Vacation with the Bodines !!!!

Heading to Poquot Lakes, a little slice of Heaven on Earth... What a great time we had all being together.. "My boys" got to know "their girls" quite well. They really enjoyed that... They also got to revisit with Rebecca and reminisce of old times..

Here the boys are watching movies to make the trip go by faster, food and movies always seem to work and makes it easier for mom and dad too...



Here is the house John rented, we had a cottage out back that we shared with my mom and dad..

Here is what Uncle Ed, Josh and the gang caught the fist morning.

Relaxing while Ed cooks and the kids play down on the beach.

John is getting to cuddle one of his girls.. They don't get much daddy time once they get back, so they ate up every minute of his attention..

Papa and others relaxing on the porch that overlooks the water.

Everyone loved Laura, she certainly didn't lack affection that week. She not only had her own sisters smothering her, they got the boys in on it.
Nick too was smothered by the girls, the two cutie patuties.

Papa playing some games with the kids in the four season porch off the main living area.

This is our cottage out back. sorry it's a crooked picture. I don't know how to rotate it.

Everyone is relaxing in the hot tub or finding some activity to do.

Rachel looks absolutely beautiful by that big hanging basket of flowers.

Die hards, the ones who would get up early just to fish.

Josh was in heaven fishing. He had ample opportunities to water ski or tube, but instead he just wanted to fish and it paid off, he caught some big northerners and some great bass . We got to eat what he caught and it was delicious. Uncle Eddie was kind enough to fillet the fish and cook them up for Josh.. Thank you Ed...

In his glory...

When we went to the Mall of America, John "HAD" to have this outfit from Tommy Bahamas, we must agree he pulls the look off (of a cigar dealer) just kidding..

We went out to Whitebirch for dinner. Jenny, Melissa and Josh waiting for their food. Their two of the older nieces..

Voila! The food is here. It was yummy food.Great atmosphere.

Nick and Rebecca drawing something. Leave it to the girls to get Nick into drawing cute dogs or something...

Not sure if she is actually driving or just sitting in the seat looking cool .
Can't see mom driving, but you never know !!!

Josh holding (I mean loving) up Laura .....She got to his sweet side..

Lisa and Ben.. He seemed to enjoy the rides..

Josh took right to water skiing and got up fairly easy. He enjoyed it alot, but was sore the next day.. Even the tubing wore them out..

They loved playing on the beach from sun up to sun down.. They were pretty pooped kids at the end of the day.

Cheers!!! Uncle Eddie made them orange slushies from the built in slushy machine in the house.

The view from the back porch.

It was great to get some love and cuddles from Tommy again.. I miss that little guy.

Ben was so cute, but Lisa sure has a handful. Grace to you Lisa..

Silly Kids and Silly grandparents..

It was Jessica's birthday while we were there.

Some of the older girls , Lisa and I went into town at Fun Sisters to get some presents for Jessica. It was definitely a "Fun" shop..Girls accessories galore..

JJust our family. I didn't realize how short I am until your budged between these huge brothers.

Ed found a bat under his computer case, gotta love those Northwoods, right Liz.

Nick in Ashland, MN on Lake Superior. It is so majestic there. I just love the great lakes.

Zack in the water, of course he couldn't stay dry, he is about to slip in..

Paul Bunyan restaurant, it was strange to be eating at a restaurant that I grew up going to as a little kid, and now with my little kids.. The food was just as good, the big elephant ears were just like I remembered them..

We went on to spend one more night with just Ed at Minocqua and then headed over to Watersmeet, MI and then to Rhinelander, WI, where my dad retired from the Forest Service..

Josh loves horseback riding. He has done it several times and always jumps at an opportunity to ride..

THIS WAS NICK'S FIRST TIME ON A HORSE, OTHER THAN BEING PULLED ON A PONY..He was so excited and really enjoyed the half hour ride, but when he got down he said, "I was hoping we were going to ride them, what? You just did honey.. No I mean ride, like let them run or something." he has no fear..

The was mom and dad's house in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It looks nothing like it did when they owned it. They really added on alot..

This was the house I lived in during my high school years. It was abandoned and run down. It made me very sad to think that it was just left there and no one living in it. The forest service moved their buildings and so they just left the houses to just rot. very depressing.

Hamster, Ducks and Chickens.. Oh My...

I had this crazy idea, actually Zack is the one who begged me to do it.. To get some chicks for Easter and raise them.. Where was I going to put them when they are older, my neighbors already think we're strange and now we are hiding chickens in the back yard.. Well we did raise them, but they went to a good farm...Lemon the yellow one was Zack's, Abbriana was the red headed chick and she was mine, Nick picked the black one out and named her Mrs. Puffles.

Josh and daddy picked out ducks to raise.. THEY WERE STINKY BEYOND STINKY.. But we raised them for 5 weeks and let them go at my mom and dad's pond.. They stick by the house, and is neat to see them around still.

Lemon napping in Zack's hands, who won't touch any animals, germaphobic, hence the gloves...=)

Does he look like me mom? No, but he is quacky like you ....=)

Once a day they are to swim a few minutes, like their mom would do to get them used to water and build their muscles, this got tricky the bigger they got. but here they are tiny little things.We named them Mallory and Mcgiver.. We got mallory from them being Malard ducks and the boys were really into watching Mcgiver at the time...