Gone Fishin'

When I think back to my childhood one of the things that stands out is fishing.  I loved fishing as a child and have so many fond memories of fishing with different family members.  I found a photo of the first fish I ever caught.  Me in all my fishy glory!  When I pulled the picture out of the album my mom made for me 20 some years ago she wrote on the back "Grandma Malone took Tiffani fishing for the first time.  Caught a bass - summer 1978".  I have so many wonderful memories of the times I spent with my Grandma and one of my favorites is of one of our many fishing adventures. 

I have no idea how old I was but I do remembering thinking I was an experienced fisher-woman and didn't need to listen to what grandma had to say.  We went to one of our regular fishing spots in Sabula for an afternoon.  We packed a few sandwiches and a big jug of kool-aid and off we went with our fishing gear.  I remembered seeing people using a Y shaped branch stuck into the ground to hold their fishing pole.  I decided I should do that too while I wondered around and drank kool-aid from the jug.  My grandma kept getting after me to pay attention to my poll and I continued to ignore her.  A moment later I had a bite on my poll and away my poll disappeared into the murky Sabula lake.  Definately "the one that got away..."  poll and all!  I think I saw steam coming out of my grandma's ears at that moment, she was so upset with me for not listening and letting the fish get away with her fishing poll.  Later that afternoon she found my Uncle John and he walked into the water and found the lost fishing poll about 20ft. out from the shore.  The fish had gotten away but luckily the poll was retrieved and my Grandma had a story to tell and laugh about for the remainder of her life. 

I remember going out on the Mississippi with my Grandma & Grandpa Lutz in their little fishing boat and going through the flood gates in Clinton and thinking I was hot stuff going through the big steel gates and out into the main channel...I don't even know if we were fishing or just out for a ride on the river! 

I have to say though that my favorite fishing memory happened just a few weeks ago when Eric and I took Jonner fishing for the 1st time.  We had such a wonderful day as a family at one of the little lakes on Scott AFB.  We were only out there for a little more than an hour, but it was an hour full of quality, fun & love.  We started out going to Walmart to get our bait and as Jonner was carrying it to the checkout he decided to give it a good shake and unfortunately the lid wasn't on the tub tight and dirt and worms went flying through Walmart.... oops!  In the little amount of time we were fishing the three of us caught 4 fish!   

Look at my little fisher of men with his first fish - a bluegill, summer 2011

It took awhile but he eventually decided to hold one of the fish we caught and he even threw it back into the lake.  Catch & release!

I think the highlight of Jonner's day was playing with the worms.  He's such a boy!

We let Jonner try to cast on his own and he had a blob of seaweed stuck to his hook and it kept slapping him on the back of his shirt and he was getting frustrated.  Eric and I couldn't help but laugh and Eric started to video tape him and just in the knick of time.  Eric caught him as he cast his entire poll into the lake and had a little bit of a fit.  Having been in a similar possition myself I was able to swoop in and save the poll and put a smile back on my little man's face. 

A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That

A Day Late & A Dollar Short...  I guess it's Weigh in Wednesday on a Thursday!  But I actually did weigh in yesterday, I just didn't blog about it.  Anyhoo, I've maintained my weight for the last 2 weeks.  Yay me with all the travelling and junk I've eaten.  I have no goals other than to continue to maintain until our life can slow down and we're not on the road as much.  Since E was paid today I'm no longer a dollar short (at least for a few days!).

Life on the road....  We've been making 4 day weekend trips up to Iowa/North Western Illinois to spend time with E's mom Jeanette.  She has Acute Myloid Luekemia.  U of Iowa Hospitals sent her home a few weeks ago stating there was nothing else to be done and gave her a few weeks.  She's spent the last week and a half home and surrounded by loved ones but is now in the Clinton hospital with pnemonia and fever (through the grapevine) we've heard she doesn't think she'll be back home.  We haven't actually talked to her since we want to give her time to rest but we are speaking ot family members daily on her condition.  We'll be driving up there tomorrow for the weekend.  E is having a hard time with it and not sleeping well, I have my tearful moments thinking about all the time I've spent with her and all the great recipes she's shared wiht me over the years.  J doesn't have a clue other than grandma is in the hospital and sick.  He continues to pray that she feels better and we try to re-direct that she's comfortable and with loved ones.  I'm so sad that he's too young to remember her.  I know she loves him so much and when he's being his goofy self she's said to him "your dutch".  To this day I have no idea what that means but it really warms my heart because it's something my grandma Malone used to say to me as a kid.  As an adult she loved to tease me about how I would pout and say "I am Not!"  I'm glad his grandma could tie me to my grandma. 

Last weekend was a good weekend with her.  The entire family was together in their house for a wonderful steak & shrimp dinner with loaded sides.  A Christmas in August with the best gift of being together as a family.  E's sister J arranged to have someone come in and take family photos.  Instead of all of us going into the formal living room (you know the one that no one is allowed in) where everyone would have fit we decided to pile into the den....the place where we always gathered as a family.  It was a really good day with family, fun, laughter & a few rowdy games of dice....family the way it's intended! 

Here are some of the pictures:  Grandma & Grandpa with the Grands

G & G with the kids & spouses

The entire gang

The Smith's with The Smith's

With all of this travelling Jonner hasn't been doing too well.  A few weeks ago he woke up vomiting and later that day it turned to diahrea.  Poor kid was sick almost every day.  Originally we thought he had a bug but after a trip to the doctor we were figured out it's gastrotitis.  Nothing contagious and not caused by all the travelling.  Last night was our 1st barf free night in 10 days and today was diahrea free!  Yay!!!  The poor kid was put on a beige diet, but hey if it works I'll spoon feed him applesauce & toast for weeks until his irritated intestines are back to normal. 

Lately we've had several people asking us about the adoption.  Sadly we really don't have anything to share, we're still in waiting.

  Continued prayers are appreciated.