~Hunting

Jolene really enjoys hunting with Ward.  They have gone duck, geese, prairie dog and even elk hunting together.  She loves to shoot and be outdoors alone with Ward.  She especially loves that Drake minds her more then the rest of us. Ward and Jolene have really bonded together, I love that this has become their thing.  I love when she comes home and has some great stories to tell that make her eyes light up, Ward will add details or she will correct him as they tell of their adventures. 

~Hunting

The girls went hunting with Ward along with a few others including Drake.  It turned out to be a really nice day.  Raychel took my camera with her so she could take pictures for her photography class.  She did really well and they all had fun together.  

~Christmas Eve~

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without an early morning hunt!! Ward was able to go hunting this morning with several friends and had great success! I love when he comes home and tells us all about it, I love to hear the excited in his voice as he talks and the twinkle in his eyes as he remembers.
The day was wonderful, lazy, relaxed, lots of food, resting, laughing, moving watching, skyping with family, and of course opening the Christmas Eve pajamas and ended with the traditional sleepover!!

~Hunting~

The girls have been wanting to go hunting with Ward for a while now. He use to float down the river, and he has laid out in blinds and both places I wasn't crazy about the girls going. Now he is leasing some great property and is able to take his boat which makes it much easier, safer and warmer for the girls to be able to go with him. Raychel was so excited, I am not sure how much she slept the night before. The girls work hard with Ward while he trains Drake with bumpers and decoys so they were excited to see him in action! I think Ward has now found himself some little hunters he can rely on.

~Pin Tail Duck~

I kind of have to laugh when people ask me,

"How can you LET him go hunting?"

First thing is I don't let him do anything. How could I not want him to go hunting and do something he enjoys so much? He works VERY hard to provide for our family. He works hard so I can stay home with our two girls. He deserves to go hunting or golfing or what every it is he enjoys doing. When he returns he is relaxed, happy and renewed for what lies ahead for him. It gives him a new since of life. His job is high stress, he needs to be able to unwind and relax. Not only does he benefit from his hunt but so do we!!! He leaves in at 5:30 am and gets back about noon. It's perfect, it give the girls a chance to sleep and get some chores done, in gives me time to exercise, read, work in the garden, plant flowers, or anything else I want to do while he is gone. Then we are ready to play. It's our perfect Saturdays. This particular Saturday he got his first Pin Tail Duck. It is beautiful.