And so it begins..........

This year was Griffin's very first Youth Season for spring turkeys. 

He and his Dad have put so much time and effort into being prepared. They've target practiced, they have scouted, they've worked on blinds, they've even sat in the hallway and practiced moving around slowly and aiming his shotgun. Turkey hunting is hard and Drew did not want him to have any shortcuts to make him think it was a sure deal. He's an anti-participation trophy kind of guy, and I respect that. 

Griffin laid all of his clothes out on Friday night, and because of that "he needed to sleep in our bed". Also, because he needed to be woken up early. 

It was somewhere in the 5 o'clock hour Saturday morning when I heard them. Griffin was talking so loud and sounded like he had been up for hours. Very chipper, and not his normal zombie self before school. I laughed and got out of bed to get this photo of the mighty hunters. 

There was a trace of snow on the ground, and Drew said it would be very surprising if the birds moved much. Despite the 20 degree temps, Griffin wanted to go. He made it a good 3 hours before needing a break. They came home, had a good breakfast, and went back to it. Besides a whispering problem, Griffin did really good. Drew was very impressed with him actually. They saw some turkeys but nothing close enough to take a shot. 

Sunday came and they went out again. Drew let Griffin decide whether he wanted to go or not, no pressure at all. The morning hunt was cut short due to Griffin feeling sick. They came home and got a nap in with a couple of lazy hours around the house. 

Cooper was also very puny that day, so he and I spent most of it in bed. The most exciting part came while I was making dinner. Drew sent me this picture with the caption, "about to get exciting". 

It was a long wait and I was very anxious. Finally, 30 minutes later I got this picture. 

I have never been happier or more proud of anything involving the death of an animal. I think Drew's heart was probably about to burst with pride. It was a really exciting hunt that led to Griffin having to get on Drew's lap, on his own knees across Drew's legs, and while Drew sat sideways, Griffin lined the gun up and had to take the shot all on his own. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. So much sport involved, so many good lessons about perseverance and working hard to achieve something. There are shortcuts that can be taken during youth season to ensure a kill, but they did not do any of them. 

 

And Pa was very proud........

Little brother said "That's cool!"

It was a very special weekend! One to be remembered forever. 

March 2018

Looking back on March, I spent a lot of time with the dogs. That's okay, it makes me happy. They also frustrate me when they run off into the woods, but we are working on that. 

I also spent a lot of time with Cooper. He wants to stay home more than he wants to go to daycare now. We have a lot of fun. It's a bit of a struggle, but he needs that interaction with other kids and adults. 

I'm doing better at creating separate posts and not lumping it all together in one. 

We received a 3rd quarter progress report and are so pleased that his areas of minuses have all turned to pluses. Our boy is growing up! He was extremely proud when we expressed how happy we are with him. 

Also received this gem from Griffin to hold on to forever:

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PJ day at daycare and we went for breakfast in town before

 

We went to the pottery studio and each painted something. The boys chose a mickey mouse and a "home" sign. I made a new butter dish. We also made a special platter with their handprints that you'll see further down below.  

 

Charlotte had a very fun birthday party. Cooper gave all the girls rides in the gator, while we found Griffin and Chase.......see video below.......

Sneak peek at Easter photos

Finished sentimental pottery project

G Bear and C Bear's photos for the month:

I also received my very first notice for jury duty! That's something I've always wanted to serve on. Unfortunately, it says that my service dates are May 1 through August 31st. I hope it doesn't interfere with any potential summer trips. I'll find out more when I go for orientation next week!

At the end of March, Griffin decided he wanted to take his own lunch to school. This only lasted 2 days thankfully, but one super sweet thing came from it. When he wasn't looking I slipped a note to him inside his lunch box. Just an "I love you, be kind, etc" kind of note. Well, at daycare that afternoon he wrote me a note back and gave it to me that night.