Athens, Greece

Well Greece was everything that I thought it would be. Really, really yummy food. Friendly folks. Chaotic streets. Outdoor restaurants. 5,000 years of history (!!). Beautiful, quaint islands. Laid back, low-stress lifestyle. Abundant art. Small orthodox churches on nearly every corner. Worry beads spinning in old men's hands. Cafes filled with patrons watching soccer matches. Check out the pictures above!

The Killing Season has begun!

In case some of you didn't notice, yesterday was the opening day for grouse hunting. This marks the beginning of what I affectionately refer to as "The Killing Season". It begins with grouse hunting, which turns into duck hunting, which turns into deer hunting, which turns into a 2nd round of grouse hunting in December. The Killing Season typically wraps up by Christmas. Many years ago, I decided that in order to see my husband during these 4 months, I would need to learn to hunt. Since then, I have successfully shot one grouse. Its really quite pathetic...the birds are lucky that I am holding a gun. This year something monumental will be taking place. I will be the first chica to hunt the duck opener on my uncle's hunting land near Mankato, MN. That's correct...never before has a female been invited for duck opener. I guess they don't have to worry about me shooting too many of their birds! This year, I will be introducing red wine and painted toe nails to the duck camp. I am most excited for hunting alongside my 88 year-old grandfather. He has been a duck hunter nearly all is life. Although he now needs a little help getting in the boat, he still makes it out every year and despite his poor eyesight, he shot a couple of ducks last year. I've got 2 weeks to sharpen my skills. Recently, I went out trap shooting with some of my Dad's buddies. I shot 50 rounds and probably hit 1/2 of them. Not to bad for a girl, huh?

Camping with the Christy's

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Summer has gone by in the flash. We've been able to have so many fun adventures with so many different people. I took my neice camping for the first time. It was not a huge success. We finally gave up at 1AM and drove back to my house so we could all get some sleep. We met up with Leah and Jere for some mountain biking on the CAMBA trails in Cable, WI. Lots of nice rides and great company. Most recently we went camping with Matt, Rachel, and their boys. Despite getting rained out the 2nd night, we made the most of it. The kids were great! Jace had fun fishing with Jon and Matt. Beau loved hiking with Rachel and I in his sling. Here are some pictures of the adventures.