My Big Buck

DISCLAIMER: The pictures that follow feature an actual dead deer.  Don't look if you're squeamish!

This year I got my hunting license and hunted for the first time ever.  During my hunter safety class I shot a gun for the first time, hitting the bullseye three out of five times with a rifle.  My dad gave me his 16 gauge shotgun, the same one he shot his first deer with almost 40 years ago.  He and I hunted together opening weekend at the end of October.  I didn't go out again until the Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning before Thanksgiving.  I didn't see anything Monday, but after less than an hour on Tuesday morning I managed to bring down a beautiful eight point buck.

The mighty hunter.

Too big to hang from the tractor!

Such beautiful symmetry...

All eight points on display.

We took him to Agway to get weighed -- 126 pounds dressed!  And yes, I did the field dressing myself;  Bryan was at home getting the kids on the bus.  Of course, when we were out everyone assumed Bryan had gotten the deer, even though I was the one wearing hunting gear.

The father of one of Bryan's friends from high school has been hunting successfully on our property since we've owned it.  This year he's hunted here more than I have, but hasn't gotten anything yet.  He was nice enough to come over to help me process the buck.  Now the freezer is full of delicious venison, and I even ground my own venison burger.

I'm still excited over my first deer ever, and I bring the subject up every chance I get.  I've been bragging about being a super marksman since my gun only has a bead sight -- no scope or anything!  Bryan's facial muscles have gotten a workout from all the good-natured eye rolling he's been doing.

We're all enjoying eating the meat, too.  Every night at the table while we eat, we say thank you to whoever made dinner.  On the nights we've had venison (so far we've had ribs, a big steak, and the heart) the kids said, "Thank you, Mommy, for shooting the big buck so we can have a delicious dinner."  They're just as proud as I am!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

In August the kids and I spent a couple fun filled days with my sister and her kids 

at my parents' house on Lake Champlain.

My parents at the lake.

Myles and Merlyn took these pictures of some of their activities, which included fort building, wilderness exploring, and bike riding.  Some of the pictures were actually quite nice, some were a little random, and some weren't worth posting.

Signs of civilization in the wilderness.

Isaac the explorer.

Merlyn on her bike.

Berkleigh multitasking.

Berkleigh's belly and bike.

The kids got  to swim, play, and skip rocks within sight of the ferry.

The girls

The boys

All six kids (even Merlyn and Berkleigh!) jumped off the end of the dock.  That was pretty impressive, since the dock was about five feet above the water.  Notice how each pair has a similar style of jumping.

Elizabeth

Carter

Isaac

Myles

Merlyn

Berkleigh

Synchronized cannonballs from Isaac and Myles.

I think they were huddled together for warmth, although they'll never admit they're cold!

All six cousins.

We got to see the full moon rising over the lake.

Myles

Carter

Myles and Carter had fun trying to "hold" the moon.

Of course, kids get pretty tired from all that activity, and with exhaustion comes crankiness.  Berkleigh threw a fit about where she wanted to sleep, and when I left her bedroom, she went out on the couch:

How Berkleigh's fit ended.

The second day we went to the wonderful town beach.

Carter and Elizabeth

Myles

The kids swam in the lake, ran through the waves, and played in the sand.
They buried each other...

Carter/Elizabeth

Myles/Merlyn

... which led to taking some of our favorite funny beach pictures.

Merlyn/Berkleigh

That night, instead of witnessing fits from Berkleigh,

 my mom and all six grandchildren got to participate in one of their favorite activities: 

Reading together.

The girls had time for a little tea party before we left for home.  

Based on their body language I'm thinking that Merlyn was

 trying to persuade Berkleigh to do something she didn't want to do.

Tea time!

I thought this picture perfectly illustrates the difference between a family's vehicle

 and the empty-nesters' mode of transportation.

The van and the Harley

Now that my parents are officially retired, 

they have more time to enjoy their grandchildren and their Harley!

Linus Slideshow

We went to visit Grandma in the nursing home today.  I put together this slideshow and brought my laptop to the nursing home so Grandma could see pictures of Linus.  It's the first slideshow I've made, and I love it, so I thought I'd share it with everyone.

Make sure your volume is up so you can hear the music.  Enjoy!

Merlyn's Birthday List

Last Friday Merlyn picked me flowers and put them in a glass on the counter.  Next to them was a note which simply read "To Mommy. From Merlyn. Send a thank you note. Love, Merlyn".  She's been on a letter writing kick, and they're quite amusing.  I'll have to post a picture of one of them when I get my camera back (I lent it to a friend so she could take pictures of her brand new niece).

My beautiful flowers. 

Today Merlyn is home from school sick and she passed some time writing her birthday list.  I thought I would share it with you (exactly as written) so you can see what I mean when I say her writing is amusing.

Blank papers

a farmer's hat 

Barn Bots  (boots)

a pare of glovs

a baby Doll

a toy fone

a toy Arplan

Pant my room  (paint)

a webken  (Webkinz)

a fish

and fish stuf

and I want Iea cearem samwich cack   (ice cream sandwich cake)

          Love 

          Merlyn 

  Most of it doesn't even need translation.  Pretty good for a six year old!

Meeting Linus

On Saturday, September 18th, we drove to Vermont to visit the newest member of the family, and Kelley and Jason, of course!  It was also our first time seeing their new house, a cozy log cabin on the side of a mountain.

   

The kids meet their new cousin.

They can't take their hands off him!

 

Linus David was born 9/16, weighing 8lbs, 4oz. We had the honor of being able to share in his first days at home.

Merlyn and Berkleigh were very excited  to hold Linus for the first time.

So were Carter and Myles.

So were Bryan and I. 

I know you're asking, "Where's the picture of your first time holding this sweet baby?" Well, I did (of course!) hold him, and there is a picture of that first moment, but Bryan took the picture, and it was very blurry.  Unlike me (who takes dozens of shots of the same picture to account for closed eyes, unnatural expressions, etc) Bryan takes one picture and he's done.  So, instead of a picture of me holding Linus, here are a couple of pictures of Linus wearing the hat that I knit for him.

What a handsome model!

Comfy hat/warm head = sound sleep!

More pictures of Linus, just because I know many of you are starved for pictures, since (as Alison says) Kelley and Jason live in Narnia now.  Plus it's easy to take pictures of such a cute little man.

"Hhmmm..."

Look at the adorable frown lines!

Linus is precious.

The first of many traditional "cousin pictures".

Hopefully we'll be able to get more pictures soon.  It's been more than a week since we've seen Linus, and I'm sure he's changed already.  Congratulations to the proud new parents!

First Day of School, First Day of Renewed Blogging

This year's first day of school was quite memorable: it was Carter's first year of middle school, Berkleigh's first day of kindergarten, and my first day with absolutely no children in the house.  I'm still not accustomed to being alone in the quiet house, so I thought I'd start up the blog again with my extra free time.  I know some of you have continued to check back faithfully from time to time.  I thank you for your interest in my blog and apologize for my lack thereof!

Carter is in 5th grade this year, in the middle school, and has started playing the clarinet.  He rides an earlier bus (the other kids don't even get up until after Carter has already left) and is home almost an hour before the other three get home in the afternoon.  He and I are enjoying the time alone together; after all, the last time we had regular blocks of time with just the two of us was before he turned three months old.

Carter Gerald

Myles Raymond

I'll have to find the picture of Carter's first day of kindergarten so you can see how much both he and his tree have grown.





Myles is in 3rd grade now and is really doing well.  This year he is learning the recorder and having swimming in school.

Merlyn Rose

Berkleigh June

Merlyn is in 1st grade and absolutely loves school.  She has the same teacher that both boys had for first grade, which we are very happy about.  Notice her lack of top front teeth!




Berkleigh is in kindergarten and has the same teacher (who we love!) Merlyn had last year.

Since Berkleigh had never been to preschool and kindergarten is a whole day, starting school was a very exciting experience.  She had been impatiently awaiting school since last spring, but as the day approached she got a little nervous.  She's doing wonderfully now, though, and tells me she always has fun at school and never misses me at all.  Of course, that makes me both happy and sad!

Berkleigh's not quite sure.

Merlyn's ready.

Bryan and I drove the kids down to the road the first day since it was raining and we didn't know if the bus would be on time.  You can tell by the girls' faces as they watched for the bus how much more nervous Berkleigh was.

The bus is here.

Carter and I walked down the driveway to welcome the younger kids home the first afternoon.  When they got off the bus, Myles and Merlyn were busy watching the bus driver to see if it was okay to cross, while Berkleigh was busy waving to me.  It was very cute!

Myles, Berkleigh, and Merlyn getting home from the first day of school.

This year was the first time since Carter started kindergarten that I didn't have daycare kids and their parents waiting for the bus with us the first day.  It's been a little strange not to have a house full of kids, but I am enjoying the less chaotic mornings (and afternoons, and evenings!) with just my own kids.