Ice Fishing! Nope.

Last year when Gabe went ice fishing he came home happy and we ate fish. Life was good.

This year, not quite the same.

Gabe came into our room at 5:25 to get Mckay up so they could leave at 6:45. We kept giving him instructions from bed because it was just too early to get up. Mckay, Gabe and Madelyn headed out the door right on time and went to meet our friend (and realtor) Jared Fields for the great ice fishing expedition. Lynette and Brooklyn, Jared's wife and 3-year-old joined them in the fun. They were hiking out to where the fish were biting (and fishing was legal), when Jared fell through the ice. Fortunately he caught his arms on the ice, otherwise he would have been in over his head, literally.

At this point, the fishing trip ended and the crew headed on their 3/4 mile walk back to the cars through 18 inches of newly fallen snow. Imagine wading through jello. The sled was ice packed from going in the water, so Mckay, Lynette and the kids carried everything while Jared worked to get his wet, frozen body back to the car.

Thank heavens everyone was alright, and hopefully Jared will warm up enough to shake his hypothermia relatively quickly.

No fish, but it's definitely a fishing trip my kids will never forget! Thanks for the sacrifice Jared. We'll try again once you've thawed.

Comments from Gabe:

I didn't think this would be part of fishing.
(About carrying the stuff back to the cars, and it being exercise) I didn't want to exercise today.
I'm tired, and I didn't even get to fish!

Madelyn:
We walked a mile in a foot or two of snow, then we turned around and walked a mile in a foot or two of snow!

Mckay:
I feel like I had the tar kicked out of me two or three times!