We spent a very lovely Thanksgiving this past week up in Northern Wisconsin with Grandma and Grandpa A! It is my 11th Thanksgiving, or more appropriately... my 11th deer hunting season, up North. While I was busy wooing Kyle, I was known to don a little blaze orange and freeze myself out there in the hunt for the biggest buck. I even spent that first Thanksgiving, back in 99', cutting up a deer with Kyle! Several hours into slicing and dicing the legs, Kyle looked over and noticed a small stream of tears coming from behind my glasses. It was not the Thanksgiving I had necessarily grown up with or imagined with my new beau. I was a bit more accustomed to taking a nap during the football game, or rising early to hit the big sales down at Herbergers with my mom and aunts. He took the juicy bowl of blood and tenderloin away from me, and assured me that cutting up venison did not have to be a part of my Thanksgiving anymore. Fortunately, he has been true to his word, and I have not touched (or eaten for that matter) any venison since!
Kyle, unfortunately (or fortunately for me, as my wall space seems to be nearly filled with dead animals as it is... deer, turkey, caribou, bear, bobcat, hmm?) did not find the sought after prize buck this year. Rats, as Hadley would say! We did however, get to enjoy the excitement with our 11 year old nephew, Hayden, as he did indeed slay a big 10 pointer (and in his first year out, no less!). You can see Hadley below gazing up at her big cousin lovingly, as he proudly showed her pictures of the buck. Hadley once told me that "Hayden is my best, Mom", and I think you can see that in her eyes. And pictured below that, are Piper & Hadley along with cousins Sydney & Ava.
We enjoyed the best Thanksgiving feast in Wisconsin, no lie. Kyle's sister, Kim prepares the most wonderful meal and serves it at 6:00 p.m., therefore allowing the hunters the most daylight possible. Even with all of that cooking, she still found time to give Piper a good snuggle. 
The funniest part of the weekend (in hindsight, but NOT at the time) was Hadley's struggle with sleeping on a bed roll versus the usual pack & play. The entire first 1.5 hour nap at Grandma A's, was an endurance race between Hadley and me - would/could her crying outlast my arm strength as I held her door shut the whole time! Just before her nap, she and Grandma had made special carmel rolls together, but due to her psuedo nap, I did not allow her to eat it afterward (what a mean mom!). With the promise of that delicious carmel roll, it took her until her 4th sleep time (naps and nighttime sleep) before she FINALLY sank her teeth into that ooey gooey carmel goodness. For the love! She was seen a few times, with her nose just miliimeters above someone else's carmel roll trying to breathe it in! 
Wish we could have seen you over the holiday. I always enjoy looking at pictures of the girls, Stephanie. They are so adorable! I just want to reach into those pictures and snatch up a good hug!
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