November 2009 Archives

Ate too much for Thanksgiving dinner or Hoosier Hysteria?

Neither.......Introducing "Stubs."

According to Tracy herself: "Aptly named because instead of tears of joy upon seeing my baby on screen, I shouted "Look at the stubs! Do you see the stubs Nate?" I'm sure the ultrasound technician has heard worse...right? (Lucky for me, Nate redeemed us both by pointing at the screen and asking, "Is that the baby's heart beating?" Nate wasn't interested in stubs, he was more awed by being able to see the heart--he's a good Daddy.)"

Well, as you can see "Stubs" is growing well (and becoming much cuter) and Mommy is glowing despite a few rough months in the beginning. We are confident that Stubs will be the most beautiful grandchild in the world. Afterall, look at Sarah and Rachel. They started out as "Emil Angus" and "Cheeseball" and I think they turned out just fine!

Obviously, Sarah and Rachel are ecstatic about becoming aunts in February. (We are excited too, but is anyone under the age of 60 ever feel old enough to be a grandparent?) Too bad Atlanta is so far away.

. . . and so we enjoyed our first Thanksgiving gathered around Tracy's dining room table with multiple branches of different families with common roots united. And yes, Steve travelled to Atlanta the day after his Achilles tendon surgery AMA!

Our midnight shopping tradition was cut a little short because our mother-to-be Tracy didn't have quite the stamina (or Red Bull) as in years past, but we managed to fill a few shopping bags, sleep for a few hours and then went back to Tracy's for a 2pm "breakfast" of Old-Fashioned Cream Pie! (Definitely one of the best parts of Thanksgiving in my mind!)

Having grown up in Minnesota, Steve hunted. He hunted a lot. Hunting in Minnesota is an introverted equivalent to Indiana's Hoosier Hysteria over basketball.

Shortly after Steve moved to Indiana, he quit hunting............I like to think that it is because he found me............but twenty years later he headed back out into the woods. I have barely seen him since.

About 2 weeks ago, during bow season, he was face-to-face with big buck. As Steve tells the story, he could almost feel the buck breath on him, and stood drawn for over 10 minutes waiting for a clear shot. Painfully, Steve had to watch the buck walk away.

A few nights later, the buck reappeared. Steve patiently tracked him with his bow drawn, again waiting for the right shot and "whack!" A perfect shot ---- straight into a tree!!!

A few nights later..............one shot, one arrow, one dead buck, one clean kill. Only 6 points, but about 200 pounds! Can you feel the adrenaline?

Gun season opened last weekend. We brought Nate and Tracy up for the weekend but scheduled everything around the morning and evening hunt. Eric, his friend Nick and Nate all went hunting with Steve. (The ultimate guy bonding experience, I guess: go sit in the dark alone "together")

Anyway, they all had a great time, but no venison.

This week, Steve took vacation to go hunting. (When growing up in Minnesota, he routinely took a week off of school every season just to hunt.)

He was still hoping to find an even bigger buck that has been flirting wtih him when he arrives at the woods every morning, but couldn't resist a shot at a smaller buck that walked into his line of fire.

One shot and the deer fell instantly. His phone rang seconds later and he answered it thinking it was his hunting buddy calling to confirm the kill. Instead, it was the vet calling to update Steve on Shadow who was at the vet's with internal bleeding. Then, while talking to the vet, the deer got back up and stood there dazed. " Uh, I really have to call you back," and Steve quickly jumped out of his tree stand to get a better shot and "whack" again! This time it was his Achilles --- the same one he tore 6 months ago and the same one that has continued to bother him ever since.

He still managed to gut the deer, but by the time he got home he could barely get his boot off. (Rachel says he screamed like a girl when she helped him pull his boot off!)

Surgery is tomorrow. Thankfully, he is fixable and has met his deductible. (I even got him in for his colonoscopy earlier this week!)

So.......we have some high-priced venison in the freezer. I'm sure this has cost a lot more than the last time he tried to save us money by building a pier and then had to have surgery on his elbow.

Steve still says it was worth every richter of pain.