Author: Andi

I found this little bug today when I was outside. I looked it up, and from what I found it's a Stink Bug, or also called a Shield Bug. I only found one other picture of one this color and it had yet to be identified. But all of the aspects of it looked right. It was a cool looking bug, though. The darn thing kept moving, so I only got a couple good pictures of it. The other few are located HERE.

Today we are going to the Twins game. We're playing the LA Dodgers and Santana is pitching. We have great seats! Right behind home plate about 6 rows up! I can't wait. Chuck got 4 free tickets from a guy he knew because he couldn't go to the day game. So I called the two biggest Twins fans I knew…My Step Dad, Dave and my youngest brother, Charlie. I think they are looking forward to it!

Only a couple hours until the game. Hopefully the game will be as good as the past two games against the Dodgers…8-2 and 9-2! GOOO TWINS!

*UPDATE* The game was so much fun and the Twins won 6-3. Torii Hunter even hit a Grand Slam! Hopefully there will be free tickets available again because these seats were great! The Dodgers haven't been to the Metrodome since 1965…41 years. After the series they had with us, I don't think they want to come back for another 41! 🙂

**UPDATE 2** We got tickets again for the Saturday game against the Milwaukee Brewers. That was an exciting game. We were down a couple times, but were able to come back and win it 10-7! Go Twins!

We went to Mille Lacs last weekend and had a great time. We got up there mid Friday and set up our campsite and then went fishing. Paige and Brian got there about 9 that night and we had a fire and smores and headed to bed.

The next day we went fishing again. Chuck caught a Rock Bass and a Walleye on the same leech. (Now if only all leeches were that efficient!)

Then Brian caught a 5 pound, 26 inch Walleye. It was a nice one.

After fishing we headed to Grand Casino…I like the buffet! So we ate until we hurt and then went back to the campsite. Chuck and I went back fishing a while longer and he caught another Walleye. (Now we had enough Walleye for dinner!) So that's what we did next…Cleaned up the walleye and had dinner. Then, yep, back out on the lake for some fishing in the dark. We didn't stay out long because there was a big storm that looked like it was headed our way and a bunch of lightning. No fish were caught.

Sunday we packed up and Chuck and I headed back on the lake. I still hadn't caught a fish and I really wanted to. I had a fish on, but I must not have set the hook well enough, because he came off. So no luck for me. We were out there a few hours, but nothing. I guess the fishing on Mille Lacs has been pretty good this year even during the day, but there was a cold front that weekend and I don't think the fish cared for it much. But I had a good time regardless of whether I caught fish or not. We had good weather…only a tiny patches of rain. Now I am looking forward to going back sometime and catching some Walleye!

Here are some more pictures from the weekend.

I can hardly believe that my brother is 21 already. It really makes me feel old. We went to dinner on his birthday for him and celebrated his birthday and his graduation. It was a good time.

Over the weekend we went up North to the Breezy Point area for my aunt Val's wedding. We sort of made it Adam's honorary birthday night.

At dinner on his birthday, the waitress bought Adam a shot….A Dead Nazi.

For his birthday my dad got him a shot gun. I think he likes it!

I think he had a good time. And I think he's happy to finally be 21!

I am so excited! We got a sprinkler system installed this morning. It is going to make our grass look so pretty! I can't wait. They used a crazy contraption to run the tubes and wires underground. It's called a Ditch Witch.

This isn't your ordinary, everyday tool….although Chuck might disagree. 🙂 This thing is scary. It digs down and makes a trench and buries the tubes. It makes everything shake. I couldn't watch too long. It just made me nervous. This is what it does….

And they do this all over the yard. It's a fascinating procedure, these sprinkler systems.

Now that it's all finished we get to lay sod in the part of the yard that doesn't have it after we built the shed. But it will be so pretty back there. I think I might even get a couple more plants for the back yard. (I have a Bachman's coupon.) Then there is just a little clean up to take care of in the back.

The only other task after that is what to do if our neighbor puts a fence back up on the side of the house with the shed. (Yes, we did just take one down in the same location one might be added.) But Chuck has been planning what to do so we don't go on her yard since we decided to build a shed. And he's a great visionary and planner, so I am sure he'll come up with something wonderful!

Does anyone know what this flower is?

I threw away the tag that came with it and now I don't remember what it is. I have some that are orange, too. When I got them they were really small and I thought they were funny. Now, they just keep getting larger and are just kind of strange. Email me if you know what the heck this is. Thanks.

*EDIT* I found out the name of this goofy flower. It is called Celosia. Or more specifically, Amigo Neon Rose. It comes in yellow and a couple other shades as well. I think the orange I have might be a slightly different flower or at least a different type of Celosia. They seem to come in a cone shape as well. But I was at a nursery and found out what the name was. I can quit thinking about it now.

(I did find a few other plants I want. Different nurseries must carry slightly different things. Or I was at a better nursery than the one at Home Depot.:) Either could be the case.)

We got a new toy this weekend!

It's a Kawasaki 800 SX-R stand-up Jet Ski. It's awesome! I can't walk because I used some new muscles, but I am looking forward to playing on it again. Chuck is much more brave than I am. He does all sorts of fancy things. But this was my first time on one of these and Chuck used to have one.

This is my favorite picture!

Here's a funny one of me!

HERE are some more pictures from playing on it in the lake this weekend. We had a few friends out there with us trying it for the first time. We had a great time!

I got a couple new swimming suits yesterday. I have been on a white kick, so I was looking for a white suit. It was harder than I thought it was going to be. But I finally found this one. It's really cute! I like it.

This is the top of it with the silver heart design.

In the first picture you can see the little heart shaped things hanging from the bottoms. They are a little goofy, but they are easy enough to take off. And this picture is on the back of the bottoms at the top.

I have found I like pink this season, too. So when I saw this and tried it on, I had to have it.

So I have two new suits this year when I usually only get one. I may have to try not to get one next year….hmmm. We'll see about that one.

Now I am not known to have a very green thumb. At least I don't think so. But I decided I wanted some planters in the front of the house. So that meant I had to plant some flowers. We went to Home Depot and I got a bunch of plants and went crazy. HERE are pictures I took of what I planted. I am hoping I can keep them looking good for a while. I found a few other plants I wanted, but we'll see if I am still interested in them in a couple weeks. 🙂

We did some fishing this weekend. HERE are pictures of a couple of the fish we caught. We brought them home and Chuck used his new electric filet knife to get them ready for eating!

We also went to Cabela's this weekend and got this nifty camping device.

I am really looking forward to camping now that we have this. We also picked up a couple extra fishing poles and miscelaneous fishing stuff for the year.

It was a nice weekend. We got the shed put up and some things done around the yard. I am looking forward to this weekend when it will be a little cooler outside. Much more tolerable for yard work.