Thursday: Thankful!!!!!!!!

November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving from the somewhat chilly (14 below) Glasgow, Montana!

We woke up the same time as usual and headed out around 7:30. We got a little later start today, but it was all right. 

The sun was shining, and the SUNRISE was phenomenal. We saw nearly 60 deer as the morning began, and 6 or 7 were bucks. No sign of Mr. Bad Boy!

We turned around to exit the field we had just scanned through, and we were going to make our way back down through the same way we had come in, and that meant that the riverbank would be located on Macy's side.

We came out from the edge of the tree-line and brush, slowly making our way out into the open, and Macy looked through the binoculars. 

"SHOOT THAT DEER!"

So, I got out, laid my gun across the hood of the truck, and felt Daddy standing beside me.

I placed the cross-heirs right behind the curve of his front shoulder, squeezed the trigger after releasing half of my breath, and lost my view of him afterwards due to the smoke coming out of the barrel.

"He's hit, good job!!" Daddy said as he smiled and patted me on the back.

Our excitement led us back to the truck where warmth fell over my body again, although I wasn't too cold... Or maybe I didn't realize that I was cold because I had my mind set elsewhere =)

"Good job, Julianna! Nice hit!" Macy's excited voice made me feel confident too. He extended his hand out to high five me, and as my hand reached to meet his, I realized they had begun to shake. I never get nervous until after the shot, and my nerves had wasted no time getting kicked into gear.

We went by the house (the deer was across the riverbank, so we had to go through town and back to the bank from the other side) to pick up Trevor. We then made our 5-6 minute drive over to retrieve the deer. To be honest, it felt like the longest ride of my life.

Once the deer was found, we took 4576 photos (or at least that's what Daddy said, ha!) and we went back "home". All in a day's work, right? =) 

Coming "home" was different than it would be at my real home. Mom wasn't there with her smiling face waiting for us at the door when she knew we had a successful morning. She didn't have breakfast waiting on the table, and we couldn't re-hash our morning with her over a meal. 

Mimi didn't come by to take photos to document our morning, and not a whole lot of questions were asked about the hunt, other than what came through the telephone line. 

It was different.

Toby's family invited us to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them, and we were so grateful for that. The food was nothing like our Thanksgiving's at home. but the experience was wonderful, and they have such an amazing family. They made us feel right at home. 

Randi, Trevor & I even spent the morning playing the Wii some, and they almost had me talked into going sledding! I guess I should have, but I would have really frozen solid then. You would have had to chisel me out from an ice cube!

There are so many things that I have to be thankful for;

My family - for loving me endlessly and checking on me daily.

My friends - for reminding me also that I am missed and loved.

To have experience all of this week with my Daddy who would do anything (in partnership with my Mamma) for me, and also for my Mamma who dealt with being alone this week.

If there was one wish I could ask for at this moment, it would be to go see my Pa-Paw and tell him all of these stories I have shared with you this week. I can feel his hug around my neck and his laughter filling the room as I think of sharing this experience with him. 

A part of me wishes he could be here in the flesh to hear about it all from me, to see that i've grown into a lover of the outdoors just as he was, and to be proud of me. 

Another part of me knows that he has, in fact, seen it all. He doesn't have to hear about it from me.

& I believe the sun shined a little brighter today as he watched this story unfold,

and I am so thankful for that.