The Mighty Hunters!

On Saturday afternoon, Grandpa Ken and Abby went out to Jason's land to join the guys for some hunting. Abby and Grandpa were graciously given the "Valley Stand" to hunt in (thanks, Logan).

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Grandpa, who hasn't deer hunted in over 20 years, was on a mission. He was going to shoot a deer and use his tag.

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Well, Abby has quite the story to tell about her hunting experience, but to make a long story short, grandpa ended up shooting not one, but TWO antlerless deer! Abby got to experience it all--the hunt, the shooting, finishing off a wounded deer, and the field-dressing! She and grandpa were pretty excited!

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Here are some pictures of the Mighty Hunters and their kill...

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Abz was kinda grossed out by the blood on "her" deer's ear!~~~
A night to be remembered by these two for a long, long time!

Thanks, Jason, for making this experience possible for Abby and Grandpa!

Dog Days

Jack and Sophie had some spectacular days--

they got to go to grandma and grandpa's house in Indee instead of going to the Holidog Inn, as they usually do when the fam goes out of town.

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On Friday, after I hit the stores in Rice Lake at 4:30 am for some Black Friday shopping, Jamie took off work early so he and the boys could do some hunting Friday evening in Indee. The whole family piled into the Trailblazer for the two hour trip. The dogs started out in the "way-back" of the vehicle, but with about 15 miles left of our journey, the kids coaxed them up into the back seat! When I turned around, this is what I saw...

Sophie laying on Austin's lap!

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Jack sprawled himself across Abby and Andrew...
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No one seemed to mind those big, hairy bodies taking up all of of the room in the back seat--all I could smell was dog breath up in the front seat--ewwww!

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Abby, Jack, Sophie, and I dropped Jamie and the boys off at Jason's house for some hunting, and then we went on into Indee to stay at Grandma Deb and Grandpa Ken's house. Two of our favorite little guys were staying at grandma and grandpa's house, too!

Bradley brought his Indiana Jones costume to show us...

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Abby took this stunning picture of Carter giving Toby the "bunny ears"!

We had a fun time with the cousins, and Jack and Sophie had fun playing with Toby! Jack and Sophie were spoiled at grandma and grandpa's house--even slept in bed with Abby and I--and they can't wait to go back. Grandpa's cat, on the other hand, could care less if they NEVER come back! Sorry, Cat!

Thankful for Babies

On Thanksgiving Day, we were once again able to enjoy time with family at Aunt LaNita and Uncle Bill's home. While we were there, we had the opportuntity to see the newest members of our extended family:

Little Miss A...

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and Little Mr. B...
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Of course, I took the time to hold them, squeeze them, and pinch them (just a little)--
I am thankful for babies!
:-)

Snack Supper and a Movie!

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, we had an old Klimek Family favorite--Snack Supper and a Movie night, in honor of Thanksgiving.

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The kids love Snack Supper, and often ask for it. However, it is somewhat time-consuming to make, and I don't always have all of the ingredients on hand, so when we have Snack Supper, it is viewed as a special event around here! :-)

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Abby gathered the champagne glasses for us to enjoy our drinks...

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Our Snack Supper Feast consisted of:

Cheezy-Mexican Beef dip with chips...~~~
Cucumber Cocktail Bread and Ham and Pickle Rolls...~~~
And what is a Snack Supper without Lil' Smokies smothered in Famous Dave's BBQ sauce?!?!~~~
Abby and Austin ran to the grocery store for some Cold Duck Champagne to top off the meal...~~~
I, of course, enjoyed my old favorite...~~~
Our icy-cold beverages....~~~
Once our plates were filled, we headed into the TV room to enjoy a movie together...~~~
Cheers! To a fun-filled family Snack Supper night!We are thankful for family!

When Dad's Away....

...Sophie claims his spot on the couch!

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She makes it her own!
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And Jack is stuck on the floor...
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Just mom and the dogs this weekend while the rest of the fam is in Indee looking for the "thirty-pointer".

:-)

Happy Birthday, Jamie!!!

Happy Birthday, Jamie!

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Today, we celebrated Jamie's thirty-something birthday--in-between all of the other activities of an average weekday.

Jamie and the boys took a trip to Green Bay yesterday for some early birthday activities to take in the Packer/Cowboy game at Lambeau Field. While the guys were out of town, Abby and I snuck into Prestige Auto and planted 20 helium balloons around Jamie's office and showroom to surprise him when he showed up for work today! When he finally realized that the balloons, birthday banners, and candy goodies were from his family and NOT the guys he works with, he enjoyed his personalized birthday greetings! I was able to take Jamie out for lunch today, and then we had birthday cake and some presents tonight in between basketball practices.

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Here is the birthday boy with his cake and some of the balloons that made it home from his office...~~~
Not TOO old to blow out a few "trick" candles!

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Dad and his kids...
Happy Birthday, Dad!
We love you!

Soccer Season Wrap-Up

The boys had their soccer "banquet" a few weeks ago to wrap-up their soccer season. I think we were all sad to see the season come to an end, we had a fun year! I guess one thing I won't be missing are the cold, rainy days, sitting on the sidelines with my teeth chattering! The majority of our season had beautiful weather, but toward the end, we hit the "rainy season"!

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A few pictures from the "Mud Bowl" in Barron on October 6th...

Austin dribbling through the mud...

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Andrew racing for the ball...
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Both boys were honored at their banquet with earning Varsity Letters in soccer...

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Andrew can be proud to have earned his Varsity Letter as a freshman!

Congratulations, Andrew!

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Austin has earned his second Varsity Letter in soccer. Austin was also selected to lead the team this year as one of the three captains of the team!

Congratulations, Austin!

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At the banquet, Austin's coach announced that Austin was selected as one of two players from his team to be honored with a Second Team All-Conference recognition!

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The three All-Conference Barron teammates:

Austin and Ali, second team, and Cody, honorable mention

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Coach Rousselow put an article in the newspaper highlighting the All-Conference players...

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Here are a few "highlights" from the article:

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Austin was also honored with an individual team award--he was awarded the "Best Midfielder" award for 2009:

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Congratulations to both Austin and Andrew on a great year of soccer!

Basketball practice officially starts tomorrow--on to the next sport!

Valkommen till Lindstrom

Today, the Barron Maroon, Abby's 5th Grade Traveling Basketball Team, traveled to Lindstrom, MN--which is officially the town with the cutest water tower ever!

I just love this teapot (or coffee pot, as some say) water tower so much, that every time we drive through Lindstrom, I tell the kids that we should move there so we could live in the town with the cute little teapot water tower! That, and the fact that Lindstrom is one of the cutest little Swedish towns you could come across, just makes you want to stay...
but, I digress...
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Today, our purpose for our trip to Lindstrom was NOT to admire the water tower (but you can be sure I did!), but to play our very first competitive basketball tournament as a team! This is the first year our team is playing with referees, keeping score, and playing full seven minute, four-quarter games. It was quite an eye-opener for the girls, to say the least!
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The girls did have time between games to have some fun together...
(Keisha, Abby, Kristin, McKenna, and Erin)
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And, the Squirrel took that opportunity to show me her "Game Face"--
I wonder if that intimidated the offense???

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The Squirrel played well today, although there is definately room for improvement--for all of the girls! We know what we need to work on in practice these next few weeks! (Jamie and I are coaches, along with Dean, one of the other dads...)

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Since I have you as a captive audince, and it is my blog, I will now entertain you with several pictures showcasing the Squirrel's athletic prowess...

(Yeah, the coach took a few minutes to snap some pics, 'cause the coach is a mom first!)
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A Speedy Squirrel---driving to the basket!

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A Squirrel at the free-throw line...
(don't worry--she didn't go over the line! In this league, they are allowed to go two feet in front of the regulation line, as indicated by the tape on the floor.)

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A Shooting Squirrel--demonstrating questionable shooting form-note the leg kicked out behind for added "oomph"!

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A Scrappy Squirrel--fighting for a loose ball...

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A Scrappy Squirrel keeps fighting for a loose ball--even after the whistle blows! Good thing she wears those knee pads!

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Our team played hard, yet still has a lot to learn and work on in practice. We played four games today, and saw the "short" end of the scoreboard for all those games. Our record today earned us a sixth place silver ribbon--here is our team displaying their reward for their hard work...

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Even after all of that running and hard play, the girls still had a little bit of silly left in them for some "ugly" pictures for me...

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...because what's a day of basketball if you can't say at the end of the day that you had fun?!

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We now have a few weeks of practice ahead of us to prepare for our next tournament which will be on December 12 in Ladysmith.

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A bit of info for anyone interested in attending a tournament:

11-14 in Chisago City/Lindstrom

12-12 in Ladysmith

1-9 in Minong

1-23 in Poplar

1-28 in Spooner

2-20 in Osceola

3-6 in Chippewa

(Abby is not scheduled to play in the Spooner or Osceola games)

***There are 15 girls on our team this year. Because of the large number of girls, the girls have been "split", and each girl will be playing in a total of four tournaments, with about 10 girls going to each tournament. We had a total of 7 tournaments scheduled. Because of this, Abby is not scheduled to play at the Spooner and Osceola Tournaments. The last tournament in Chippewa is an optional tournament.

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Basketball with the Badgers

Abby's basketball season in the Rice Lake League is coming to a close. Her team, the Badgers, has been having an average year, at best. Although they may not be on the winning end of the scoreboard every week, the girls are having fun together, and I am enjoying the climate-controlled atmosphere of a gymnasium instead of the unpredictable weather we encountered at the boy's soccer games! Next Saturday marks the start of the "playoffs", and a loss will mean the end of the season for the Badgers.

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Our little Squirrel, the "number one" Badger (her jersey number is #1), has been having a fun time playing with her teammates, and this league play has been great in getting her warmed up for her Barron League of Basketball! Here are a few pictures of Abz in Action for your viewing enjoyment...

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At the top of the key, looking for the open teammate...

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Scoping out her options...
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The Badgers in the huddle...

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Number One looking to pass inside!

Even though the Rice Lake League is nearing its end, our Barron team is just beginning our practices, so basketball season is just beginning at our house!

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Yeah for Basketball!