Thankful for our Turkeys

This Thanksgiving we were VERY thankful for Grandma and Moopa and the wonderful deer camp they built for us. We spent Thanksgiving out West enjoying family, food and running wild in the country. We are so thankful that our little turkeys have a place to go where they get to be boys and soak up nature. I'm even ok with the fact that half of nature comes back home under their fingernails...haha! Boys have to be able to get out and get dirty and we thank Grandma and Moopa for making it possible for us to all do that together.
This was going to be R's big year to shoot his first buck. We bought him his first .243 rifle and he was all ready to go. He shot it ONE time before going out on multiple hunts with Jason. We were very proud of how well he shot it especially since we forgot to plug his ears for his first ever rifle shooting experience. I think the volume and kick startled him a bit...hence the single practice shot. He decided he'd rather let his next shot be at a deer...haha!


R may've been a little deaf after his shot but he was still proud to show us his excellent shot that would've brought a deer down for sure. W was cheering big brother on the whole time and made sure he didn't  join R in the ringing ear club.

Our Thanksgiving breaks are always filled with lots of shooting. I was very happy to finally get to shoot my pink-handled Judge that Jason bought me a while back.

We also all had a lot of fun with the sling shot. Growing up, my grandpa hand-carved each of us kids our own sling shots. I have so many memories of running through the country with my siblings trying to shoot anything that moved. Grandpa was masterful with his sling shot and I'd like to think he was getting a big chuckle at our attempts to hit a water bottle. I'm sure he would have loved to see our two-year old W shooting it.




R was so ready to get a deer this year, he went out morning and night but unfortunately never saw anything "first-buck worthy." Next year will have to be his year. Little W begged to go out hunting every time. He was too cute, so every afternoon Moopa and daddy would take him "hunting" for animal tracks. He would get sooooo excited to find them.




When we weren't shooting or hunting we were eating. Which happens to be one of my favorite Thanksgiving activities...ha! Grandma prepared a FABULOUS Thanksgiving meal and one evening we enjoyed roasting dogs on the fire pit. Of course no fire pit experience is complete without s'mores!



Wyatt and Duke were inseparable. It was too cute. W wanted his picture made with him. I'm not too sure if Duke had quite the same feelings for W...haha!

I think this is a great picture of all of the cousins. It is rare to get everyone somewhat looking at the camera.

I have to include this picture just to once again prove that we actually do have a third son...ha! He may not be able to shoot anything yet but he sure is the cutest lil hunter around don't you think?

These little turkeys melt my heart and we are so thankful for them!