Traditions

Every year most of my family gathers in Spokane to play and enjoy Hoopest. This year they had two teams...one with the kids and one with the adults.

My kids and I always stay behind and my Dad would take us fishing. I got a bit teary eyed as I was walking around the yard changing the sprinklers (always his job). The thought of no more fishing trips with him is sad. It is something he LOVED to do and he always took us when we were kids.

Now taking my family isn't considered your typical fishing trip.....you know the relaxing trip with a cool breeze and fresh air type of fishing trip? NAH...this trip is different. It takes a lot of work. It is exhausting. It isn't a TON of fun. But it is tradition. You see it goes something like this.......while one child is casting his line into the water another kid is running right behind him just in time to get a hook in his shirt. It isn't unusual to have one kid trip over the bucket of fish and get hurt. Last year Zach caught a HUGE fish but it got away.........in the corn field right beside the pond we were fishing in. Now this fish was important. It was huge. We kept telling Zach to hurry and get it. But he couldn't find it. He was too afraid to step into the water that was used to irrigate the corn. Every once in awhile we could see the fish and it kept getting further and further from us. I can't even remember now if he got that fish. But I can hear my dad saying....Zach you got to get that one.

While one child is fishing another one is throwing rocks in the pond making so much noise that the child fishing wonders why he isn't catching anything. Then you have another one of the Puhlman's that broke his hook. He wants grandpa to fix it. But grandpa is teaching another grandchild how to cast. The one with the broken hook can't understand why it is taking so long. HURRY GRANDPA. Grandpa....I need help fixing my hook. Are you almost done yet, Grandpa?

And so you see what type of trip this is. We would only last about an hour or so before it was time to head back home to clean the fish. If you caught a fish you had to clean the fish. And eat it too. Grandpa was good about teaching everyone how to clean these fish. But he sure tired out after a trip with five young kids. Not an easy task........but one he NEVER complained about or stopped doing. He was such an example of carrying on traditions.

Today was a bit sad. Being alone with no adult interaction made for a long day. With two sick kids and no fishing......made me think alot about my dad and his interaction with his grandkids. Do you think there will be fishing in Heaven?

Even though we didn't fish today I did take my kids fishing a couple of weeks ago to the same place my dad always took us.....in his honor. I am so glad I did. It was actually FUN this time and all of the kids, at one time or another, mentioned how fun it was.