The Tiger Striped Doc: August 2016 - Birthdays, Growing Kiddos, and Another Boys Trip

Wow, what a month! We had a ton of fun this month, and there is a lot worth sharing, so here goes:

Forrest and I managed to fit in a trip to the Peoria Zoo and Emo's Ice Cream one sunny day when I was off work. It was a good time, the Kid Wonder was really excited to see some snakes and was willing to pose for me on his turtle :D

Meanwhile Letty Bean keeps growing. She has joined us at the dinner table now, she really enjoys the communal time, and all the new flavors to try. She's an adventurous eater so far, lets hope she keeps it up. No matter what, gotta love that face.

Its not the greatest pic, but it is worth sharing. Forrest had a fun birthday party at Gigi's house, complete with some time spent with Great-Grandpa Joe. Its always good to see Forrest connecting with his family.

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

Little Letty is growing in other ways too. Here she can be seen clapping her hands, her new favorite trick to charm all the adults in her life.

In Non-family news, I had what may be a final trip to the cabin for the year. After we bought the place last year we were informed by our home insurance company that we would have to get a railing put on our deck. It was a bit of a bummer, as we loved that view! The construction was done by my cousin Jacob, who both put a new flooring down on the deck and put up the railing (pictures later). Here are some photos documenting our trip:

First off is a picture of me with my best friend Mark. Mark and I have been buds now for over 13 years. Wow, that seems like a long time. He has taught me much. And in addition to being a best friend, he is the best business partner I could ask for. Through his monumental efforts, Titan Games has grown to a roaring success. Why this picture among the northwoods trips? Because Mark came with of course! This was his 3rd trip.

Mark was kind enough to indefinitely loan us his canoe so we finally have some watercraft on the lake. Felt like some classic Americana vacationing tying it to the top of the SUV.

My friend Wes also made the trip up. He and I are the early risers among the men at the cabin. Morning swims in the lake followed by coffee were an everyday occurrence. Wes managed to get some yoga done as well. I passed on that part.

I tried to make sure everyone was well fed. Breakfast time! Thanks again to Grandma Grogg for hosting us a few times as well for all we can eat pancakes at her place!

In addition to the work on the deck, and morning lounging we also found time to go hiking at Amnicon State Park - this place is awesome. The hikes are easy if you stick to the trail, and moderate if you veer off. There are some great swimming holes as well.

Wes and I braved Snake Pit Falls - seen here. I even took a leap into the pool below. Wes declined (feel free to comment/ridicule below).

We managed to make it out to the Gordon Range. It was a great trip, and we zeroed the Scar 17H out to 200 yards. Still working on hitting that 300 yard target. Wes and Mark hadn't fired a rifle that big before, it was a great experience.

Of course we can't forget the purpose of the trip. Jake did (by far) the most work on the deck. We assisted when he needed it but the credit goes to him. It looks great, and the composite deck covering will keep us splinter free for many years. And as Jake would put it: "That looks like some HGTV s*** right there!"

The car was packed, and we were headed home when we stopped to take an end of the trip selfie. 2016 was a great year to own a lake home. I am glad that I got to enjoy it with my family, with Forrest on our Father-Son trip, and twice with my friends. By the end of the trip though I was ready to be home. I missed my children and they missed me. Its hard to leave them for more than an evening. Not only does my heart ache when I am away, but it is unfair to put Mandi in that position too often - these two kids are a ton of work. My genuine thanks to her for going solo on the parent front for those 6 days while we worked, played, and traveled. You're the best, Chinch.