This morning he decided just as we were getting ready to walk out the door that he needed a drink. As you can tell by picture #1, hand is working it's way under the hat:
Picture #2, hat off:
Picture #3, ahhh . . . that's better:
Old habits die hard.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Old Habits Die Hard
When Cayel was an itsy bitsy baby, he used to rub his bald little head while he was nursing. I assumed it was a comfort thing but never imagined it to continue when he graduated to sippy cups and even now big boy cups. But he still does it and it is the most adorable thing in the world . . . No matter the time of day, the location or the drink of choice, the second the cup goes to the mouth, the other hand goes to the hair.
This morning he decided just as we were getting ready to walk out the door that he needed a drink. As you can tell by picture #1, hand is working it's way under the hat:
Picture #2, hat off:
Picture #3, ahhh . . . that's better:
Old habits die hard.
This morning he decided just as we were getting ready to walk out the door that he needed a drink. As you can tell by picture #1, hand is working it's way under the hat:
Picture #2, hat off:
Picture #3, ahhh . . . that's better:
Old habits die hard.
I love this girl . . .
I love this girl . . .
She is filled with so much love, so much joy, so much hope, so much wisdom, so much compassion, so much patience and so much faith.
This girl has been through more in her short (almost) 9 years of being on this earth than some people do in their entire lifetime. But, she has come out undoubtedly stronger and more faithful to the Lord’s plan for her precious little life, a life that she lives to the fullest with all the joy in the world.
She loves her mama. She loves her friends. She loves her crazy uncles that treat her nothing short of a Princess. She loves the farm. She loves 4-wheelers. She loves to read. She loves to write stories. She loves to give. She loves to teach. She loves to smile. She loves to cuddle (but only on her time). She loves to have her hair curled. She loves animals, especially kitties. She loves horseback riding. She loves school. She loves to swim. She loves to giggle. She loves to bake. She loves life. She loves Jesus.
Josh and I have had the pleasure of praying for this precious little girl for quite some time now. God has brought her into our lives for some very special reasons. Reasons that I never thought God had in His plan and we are honored. Reasons that I never thought would impact someone so special.
I love this girl . . .
She is filled with so much love, so much joy, so much hope, so much wisdom, so much compassion, so much patience and so much faith . . . meet Faith . . . have I said how much I love this girl . . . I do!
She is filled with so much love, so much joy, so much hope, so much wisdom, so much compassion, so much patience and so much faith.
This girl has been through more in her short (almost) 9 years of being on this earth than some people do in their entire lifetime. But, she has come out undoubtedly stronger and more faithful to the Lord’s plan for her precious little life, a life that she lives to the fullest with all the joy in the world.
She loves her mama. She loves her friends. She loves her crazy uncles that treat her nothing short of a Princess. She loves the farm. She loves 4-wheelers. She loves to read. She loves to write stories. She loves to give. She loves to teach. She loves to smile. She loves to cuddle (but only on her time). She loves to have her hair curled. She loves animals, especially kitties. She loves horseback riding. She loves school. She loves to swim. She loves to giggle. She loves to bake. She loves life. She loves Jesus.
Josh and I have had the pleasure of praying for this precious little girl for quite some time now. God has brought her into our lives for some very special reasons. Reasons that I never thought God had in His plan and we are honored. Reasons that I never thought would impact someone so special.
I love this girl . . .
She is filled with so much love, so much joy, so much hope, so much wisdom, so much compassion, so much patience and so much faith . . . meet Faith . . . have I said how much I love this girl . . . I do!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
2009 Black Hills Bull Elk
Finally the long awaited details are here . . .
Saturday I had the pleasure of waking up at 4:30 in the morning to go out elk hunting with Josh. Our morning started very similar to the post I blogged about here . . . The dreadful alarm rang loud and clear at 4:15. Reluctantly I climbed out of bed and Josh greeted me bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to dress me in as much warm camo as he could get his hands on. Once again, feeling like an oversized camouflage snowman, I climbed into the cold truck and closed my eyes to get every last second of sleep I could while Josh drove us up into the hills. A half an hour later we arrived at our destination. The moon was bright and the air was frigid, 17 degrees to be specific, the ground crackled below our feet as I tried to remember what I had learned from last year's hunt, walk quietly, stay down, walk slowly, don't sniffle . . . We hiked, but saw nothing, we hiked some more, but still saw nothing. 4 hours later and after seeing quit literally 20 orange hats wandering throughout the woods, we decided to go home and try again later in the afternoon. Discouraged none the less.
Thankfully Josh had permission to hunt on private land, so that's where we decided to to spend our afternoon. The weather had finally warmed up and the scenery was absolutely beautiful! The sun was shining, the breeze was calm and cool and the leaves on the trees were a vibrant gold. It was what one would consider a perfect fall day! Before we started out, we took some time and said a prayer together. A prayer that was soon answered . . .
Our afternoon was similar to the morning, we hiked, but saw nothing, we hiked some more, but still saw nothing. After about an hour of absolutely no sign of an elk, or any wildlife for that matter, we decided to sit and rest. Poor Josh was getting discouraged, again . . . he had spent the last month hiking and scouting and it wasn't more than a few days prior that he caught a glimpse of this monster on this exact piece of land.
But for whatever reason, we weren't hearing or seeing anything. Finally Josh decided it was time we start hiking again . . . A few minutes later we heard an elk bugle (what a beautiful and powerful sound). But before I could get too excited Josh told me it sounded like a hunter. I didn't care, I still loved the sound. A few minutes after that, we heard it again and Josh was starting to get convinced that it might actually be an elk. We slowly started to work our way towards the bugle, but sure enough, straight ahead of us was a hunter (a trespassing hunter I might add). Bummer. We stopped for a few minutes to visit with Mr. John Doe and yes, he was indeed the "bugler". Josh politely helped him get navigated back to public land, and not more than a few minutes later, we heard another bugle, this time it wasn't Mr. John Doe, it was a real elk! Off we went . . . and when I say off we went, I mean we booked it. Practically ran it. Up one hill, down another, up another, down another. Eventually we made it to where we thought the bull was. Josh knew exactly what to look for and quickly I learned too . . . scrapings on tress from the bulls rubbing their antlers, fresh droppings (that's correct girls, you pick up the poop and squish it in your fingers to see if it's soft and if you're lucky enough, it'll be warm) and eventually a fresh elk track in a small patch of snow. We quietly marched forward, following any sign of elk we could find. Finally! A cow called and she was right below us. Josh scurried to get behind a tree and I quickly followed. He rested his rifle on a tree branch and there we waited as we heard the cow calling back to Josh's calf call. The noise got louder and louder as the cow eventually stopped not more than 15 yards in front of us. There are no words to describe the size, beauty and stealth of these animals. She was absolutely amazing! It didn't take long for her to see Josh's gun shaking profusely from sheer adrenaline before she decided something wasn't right and ran off. Once again, Josh knew exactly what to do and he started calling again. Sure enough, cow number two walked up the ridge and stood 15 yards away. But she too sensed that something wasn't right and ran off and unfortunately took the other 10+ elk with her. Josh did another calf call and thankfully it calmed the elk down and they stopped in an opening across the ridge not more than 200 yards away. There we sat for minutes upon minutes (seeming like hours) and watched them. Awh they are beautiful creatures! As the cows would wonder around the area, a bull, the bull, would bugle this deep heavy bugle to call them back. Almost as if to say, "I'm the boss now get your behinds back here!" Sure enough, they would listen and slowly come walking back towards the bull who of course stayed nestled in the trees so not only could Josh not get a clear shot, we couldn't even get a glimpse of him. We waited, far from patiently, hoping and even praying that we would eventually see this picturesque bull make his way into the clearing. It never happened. We had a short time left of daylight and Josh thought he knew where their final destination would be. Once again we were on the move. Up one hill, down another, up another . . . Finally we made it, only to our disappointment to see no elk. Physically and emotionally exhausted we decided to call it a night. The sun was starting to go down, our clothes were now soaked with sweat and the temps were quickly dropping. Although I wasn't able to share in the experience of watching Josh complete his elk hunt, I was able to share in some pretty special memories that would play into his final hunt the next day . . .
Sunday evening Josh went out alone to this same location and he was finally able to be in the presence of the same group of elk we had chased the night before, only this time, the bull gracefully presented himself. Only 175 yards away, Josh was able to watch this majestic creature bugle, graze and interact with the other cows. Although his adrenaline was pumping, he took the time to pray about this opportunity and as he gained a sense of peace that this was the bull God had presented to him, he pulled the trigger and completed his Black Hills Bull Elk Hunt for 2009!
Although both Dick and I were a little disappointed that we couldn't be there to share in such a special moment in Josh's life, we are grateful for the time we got to spend with him throughout the hunt. Josh's dad specifically has enjoyed many special hunting memories with him and I was given the opportunity to share in the "hunt" of this specific bull the night prior. We were all so proud of him! Cayel even had to have daddy bring his elk to daycare so he could show all of his daycare friends. Now he says, "when I get bigger, I gonna shoot an elk wifh my daddy!" Josh can't wait!
Saturday I had the pleasure of waking up at 4:30 in the morning to go out elk hunting with Josh. Our morning started very similar to the post I blogged about here . . . The dreadful alarm rang loud and clear at 4:15. Reluctantly I climbed out of bed and Josh greeted me bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to dress me in as much warm camo as he could get his hands on. Once again, feeling like an oversized camouflage snowman, I climbed into the cold truck and closed my eyes to get every last second of sleep I could while Josh drove us up into the hills. A half an hour later we arrived at our destination. The moon was bright and the air was frigid, 17 degrees to be specific, the ground crackled below our feet as I tried to remember what I had learned from last year's hunt, walk quietly, stay down, walk slowly, don't sniffle . . . We hiked, but saw nothing, we hiked some more, but still saw nothing. 4 hours later and after seeing quit literally 20 orange hats wandering throughout the woods, we decided to go home and try again later in the afternoon. Discouraged none the less.
Thankfully Josh had permission to hunt on private land, so that's where we decided to to spend our afternoon. The weather had finally warmed up and the scenery was absolutely beautiful! The sun was shining, the breeze was calm and cool and the leaves on the trees were a vibrant gold. It was what one would consider a perfect fall day! Before we started out, we took some time and said a prayer together. A prayer that was soon answered . . .
Our afternoon was similar to the morning, we hiked, but saw nothing, we hiked some more, but still saw nothing. After about an hour of absolutely no sign of an elk, or any wildlife for that matter, we decided to sit and rest. Poor Josh was getting discouraged, again . . . he had spent the last month hiking and scouting and it wasn't more than a few days prior that he caught a glimpse of this monster on this exact piece of land.
But for whatever reason, we weren't hearing or seeing anything. Finally Josh decided it was time we start hiking again . . . A few minutes later we heard an elk bugle (what a beautiful and powerful sound). But before I could get too excited Josh told me it sounded like a hunter. I didn't care, I still loved the sound. A few minutes after that, we heard it again and Josh was starting to get convinced that it might actually be an elk. We slowly started to work our way towards the bugle, but sure enough, straight ahead of us was a hunter (a trespassing hunter I might add). Bummer. We stopped for a few minutes to visit with Mr. John Doe and yes, he was indeed the "bugler". Josh politely helped him get navigated back to public land, and not more than a few minutes later, we heard another bugle, this time it wasn't Mr. John Doe, it was a real elk! Off we went . . . and when I say off we went, I mean we booked it. Practically ran it. Up one hill, down another, up another, down another. Eventually we made it to where we thought the bull was. Josh knew exactly what to look for and quickly I learned too . . . scrapings on tress from the bulls rubbing their antlers, fresh droppings (that's correct girls, you pick up the poop and squish it in your fingers to see if it's soft and if you're lucky enough, it'll be warm) and eventually a fresh elk track in a small patch of snow. We quietly marched forward, following any sign of elk we could find. Finally! A cow called and she was right below us. Josh scurried to get behind a tree and I quickly followed. He rested his rifle on a tree branch and there we waited as we heard the cow calling back to Josh's calf call. The noise got louder and louder as the cow eventually stopped not more than 15 yards in front of us. There are no words to describe the size, beauty and stealth of these animals. She was absolutely amazing! It didn't take long for her to see Josh's gun shaking profusely from sheer adrenaline before she decided something wasn't right and ran off. Once again, Josh knew exactly what to do and he started calling again. Sure enough, cow number two walked up the ridge and stood 15 yards away. But she too sensed that something wasn't right and ran off and unfortunately took the other 10+ elk with her. Josh did another calf call and thankfully it calmed the elk down and they stopped in an opening across the ridge not more than 200 yards away. There we sat for minutes upon minutes (seeming like hours) and watched them. Awh they are beautiful creatures! As the cows would wonder around the area, a bull, the bull, would bugle this deep heavy bugle to call them back. Almost as if to say, "I'm the boss now get your behinds back here!" Sure enough, they would listen and slowly come walking back towards the bull who of course stayed nestled in the trees so not only could Josh not get a clear shot, we couldn't even get a glimpse of him. We waited, far from patiently, hoping and even praying that we would eventually see this picturesque bull make his way into the clearing. It never happened. We had a short time left of daylight and Josh thought he knew where their final destination would be. Once again we were on the move. Up one hill, down another, up another . . . Finally we made it, only to our disappointment to see no elk. Physically and emotionally exhausted we decided to call it a night. The sun was starting to go down, our clothes were now soaked with sweat and the temps were quickly dropping. Although I wasn't able to share in the experience of watching Josh complete his elk hunt, I was able to share in some pretty special memories that would play into his final hunt the next day . . .
Sunday evening Josh went out alone to this same location and he was finally able to be in the presence of the same group of elk we had chased the night before, only this time, the bull gracefully presented himself. Only 175 yards away, Josh was able to watch this majestic creature bugle, graze and interact with the other cows. Although his adrenaline was pumping, he took the time to pray about this opportunity and as he gained a sense of peace that this was the bull God had presented to him, he pulled the trigger and completed his Black Hills Bull Elk Hunt for 2009!
Although both Dick and I were a little disappointed that we couldn't be there to share in such a special moment in Josh's life, we are grateful for the time we got to spend with him throughout the hunt. Josh's dad specifically has enjoyed many special hunting memories with him and I was given the opportunity to share in the "hunt" of this specific bull the night prior. We were all so proud of him! Cayel even had to have daddy bring his elk to daycare so he could show all of his daycare friends. Now he says, "when I get bigger, I gonna shoot an elk wifh my daddy!" Josh can't wait!
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