First Game

Jacob at his first game.  He is #47.

Aberdeen Cougar Hockey League

Jacob has started a league in Aberdeen, here he is trying on the equipment at home.  Alex is almost as excited as he is.

Getting suited up for his first game.  It was early but he was still pumped.

I was excited too.

Jacob on the ice.  It is pretty awesome to see how much he improves every time he's out there.  

Random Fall Photos from 2012

Halloween 2012 was a blast.  They were very excited.

Alex preferred to color his so he wouldn't have to scoop out the goo. 

Even batman needs a well deserved break.

I took the boys out to practice with the old Red Ryder BB gun. They both did very well.

Max's first successful pheasant hunt.  It's been pretty tough since then, but there's still a bit of time to get out.

I got Jacob and both dogs out on a nice foggy duck hunt.

A pretty successful morning.  I can't wait until next year when Alex will be able to join us.

King Alex creates with Play-Doh.

They want to learn chess, but usually use the chess pieces to play checkers instead.

Alex learns how the sausage is made, and luckily isn't mortified.  

Goose Hunting 2012

I took Jacob out goose hunting.  It's amazing how much easier it is to wake this kid up at 5:00 am on a Saturday, than at 6:30 am on a Tuesday.

Here's Jacob waiting for the birds, watching a beautiful sunrise.

Our morning hunt didn't go very well, but Jacob was very patient.

Snack time in the field.

We tried another spot that evening, and had much better success.  Jacob was very excited after the first bird.

He even started fetching the birds for me after I dropped them, very cool. 

We had a fantastic evening, and even had more birds come in as I was taking this photo.

Here's Max and Molly after Max's first grouse hunt.  It is impossible to tire this dog out. 

There was a hockey open house at the ice center in Aberdeen.  I took Jacob to see if he'd be interested in a league.

Jacob learning to skate with help from some older players.

After watching Jacob fall on his butt for a while, Alex was convinced he could do that too. 

Needless to say, Jacob loved it.  So, he should be playing hockey by the end of the year.  Alex might have to wait a bit longer, but he's anxious to get out there.

Random summer photos

Even Cornholio gets the blues.

We visited Grandpa at Stump Lake and they loved the golf cart.

We stopped to see the Jamestown buffalo, Alex was impressed.

We visited the Mina Lake beach frequently.

Jacob as a pirate.

Just eating ice cream and watching the bird feeder in the backyard.

We went to the "Miles of Smiles" event in Aberdeen with lots of inflatables and characters.  This inflatable obstacle course was a hit.  I just love this photo because Alex looks like a linebacker going in for the tackle.

Jacob loves slides.

They were both super excited to see Spongebob, but this was about as close as Alex was going to get.

Making puppet monsters on a hot day.

When your stuck in the house and bored, you can always put on a Scooby Doo costume and make a volcano with vinegar and baking soda.

I took the boys out duck banding a few times this year.

Here's Jacob with a nice blue-winged teal.

This photo just cracks me up.  Who knew you could have so much fun and look so miserable at the same time?

Brian, Alison, and Lucas came out with us too, here's the whole crew at work.  Yes, that is Alex's head sticking out of the feed bin.

Brian with a mallard after whispering directions to his opening day spot in ND.

Alison with the catch pen ready to release some birds.

Visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house

A visit to the science museum.

Sharing some candy with Grandpa.

Their edition of the nightly news was very entertaining.

Learning about dinosaurs.

They weren't quite sure what to think about the mummy.  Very cool, but kinda scary too.  Alex wanted to wake the mummy with a good, loud scream.

Watching the orangutan at the Como Zoo.

It was a bit warm that morning, it was nice to get a cool break inside and watch the bears swim.

Waiting for Sparky the Sea Lion. 

Walking the dogs around the lake.