Belated Thanksgiving

Here are some pics from Thanksgiving. I was off the radar a bit, but am back on!

Todd and I Thanksgiving day...


Most of the fam around one table...


The boys with their Grandma Holly, my brother-in-law's mom, at a different table...


Oh, Turkey...you get us every time. Todd taking a little nap, and Kelly trying not to...


I may not be musically talented...


...but I've got some skills. No hands!

Fair game

This last weekend was opening day for deer season in Wisconsin.

As I promised Todd I would, I sat in the stand with him for a little while on Saturday - or opening day - morning.

A family tradition is for his mom to cook a big hunter's breakfast for all the guys on opening morning. Before we left Wyoming, I made cinnamon rolls and French puffs (with a few of my own alterations) both by the Pioneer Woman. These are winning recipes, folks. I highly suggest them!

We saw NOTHING on Saturday morning, but Sunday morning...now that's a different story! Todd got two "antlerless deer" - the technical term, I guess. No sooner had we sat down in the stand than three deer came whooshing by. About 30 minutes later Todd shot one, and a little after that got a second.

Me in the deer stand...now this is my idea of hunting! I only lasted about 2 1/2 hours on Saturday (my feet were frozen!) and yesterday Todd got his deer so quickly we didn't have to be out long. I just don't have the patience for this. It's a good thing I don't have to rely on this for my food!
The deer stand. Todd built this himself a couple years ago...

The second deer Todd shot...


See the red on those leaves...blood. Todd was trying to track his deer. It's like CSI: Wisconsin...


Todd searching for the first deer. I actually stuck it out during the gutting! I didn't want to at first, but my curiosity got the best of me. I swear shows like CSI and others with autopsy scenes desensitize you! I was so close I was looking inside the deer and Todd showed me all the different organs. Fascinating...


Todd wanted to see how Rigby would do hunting with him in the stand. Only problem is, we don't have any blaze orange for him and I didn't want him killed. Todd's friend Shawn just happened to have a hunting vest for dogs in his car so we put it on Rigs. He wasn't so sure at first, but quickly got over it...


Doesn't Rigby look like a crossing guard?! I laughed SO hard! We think he looks like he's barking orders to kids in this pic...


Oh, the things we do to our animals! Todd didn't try to keep this on - as if Rigby would have gone for that. Doesn't Rigby look so gol' darn cute under that hat??


My felon and crossing guard heading back into the woods...

North bound

Todd and I pulled into his mom’s place Friday afternoon after driving non-stop.

Our trip so far…

It’s really blurry, but here we go, crossing the state line!

The boys in the truck. At one point Rigby got half way over the seat and was stuck – he’s a little “reverse challenged.” I was laughing so hard I was crying!

The view from the back of Todd’s 4-wheeler as we head to a deer stand…

A mossy root I thought looked like a giant green caterpillar…

Todd needed to get his deer stand set up and ready for early morning hunting on Saturday. The guy he is hunting with didn’t show up early enough to help, so I was recruited. I sat in the stand checking for twigs or brush in the lines of site, and Todd went and cut them away if there were any.

Todd’s parent’s house as I drove the 4-wheeler back, leaving the men-folk in the woods…

Todd’s friend Shawn, who he’s hunting with, brought his dog out to the house. Asha and Rigby played hard…confession: Rigby got his butt whipped by a girl!

Apparently, Friday nights are fish fry nights throughout the state of Wisconsin. I had no idea. We went to this fun, divy little place down the road for a fish fry (or in our case we chose baked) dinner. (I ordered one piece fried so I could say I actually participated…)

Todd and Shawn in the wee morning hours getting ready for hunting. Todd is the one being a man…

Roll on

We're off to Wisconsin again then on to Omaha, Neb., for Thanksgiving!

I will try to update periodically this week - especially with pics of me in a deer stand on opening day this weekend (Todd wants me to sit with him for a while and I said I would. May as well give it a whirl!).

Later!

Scrub-a-dub

We gave Rigby his first bath tonight. We've been wanting to do this for a while since we don't know where he'd been before we got him.

Really, he did pretty good! He didn't mind the scrubbing as much as he did the shower head. And Todd got only moderately wet while I sustained a minor claw wound to the thigh.

But, now he's puppy fresh!

Annie Oakley!

I had big plans to bake all this snowy Sunday, but then Todd wanted to take me pheasant hunting and all my kitchen intentions flew the coop.

We got me a one-day license and some blaze orange and headed out.

I may not be a quick draw or marksman or any other word that means "good with guns," but I'm not a complete novice either. I took archery/riflery for a P.E. credit in college earning my hunter's safety while at it! And I've shot trap and skeet, which is maybe not something to brag about, but it was fun, so whatever.

Anyway, we didn't see one single bird.

But I look like a pro don't I?


Can't go hunting without your partner...


Aw. A girl and her dog. Look at how adoringly he looks up at me... :)

A puckin' good time

Last year, I went to a UW hockey game and it was one of the funnest $5 I'd spent.

This year's season has already kicked off and I've been hankering to go again. So, Todd, his friend Rebecca, and I went to the UW v. Fresno State game last night and had just as much fun!

Squaring off...


Action on the ice...


Last nail-biting seconds of the game...


UW wins! Go POKES!


Good game, good game...


Winning salute...

New mantra

I have fallen off the running wagon.

Big time.

I've been taking Rigby for walks, but this morning I was in the mood to run.

I suck.

I can only last about 15 minutes or so! Bummer when I used to run 6-7 miles regularly!

But, today was motivating. I'm determined to get back into shape. If anyone knows of any good winter races send them my way. It will give me a goal.

"Homer (Simpson) no more!" is my mantra!

Open and shut case

We had to leave Rigby for about seven days with friends while we were in Wisconsin. When we got him back Tuesday night it seems our little boy had mastered a few new tricks...particularly the art of escape.

He's been so good about staying in the backyard and we didn't believe he had any way to get out. But this is a case of a puppy gone bad. A puppy addicted to the thrill of "getting out."

The perp (can you tell I watch a lot of Law & Order?): Don't be fooled by that cute puppy face. This is a hardened criminal...


A dark alley. Because every good Law & Order episode has one...


The scene of the crime. A simple swinging gate...



The fixer. Don't mess with him - you'll be swimming with the fishes...


Case closed. Looks like it was an open and shut gate, um, case.

Solemn

Todd's dad passed away unexpectedly Tuesday night. We're in Wisconsin...

Cookbooks and cowboy boots

Last night Holly, her friend Kelli and I drove down to the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver to get our Pioneer Woman cookbooks signed.

We were really excited! Several of us gals read her incredibly popular blog and have tried several recipes from it, which have been turned into her new cookbook, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks."

The place was a zoo!

I truly don't think the Tattered Cover was prepared for the turnout, which is kind of silly. Her blog was recently named by Time magazine as one of the top 25 blogs of 2009. She gets, from my very unscientific observation, no less than 200 comments per post - she's popular!

I pre-ordered several copies I wanted to get signed for Christmas gifts, and by the end of the day had added a couple more requests for signed books to my list.

Sadly, it didn't happen.

I was the only one from our group that actually got to see her speak - and she's super cute, by the way! The store ran out of books, so Holly and Kelli weren't going to get a signed one anyway. And the lines were so long! We finally decided to give up and just hit the road for home.

We got some fun photos though! And we had a fun time, so it wasn't a complete wash - except for the gift-giving part. I'm going to have to get creative about that...

The books I pre-ordered...I was supposed to get a couple more, but no such luck! Holly said people were getting snippy about how many books I had (and how many they didn't), so I stuck them in my bag. Online ordering, people!


It took us an hour and a half to make it down this flight of stairs to the landing...


Proof I was there! The crowd doesn't look as overwhelming here. Believe me. It was.


Here she is! I was NOT this close to her. Office camera helped get this photo snapped. She was cute, and nice, and funny. It's fun I got to at least see her in person!