Patience Pays

The last few years I have waited out for a buck bigger than a 2 point and have ended up shooting a doe on the last day of the season. Finally broke the dry spell!

I have been hunting the last few weekends with my Dad. It was getting a little hard to climb up into the tree stand being large with child ;). Had seen a lot of does and a couple of small spikes, etc there. That morning I woke up late (alarm issues...I was MAD), got into the tree stand after shooting light, etc. but my wise old man said

"You never know. Sometimes these are the best mornings."

Well, after a couple hours of sitting I spooked this buck (looking the wrong direction) and was super bummed. I texted my Old Man and told him. He texted me back and said

"Be patient, you'll get your chance".

Lo and behold, 5 minutes later (about 8:30 a.m.) this big boy walked back in behind me following a doe! I ended up shooting 4 times when I have never shot more than once! The first shot was behind me in the tree stand, so I took it way over my left shoulder and ended up eating my scope! Got a huge, deep cut over my eye as you can see in the pics. OUCH!! Didn't let it fase me, though, and ended up hitting him twice...once far back on his lung and then a kill shot in the shoulder (a lesson to always sight in your gun). Anyway, he's dead meat and it felt good to take another big boy to the ground!

My Dad was so nice and caring. He helped me in and out of the tree stand and did most of the gutting and dragging with me being in my 8th month...and fat! ;) He also skinned it for me. Some of my best memories with my Dad are doing things like this together. He is such a good man.

He also pulled the deer out off the mountain with this game hauler and I rode it the rest of the way home on the easy part. :)

Cade was hanging out with Nana, so they were there when we got back. wasn't too sure about seeing the WHOLE dead deer for the first time, but he warmed up to it when he saw Papa and I skinning it's legs and sawing them off. He realized it wouldn't get him!
He just kept saying "MOM! Deers."

Me and my old man with the buck. Love him lots.

AAAHHHHHH!!!

So, today I had one of my first real, scary mothering experiences. I was cleaning my mom's house (in exchange for babysitting while I go hunting this weekend) and Mikin was there with her kids as well. Cade and Ella were off playing together upstairs. I am talking to Mikin downstairs. Just hanging out like normal.

All of the sudden, I hear Cade start screaming BLOODY MURDER at the top of the stairs (not like 'I'm mad she stole my toy' but a REAL 'I'm hurt bad' cry). I immediately start heading that way and Ella meets me at the bottom of the stairs saying, "Cade got something in his eyes!". So, I rush to the top of the stairs. His hair is soaked, his face is soaked and he is rubbing his eyes like crazy and trembling. All I smell is orange citrus and then I grab his hands and they feel oily. I immediately freak out and think, 'PLEDGE'.

I rush over to the bathroom sink upstairs and start freaking out washing his eyes over and over with cold water----meanwhile, yelling for Ella to get me the bottle of whatever was in his eyes. She just kept saying "I didn't do it! I didn't do anything!". So, finally I had to calm myself down (while Cade is still SCREAMING harder than I have ever heard him before and trying to rub his eyes) and tell her, "Ella, you're not in trouble. I just need to know what is in Cade's eyes. Can you get me the bottle, please?" So, while she is away I just keep thinking 'My son is going to be blind. My son is going to be blind'. She brings me the bottle. It is an all natural Orange Citrus, fragrance bottle. Supposed to eliminate odors and VERY strong. It basically was like spraying 15 lemons in his eyes.

So, I am crying with him, continuing to force his open eyes under the water when my mom and Mikin hear the commotion and come running as well. At this point, Ella all of the sudden starts to FREAK OUT screaming, crying saying "It's on me!! It's in my hair!" It took a minute to kick in, but she had sprayed it in her hair and her whole head was burning. My mom starts reading the bottle of what to do if there is contact with skin (of course it says "avoid contact with the eyes or sensitive skin areas) and it says wash with warm water and soap because of the OIL in it.

At this point, Cade started calming a little bit (not screaming quite as hard) after about 5 minutes of continually rinsing his eyes and then he starts freaking out about his head too. Rubbing and rubbing it. So, we throw them both in the tub, wash their hair good. Ella starts to feel better, but is still crying. Then Mikin asks her, "Ella? Did you spray this?"

"Yeah."

"How did you spray it?

"I pushed the button really hard."

"Where did you spray it on Cade?"

"I sprayed it in his hair and in his eyes and in my hair, too."

The truth comes out. Cade was still not content so we took him out of the bath and continued to flush his eyes with water and saline for another 5 minutes. Ella continued to cry in distress for Cade. She was so worried.

Eventually, Cade calmed down. His eyes were totally bloodshot and his face is still red where we didn't wash with soap and water around his eyes. One eye is a little swollen. We called poison control, though and we pretty much did all we could do. They are now both fine and the redness and swelling has gone down. He seems like he can see. Thank heavens it was all natural ingredients!

While we had the now-calm kids all cuddled up with us in towels on a bed after all of the mayhem, Cade fell asleep on Mikin's chest and Ella looks at me and says, "Brynnee, is Cade okay?". My heart melted. "Yeah, he's okay. Are you okay?" "No." Poor thing. We had a good little talk about poison safety.

This was a GREAT reminder to keep a better eye on the things kids can get a hold of.

Angie B is 33....

For Angie B's birthday on Monday a few of us girls got to go shopping (for Angie) and to dinner at Red Robin. The boys were busy cutting up deer and watching kids. We talked for a couple hours. It was so refreshing and so fun!! We love you, Angie!
LtoR: Shannon Pluid, Angie Gatten, Mikin Morton, Jean Gatten, and Brynne

Mikin and I modeling Angie's new threads

These are just a couple of random pictures that I wanted in the book. Dad and Cade napping together on a Sunday. How much I love them.

Me and my brother right above me, A.J. He is such an amazing person and has been through so much lately. Cade calls him "bes fen" (best friend). He is an awesome uncle, too. We will miss him while he leaves us to go to Utah for a while.

Montana Deer Hunt '08

We drew in MT once again for a group hunt. It is always such a sweet hunt and good times. We hunted near Cascade, on ranches with the permission of land owners. The hunting is a totally different style than around here. (Notice the landscape below.) We filled 11 tags! Everyone got a buck and a doe except Rick who didn't have a buck tag. I just got my first 30-06 (camo remington rifle) and it felt good to blast the first couple kills with it. If you can see my butterfly bandaid though, I did get the kiss of the scope on the doe...my bad.

Me with my 4 point mule deer shot at 8 a.m. the first morning

The Boys! (LtoR: Brett & Wyatt Gatten, me, Tyler Morton, Steve Gatten, Tom Gatten, Rick Caudle

The racks

Notice Tom's big whitetail on the right

Steve's deer was generally the biggest (thickness, etc). Shot it at 490+ yards in the NECK! Guess he's been doing this for a while...

We had some good times...between Tyler's sleeptalking, me sleeping through everything ("feeding the tumor"), crawling through the river raccoon hunting, an unwanted visitor in our camp, church at the branch in our hunting clothes, and my moth/hair burger on the way back, we made a lot of memories once again! It was a success.

The New D0

Well, here it is! These pics aren't the best, but I keep getting asked for pictures, so here they are. My now dark hair (I dyed it myself!) and bangs.

The blunt bangs:

They can be done to the side, too (these don't look quite right because they'd already been hairsprayed blunt...you get the point)

Half Up
Down from the side
Once again, I keep trying to grow my hair out and I CAN"T GET PAST THIS POINT! Everyone keeps chopping it back to what it was. Does anyone know anybody who listens to you???!
Anyway, kind of a fun change.

Gamers!!

For about a year now, our good friends Zack and Lizzie Simon and us get together regularly for game nights. We get together either at our house or their restaurant, Cafe Chulo. We mostly play cards or dice, but we also play other board games. But most of all, it is about good company and yummy snacks!

They have a son, Austin, who is the same age as Cade and they look forward to play time together! They both LOVE sports and are both competative and goofy together.

Also, we are both pregnant together again! They are having a girl in March.

Sometimes Zack's sister Jessie and husband Will come. It is so much fun!

Presidential Election 2008

Barack Obama vs. John McCain

= Barack Obama 44th president of the United States

We just learned that Barack Hussein Obama is the new president. He is a democrat (for abortion as a form of birth control), against gun ownership, grew up muslim (and switched to Christian thanks to his wife), doesn't agree with parts of the Declaration of Independence and it's foundation on Christianity (and he is supposed to swear to defend it), is the first "African American" president (which is great, but not a reason to vote for the man AND he is half caucasian and a percent arab), he wants to pull the troops and ruin all the progress we have made overseas, tax people into the ground and give money to those who don't work for it and much, much, more. His whole campaign has been "Change we need". Well, we will get A LOT of change we are sure. But will it be for the better? Like our good friend said "be of good cheer", be prepared in your own homes and families and keep living life day to day. Most of all, remain proud to be an American.

10 weeks (or less) left!

Week 30

Here are a few things I'm feeling right now:

-heartburn (especially at night even with prescription)

-occasional feeling of my hips being ripped apart at the seams

-excitement knowing there are only a couple months left to meet him!

-a LOT of movement that can be seen visually

-"nesting" mode: washing everything, working on the nursery, bought a take home outfit

-nervousness thinking about having two kids

-cravings for JUNK (greasy food and candy)

Also, Jon is giving me an early Christmas present today of a 2 mo. membership to the gym (now that it is getting cold outiside and I have to walk with Cade.) I would rather ride a stationary bike, walk on an inclined tredmill, swim or do the elyptical. Thanks, babe!!

Here is the nursery so far: (sports theme. sticker says "All Star")

We are making stars for the mobile and we will have a shelf with his name and some sports balls too. ( navy blue sign in the window seal says "I am a child of God" and frame will have his pic)

I thought this picture was cute from a few weeks back. From left to right Lizzie Simon due in March, Jessica Simon due in Feb. and me, due in January! It has been fun being pregnant with my girlfriends. Also in the mix...Shawnte Morton in January and Tanya Hoekstra in December. Fun, fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEENIE!

We went to a couple trunk-or-treats with chili and hot dogs and hit this barn party for kids with Cade (or should we say...BATMAN!) Cade caught on quick to the fact that if he held up his pumpkin and said "teat teat" (trick or treat) he would get candy. We were suprised he didn't throw up he ate so much!
We had him work out for a few months to look this good in his costume...

Cade didn't like the mask over his eyes

Is the devil allowed at a church party?

at the Cox's barn they had ponies, hayrides, lots of good food including SCONES (pirate sissy is pictured with one below) and hot cider, games, etc. Cade loved having Sofia, Wyatt, Angie and Brett there!

Even more, Cade loved trick-or-treating to Papa and Nana's afterward where he got his own, full size "schnikers" bar! (and a toothbrush! haha) All the Morton kids were there to play with until their sugar highs came down...around 11:30 p.m.!

Asa loved having his own!