2nd Weekend at the Deer Lease

Well, after 4 days of hunting hard, I came up short again!  I saw a lot of deer, but no shooters.  Luckily, Jeff killed a nice 9 point during bow season and filled up our freezer, so I can afford to be a little picky. 

It was a good weekend.  Even though I didn’t get anything, we have such a great time out there.  Mostly because there are no worries.  I also take the best naps at the lease! 

Here is our little routine…I wake up about 5:40 AM, get dressed and out the door.  (Jeff and Hayden still snoozing for a while longer.) Hop in the explorer and drive to where I will park to walk the rest of the way to the stand.  I didn’t ever need a flashlight this go around.  That moon was shining bright!  I can say it is a little freaky walking in the dark all alone and all of a sudden a dumb bird flies out of the bush you walked past and you nearly fall on your face because you tripped over a rock trying to get away.  I know, go ahead and laugh.  Then, get in the stand by 6:10 AM or so.  The goal is before the sun starts to come up.  Wait for the feeder to go off around 6:20 or 6:30 AM depending on the stand you are sitting at.  Then, watch for the action!  Sunday morning, I saw NOTHING!!  I stayed there for 4 hours and saw NADA!  So, head back to camp around 9:45 or 10:00AM.  Then, cook up a good breakfast.  Usually biscuits, bacon/sausage, and eggs.  Around noon Hayden and I lay down for a nap!  Jeff usually find something to do (with Dad or one of the other guys on the lease).  Yesterday he went and sat in the stand.  I love nap time at the lease because I don’t feel guilty for taking one because there isn’t work to be done around the house or on the computer. 

After nap time (usually about 2-3 hours later), time to get up, grab a snack, and head out the door for the afternoon hunt.  Hunt from about 3:45-6:15 PM.  Head back to camp and make plans for dinner.  Sometimes we go eat in town (about 20 minutes away).  Sometimes we eat at camp.  Last night we cooked a pizza.  Baths for everyone and then to bed usually by 9:00 PM.   Roughin’ it I tell ya!  See why I love it so much?  :-)

Here is a little peak into what went on this weekend…

Lots of father/son time!  These boys played their little hearts out!  Hayden actually has his own little room in the camper.  It is so nice! 

We just pick up the pack and play during the day and it turns into a playroom!  :-) 

Can’t play all day and not do any work!  :-)

Jeff brought a bucket of dirt from home so they would have some loose dirt to play with.  Such a good Daddy!

Play dough!  Hayden’s new love and will entertain him for quite a long time! 

He is really working hard on learning those letters too!

Me and Hayden before an afternoon hunt.  Hayden now says, “Mommy Hunting!”.   I hope he grows up loving to hunt as much as Jeff and I do!  

Marla, I told Jeff I was going to use this as my “What I Wear Wednesday” blog post since I pretty much wore this for 4 days this week!  ;-)  Hat-Bass Pro, Shirt and Pants-Academy, Snake boots-Bass Pro! 

This afternoon we got home around 4:00 or so.  Jeff was kind of itching to go sit in his bow stand behind the house.  I encouraged him to get out and go have some “him” time since he really didn’t get much this weekend.  Well, next thing I know, he is running back in the house telling me to call mom and see if she can watch Hayden because there is a big buck behind the house and he can’t get close enough with his bow.  He runs Hayden down to Mom and Dads and I change clothes and grab my rifle.  We sneak (a long way) down the pasture toward our feeder.  I was so out of breath.  Not kidding.  Squatting down trying not to be seen, holding my gun, and trying to keep up with his long legs was a work out!  My legs are going to be sore tomorrow, I can already tell.  We would sit and wait and look, then move a little closer.  I felt like I was in the Army or a sniper or something.  Ha!  We finally sat down and waited until dark.  The big buck outsmarted us.  Oh well, it was quite a fun adventure with my  hubby.  Jeff said, “I love you.  I am so glad you enjoy doing things like this with me.  I love that you don’t mind getting dirty and getting  a little cow poop on ya.”  Ha! 

Glad to be home!  We aren’t heading back to the lease for a few weeks.  Hope you are having a good week!

Line Em’ Up

Here we go…it’s been a while since the last “Line Em’ Up” post, but we still have lots of lining up going on around here!  Now, Hayden will line something up and just clap and jump around so excited and can hardly wait for you to take a picture.  So funny! 

Random…trucks, tractors, a balloon, and a bulb medicine dropper.

Cars, trucks, tractors, and trains… 

Disney/Mickey Mouse Characters…

After completing the task in his room, he loaded them all up in his red bucket and hauled them into the living room and began the task again.

I think it is interesting that he put all the red trucks together and all the blue items together. 

  

He built a “gate”. 

Certainly can’t leave all the rubber bath toys out.

My Favorite…

Lisa W., you should be proud.  I was saying smallest, bigger, bigger, bigger, biggest!  ;-) 

No deer stories

We made it back home safely this afternoon after a great weekend away at the deer lease.  I didn’t see a whole lot and certainly no “shooters”, but we still had a great time.  Dad saw quite a bit more than me, but nothing worth the taking.  Yet.  :-) 

We attended two different hunter appreciation dinners.  One Friday night and one Saturday night.  Friday night, Dad won a gun (Remington 22).  Saturday night, Hayden won a gun.  A BB gun, but hey, its a gun!  ;-)  Hayden had the best time Saturday night.  They had a huge area for kids to play in the dirt and Hayden was loving it!  He and his daddy went around and around those huge wooden spools chasing each other.

Jeff and Dad both went to the doctor on Thursday to get some antibiotics before the weekend trip after had gone to the doctor on Tuesday for the same.   Jeff actually lost his voice over the weekend.  But, I think everyone is finally feeling better now! 

Hayden and his Daddy had some really great bonding time!  Jeff had gotten a buck earlier during bow season, so it was my turn to hunt this weekend.  I think it was so good for both of them to spend so much quality time together. I was pretty much just around for meals and naptime!  ;-)  They played with cars, trucks, trains, and animals!  Oh, and toothpaste boxes.  It’s the little things! 

They also ate things like banana pudding pie for breakfast.  Oh my!

I think this baby was worn out after his weekend of hunting! 

This Momma is worn out too!  Off to bed! 

Fall Carnival at Church

 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6

“Jesus is the way.” was our theme for our Church Carnival on Sunday.  Each Sunday School class was responsible for a game around that theme.  My Junior High Girls class did hop scotch.  We were real original and went all out and probably had nothing to do with the theme.  ;-)   We all had fun though! 

We also had a casserole cook-off.  I was so sad I didn’t win.  I took this Cheesy Enchilada Casserole I found on pinterest.  I still thought it was pretty yummy!  ;-)  There was a Ruben casserole that took grand prize. 

Hayden wasn’t feeling real great on Sunday, but he still did a little playing with his Daddy and Lizzy.  I think this tent was his favorite.  They had corn spread out and tractors to scoop the corn while searching for a prize. 

Our friends Tommy and Hudson were up next!

He kind of liked racing the 4 wheelers too.

A little bowling action.

This was a “roller coaster”.  The kids L.O.V.E.D.  it!  Well, I think everyone but Hayden.  We didn’t get a picture of the “roller coaster” part, but it was this Little Tikes plastic ramp with hills that you rode this little car off of.  The little kids couldn’t get enough! 

Hop Scotch.

We skipped Trick-or-Treating on Halloween.  Hayden wasn’t feeling great and we had family pictures that afternoon/evening too. 

We ended up taking Hayden to the doctor yesterday.  He woke up with a little fever and lots of coughing and congestion.  Just allergies, cold, viral.  But, she did go ahead and give us a antibiotic.  I am glad!  He took a 3 1/2 hour nap and woke up with 102 fever and just felt progressively worse, so I went ahead and gave him the meds.  It is so crazy, he has been sick this exact week for the past three years.  He woke up better and has been playing all morning.  We need him better so we can head to the deer lease this weekend!  This Momma has some hunting to do!! 

Blogging may be a little scarce the next week.  Jen is in town, Shauna is coming to stay the night, Canton tomorrow, and then we are headed to the deer lease!   Hope big Daddy comes to see me!!  I am so excited to get in the stand!

Yesterland Farms

On Saturday, Jeff and I decided to take Hayden to Yesterland Farms in Canton and we are so glad we did.  It was a lot of fun!  I definitely think next year he will enjoy it so much more than even this year.  There is so much for kids and families to do.  We didn’t do half of it just because Hayden was a little small.  So, if you have kids 3 and up and live within driving distance, I would definitely make the trip!  They also have a Texas Christmas/Pictures with Santa in December.

As you walk in, there are several rides including a small roller coaster, a climbing wall, a pumpkin patch, pony rides, hay/cart rides, and more.  Then, you go to the back where there is a petting zoo, pig races, pumpkin and corn cob launching, play areas, more rides, and the corn maze (our favorite part). 

 

  The petting zoo was small and you really couldn’t pet many animals.  But, Hayden liked it.

The Maze! We probably spent 30 minutes in there but it was so much fun!

As you were going through, you could play Mazeopoly.  You had to find different areas and “punch” your card.  Each stop had some sort of Farming Fact on it.  It was really cool!

Hayden would keep saying “This Way”!!  He had a blast!

This sweet lady offered to take our picture.  I was so excited!  But kinda sad when it was blurry!  Oh well, we got some others that were good!  :-)

Sorry about that corn stalk being in your face Hayden!

Time for the Hay/Cart Ride!  We got us some YUMMY kettle corn for the ride!

Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes everywhere!

Family Picture Time!  There were SO MANY awesome places they had set up for you to take pictures!  I loved that!  A good picture makes this Momma happy!

Hayden got him a $2 pumpkin to go!