Ever wonder why kids lose trust in their parents?

Here’s why:

Yeah, I’m so mean. He was hungry and I took advantage of it by offering him a lemon which he took without hesitation. Oh, and don’t worry, that knife he has is as dull as… well some of you. (HAHA :P) Plus we took it away as soon as the video cuts off. Just so you know, I don’t let my kid run around and play with knives…

This was yesterday after church, we went to Pizza Hut for lunch. Then after that, it seemed like we drove around all day. We had had a head start, too, since I finished editing about an hour earlier than normal. (Yay me!) We took the long way towards home and then drove out the even longer way and ended up at Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area.

See this? Multiply it by about four. Now, unless you’re into skeet shooting and deer hunting during the appropriate season, there’s not much at Magnolia Hollow. I don’t even think they have any bathrooms. But there is a little walking trail we took. Thank goodness it’s paved as somehow we were already both up to our knees in mud. I have no idea how that happened. How do you drive around with the windows up and end up covered in mud? I guess it just jumps on you when you get in and out of the Jeep. Because, you know, by the end of the day the Jeep looked like this – at left – times about four.

But anyway. We took that little walking trail, in the cold, to the lookout over the river. Here before you is a little island called Schmidt Island. Just farmland. Say “hello” to Illinois, too.

Schmidt's Island and the Mississippi River Schmidt's Island Panorama Steve looking towards Illinois If I don't move, you can't see me
You’ll note the deer in the last photo. We looked intently for deer on the way out but didn’t see any until we left. I found two in a field including that one above, both females, and then almost right after that, two bucks ran out in front of us. Lucky for them – and us – we weren’t going very fast.

Oh, and here’s some ice.

An icicle, fell off the garage...