The Buffalo Hunt

For those of you who don't know... Jathan put my name in for the Buffalo hunt (I had no clue) and I drew out.

I was a little less than excited considering I was 6 months pregnant when we found out we would be going on this hunt.

These once in a life time tags are quite expensive... we drew out in April in the middle of finals so Jathan was not going to work because of his huge school load.

We got on KSL and sold a horse, a goat, our scout and Jathan's RC Racer...

We were then able to afford our bills.... it was CRAZY!

I had a bit of anxiety getting ready for this hunt. I was just so nervous about my little troop and was not sure how this was going to play out. But everything went very smoothly, thanks to all the help we had! My mom and dad came, my Mom helped with little troop, he went all over the mountain with us! Ray and Aaron came to help but Aaron was sick so Ray spotted solo. Brad and Rebecca came and Reba watched my little Zanna. Brad and Dusty were the best little spotters out there! Dusty sat up on a ridge forEVER!!! and found me a nice large bachelor bull. And Jathan was the best hunting coach you could ask for!

So this was the ride up to the tippy top of the ridge where Dusty spotted the bull. That was a LONG ride!

It was the most crazy terrain. So rocky and rugged and there were burnt trees everywhere.

This was not even to the top of the ridge yet. That Mountain was SO HIGH!

So here he is! My big bad Buffalo. I have never hunted before and I was really nervous. It was such a crazy feeling, it was exciting and exhilarating sneaking along the ridge of the mountain. We were about 240 yards away from the Bull and the guys got me all ready to shoot. He was facing us so we had to wait for him to turn his head so there would be a larger area for me to shoot at. Once he turned his head they gave me the go ahead. I steadied the gun, aimed and shot.... HOLLY CRAP! He was down with in like three seconds... I felt so bad I wanted to cry... but then I was so happy I got him in one shot... so many mixed emotions.

He is a huge beautiful creature. And I look like a regular ol hunter. Jathan offered a very nice prayer for the Buffalo.

Me and my Pappy! I was so happy he could be there with me.

The crew! Dusty is in all the Camo on the left. He was an amazing help! He knows those Mountains like the back of his hand.

My dad getting the horses ready to take the Buffalo off the mountain. Dusty took me back to the truck where my mom was tending Troop on the 4wheeler. Then he headed back up the mountain to help. They had to use the horses to get the Buffalo to the 4wheelers, then the 4 wheelers took the buffalo to the truck which then took the buffalo to camp. That was a six hour endeavour for all these men.

Before I headed off the mountain Dusty spotted some super large bucks. Here we are checking them out.


Another shot of Mi Papa up on the mountain.

Dusty on the 4 wheeler.

Brad on the 4wheeler, heading up to help us out (when I say us... I don't mean me... I got to go back to camp with my little 3 month old baby while the men did all the dirty work!). He was spotting in another area when we called him in on the radio to let him know I got one.

Zanna and Andelyn playing in the creek along our camp. This creek had area's with quick sand... We had to watch them closely. They had a lovely time wandering around our camp. Zanna had a bit of a rough trip. She decided to put on the grumpiest pants she could find and about drove me to pulling my hair out.

Jathan put a line of Buffalo blood across his forehead. This is a Navajo ceremonial action.

Check out all this meat. We have about 250 lbs of Buffalo meat now.... where on earth am I going to keep it all??

The Dad's!

Jathan, Brad and Ella.

Me and my little Trooper! I absolutely love this little guy. He did so fabulous. He slept in my sleeping bag with me every night and didn't make a peep (other than to eat)! He really was a Gem! I don't think many three month old baby's can say they have been on a Buffalo hunt... well mostly because they can't talk... te he!

Me and my honey and Raisin!

Zanna playing about the mountain with her trusty wheel barrell.

My Mom and Reba in deep intellectual conversation.

Grandma taking Zanna on a little bareback ride. Zanna LOVES the horses. She always wants to be riding or petting one.

Cute little friends.

It sure felt great to get home and get me and my kiddos bathed and sleep in our warm, clean beds.

We truly had a great time. Everything went so smoothly and I was very grateful we got our Buffalo on the second day there since Jathan had to get back to school the next day.

I can't believe I shot a Buffalo.... It was a good experience and I feel like I accomplished something great. Especially since we will use every part of that Buffalo. The meat, the fur will be a rug, and many other parts will be used for Jathan's family's dancing. I don't know that I will want to hunt many more animals... but now I know I can which can if I ever need to.

Flashback Halloween

This Halloween was so DIFFERENT.
I am usually so stoked to get all dressed up and get the little ones dressed up.
But instead we went shooting (getting ready for the buffalo hunt) which took up five hours of our day, but it was super fun!
Then I ran errands like a mad woman...
Got home at about 8:30 and then just hung out with my little family.
So since I was so boring this year I decided to post pictures of a Halloween when I was a little more fun!
Here are some photos of when my hilariously funny friend Hillary got us all some awesome costumes and transformed us into amazingly good looking lumberjacks... ha ha!

Me, Jarica, Hillary, Anne Marie and Katie

Katie (Left) actually made a really good looking man... in a pretty sort of way. She also resembled the lead singer of Foo Fighters. I slightly resembles a perv.... And Jerica's (middle) eyes crack me up!

Hillary (Left) looked like a cute little leprechaun and Anne Marie (Right) looked like someone from the Bible.

One of he highlights of this Halloween was dancing up on some of the ladies dressed in lingerie at the parties... so funny!

Amazing!

We may have forgotten we were dressed as boys as we were hitting on this dude. ;) And I am packing some serious junk in the trunk!!

Taking off the beards! They itched like the dickens!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN...

And now onto November... May it be filled with 70 degree weather!

More Montana

Montana

Isn't it beautiful here?

The weather has been great.

It snows, then it rains, then it's sunny, then it's overcast again.

That is one of my favorite things about the cabin.

The weather is constantly changing.

Christian took Zanna for a nice long walk from the Latimer cabin to the Thompson cabin ( we have two cabins here, one on my mom's side and one on my dad's side and they are about a half a mile apart). He got some pretty cute pictures of Zanna.

Here she is walking down the road with the three dogs. She LOVES the dogs!

Zanna has been so funny this trip. She loves to be outside and whenever she had to come inside she threw a bit of a fit. She refused to take her coat off once inside. It was like her only link to the "outside" world. It gave her hope she might be able to go out again soon. I had to take it off of her for meals and that did not make her happy AT all.

Jumping in the puddles.

This is the Thompson cabin and the sign my grandpa built. He named this area Crane Meadows. After many years the entrance posts had to be rebuilt so the sign came down for a few years and was just put back up this past labor day. I love this sign. The FT stands for Forrest Thompson, my grand pappy.

"as she walks through fields of gold"

Getting ready to go riding.

Hannah getting her chaps on. I got to go on a ride with my dad and sisters up in the hills behind the cabin. It was so fun to be able to go on a ride, so invigorating... that is not something I get to do very often anymore now that I have the chillins. Like I have probably gone three times since I have had Zanna. The weather was cold but really nice. And the ground was lightly covered with snow once we got up into the hills. It was beautiful.

My dad getting my stirrups to the right length for me. Such a sweet man!

Zanna doing tricks on the horse with Mikelle. She wanted to go on the ride with us but it was a little too long for her. So we led her around the cabin a few times and that sufficed.

October in Montana

I am currently in Montana.
Quite possibly my favorite place in this beautiful world.
I love this time of year here in Montana.
Everything has turned form green to gold, except of course all the pine trees.

Zanna drove to the cabin with my parents.
When they turned off the highway, onto the two mile road before the lane to the cabin Zanna exclaimed "The Cabin!"
How on earth did she know? Especially after being in the car for 5 hours.
She seriously has the best sense of direction.
Way better than I had at even the age of 14....

I especially love my little boy here in Montana.
All cuddled up in the cozy cabin.
Look at those beautiful pouty lips.
I LOVE them!
He is the sweetest thing!

We have the most fabulous large sink in the laundry room.
Zanna LOVES taking baths in it.
One day when I have a home of my own I am going to have my husband install me one of these fabulous sinks.

I love that in this picture you see the mop, ironing board, rags, medicine cabinet/mirror.
I also love the face Zanna is pulling.
Such a silly little thing!

The men, doing their manly thing.

Oh Christian, so hard core!

Mikelle looks hard core too.

The little lady playing about the pasture.
She has the time of her life up here.
She would play outside in the cold all day long if I would let her.
Funny story:
We were laying in bed this morning and Zanna was staring at the knotty pine ceiling.
She pointed at a spot on the ceiling and said "Fishy."
She saw a fishy in the ceiling, like seeing things in the clouds.
It was pretty cute.

My momma getting all suited up for her horse ride.
Such a beautiful woman!
She looks sizzlin' in her cowgirl getup.. ;)

My cute sister Mikelle.

Zanna kissing Red.

This is pure bliss for Zanna.
Outside sitting on a horsie.

And the men getting suited up.

My brother Christian and Evie.
He makes a pretty good lookin' cowboy.

And my handsome daddy.
He also make a great looking cowboy.