Donny and Kim Friederichsen

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Birthday Fishin'

My sweet wife surprised me with a little fishing trip out to the Indian River. She didn't actually go fishing with me. She did, however, get some guys from work to plan a little excursion to selectively weed out the redfish population.

We went out to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and fished for Redfish and anything else that was unfortunate enough to snag our lines. This was my first time to Merritt Island. I've gone to the general area for an airshow and shuttle launches, but never to the Refuge. It was beautiful. There is a single-lane dirt road that snakes through the swampy areas. The water it is a large coastal swamp, so there are tons of wildlife. We saw some Rosetta spoonbills. There were tons of crabs and horseshoe crabs. We also saw a little gator. It was probably 5-6 feet long. Much smaller than the 11' 1" gator they trapped in the pond right next to Lake Hart. It's an occupational hazard.

We slowly worked our way down the road looking for tailing redfish. The water is very shallow, so when the redfish go after the bait fish, their tail fins often break the surface of the water. When we saw the bait fish moving, we got out, waded into the water and got our lines wet.

Mike was the first to catch a red. It was 25 inches and probably 7ish lbs.

I got in on the action by hooking a decent spotted sea trout.

Then, while Mike was helping me filet my little trout, I noticed his rod was walking towards the water. I went down and grabbed the pole. Fortunately for me there was a nice redfish on the other end of the line. These fish are a ton of fun to catch. They are hard swimmers and put up a pretty good fight. Despite his efforts, he succumbed to my superior strength and intellect...yep, I outwitted and outmuscled a little fish. Cheers all around!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

My friend Scott took these pictures at the Night Launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavor the other evening (actually, it was the other morning at 2:30am). I thought they were awesome, so I wanted to share them with you.

If you've never made it to Florida for a Space Shuttle launch...you absolutely must. They'll retire the shuttle fleet in 2010, so make your plans now.

We actually woke up to watch the launch. We couldn't see the shuttle because of the clouds, but we did see a bright glow over the horizon. The launch facility is 45 miles from our house. The power of a shuttle launch is amazing. It lights up the sky 50 miles away.

This one is my favorite!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Yes...it's been a while

Let's just say that we're not the most faithful at updating our blog. It's February now...our last post was in August. I'm amazed if anyone is checking this anymore...but here we are. And here's a little about our life.

Life in Orlando is so weird in February. It was in the mid-80s yesterday. So weird. I (Kim) think I have worn a sweater once all year...and we had a pool party on Wednesday. I am missing the seasons but definitely won't complain about the sun.

Donny is over at a friend's apartment watching the Tennessee/Memphis bball game. I hope he comes home happy...GO VOLS!!!

Would you pray for us? The Lord has used this year in Orlando in some neat ways to help us grow deeper in our walks with Him and to learn more about our giftings, talents, and desires. We are seeking guidance about what He would have us do after this year. It is crazy to think that another move might be around the corner in the summer...at least we know for sure that we have to move out of our apartment by June 30...we will see where we end up...and we'll let you know as soon as we know.

For whoever is reading this, we appreciate your love and prayers over time and distance. Please make a post or email us to let us know how you are doing.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

August Update

I (Kim) just wanted to post some recent pics of the kids. I am going to try to post things as often as I can. We are doing well here in Orlando. Millie is 4 months old. We took her to the pool for the first time today. She has found her toes which is really cute, and she giggles a lot. Hunter and she have both adjusted really well to our move, and I feel really blessed as a mom to have them in my life. Hunter is all into superheroes and Disney characters. His third birthday is in just two weeks, and I think we will be having a Superman party...I guess I need to plan that. Come see us in Orlando!!!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

850 miles and 26 feet of yellow steel

We have made it to Orlando!

I am pretty sure that we picked the hottest week of the year to move. Luckily, my body learned to adapt to a constant state of dehydration.

We are mostly settled into our new apartment. We're actively searching for a new church and learning the lay of the land. We have many friends with kids who live in our apartment complex. We have also had a chance to visit Disneyworld.

Next week I will begin working in the office at Lake Hart, the world headquarters for Campus Crusade.

Thanks for everything that everyone has done to help us get here. We appreciate you!

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Millie at Two Months

Yep, we're trying to get caught up on our blogging. Millie is growing well...13 lbs., 1 oz. at her two month check-up on June 21st. I (Kim) had a very emotional few days when she moved into size 2 diapers and began wearing 3-6 months clothes right when she turned two months old. Millie's second month was marked by two trips to Chattanooga including two nights at the Whitestone Inn with Mommy and Daddy.

I put Millie in this 0-3 month outfit the day before she moved into 3-6 month clothes. I was so sad that I didn't put her in it earlier. I found out that I LOVE pink gingham.

Hunter loves holding and checking on Millie. He is so sweet and gentle with her.

Why does Mommy take so many pictures of me???!!!

Millie and Hunter love visting their Mimi and Ddad (Kim's parents).

Sleeping Beauty

Just rocking on the porch of the Farmhouse at the Whitestone.

Millie joined Mommy and Daddy in a few games of croquet, shuffleboard, ping pong, and pool during our stay at the Whitestone.

Millie at One Month

Sorry we haven't been good about posting pics. We are having so much fun with Millie and Hunter that we just haven't gotten around to it. Millie is such a sweetheart. We love having a little girl.

Mommy loved celebrating Mother's Day with her two little ones.

Four generations of Levis/Friederichsens. Grandma, Nana, and Aunt Becky (Donny's Mom, Grandmother, and sister) came for Mother's Day...such a special day.

Lots of fun playing with Daddy.