Cold Day - Hot Meal

I told Katie that this is the time of year when I feel like I’m coming alive. Spring is supposed to be the time of new life, but the fall is when I get excited about being outdoors. Today at work was the first cool day of the season – 54 degrees. Of course when you’re in the tree care business, it doesn’t take much to get warmed up and find yourself peeling layers and still sweating. Nonetheless, it was one of those days when you just want a hot cup of coffee for a little warm-up. No such luck.

When I got off work, I realized Katie was already off to class. On the phone, she said she made dinner and it was ready at the house. Here's what I saw when I got home.

The note says that dinner is in the oven (a casserole). The instructions were to turn the oven from "warm" to "350" and set the timer for 20 minutes. That way, when I got out of the shower, dinner would be hot and ready!! Am I describing this scene accurately for you?!? You know those cold days when a hot meal is the best thing you could imagine? This was one of those days!! And I had it thanks to my wife.


Was it ever delicious (her mom's recipe - thanks mom)! But there was way too much to eat, even for a hungry man like myself. So what's a bachelor-for-the-night like me to do? Just read Katie's next note:

It says to put the leftovers in these containers for later. All I can say is that Katie takes such good care of me. Men - I'm learning how much I have to be thankful for in my wife. I really appreciate her efforts and her thoughts. If you're as lucky as I am, you're just that -- lucky.

Time in the Wilderness

Isn't it amazing what happens when you spend time in God's Great Outdoors? I was up in Rhinelander for Fort Wilderness' 50th Anniversary.
Fort Wilderness is a Christian camp started in 1956 by Truman Robertson, Katie's grandfather. I've always enjoyed camping but haven't done much in the last few years. My last trip opened my eyes to the beauty of Christian camping. The staff put together a scavenger hunt that I was a little skeptical of at first, but we all really got into it. Before we knew it, we were traversing from one end of camp to the other. Here we look for a match under the microscope in the Nature Center. Then we put the pieces of the map and clue together to find the hidden treasure.













We enjoyed great meals (Wranglers' Breakfast is unbeatable) and I really appreciated packing my Mountainsmith pack for the day - complete with hat, shades, camera, coffee mug, Nalgene, and some reading material - before walking down from the Eagle's Roost (Truman's old house) to camp for whatever adventures came our way.









(Wranglers' Breakfast)

I'm not suggesting that I'm moving to Camp, although the thought has crossed my mind. What I'm saying is that God will use His creation (as we escape to it) to speak to us. During my time at Fort, God encouraged me that my passion for Christian work, my passion for the outdoors, my passion for physical/outdoor education are all wired in me for a reason.

Tying Loose Ends Together

I doubt anyone has really missed me during my 2 week hiatus, but I really have been itching to post to the Game Plan. I haven’t posted because I’ve been so busy, but it’s been a good couple weeks. I was in Delafield for two days working for Woodhaven Homes which turned out really well. The moment that was done, Katie and I were off to Rhinelander for Fort Wilderness’ 50th Anniversary. That was such a wonderful weekend, and it will be the topic of my next post (so come back!).

I’m kicking myself because I don’t have any pictures. And my Game Plan is just not complete without pictures, so I’m going to the internet to grab something right now. No, I think I’ll look in my collection and pull something up…

Here’s one of my favorites. This is Katie and I last year at the Robertson family reunion. We went to Stockade 80 – Fort’s Riffle Range. Katie completely surprised me and jumped into a pit next to me and started shooting – she was really good. We had a blast and so we had to take this “Bonnie and Clyde” picture.









Here’s another one from last year – we got tickets from her work for a Badger Game. Of course the football season is upon us, and we’re going to the home opener Friday with Matt and Amanda.












Lastly, here’s one from this summer. Katie and I went to a Mallard’s game for Brady’s birthday. I love my Brewers hat, but Katie has a good point – it just doesn’t fit right. So here’s a series of pictures of me kissing the hat goodbye.
















Sorry if this entry didn’t have much value. I really came to the blog unprepared, and I apologize. But you need to come back and here’s why: It’s the end of summer, the end of a crazy schedule. Katie is enrolled at MATC and so she’s going to have homework, which means we’ll be working together at Bariques (our coffee shop and internet access). It’s the start of the ministry season for us at the Link. I love the fall - It’s football season!! See you soon.