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!