Hunting Season 2014-15

Also known as the longest season in history!! Ha!

Certain parts of Alabama's Hunting season were extended through February 10 this year. Lucky for us, Daddy's hunting club was in the extended area. :/

Jay and Joseph have had the best time at the hunting club this year. Jay is totally exhausted after every trip and grows up so much while he is gone. He has learned lots and lots and really takes everything about it seriously-for a 4 year old.

He's fired a gun for the first time(s), learned what really happens to make the deer fall down and that they aren't alive anymore after you shoot them.

Sometimes I am just amazed at how life turns out. Especially when I think about the 21-year-old vegetarian I was when I first met Joseph and now all of these years later our 4 year old son is telling me what size deer you should shoot or not shoot.
My, how life can surprise us.

Lizzy and I made two trips to the hunting club this year-one for the day and one overnight. Everything is SO green there! This photo was taken in mid-January.

Here we are "getting our minds right" before we left the comforts of home. Ha!

And at the Oswalt's farm.

She enjoyed dressing for the occasion and referring to herself as "Hunting Girl" the entire weekend. She even picked up a stick and jumped in some muddy puddles. (Although, I think the puddle jumping was more to be like Peppa than to be a rough and tough hunter, but whatever, she got dirty so we'll count it.)

I'm so glad that Joseph has the opportunity to share something he loves with Jay. I love that they spend lots of time working hard, enjoying the outdoors and learning together. I don't love that Jay seems so grown up every time he comes home from a hunting weekend, but I guess that's just a fact of life.

The kids and I have also spent plenty of time this season doing fun things while Daddy is away. We've been to fun outings at parks, played countless games of tag and hide and seek, watched movies on pallets, nearly perfected church as a party of three and eaten yummy dinners of whatever we like on the weekends (usually chicken nuggets for the kids and pita and hummus/veggies and cheese for me). 

Lizzy and I got to do some bonding while learning the art of at-home toddler pedicures on Friday nights. We've conquered the mall and I must admit it, that girl is a little shopper. I've never been big on the mall, but Lizzy is changing that--she loves it so we've made our fair share of trips to the mall this hunting season. 

It's been good for all of us and the fellas even got a deer or two this year. We all made great memories, which makes everything worthwhile. 

See ya in November, deer. Spring and Summer are callng our names....