Leah and Joe: Home DIY Projects & Crafts

All things considered, I think it’s been a pretty fun and eventful winter so far! I’m 100% happy with being in MN for the season. (I’ll get back to you around March). I’m equally thankful we don’t live on the east coast right now! So Minnesota isn’t really so bad. In fact, MN is the best kept secret in the US. This article pretty much sums up what we already know.

Anyway, we’ve been out and about these last couple weekends exploring MN and WI and have many adventures to share.

Fishing

Joe won an all-inclusive, luxury one night stay at his company fish house on Lake Mille Lacs last Friday, so we figured we better use it or lose it 🙂

We left straight after work and ended up there around 9 pm.

I think it said six person, but honestly it would have been a tight squeeze.

Nonetheless, it was an awesome ice house!

I was in charge of babysitting the baitlings.

And Joe set up our rattle reels for overnight fishing.

Fun Fact #1: I’ve never slept on a lake before, and wanted to test my bravery. We survived!

Fun Fact #2: Uhhh there was no ice auger. Ask Joe for the full story. In a nutshell, he spent 2 hours chiselling out the existing holes with tools from his truck. But we got a line in the water and used exactly one minnow!

We had some wine and pizza to console ourselves.

Grandma’s 80th

Then on Sunday, Grandma turned the big 80. She didn’t want a big party or anything, but we decided to all go with them to the casino in WI. My cousin and her husband even showed up from Madison as a surprise.

I think she had a fun time! I’m surprised she actually let me take this photo.

Grandpa on the other hand, not camera shy.

Joe hanging out with the cousins.

The veteran showing us how it’s done.

Joe and I discovered this Tarzan game and pretty much stayed there. Fitting.

City of Gold!

I have no idea what I’m doing at casinos, so I stuck to the basics.

We also got to witness this. Let me say, these Packers fans in WI were not pleased when they discovered their beloved Pack would not be advancing to Superbowl XLIX. I was cheering silently for Seattle. Very, very silently.

Crashed Ice

This past Saturday we went to the annual Redbull Crashed Ice at the St. Paul cathedral hill.

Unfortunately I don’t have any video of the event, but here’s a general idea what it’s about.

Here’s a first person point of view helmet camera.

This is what we were up to… All Chelsea’s idea… The streets were flooded. The crowd was in full force. We spotted a table, saw our chance and went for it. And fell. Boldly.

Moral of the story: We’re too old to dance on tables. Or are we?

This is definitely a new tradition. You can’t be true Minnesotan without braving the elements to meet up with some friends.

It’s just fun to join your fellow Minnesotans in St. Paul for a night out in January.

Plus it was 30 degrees, so practically tropical out there, ya know.

So maybe I interpreted my New Years Resolution to celebrate a bit too literally last weekend…

Overall, we had a great time catching up with high school friends, family and each other. What can I say? Sometimes it’s just the good company needed to get through a Minnesota January.