Wordless Wednesday...Fall Activities

Operation: 30-Point Buck

Noah and I with his buck 2009

Hunting is big in my family.   My father has hunted my whole life.  My (maternal) grandparents would come down every year to spend the week with us for Opening Day of hunting season.  My grandfather would hunt with the guys on our 58 acres and Grandma would do some Christmas shopping at the local malls with us girls.  

I still remember the excitement of Opening Day growing up.  Uncles, friends, Grandpa and Dad would gather in the dining room below my bedroom at some God-awful hour of the morning, drinking coffee and having a warm breakfast before they headed off to their respective blinds, deer stands, and nooks in the cold, dark, woods to sit and wait for their prize.  There was something about this camaraderie, the sport, the excitement, that was invigorating.  I always loved Opening Day.  I looked forward to hearing the familiar voices and often found an “excuse” to sneak downstairs and join the men in their annual rituals. 

I even remember my mother hunting, perhaps not when I could specifically remember it, but the stories I was told were fascinating.  My Mom can do just about anything the “guys” can do and I love that about her.  I strive to be even just a small percentage of what she’s modeled for me all these years.  So, about 6 or 7 years ago I decided to finally give this whole hunting thing a try.  I’m usually up for a challenge and love the motivation that shaking things up brings.  The reactions I’d get from fellow co-workers, friends, relatives – the surprise, the confusion, the doubt – they were just the fuel I needed to prove something to someone.  I don’t know what I was proving to whom, but it was the something I needed and wanted to do to prove to myself that I could do this. 

I convinced my father to offer a hunter’s safety course (he was a semi-retired Hunter’s Safety instructor by then) and gathered up enough interested “students” to make it worth his while.  That year I bought a camouflage hunting suit, gloves, blaze orange neck warmer, and headed out to my blind at some God-awful hour of the morning on opening day to accomplish something no one (including myself) thought I was capable of.   

I didn’t prove anything to anyone that first year (or the years that followed) except that I could dress the part, sit and wait in the cold with the best of them, and go through the motions.  I hunted the year I was 7 months pregnant with my first son (with doctor’s approval, of course!), I went out weeks after my second son was born, in between his (every) 3-hour feedings, (the whole time wishing they made nursing-accessible hunting clothing - Ha!)

 Me and my "doggy doe" 2009

It wasn’t until last year, however, when I took my first deer, that I finally felt like I had actually accomplished something.  It was the first year I was able to prove to myself (and a handful of doubting naysayers) that I could do it.  That I wasn’t just talking the talk…I could walk the walk, too.  Yes, it was a (very) small doe I took that first year.  But I did it cleanly, with one shot, and I followed through from start to finish.  It sounds silly and probably grosses most people out, but I was proud of myself for doing it all.  I did the gutting, the dragging out of the woods, the skinning, the processing.  It was important to me to handle it all and not pawn the “hard” parts or the “gross” parts off on my brother, my husband, or my father. 

I loved getting home last year with our deer (my husband and brother each got one, too) and seeing my (then) 3-year-old’s face light up when he saw the deer that Mommy had brought home.  (It’s important to teach my boys that girls can do anything boys can do.  This is just one way for me to demonstrate that.)  However, the best reward I’ve ever received is the pride I see in my father’s face and hear in his voice when he tells the story of his daughter that hunts.  That makes me proud and glad to be sharing this experience, this skill, this tradition with my father (and husband and brother!) 

So despite its controversies, I’m proud to say that I am an avid (Opening Weekend and Thanksgiving morning) hunter.  I say it like that only because, I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of freezing my butt off, generally speaking.  But the excitement of opening weekend and the tradition and family roots found at my Mom and Dad’s at the crack of dawn on Thanksgiving morning every year is totally my cup of tea.  I look forward to it every year and I love the memories I’m able to make with my family!!  This is just one more piece of my story that my boys can hopefully share with their families someday. 

Wordless Wednesday - Thankfulness

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

Let's go fly a kite 

Up to the highest height

Let's go fly a kite

And send it soaring 

Up through the atmosphere 

Up where the air is clear 

Oh, let's go fly a kite! 

I'm so proud of Nathaniel for accomplishing this challenge.  He tends to get pretty easily frustrated and gives up with little effort on a lot of things.  So when he insisted on wanting to fly the kite Alex got for his birthday, it sounded like a lot of work (for me!).  Daddy took him out and got frustrated with the whole concept in a matter of minutes.  But that didn't deter Nate.  He ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran (often times falling down while looking behind him or running into the trees without looking!)!  But wouldn't you know, he got that blasted kite up in the air.  Considering the wind was inconsistent at best that day, I'm very proud of him for working so hard to accomplish something he wanted to accomplish.  Good job, Bug!

I ♥ Faces...Autumn Beauty

Today I'm participating again in the weekly 
I ♥ Faces photo challenge.  

This week's challenge is all about capturing a photo of a person surrounded by the beautiful colors of autumn.

Fall is my favorite season and my boys are outdoor kids.  Combine that last ditch effort to get them outside as often as we can before the snow flies and my obsession with taking pictures and you have a LOT of photos to choose from for this challenge.  I have so many I love but I chose this one to share because of the expression on my son's face.  

Enjoy and be sure to check out I ♥ Faces to see more beautiful submissions!


(And I'm so glad I figured out how to add an actual ♥ this time!! 
Thanks to the tutorial on the I ♥ Faces website!!)

A picture story...

My sister and I recently took the kids (my boys and my niece, Kensington) to the pumpkin patch for some traditional Fall fun and photo op.  It seemed simple enough.  Stick the kids in a pumpkin patch and take their picture.  I even had the fantastic idea of getting one of all three kids to give our parents for Christmas.  I thought it would be nice for them to have one good picture of all three of their grandkids.

Sounds simple, right?

Sure!  It was anything but simple.

Here's a photo story of how that plan went.

First, choose a place with lots of pumpkins.  This one looks good.

Then sit the children there.  Stay put, guys.

Ok, now one more.

Stay right there, Kensie.

Um, Alex...where are you going?!?

Ok.  New plan.

We'll put them in the middle of pumpkins 
so it's harder for them to get out and roam.

Yeah.  That's good.

Let's try this spot.

Everybody sit.

Good.  
Now look at me!  
Over here!

Oh, ALEX!  Where ya' going?!?

Ok.  Take three.

Yoo hoo!  

Where's Mommy?  

Look at me!

Say "Cheese!"

Nate?  You ok?  What happened?

Oh, Nate!  Get up!  

Kensie:  "I'm outta here!"

Alex:  "Yeah, me, too!"

Nate:  "See you, Mom!"

Well, that went well.

I think that worked out great, right?

Hmm.  Maybe next time.

Happiness is...

apple season.

There is nothing better than biting into a fresh, crisp, in-season apple in the Fall. I love apple season in NY. My favorites are empires but I'm a huge fan of the relative newcomer in apples, the Honeycrisp. This variety comes from cross-breeding the Macoun and the Honeygold apples and it is delicious. If you haven't tried it I suggest you do so, and PRONTO!

I really love everything about Autumn, really. The weather. The Fall festivities. All of the holidays around the corner.

But I especially love the apples. Everything about them.

Apple picking. Apple Festival.

Apple pies. Apple crisp.

And fresh made apple sauce smelling up the house and vacuum packed in the freezer to enjoy all winter long. Yum! It makes me so happy!

What makes YOU happy?

Wordless Wednesday