Vail

Logan needed a little 'encouragement' to go out for the Craig Swim Team. So, (without even mentioning it to me!) Al told him if he swam, he would take him skiing in Vail. Needless to say, after a great freshman swim season (that he thoroughly enjoyed), OFF they flew to Vail. They had an awesome time, wished they could have stayed longer, and (not surprisingly) want to make it an annual event. 

Here's a quick clip of the area (doesn't do it justice).

Christmas 2008

             

Don't ya just love the holidays? Our last day of school in 2008 was a snowday. The boys were just crushed...NOT! We headed down I94 through the wind and snow to my folks' in Aurora. That means one thing... "LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!" We shopped at the mall. We shopped online. We shopped with my brother. We shopped til we DROPPED! Oh, NO! Now the wrapping begins! Urgh.

On Christmas Eve, we continued the tradition of going to see the lights and the REAL story of Christmas on Lenertz Avenue like my mom and her parents used to do. Christmas morning, Bud, Mirty, Emma and Holden arrived and we dug into our stockings and shared our gifts. Much (much) later we had a delicious dinner and went to the movie theater (half went to Marley & Me, half to Bedtime Stories). 

After a quick trip home to unpack and repack (and some last minute shopping), it was 'over the river and through the woods, to Al's mother's house we go.' Logan headed straight out onto the ice. The goal: WALLEYE! For days and days, he sat out on that frozen lake for hours and hours. Sadly, no walleye :( We had another great Christmas dinner and opened gifts. 

After a treacherous drive home, we looked forward to spending New Year's Eve on Cascade Mountain skiing/snowboarding. However, after riding the chiar lift up for the very first run of the day, Logan fell, broke his wrist and the rest of the day was spent in a nearby hospital. 

Happy New Year ;)

Lindaus @ Lambeau

                  

           Attending the Badgers game was just the beginning. Grayson and I couldn't get enough football. We wanted more! When Al offered to send us to a Packer game (as an early Christmas present), I was online ordering tickets and reserving a hotel room by the end of the night. 

         We stayed in Sheboygan and got up early Sunday morning. We arrived at Lambeau by 8 AM. We went to the Hall of Fame and saw unique Packer memorabilia, old photos and uniforms (from as far back as 1919), a replica of Vince Lombardi's office, and (Grayson's favorite) the Kid's Zone. Grayson did the Lambeau Leap, kicked his own field goal, attempted to throw the ball at NFL speeds, and ran through a maze of 'padded lineman' without being knocked down. We were in awe of the three Lombardi trophies in glass cases. The only sad moment was hearing Reggie White's voice talking about winning a Super Bowl with Brett Favre and the Packers. We got a real appreciation of the Packers and their long history (the longest in the NFL).            

          We found our seats (covered with a sheet of ice) and bought a travel mug of hot cocoa ($6.25). We were prepared for the cold and were pleased that the only part of us that froze was our toes. Apparently fans in 'the know' bring a thick piece of cardboard or insulation for their feet (no one told us). We did 'the wave,'  jumped to 'Jump Around' and cheered and high-fived with everyone around us when the Packers scored. The Packers didn't win the game, but the experience was a WIN/WIN for us! We enjoyed every moment and can't wait to go to our next Packer game. 

 

         

CHS Swim Team

                               

          After two successful swim seasons in 7th and 8th grade and after watching Michael Phelps earn 8 gold medals in Bejing this summer, Logan joined the Craig High School Boys Swim Team. He has just the right long, lean body (closing in on 6 feet) and his size 12 feet (like built in flippers). He practices long hours and countless laps, but is having fun doing it. His signature stroke is the freestyle. As practices began, he swam the 50 free (his favorite event) in 32 seconds, within a week he had shaved 3 seconds off that time. Now his goal is to earn a Varsity letter by shaving another 2 seconds off and swimming the 50 within 25 seconds. He is also swimming the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays. His first 'meet' was a scrimmage with Parker and Milton where he swam a 27.90 in the 50 Free. Against Beloit, he swam a 27.86 in the 50 Free. 

          Look for more updates as the season progresses. 

On WISCONSIN!

                                

In November, we had an opportunity to go to a couple UW Badger games at Camp Randall with Kristen and Jerry Moisson. On the 15th, Al and I saw Wisconsin retain 'The AXE' in an exciting overtime game against long time rival Minnesota. On the 22nd, Logan and Grayson had their first experience at a live college game. We all enjoyed watching Wisconsin come from behind to beat a really tough Cal-Poly team in another overtime thriller. In addition to the thrill of seeing a game up close, our favorite part was when the entire stadium got to their feet to 'Jump Around.' It was fun to see the players get into it too. The Badgers sideline, the players on the field, the officials, and even the opposing players were jamming to the music, jumping up and down. 

APPLEFEST 2008

The first weekend in October is a Lindau family tradition. This was our 15th year taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Apple Festival in Bayfield. We began going the year before Logan was born and (eeek!) now he is in high school. 

Our trip begins on Friday with a 6 hour drive from Janesville to Bayfield and a warm, relaxing stay in (Als' Aunt and Uncle) Shirl & Hans' loft. Saturday we head downtown for shopping and family pictures on the pier. My first purchase each year is an Applefest coffee mug from Eckles'. (I have 12 of them in my classroom.)We eat every variety of apple you can imagine in every form you can imagine, from carmel apples and apple pie, to apple sundaes, apple chai and even the infamous 'Apple Orgasm!' In the evening we watch all the college football games and this year rooted for the ill-fated Cubs, White Sox, and Brewers as well. 

Sunday we head off to the orchards to climb in trees and pick apples. We bought apples and apple cider donuts at Erickson's and two cases of wine from Hausers'.  We returned to downtown for some last minute shopping and to get our usual seats to watch the big Apple Fest parade. 

After the parade, we head back up to Hans & Shirl's place, and enjoy some delicious chicken and dumpling soup (and one more apple dumpling) before starting our trip back home and counting the days until we return. 

Football Season

    

This is Grayson's second year playing football with Janesville's Youth Football League. He couldn't wait to get back on the field. He was a bit uneasy though, when he found out he had been drafted by the Vikings. Not sure if he was more concerned that he would be playing for the Packers' NFC North rival, or if it was because he would be wearing purple! 

He has played a few different positions during practice, but for now he's playing center while he's on offense and either linebacker or defensive end on defense. 

The Vikings had a four-team scrimmage, providing an opportunity to see some of their competition as well as providing some idea of how the guys will respond in a 'game time' situation. 

Their first game was against the Lions. The Lions' players were much bigger than the Vikings and Bumpa said it looked like a 'Father - Son' game. There was one constant throughout the game...rain. We called it the 'Gustov Game.' (The remnants of Hurricane Gustov had made their way up north.) The field was like a swamp. The ball was wet, the boys were soaked, there were frequent fumbles and dozens of dropped balls. The Lions capitalized on a Vikings fumble and scored, but did not make their extra point attempt. Eventually, the Vikings ran for a touchdown and their extra point attempt was GOOD! That made the difference in the final score. Vikings 7, Lions 6. Mark down that purple "W!"

The second game was against the Cardinals. They, too, were BIG. They had two guys that were about 5' 9". This is 6th & 7th grade! One of the Cardinal dad's bragged that their team had scored four touchdowns in the first half of their first game. The Vikings worked their way down the field in the first quarter and scored, twice! Then, time after time, the defense stopped the Cardinals from scoring. They did it! The Vikings scored again in the fourth quarter and were very happy when time ran out and the refs blew the whistles, GAME OVER! Vikings 18, Cardinals 0! Mark down that purple "W!"

The Vikings third game was against the Saints. The Vikings recovered two fumbles in the game and intercepted a pass in the first half which led to the Vikings lone touchdown. A forced fumble on a Saints fourth-and-eight at the 10-yard line with 34 seconds to go sealed the third win for the Vikings. Vikings 6, Saints 0.

The next game was against the Eagles. The Vikings scored a passing touchdown (Plutchak to Reynolds), but missed their extra point. The Eagles eventually scored and converted. That was the difference in the game. Saints 7, Vikings 6. The Vikings suffered their first loss and DID NOT like the feeling.

The Vikings came back BIG against the Bears two days later. The Vikings scored twice in the first half and once again in the second have, while giving up a touchdown late in the game. When the whistle blew the score was Vikings 19, Bears 6. 

The Vikings entered their game with the Buccaneers with a record of 5-1. They knew the Bucs were a big, tough team. Again, the Vikings defense came up big and held the Bucs from scoring at the end of the game. Vikings 12, Buccaneers 9. Vikings move to a record of 6-1!

Then came the Redskins. They handed the Vikings their second loss 18-8 making their record for the season 6-2.