going fishing

So, there are definitely a few, if not A LOT of things, we would have missed if we had moved.

As much as we really really want to raise our kids in the country (or as close we can get to the country),

we do love our neighborhood!

For many reasons - but one being, that we love the pond!

We take walks to it almost daily, sometime multiple times a day.

We walk around it.

We paddle boat around it.

We see duck families, frogs and turtles.

And just recently, we took our first family fishing trip to the pond.

I made 15 whole dollars on a few things I put in a friend's garage sale- and rather than buying a few pepsis or a trip to Chipotle with it.  We spent it on a few fishing supplies we didn't have yet.

And put it towards some quality family time!

We taught them both how to cast.

Ok, ok, Dave had to kind of remind me too.

But soon we ALL had the hang of it.

We started in one area and weren't having the greatest luck.  It was really hot and sunny.

 So we decided to try the shade.  And we found them!

 You could pretty much guarantee every cast would get you something.

 Both the kids casted and caught fish on their own, and reeled them all the way back in.

Daddy tried to get Taylor to hold her fish.  She really wanted to, and was so close.  But always chickened out. Mason would not even think about it.

So she settled for a picture with Daddy holding it.

We fished for over 2 hours - wow, time sure flies when you're having fun and kids are content!

 I think we caught about 15 fish altogether - a handful for each of us.

And Dave caught a frog (on purpose).

We tossed them all back in so they'd be there the next time we want to catch 15 fish.