ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

It was a monumental weekend for two of us Burnside girls - Rachel and I each bagged our first buck! Whoop whoop! :) Martha and my dad hunted in York with one of my dad's best friends where she killed hers. Chris, Reid and I went hunting Monday at our land in Macon County, and I got mine. I don't have any pictures of Rachel's yet - waiting on those. I have a couple of mine taken with my phone.

It's far from a monster, but it's my first buck so I was very excited! And we eat a lot of deer meat throughout the year - usually try to get about 5 or so every season - so we needed another one to stock up the freezer. My mom took Grant and Mac to Selma Monday to visit family which gave Reid and me a chance to go hunting with Chris. I really enjoy hunting but don't have many chances to go so when Chris asked if we wanted to load up and go, I was all about it. We had been in the tree stand about an hour and a half when 18 turkeys, my buck and one other buck came out in the field. Chris asked if I wanted to shoot it. Um, yes please. So Chris helped me get the gun situated and I'm getting ready to sit up and see if I can get a shot. So I whisper, "Reid, go sit with daddy - mommy's going to shoot this deer." Reid, "NO." The deer looks dead at us. I whispered again, "REID, please do not scare this deer away. Mommy's going to shoot it. PLEASE go sit with daddy." And again a bit louder Reid says, "Uh uh." And yet again, the deer looks straight into the tree stand - as if my heart's not racing enough already! But it was quite obvious Reid was NOT getting out of my lap. One of the advantages of being a mom: you learn to multi-task. I slid Reid over to my left knee, got the gun situated to my right, Chris helped Reid hold his ears, I waited for the deer to turn semi-broadside and took the shot. Oh my gosh what a rush! Chris said he was just as nervous as I was. :) We waited to make sure he was down then went and got the golf cart, loaded him up, and it was off to the processor. It's not even close to a mountable deer but being that it's my first buck (and my first deer killed with Chris), my sweet husband is going to do a European Mount for me. It was a fun hunt, and I love that we can enjoy these kind of things together.

And Martha...

STAY AWAY FROM THOSE FOUR-WHEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!