Handmade hair bows and headbands for adorable little girls

My awesome sis-in-law (Jeri) has started making these ADORABLE hair bows (and with my CUTE, CUTE niece as a model, how can you resist?).  The best part about these bows is that they stay put in even the finest of hair -- rather than slipping out like most bows.  Jeri did not ask me to do a post about this...I decided I had to do this all on my own.  If you have a minute, check out the link and finish off that Christmas shopping list!!  Just CLICK HERE--->>    Addie Mae Hair Bows

Skyler's 2nd Deer for the Year

Skyler was SUPER excited to harvest her second deer of the year on opening morning of gun season.  I got to go out to the stand with Skyler this time.  We had an awesome time!!  This deer came in quite early and Skyler initially let him walk.  However, he then layed down for an hour just 40 yards away tucked behind some brush.   As we watched him during that hour, Skyler decided that once he got back up this was the deer she wanted to take.  She put it down with her muzzleloader and couldn't be happier.  Since Skyler has never gotten 2 deer in a year -- she was more than pleased to have accomplished that.  Congratulations Skyler!

Since Paul and I both "bucked out" during bow season (meaning we are not allowed to shoot any more bucks this year), we have been itching to do some other types of hunting to keep us going.  We had so much fun getting to go duck hunting twice during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  We all went on Thanksgiving morning but no one in the blind got to shoot -- no ducks came close enough.  The second day out I got a beautiful Mallard and Shoveler which I already cooked up for one of our suppers.  What a great time in the blind -- super fun and totally different from the kind of hunting we are used to.

Lots O' Deer!!

Paul and I have been so blessed this season.  In addition to the animals we have harvested earlier in the year, Paul recently shot this beautiful doe...then not many days later he went on to shoot this beautiful 9 pointer...

and the very next night (I didn't want to be left out)   :)  I was able to put this beautiful 9 pointer down.  This means that Paul and I have shot the maximum number of bucks allowed and are "bucked out" until next October...now our main goal is to help Skyler fill her tags.  Hope you all are having a wonderful season as well!

My First Bow Buck of the 2011 Season

I was able to bag this awesome 11 pointer on Friday night.  What a fun night to be in the timber!!  The rut is definitely on!  This buck came in just shortly before last light to a scrape just 8 yards away.  Talk about exciting to be so close to such a beautiful animal!  A great shot right through the lungs and now I only have 1 buck tag left to fill.  Lookin' forward to spending the next 2 weeks in the timber as these are the days we live all year for...bucks chasin' does and gettin' a bird's eye view of it all.

Paul's First Deer of the Season - A Beautiful 9 Pointer

Paul shot this 192# bruiser on November 2nd...the day that has become his most successful "deer killing anniversary date" through the years.  I know I begin to sound like a broken record but Paul puts in more sweat labor and man hours than any hunter I have ever met...I am always EXTREMELY happy when I get a call from Paul indicating he's got another big buck down -- couldn't happen to a better man!  Way to go bud and keep 'em comin'!

Skyler's Doe Down During the Illinois Youth Season

Wanted to brag on Skyler a bit.  Here is a picture of her beautiful 108 pound doe she harvested with her muzzleloader Saturday morning during the Illinois Youth Season.  I drew the short straw so Paul and Skyler hunted in the stand while I archery hunted a separate property to be sure I didn't affect her hunt.  It wasn't long after first light that Skyler's doe, along with 2 others, came into feed on her Buck Forage Oats we all hand-tilled and planted this summer.  Skyler made a perfect double-lung shot and the doe is now safe in our freezer.  Skyler has turned into quite the little hunter -- this is her 3rd deer and she is only 11!  Her work ethic before the season of loving to shoot her rifle to make sure her shot will be true and putting in the sweat labor all summer to ensure all our stands are as good as we can make 'em makes us proud...great job Skyler!

Deer #1 Down on Day 2 of the Season

I haven't been blogging -- been so busy I have barely touched the internet at all lately.  But I wanted to do a quick post as I plan on continuing to update about our hunting expeditions.  I was able to connect on a beautiful doe on day 2 of the Illinois Archery Season -- my earliest deer ever.  So excited!!  This doe was another one that was taking advantage of one of our food plots that we spent many hours working on this summer.  She weighed in at 116 pounds and Paul, Skyler and I already have her meat in the freezer.  Both Paul and I have had many close encounters with many deer already...this is our time of year!  Hope you are enjoying your deer season as well...

Summer Break (FINAL WEEK) & Adventureland - Week 11

This week was our last chance to work on our "summer bucket list."  It is my last week working part-time and Skyler's last week home prior to starting 6th grade.  It has been a great summer but I always wish we could have accomplished more.  Here is a list of some of the fun things we did this week:

A coon that we spotted in the timber this week

• We hadn't yet made it to an amusement park for the year so we decided to give Adventureland in Des Moines a shot this year.  We had a great time...but in the end decided that (in our opinion) Six Flags in Chicago is a bit more fun -- at least for Skyler's age.  Enjoyed spending that fun day with Skyler!  
• Planted 2 food plots in the timber;
• Went for a bike ride;
• Planted my fall garden;
• Flew a kite;
• Shot our bows almost every day;
• Went to bookbag night at Skyler's school;
• Played "volleyball" over our clothes line in the backyard;
• Went on our first squirrel hunting trip of the year...we had a great time hiking around the timbers as a family;
• Went to the library;
• Skyler gave Shadow another much-needed bath;
• Went boating on the Mississippi with our friends Jayme and Brooke.  This was the first time any of us had been boating on the Mississippi even though we have lived here most or all our lives...;
• Played rummy;
• Saturday I helped my friend Megan Klauer photograph a wedding;
• Went canoeing on Lake George with Aunt Jessi, Zach, Papa and Karen.  We spotted lots of fish and got up close and personal with a green heron;
• Met Paul at his work for a picnic lunch;



Skyler getting ready for deer season

• Went to our friends' range and practiced shooting several different rifles to get ready for deer, coon and squirrel seasons.  It seems we have officially kicked over into fall/winter mode and we will be at the range regularly from now on.  It was such a fun day with beautiful weather!

A picture of Skyler at Adventureland

Here we are before the log ride got going...

I did it...I posted about every single week this summer - whew!  So glad I got to be home more than normal and spend lots of fun time with Skyler!  Whether it was spending time during super fun activities or in our down time, I just enjoyed being with my awesome daughter.  Hope you all enjoyed your summer as well!

Summer Break - Week 10

We kept busy finishing up Skyler's basement room.  We then decided to redo one of our retaining walls near the basement walkout.  So most days found us working on one of those projects.  I gotta say -- we need to start up something called Wheelbarrow Workouts!!  My body was sure feeling the effects of wheelin' wheelbarrows full of dirt and rocks...uphill!  So other than planting new bushes/flowers, the retaining wall is completed.  I am so glad that Paul is so handy and can figure out how to do just about anything...otherwise we'd have to pay to have so much done...this retaining wall included -- it looks great Paul!

Sky and I with Ali and Fran at the XStream Cleanup

Sky Lilly and Fran posing in front of an old car

What skyler may look like when she grows up  ;)

• I did the final touches on staining the deck -- so that is completely done for the year.  
• Deadheading flowers in the garden. 
• We worked on preparing the vegetable garden for my August plantings.
• I made 3 batches of salsa and froze a bunch more tomatoes for our winter use.
• For our second year in a row, Skyler and I participated with our friends Ali and Fran in the Xstream River Cleanup organized by the Living Lands and Waters (Chad Pregracke).  We chose the heavy-duty cleanup station on and around VanDruff's Island in Milan.  It is amazing how many things people just throw to the ground...it doesn't just disappear.
• Practiced pitching with Skyler.  Now that we are allowing her to pitch full speed, being the catcher is pretty much a death wish.  Her pitches come at me so fast I hardly have time to react to catch them!
• Skyler and I picked up our reduced-price tickets to go to Adventureland next week - woo hoo, can't wait!  
• Went to Incredible Pizza with our friends Ali, Fran and Lilly.  I usually make it a point to stay away from places like that...but we really had a great time!  Got to play laser tag, air hockey, miniature golf, bumper cars, etc.
• Hauled boulders and rocks for our neighbor.   
• Spent a lot of time playing with and caring for our new chicks that hatched under our chicken this week -- they are incredibly cute!
• Redid some old landscaping in our backyard.
• Skyler got to go break open geodes with her friends before they returned to California.
• I decided to do a quick little photo shoot with Skyler on my day off Wednesday.  Skyler wasn't up for going to a different location so we stayed close to home.  I love the shots with Shadow since he is Skyler's best bud!  One thing I discovered about Shadow is he HATES cameras.  He would be perfectly looking at me with a smile until I put the camera up -- then he would turn his head and wouldn't look back!!  I think he thought it was a gun!  :)
• We did several jobs for a couple of our landowners like mowing a yard, cleaning gutters, fixing a smoke alarm and fixing a road crossing...all for the mere joy of being able to hunt their lands.

Here are some of the shots from our little photo shoot...

Summer Break - Week 9

Skyler attended Blackhawk College's College for Kids all this week.  For those of you not familiar with this program, kids with top grades are chosen to attend this very exciting week of classes.  The children choose their top 10 from a list of classes to take for the week -- a lot like college.  Out of the 10 choices made, the kids are put into 3 classes for the whole week.  Skyler attended Holocaust Remembrance, Calligraphy, and Cartooning.  She really enjoyed her classes and learned so much every day!  On Friday a Holocaust survivor came to speak to her Remembrance class -- something she will always remember.  So although our time was more limited this week due to this great program, we did still get some fun in:

Skyler's Basement Playroom - BEFORE pics

Skyler's pre-teen room ALMOST AFTER -- still more work to do

• We visited grandma and grandpa and got to meet our newest family member, Chelsea the Chiwawa who replaces my parents' much-loved Chiwawa, Candy, who had to be put down the previous week after a long, happy and spoiled life  :);
• Saturday Skyler and I ran the Crimestoppers 5K race with our friends Megan, Coe, & Chase and Bonnie and Ben.  Chase won one of the 100 bikes -- congrats Chase!;
• Attended the Duck Blind Drawing at Loud Thunder where we got to hang out with friends we haven't seen much lately;
• Made one of several treks to the timber this week to set up our last tree stand for deer season;
• Worked on Skyler's downstairs room by removing the little wallpaper animals and clouds, mudding and taping new drywall and painting the walls and floor while Paul replaced the walk-out door and installed trim.  We turned her room into more of an pre-teen room rather than a little kid's room.  Still have a bit more painting and trim to do before it is all completed;
• Went to our friends' Tracy and Barry's pool party;
• Skyler went to a second pool party this weekend;
• Skyler and I made our first "fast food" run of the summer...that stuff is still yucky so it will be another long time before we make another run to a fast food restaurant;
• We started initiating 1 of our 2 downstairs cats to becoming an outdoor cat this week (which is a big deal here with Skyler the animal lover--however, the cat is adjusting well);
• Skyler got to play with some of the neighborhood kids;
• Shot our bows quite a few nights again this week;
• Skyler spent the day with one of her friends from school;
• Took a couple long late-night walks;
• Worked in the garden pulling weeds and digging up potatoes; and
• Started dumping some of our old downstairs furniture.

This week looks to be better for us -- with more time to fit in fun stuff...hope you are filling up your summer with fun activities with your kids!

Summer Break - Week 8 and our WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

Skyler and Karlie prior to running the Jr. Bix Friday night.

A buck Paul and I would love to shoot.

Skyler next to Aunt Tonia and Uncle Dan's Camaro before her big "spoiled" day :)

We had a lot of fun this week.  Saturday was our 17th Wedding Anniversary (22 years together -- whew it all goes so fast)!  Unfortunately it was such a busy day we hardly even got to see each other but I am incredibly thankful for a husband who makes every day special so we don't have to set our sights on only one day!!  I am pretty lucky to have picked the most genuine, kind (and hottest) man I know to spend the rest of my life with!  Thanks for putting up with me all these years Paul!  In addition to our Anniversary, this week we:

Skyler and Addi at the park

Skyler pitching.

• Went shopping for school supplies for Skyler's 6th grade class;
• Met our friends Megan and Addi to play at Camden park Monday morning;
• Shopped for some new school clothes since Skyler has been growing like crazy;
• Went to Skyler's softball tournament on Monday night.  They were seeded 2nd in the tournament because of the awesome year they had. Unfortunately Skyler's team did not win their game and their season is now concluded.  Skyler got to pitch part of the game and only allowed 3 runs.  Congratulations girls on a great season and congrats to the coaches as well!  Paul thoroughly enjoyed coaching the girls and they all really love to be around him!;
• Skyler went to Papa and Karen's a couple days while I worked;
• Went for supper at Applebees;
• Renee, Alex, Skyler and I played frisbee golf at Camden Wednesday morning;
• Friday night my friend Julie and I watched Skyler and Karlie run the Jr. Bix in Davenport;
• Saturday morning I ran the Bix for my second year in a row finishing with almost my exact same time as last year...just over 1 hour and 2 minutes.  I would have like to have done better than last year, but I really haven't been training enough to up my time, so I am pleased;
• Saturday I helped my friend Megan Klauer photograph a wedding and reception;
• While I was shooting at the wedding Paul and Skyler got to go out to the timber as well as going swimming at a friend's pool;
• Sunday Skyler got spoiled by her Aunt Tonia who took her to the latest Harry Potter movie at the IMAX theatre, took her out for lunch at Texas Roadhouse, bought her a new pair of shoes at the mall, got a pedicure and took her out for Whitey's ice cream (All this while Skyler got to ride in Tonia and Dan's Camaro convertible which she LOVES)!  Skyler was really excited when she got home cuz unfortunately, living with us, she doesn't get spoiled too often.  Thanks Tonia for giving her a great day!;
• Played Rummy before bed;
• Push mowed yards for about 3 hours Wednesday;
• Shot our bows in the backyard most nights;
• Practiced pitching with Skyler;
• We went to Blackhawk College with friends one last time to go over the class route prior to Skyler's College for Kids next week;
• Went out and worked at our food plots on Sunday (Paul worked in the food plots with Skyler and with Joe some other days this week as well);
• Stained our back deck.

Skyler's team after their last game of the season...Congrats girls!

This week promises to be another busy one -- maybe not a lot of time to fit in too much fun stuff -- but we'll make up for that before school starts.  Hope you enjoy your week!

Summer Break - Week 7

I took absolutely ZERO pictures this past week of our activities.  I will have to do better for next week's post.  This week we spent time winding down, unpacking, etc. from our trip last week.  It was SOOO hot this week with heat indexes hovering around 110-120 more days than not so our outside time was a bit limited.  But we did manage to do the following:

Wednesday we hiked a couple miles along a creek with our friends Renee and Alex;
Skyler hung out with Papa and Karen during the days I worked;
I worked on painting and securing up the chicken coop;
Sweated working so much one day that I killed my cell phone (the wetness indicator even turned--that is a lot of sweating) so had to go get a replacement phone;
Ordered and received another batch of chicken eggs for us to hatch out under our happy chickens;
We mowed our in-town yards in 100+ degree heat...yuck;
Practiced pitching and hitting with Skyler;
Got into several water fights this week to try to stay cool;
Rented and watched Rango;
Took some treks to the timbers to check out our food plots and do some work;
Visited the library to pick up books we ordered and return books already read;
Helped my friend Megan Klauer shoot a wedding and reception on Saturday;
Went to Skyler's softball practice on Saturday morning;
Got some runs in;
Went frog hunting;
Got the buckets and sponges out again and washed and waxed my truck; and
Played board games.

This upcoming week looks to be much better weather so can't wait to fill the days with memories.

2,000+ miles during Summer Break - Week 6

This week was a great week!  We were privileged enough to be invited to spend time with friends at their cabin on the Boundary Waters of Minnesota just as we did last year.  Our trip to Minnesota:
It took us close to 11 hours for us to drive to our destination on Snowbank Lake near Ely, Minnesota (on the US/Canada border).  We only had 4 days total (2 days driving and 2 days on the lake) so we had to cram as much as we could into a short period of time.

We got to see a Flying Squirrel (first time any of us had seen one), Loons, Deer, Badger, Fox, Pine Squirrels, Mergansers, and Eagles.

On our trip we got to do lots of fun stuff like:

• Fishing -- catching lots of smallies and largemouth bass. Between Skyler and Paul they got walleye, northern pike and silver pike;
• Snorkeling;
• Feeding a chipmunk that would sit in our hands and fill his cheeks with peanuts before scampering off to store them for winter;
• Swimming;
• Boating;
• Picking wild blueberries;
• Hiking to a waterfall;
• Visit the Wolf Discovery Center;
• Check out the town of Ely which reminds us of towns in the mountains we have visited;
• Feeding a friendly fox who showed up at the cabin;
• Hiking through the Northwoods.

We had temperatures that ranged from the mid-50's all the way up to 90.  Wow, quite a variance!  Had an absolutely wonderful trip!!

Before we left:

Skyler had two softball games, one in Illinois City and one in Taylor Ridge (her team won both games and played awesome).  Her team now has 13 wins and only 3 losses;

We made a trip to the library to return and pick up another pile of books as well as to cash in on the library's summer reading program since Skyler had fulfilled its requirements in order to receive prizes (including a free book);

Preparing for our trip filled up the rest of the days prior to our leaving for Minnesota.
After we returned Sunday afternoon:

Skyler got to hang out with her friends Bailey and Grace.  They went frog hunting which turned into a mud fight as well.  So they had a bucket of frogs and were covered in mud and lovin' it.

Can't wait for week 7!!

Summer Break - Week 5 and Happy Independence Day

Some pictures I took this week of the wildlife/outdoors around us.

Pictures from Skyler's games and track camp this week.

Skyler working on the fence this week.

My friend Bonnie and I before the Firecracker Race

Can't believe we have already had 5 weeks of summer break!!  It always goes way too fast.  This week was very busy but also a lot of fun:

Started my 4th of July off early at the East East Moline Firecracker Run with my friend Bonnie.  I ran the 10k (6.4 miles) and placed 4th in my division;
Watched the last of fireworks displays on the 4th as a family;
I ran the Bix at 6 (7 miles) practicing for the actual race coming up the end of this month;
Went to the timber as a family with Shadow where Paul cut some trees that we hauled and made rabbit homes with;
Spent about 12 hours this week staining a fence for a side job -- Skyler was a great help on this one and earned a good chunk of change for her efforts;
Practiced pitching and hitting again with Skyler all week;
Skyler went swimming with Karen one of the days when I worked;
We enjoyed Skyler's 2 softball games in Taylor Ridge and 1 in Andalusia this week;
Took Skyler to her 6th grade physical at the doctor's office where she got 3 shots and a clean bill of health;
This week Skyler attended the Rockridge track camp up at the high school;
I got to watch Skyler's track meet on Friday where she placed 1st in both of her races (the 1 mile and the 400) Woohoo!;
Went to my friend Tracy's house for a pool party with a bunch of friends;
Went to Whitey's for ice cream;
Skyler got to hang out with her friend Sammie while Paul and I cut, hauled and stacked several loads of firewood for this winter;
We mowed for a couple of hours at one of our side-jobs;
During the stifling heat of yesterday we actually sat down and watched a DVD with Skyler which she loved!
We have another busy upcoming week planned -- can't wait to live it out.

Summer Break - Week 4

Skyler and the 4-H Country Clovers' Fair Poster they created

Still trying to cross more items off our bucket list of things to do this summer.  I am completely enjoying my time with Skyler on my days off as well as filling our weekends with fun family activities:

Picked raspberries in the garden daily;
Made Fourth of July pinwheels for the porch;
Gutted out the hall closet and reorganized;
Played hide-n-go-seek in the yard (but Shadow sits and stares at the person who is hiding making it pretty easy for the "seeker");
Practiced pitching and hitting daily;

Skyler hanging out with her cousins

Got some good runs in;
Went to Lake Story Beach in Galesburg to swim with our friends Ali, Fran, Lilly and Anna;
Had a picnic on the beach;
Took Shadow to his vet appointment in Aledo;
Skyler went to a friends' house for supper and to watch their fireworks Friday night;
Mowed our most recent addition to in-town yards;

Skyler consoling Shadow at his vet appt.

Went to our friends' Renee and Alex's for Skyler's monthly 4-H meeting and helped create the Country Clovers' 4-H display for the fair;
Baked chocolate-chip cookies to share;
Had Uncle Dasan, Aunt Jeri Lynn and Cousins Molly and Drew over for supper and Uncle Dasan helped coach Sky on her batting;
Had 1 softball game in Sherrard and 2 games in Taylor Ridge this week--Skyler's team lost their first game of the season :(  but Skyler got her first home run of the year this week and earned her homemade cheesecake I promised her;

2 fawns we spotted this week

Cleaned roof and gutters for a side-job;
Made Skyler's "home run cheesecake" with raspberry sauce;
I helped my friend Megan Klauer photograph a wedding on Saturday; and
Went to a friends' pool/fireworks party.

Summer Break - Week 3

Skyler wasn't feeling well on Monday with a headache/migraine so we didn't get much fun done that day.  It was also a crappy weather week with lots of cold, wind and rain, however, we still tried to fit some stuff in.

Skyler had softball games 4 nights this week, 1 in New Windsor, 1 in Orion and 2 in Taylor Ridge, all of which they won.  Skyler's team now has 7 wins and 0 losses and Skyler pitched in every game but 1;

Went to the local farmer's market for fresh produce that we don't grow in our own garden;
Skyler rode her bide while I ran;
Practiced pitching with Skyler daily;
Helped Paul haul and spread mulch at a side-job for an entire day;
Went to visit Grandma and Grandpa;
Finally finished our Holocaust book, "Alicia";
Began reading "the Zookeepers Wife";
Got out the sponges, hoses and buckets and washed both trucks while breaking into a few water fights along the way;
Played basketball;
Skyler and I attended a dear family friend's visitation;
Went to the library to return and check out more books;
Went to supper with Paul's family;
Skyler and I went to the timber early in the week to check on the black-raspberries, but they still needed a bit more time to ripen -- they are ripe now so we will head back this week;
Helped Paul haul, load and stack 6 truckloads of firewood;
Went mulberry pickin' in the timber (wish I woulda had my camera for that as Skyler's face was almost completely bluish-purple);
Saturday night Skyler went to a birthday party sleepover w/a bunch of her friends (so Paul and I got a RARE date night and went to the movies for the first time in YEARS....literally!  We saw Bridesmaids -- super funny. {the last movie we remember seeing together at the theater was "The Patriot" back in 2000, so it had been a while});
Went to a garage sale;
Sprayed 2 more of our deer food plots;
Had a water balloon fight.

This week's weather is supposed to be much better so I'm lookin' forward to it!

Week 2 - Summer Break and Happy Father's Day!

Skyler practicing shooting her bow

Here is a little tree frog we found in the yard this week

Here is "Fat Boy" the plane that accompanies the
Blue Angels -- Skyler took this picture

Some of the Blue Angels doing their thing.

Here is the first lightening bug caught during our "competition"
(Skyler won the competition, of course)

Every summer I start out gung-ho ready to detail our every move.  However, each week my notes seems to dwindle down to less and less...so here are a few of our highlights from this past week, with a lot forgotten, I'm sure...and the dwindling of notes begins  :)  We didn't have as many days to fill this week as I had to work an extra day.  Our highlights of this week were the Quad City Airshow on Saturday and the fact that it was Father's Day on Sunday.  Since I am married to the best husband/dad on earth  :)  it is always a special day at our house.  Having given the weekend over to Paul for his choice of activities we found ourselves working in the timbers for a good portion of Saturday and Sunday.  We are that much closer to having each and every stand in top shape for the upcoming deer hunting seasons.  We also had an awesome time fishing at a friend's lake on Sunday afternoon.  What follows is a list of some of the other highlights from this past week:

Pictures from our day of fishing!

• Dry run at Black Hawk College to find Skyler and her friend, Alex's, classes for College for Kids.
• Meet friends at Subway for lunch
• Take a hike out here in the country
• Go to work with mom for a day
• Play Basketball
• Shoot bows
• Go to Griswolds w/Papa and Karen
• Go for a long bike ride
• Attend the Quad City Airshow
• Help mom and dad with deer stands
• Practice pitching
• Picnic at a lake
• Have a friend over to hang out
• Have a Lightening-Bug catching competition
• Make an obstacle course in the yard
• Fishing at a friend's lake
• Continue reading our Holocaust book, "Alicia"
• Weed in the strawberry garden and then gorge on the strawberries that are ripe
• Hunt fields for arrowheads.

I enjoy putting to "paper" our daily highlights so that we can always have these memories if they ever slip our minds - it just so happens this way I can put some pictures along with the notes which is even better as far as I am concerned!