RED HEADS!

Cody, the mighty hunter!

Yesterday Cody, Barry, Bubba and Greg watched a group of deer out behind our house. Among the does was a 6 point buck. It was a long shot, about 225 yards, but Cody was game. He rested the gun on the fence, took many deep breaths and after Barry talked him through it he took a shot. The buck jumped straight up in the air and ran off. Did you hit him, they all asked.

It was around 4:45 - 5:00 so not much daylight was left. The search was on but came up empty handed. When they first went into the woods a deer ran off, which made everyone think that that was the buck.

The next morning Barry went out and found some sign in a different area (where the deer entered the woods) that said the deer could be near by.

After a funeral today we went and picked Cody up at school (around 11:00 a.m.) and took him back out to the woods for a new search. It didn't take long with a new area to look. The deer was approx. 60 yards from where he was shot. The other deer we saw the night before was just a different deer. The weather dropped down around 32 degrees so no worries about him spoiling.

Getting ready for the search.

Almost a perfect shot - we were all amazed that the deer got as far as he did w/ a shot to his shoulder.

Dumb Polaris - broken again!

Starting the cleaning process...

Good job Cody!

Congratulations on your first deer!

The Kid's Christmas Lists.

CAMERON

Digital camera

Black Ipod

Money

2 more Wii remotes

Goats, goats and more goats!

Mario Party 8

Computer down stairs (that's good)

Paint for my room

Magnetics

Decorations for my room

USB cord for my phone

A case for my phone

Jeans

CODY

Phone

Super Mario Smash Brother's Brawl

Ipod

Hammers (doming, flattener, and normal)

Wedge

Cutter

Colosseum road to Freedom for PS2

Jeans (running out)

Halo 2 :)

SIERRA

A digital camera

A fancy saddle

A new jacket

A beagle

Mario Party 8

A DS

A box of Grandma's caramels

A bubble-gum machine

An Ipod

New Sunday Clothes

Shoes

A bunk bed

A scooter

A journal with a lock

A grown-up purse

Hubba Bubba gum

To have a dolphin

A webkin

Skinny jeans

Flats

Money

Desk

Two Wii remotes

AND THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

CREED

Remote control car

New bike

New toy car

New paint for my room

Power drill

New bed

Flat screen T.V.

Mac computer

Trash can

Toy garbage truck

Thanksgiving

This is my idea of a fun Thanksgiving Day.

I am out of buck tags. Next year I will hold out for a big guy!

Summer sausage is on its way. YUM.

Hunting Season

My first deer of the season and my second buck since I started hunting. I shot him with a 243 at about 250 years away. Southern terms: 8 point Western terms: 4 point. We count every point in the South. :)

It would appear I am shading the deer's eyes but I am covering his gross eye. It looked like this buck had been in a fight and had his eye poked - it was blind and kind of gross looking. So I was hiding it from the camera. My other buck that I got a while back ago was the same way.

Official Times: Silver Dollar City - Run to the Lights 5K

There were 1100 people that finished the race. (They had 1,800 register)....

This is how we all did

Cameron came in 18th with a time ..... drum roll please..... of 19:46 (YIPPEEHATCHA!)

Cody was 272nd with a time of 29:49 so he broke a 30 on his first 5K.

Sierra 362nd with a time of 32:13.0 and Barry was 364 with a time of 32:13.7

Creed (who ran with Lydia Howald's number since she did not show up (an employee from this summer)came in 647th with a time of 41:12

And I came in last in our family: 649th with a time of 41:14.

So there you have it...the race results.

Read the post below to get the rest of the story. :)

Silver Dollar City 5K: Run to the Lights.

Cameron and I have been coming to this race for the past 4 years if you include this one. This year we decided to sign up the entire family.

It is a fun but challenging race with a couple of long and hard hills. The other challenge is this race starts at night - the past years they said 9:00 but it would always start an hr and a half late. This year they decided to start it at 10:00 p.m. It started only a half an hour late. They have to wait until all the shops are closed and all the day time guests have left the parking lot - it is part of the course.

Creed got really excited to begin with but when he saw all the Christmas lights he could hardly contain himself. I must say, I believe in celebrating Thanksgiving before even thinking about Christmas, so running through the Christmas lights is like going against the grain for me. But we love the race. If you really run the race hard, you don't see the lights, they are just a blur to the pain and torture you are putting yourself through .

There were 1500 registered but not everyone shows up for the race.

Waiting to start in the alley. This was Creed's and Cody's first 5K. Cody kept his cool but you could tell he was a bit anxious. He denies being a runner but he can run. I think he could be a good one if he really wanted too. He is good at ignoring the pain of running and just keeps going. Come on Cody - next year you could be on the Jr. High X-Country Team...just think of the meets Cameron, yourself and I would be going to...you could miss school. :)

Creed running backwards

Creed was my running partner for the race. 1. I offered and 2. I was not ready for a 5K since I have only been running, ah maybe, once a week. So we were a perfect match.

While we were waiting to start:

Creed: "I can't wait to pass a bunch of people!"

After we start and have run about 200 yards:

Creed: "HEY, all these people are passing us!"

Me: "They are all grown ups, its okay."

Creed: "Oh, okay."

When you first start the race you run down, down and more down so you can torture yourself coming back up. I told Creed to let the hills take him that first big hill.

Me: "Here comes a down hill."

Creed" "YES!"

Going down the hill:

Creed: "Just let the hill take you Mom."

Every down hill after the first one he would tell me that.

He ran a lot longer than I thought before he was ready to walk. He would see a security guard and say "Hey!" and wave. A kid would pass us and he would say, "I am ready to run now."

As the race went on, about 1/2 way:

Creed: "When we get home I am going right to bed, I will take a shower tomorrow."

Me: "Oh, here comes a big uphill."

Creed: "YES!"

Me: "I thought you were a down hill runner."

Creed: "I am a down hill runner AND an up hill runner!"

Creed: "Can I charge up that hill."

Me: "Creed, look at how it turns and goes WAY up there."

Creed: "Darn! Well I will just charge up that short part."

Me: "Okay."

Creed: "Meet you up there!" Then he takes off.

He stays cheerful the entire time. Waves at people. I had to tell him a few times not to run backwards. As I looked around I saw some college guys running next to us and I I thought, "You can't beat this 6 1/2 year old...seriously?" Okay, that probably wasn't nice.

Creed: "My legs are getting tired and my feet hurt."

Me: "I will give you a rub down when we are done."

Creed (smiles): "Okay, you can give me a rub down when we finish!"

We walk more once we get into the park.

Creed: "Can we ride the rides tonight?"

Me: "No they are closed."

Creed: "Darn!"

Creed: "Remember that ride, I kept going up and up when I was pushing that button?"

(How does he remember that, it was like 2 1/2 years ago I think especially while running a long race like this).

At the end there this very steep hill that makes you want to puke your guts out because it is around 100 yards from the finish so you are tired.

Me: "Okay Creed, there is a really big hill that is kind of hard, you ready."

Creed: "Can I charge up it?"

Me: "If you want." (thinking he will never make it up the entire hill charging after we have been running for 38 + minutes.)

"Creed: "Meet you at the top!"

Me: "Okay."

Sure enough he charged up the hill to the top - I was huffing and puffing keeping up with him. I held his hand at the end because I could tell he was almost done for after that...we kept jogging and then he did a mini sprint to the finish line. Our time was around 40 + I would guess.

When he saw Barry he said, "Dad! I charged up that big hill just like a LION!"

After about 10 minutes his legs really started to hurt and he got a few tears in his eyes. Barry rubbed them and he was all better. Hot Chocolate and cookies also helped. What a trooper.

I don't know why I am so surprised, Creed has more energy than I don't know what...

We don't know any times yet. They have not been posted. Cameron really had a goal in mind and we are so anxious to see his time. He finished w/ in the top 20 we think. Not too shabby. Cody broke a 30 we are pretty sure. Barry and Sierra were probably around 32 - 35 min. I guess you will just have to stay tuned....

What we do after family home evening...

Early Halloween?

The school decided to have the Halloween costume contest early this year. They also have an annual Fall Festival, put on by one of the high school clubs and decided instead of "ruining" two days they would just do one (words from Sierra).

That would have been fine except we got the word about a week and a half before the contest. Eeeeek! Don't they know I wait until the last minute to get all my costume stuff together - some things we order online...etc.

It all worked out in the end.

Yes, Cameron was a trash can before...Cody wanted to be one this year.

Yeah! Second place...I guess the trash can still holds some competition value. :)

Fall Activity Day at Church

with the Primary kids.

I love fall colors.

(Outside of the church.)

Face painting.

Crafts

Games

Pumpkin Hunt

It was a little bright outside...

Painting pumpkins

Later we ate hotdogs, chips and made ice cream sundaes.

Cameron's last X-Country race...MUDDY!

MULLET

Isn't it every child's dream to have a mullet? Creed is always up for a different type of hairdo, he really wants a full on mowhawk. During 24HHH climbing competition they were giving "free mullets" at registration. He was actually scheduled to have a "normal" hair cut that day but someone (his father, grandfather and cousin inlaw - plus a climber or two) had joked around about him getting a mullet. Cool hairdos are no joke to Creed. I gave in, with the understanding it would come off Sat. night because he had a primary program on Sunday.

Well....it was kind of cute and not too obvious so Creed still has his mullet. It is not a permanent "do" but he can keep it for now.