Tiger Cub

We made the leap to Cub Scouting this year .







We will have lots of fun, adventure, and activities with our den and pack. But there's more to it than that.Today being a Tiger Cub Scout means we (not just our first grader, the whole family) are members of a worldwide youth movement that stands for certain values and beliefs.

Cub Scouting is more than something to do. It seems to be all about the boy’s they are today and the person they will become.

Last night we had our first pack meeting.The boys had to dress in their class A uniforms. They all looked like such little gentlemen standing there saluting the flag. Truth be told I love a guy in uniform.

Let me tell you this first grader is the most handsome I have seen yet!

Boy I'm in trouble!

I'm sure you will hear more from this handsome first grader. He will tell you all about all the fun he has had and his upcoming adventures.

He will even ask you to support his pack with large pop corn purchase.

Stay tuned for more Tiger Cub Tails.

The Ants go marching one by one.

Have you ever observed ants one by one in action as they work to create such unique fascinating tunnels?


Well on our kitchen table we have ants doing just that!

You might be thinking that is just not normal ...
Well welcome to Our Home !

My son received the most interesting gift,a new age ant farm!

He received this gift about a month or so ago. We even had to mail order the ants for this funny little farm. Every day my son went to the mail box to see if the ants had arrived,to him it felt likes months. Finally we received the ants we all we very excited. They sent us about thirteen or so red fire ants .We placed them in the blue gel habitat and they were off to work.

I have to say my son thinks this is very neat.He looks each morning to see how hard his ants worked threw the night.He is now the most popular kid in the first grade.He brought his ants to school for show and tell last week this was a great hit!His class just finished up with a lesson about how hard ants work together as a team.

Even the Orkin bug guy thought it was neat.

I have found that the adults and teenager in our family and the adults at school find these hard working ants just as fascinating as all of the seven year old little kid’s.

Evey kid and recycled kid or teenager should have one of these, it truly is that neat.

Thanks Ralph & Char .This has been another great adventure in our home!

ManyYears Ago

Today is a great day in Blog Land …


It is the author of Homespun Headlines 60th Birthday !
OK maybe not 60 but SOR told me too...

Join me in singing Happy Birthday to one of the good old boys.


Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday old Ralphhhhh
Happy Birthday to you!!!!
& many more!!!!!!!!

Have a great day!

We will enjoy the cake we had here for ya!

Got ya!

Don't forget we do Love You!

Family Time

We have a great bike trail here in Normal called Constitution Trail.

This paved Urban open space trail is 5.9 miles long.

We noticed this trail upon our arrival here to Normal.It looked like something we all would like to do as a family.

One problem the two adults in this family need bikes...

Last weekend we decided to go buy two bikes on Friday night at the local Wal-mart so we could all go on a bike ride Saturday Morning .

We arrived at Wal-Mart first mistake is the bike aile is way to close to the toy aile and you can not let a 27 year old & a 7 year old near the toy aile, nothing but trouble.

Finally we made it to the bike aile, We were looking at all the bikes,we new we did not want to spend a great deal of money being we would probable not use these bikes as much as we probable should.We came to a decision on two bikes oh and one toy(witch I will tell you about another day.)

We finally made it home,we looked over each bike oiled them up checked all the nuts & bolts and tested them out. My son an I went around the block and next was just a big BOOM the front tire blew out ! Ahhh I could not believe it !

Off I went the next morning to get a new tube .I have never changed a bike tube befor so only oh an hour and a half latter it was fixed!



So let me introduce you to The Big Red Machine.




Finley ready to go !
Hang on !Not gone yet I get over by my bike to get on it to leave and this is what I see...





I had to laugh , I always wanted my own bike plate with my name on it but we could never find "Desiree" so this worked !



It is 10:15 ,beautiful weather and we are off down the road .



It is a very nice trail it is very well maintained with beautiful gardens,ponds & a creek.The trail was filled with bikers,runners & walkers.

It is now oh about 11:AM and we stoped to look at some wildlife and to take a drink of water and the two adults in the family are starting to realize that they had not done this in a while.

I just have one question have you look at a seat on a bike lately ?







All I can say is OH MY GOODNESS !!! The seat on my bike when I was 7 was the same size ! OUCH !


We continued on the tail back home we reached the house about 12:45 and parked our bikes.






We had some lunch,shared a few laughs,smiles & quite a few EWW'S & AHH'S !


I look forward to seeing the remanding five miles of this trail on our next family bike ride.

Everone has a fishen story ...

When I was a little girl I remember my grandpa,my dad,my uncles & my brother all had a good fishen story or two to tell.

The stories were told over and and over.

They all had the same quest at one point in there life to get the biggest walleye ever!

The stories all where told about the type of bait they used ,what the weather conditions were,the time of day ,Ohh an the fish always seem to grow in inch or two each time the story was told.

So today I would like to share our little fishing story.

We loaded up the truck with all the gear,hooked up the boat
and were off to start our great fishing adventure.













We went to Garrison Minnesota a known lake for the locals " Mille Lacks Lake"
Most people know this lake for holding some of many record braking Walleye ever caught.

Well just like the rest of my family we were out to get that fish,the one that I have always head about . Today was the day we could show'em all up.

We got the boat in the water & practiced our safety. We new that one of us were going to get that big fish .










It is now 1:30 in the afternoon , The weather if warm and sunning, We placed a large brown earth warm on our hook and we ready to get that BIG FISH .







2:00 PM No Fish

2:15 PM No Fish

2:45 PM No Fish

3:30 PM No Fish

It is now 4:15 we are not having much luck the only thing that Bubba(Tony) caught was a baby Bull Head .





We were all getting tired ,The weather was getting cloudy & cold & We were all very hungry .





Then 5:30 it happened the boat was drifting back and forth ,The bobber went under everyone just watched for a minute.

Then we all started yelling


GET THE NET !
GET THE NET !
THIS IS IT !
IT'S THE BIG ONE !!!

Their it was HOLY COW it was the biggest Walleye we have ever seen! He was beautiful.

He may not be the biggest in the lake but it was bigger then most.
It took allot of mussels to get this guy in .









We had to get this fish back to show everyone that we really caught a record breaking walleye .

The news traveled fast, we had locals from all over wanting to meet us and to take photos of us and the Walleye.








This photo was published in the Garrison News.







Hmmm I wounder why my Grandpa,Dad,Uncle,& Brother all have this same photo just with them in it ...


Remember everyone has a good fishen story an now we have ours !

Blog gone too the dogs .

I have not seen my brother in sometime and I had a wonderful opportunity to spend this pass weekend with him. We had a great time!

We did have one quite strange conversation.He stated that he read an article in some paper that 95% of all dog owner look like their dogs.

I replayed to him ,So you think your cute adorable little sister looks like a dog ? He says no not just any dog but your dog ...

So I have to ask is it true that after a while owners start looking like their dogs ?



Exhibit A

A photo of me ...











Exhibit B
A photo of my Dog Tubby ...





Maybe I should have had this conversation with my brother before I introduced him to my dog Tubby .

Being that he is still my big brother I keep it quite but his gray ,10 year old, 30lbs over weight yellow lab is looking quite familiar...