't in there for more than 20 minutes just looking around and not seeing anything interesting enough to ride, we went back to the van. Everybody piled in and Dad turned the key, the engine tried to turn, but something wasn't kicking in. We all looked at each other with bewildered looks; our great van was turning on us!!! And of all places to break down (60+ miles from home!)!! After waiting ten minutes or more, Dad tried the key again. No luck. Just then, a family was walking past the van, on their way out of the park. They stopped and tried to help. We were quite amazed (this was in the Twin Cities) but we welcomed they're help.

Here it turns out that these people are from Kenya, Africa, and they are Christians!! We exchanged names and they took Dad to a gas station to buy some starting fluid to see if that would work. They tried it and the van started but it was only running on the fluid and then shutting off after they stopped spraying it. It was then that we realized it was the fuel pump that wasn't working.

In the meantime we had gotten a call from Britt saying that we were aunts, uncles, and grandparents for the third time! We all were thrilled and couldn't wait to get out of this predicament so we could make plans to go down and see him. :P

We had been calling around to our friends to see if they knew anyone that lived in the Cities and knew about mechanics and such. Someone gave us a number for someone who would help us atleast get us to the airport to get Gabe.

We got a hold of them and they said they would be happy to help and would be right over. We figured out who would go and who would stay and then left with this couple (Alan and Joan). We got to the airport right on time with Gabe's flight and we met him right by the baggage carousel.

Oh, it was soooooo good to see him! We at first didn't recognize him (his back was turned and he looked like the other soldier next to him).

Until we got right in front of him did we realize who it was! Sorry about the bad lighting :(.

After retreiving his belongings, we headed back. Dad called us on the cell phone and said that he had got the van going (something about pounding a hammer on the gas tank while turning the key) and to come straight back to the park!

We made it safely home, and stayed up a few hours talking, watching a dvd of the boot camp, and talking some more :D. So that was our night. I hope we don't have any more of that kind of excitement for a little while! :)

He's Home!

I guess I should let you all know that Gabe made it safely home last night! ;) I'll get a real post up with pictures and all as soon as I can! So stay tuned!! :)

Slight Change of Plans

Gabe called us last night and he told us that he would be coming in tomorrow night!!! All the better I say! :D