Memorial Day Weekend

So this post is a little late, but this is the first time I've had a chance to update the blog!!

Of course we went up to Chetek for Memorial Day Weekend and it was great to get away for a few days! We went up Friday night after work and stayed until early Monday night.

We did some fishing, sun tanning, I did some studying, and we had a couple bonfires. Maple did some swimming off the dock, but she's not quite sure how she likes the water yet! The first time she jumped off the dock I think she just got a little too close and fell in, but the next couple of times she jumped in after something, so it was fun to see her swim! I can't wait until we go next weekend and if it's warm enough we can go swimming at the sand bar!



One of Lindsey & Trevor's catches! It was a joint effort...Trevor catches the fish and Lindsey reels it in! Nice bass :)



The 16" bass that basically caught me! I was reaching for my phone that was ringing and all of a sudden realized that my line was being pulled! I seem to always catch big fish when I'm not trying or paying attention! Oh well, I still caught it!



One of Jeremy's bass that he caught over the weekend.

The group of us at the bonfire Sunday night!

Maple's first encounter with a turtle! Looks innocent here, but prior to this picture she was biting and swatting at the poor turtles head!! That's alright, because this turtle, named Bob, had an attitude!!!

Lindsey's goal for the weekend was to get a pet turtle. The turtle in the picture above was the first one, Bob, but then Jeremy was able to find her a smaller turtle, without and attitude! His name is Stan and he's now Lindsey's new pet turtle!

The Bar!

There weren't a lot of things we wanted to change in the house and we've made a couple upgrades, but downstairs there were some pretty poor make-shift shelves that were built in and I wanted them gone!! So we decided we would put a bar there...why not right??

I can honestly admit that I didn't help at all...sorry hun! At least my little brother did...all he wanted to do was the demolition of the old shelves! He had intentions of smashing them down with a sledge hammer is what I believe he told me! He did get to knock them down, but a little more cautiously and with a hammer haha!

We're going to plan another get together at the house, probably not for a while as the summer is creeping up on us and leaving us very few open weekends, but maybe early fall!!

It's so much nicer having the open space instead of the shevles, we think it makes the basement look and fell a little bigger!! I wonder what our next improvement will be...I am thinking painting the upstairs living room/dining room and our bedroom!! More to come with that because I don't think Jeremy wants to do that any time soon!!!



Demolition time!



And conitinued...



No more shelves but no bar yet...mid-progress I guess!



Finished bar! :)



From the opposite side.

Feel free to come visit us in Owatonna and try out the new bar haha!! More reason to have visitors :-)

Newest edition to the Killen/Yorde family...ZOE!!!

So my mom & Eric decided to add another person...well dog...to the family!! They got a little Westie named Zoe =)

Here are a few pictures of her from Sunday when my mom, Matthew and I went to Clear Lake, WI to pick her up! Me being the amazing daughter I am drove up there to see the little girl!! ;)

She's 11 weeks old...probably closer to 12 now since I'm posting this late, but she's a cutie!!



Me & Zoe



She's so tiny!!



Mom & Zoe



Matthew & Zeo. P.S. Can we just take a moment to realize how big my little brother is getting!!! I think he may be taller than me soon!



Myself & Zoe again

My First Gardening Experience!

This past weekend my mom, Matthew and Libby came to visit for the weekend to help with our projects around the house! My mom and I working on planting flowers etc and Jeremy and Matthew's project was the downstairs bar (post later to come).

We planted a pink rose bush, a yellow rose bush, got a pink gerbera daisy potted plant, a couple of larger grasses and a few other flowers to go around the grasses (I can't remember the name of them right now!)

This what my first gardening experience, especially at my own home! Apparently, we have really good potted soil in our landscaping, so that's a plus! Quite a few things came up this year already, two of the beds across the driveway from the house have tulips in them - yellow, red and one purple one! I think a bunny ate some of the bulbs because the one bed had like 10-12 flowers in it and the second bed only had like 4 flowers! Maple did get a hold of the tulips a couple days prior to our gardening so they look a little rough in the pictures!! Which reminds me...I need to go out and water the flowers as it was 99 degrees in Owatonna...how insane!!

I'm so grateful my mom came to help me plant the flowers because I would not have had a clue what to get or how to plant them etc! Here are a few pictures from the day.



Digging out weeds and danelions!



Family picture...actually our first family picture!



The flower bed in the back yard - these were already planted but we had to clean up all the dead flowers/weeds in it from previous years.



The cute garden statue that Matthew got us :)



Pretty garden figure that you see right when driving up the drive way - thanks mom!



Our beautiful home! Notice the bird feeder - my crafty and amazing husband made that!



Our really pretty tree in the front yard...minus the mess it makes on the driveway!



The two beds across the driveway from the house with tulips, our grass plants we planted and some other flowers, which I still can't remember the name of, that we planted.



The side bed along the house with hydrangas and rose bushes that we planted!



My mom and I :)

My Latest Creations

Now that I got my new stampin' up supplies I've been having a blast making cards! Here are some of the recents ones I've made! I can't wait for the Stamp-A-Stack on June 1st where we get to make 15 cards for $25! The sales rep has everything pre-cut and designed to make the cards and you go around to differnet stations to make them! They have different stamps to choose from so you can make them for any occasion, but the card designs are pretty much made up! What a deal :) I'll be set for cards for quite a while!!

Jessica's a College Graduate!

This past weekend we went back to Eau Claire for Jessica's college graduation - CONGRATS!!

I took Friday off as the geek squad from Best Buy was coming to set all the colors and whatever else it is that they do when you get a new TV! So prior to them coming I was very productive and got in a workout and took the dog for a walk! Jeremy took a half day so we could leave and get to Eau Claire early enough to go to dinner before Jessica's graduation.

We went to Famous Dave's for dinner and Jess & I had a large drink to celebrate! However I can't remember the name of the drink right now!



Jeremy and I at dinner.



Jessica and Tony at dinner.



After dinner and the graduation ceremony we went back to the house for some cake and ice cream before going out to celebrate! Jess, Tony and I taking a celebratory dirty girl scout shot at the Pioneer!



I don't have any family pictures of her actual graduation at this time because they are all on her camera :)

Congrats Jess & good luck with your interviews!!

Opening Fishing

So I am a little late on this post since opening fishing was May 2nd, but I figured I would blog about our opening weekend anyway :)

We went up to the cabin in Chetek Friday night after work and hung around the campfire since fishing didn't start until Saturday morning. Jeremy, Derek and Trevor got up bright and early to get on the lake before everyone else apparently!!

I, however, did not get up early to go fishing! I slept in a little bit and got a workout in before going out to fish that afternoon with Jeremy's family and the pups! Maple absolutely loved the fish!!! Except the fact that she wanted to eat them all! She did kill a couple of poor fish by crunching their heads! I would love to see what she'd do with a big fish that could bite back!!

Here are a few pictures of Maple - lounging on the boat and playing with fish!