Quick update while I have a computer to type on...a few big things have been happening here:

1. I'm sure most of you know by now, but I recently got a job as a relief x-ray tech at the hospital in town here, which was a huge answer to prayers-so thank you!  I start training Monday, June 4th and will train on days for a week (7-3) and then the next week I'll have a few 3-11 shifts and then end with two 3rd shift trainings at the end of June.  Should make for a busy June, as I'm keeping my job at the YMCA also!  I'm expecting it to die down pretty quickly after my training is up, though, but your prayers would be very appreciated!

2. We are moving out of the house on Woodward into a smaller duplex in Iron Mountain (to save money and get off the busy road) and we move tomorrow!  Hopefully we will have lots of hands to make it go quickly!

3. A kind of random update, I've come out of retirement and am playing piano for the worship team at church now.  After having 2 worship leaders leave recently (both for extrenuating family circumstances and job opportunities) we were really hurting for musicians (mainly a guitarist) but a pianist will have to do!  I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit, and the church has loaned me a keyboard that I can use at home to practice during the week.

4.  We were supposed to have Declan visiting this weekend/next week, but he is not able to come anymore, so now we look forward to Mom and Dad visiting in a few weekends!  Hopefully I'll have most of the house put away by then!

5. And of course, we are keeping busy with church engagements and getting to know people better, which really has been very fun.

6.  The last bit of news (that I'm not too excited about) but Alex put in for a bear tag for the fall, and is uber-excited to bear hunt.  Of which I've made it very clear that I will take no part in--especially not the tracking if he hits one! 

Mourning

It is with regret that I write this post, as we have lost a dear family member last Friday.  We had to say goodbye to our F-250 Turbo diesel last week as we found ourselves in a bit of a financial pinch.  He will be greatly missed, from his custom bumper, 6 inch lift, 37" hummer tires, to his crew cab, Powerstroke engine, 6 position chip, custom gauges and rust-free body.  He was truly everything we could've ever wanted in a truck and more.  R.I.P. Big Deezy.

On another note, though, we have found a red-headed stepchild to replace him!  After scouring Craigslist for a few days we narrowed the search for a cheap vehicle down to a few contenders.  We ended up driving to Rhinelander, WI (about 2 hours) to check out this 1986 Chevy K-10 that we both really liked, and after test driving it bought it and drove it home last Monday!  The Lord really blessed us with selling the old truck, and providing us with another one in just a few short days! (and that it made the trip home ok!)

Spring Hiking

Here are some random pictures of more hiking we did today after putting the hurt on some turkeys.  This is on the same property of the guy we hunted this morning, the one with just a little bit of everything the outdoor lover could want.  Woods, open fields, ponds, a trout stream, and steep rock faces as the backdrop.  (These pictures are mainly to get Matt excited to come back and try out the trout stream)  The property owner said it's nothing to fill your limit of trout in a day.  We spotted a few browns just walking the creek with Bow today, so we're pretty excited for the trout opener!

Looking out at the trout stream

Enjoying the scenery

Bow bee-lining it for one of the ponds

Trout stream

Turkey Season 2012

By now most of you know that Alex and I already bagged out for turkeys this season, but here are a few pics of the birds.  We were hunting out at a guys property who goes to our church, he has a farm on over 200 acres of just prime everything.  It has woods, fields, a great trout stream, and a backdrop of cliff overhangs to complete the picturesque setting.  It was a brisk morning (about 30 degrees) and we headed out around 4:45 to get in the ground blind before the turkeys came down from the trees.

When we got there and started walking to our spot we noticed about 10 turkeys roosted high in the trees not 100 yards from our ground blind, so we had to be extra quiet getting in, but we did make it in unnoticed.  Sitting in the blind that was actually in the cow/horse pasture we waited for them to come down and listened to them talk to each other for about half an hour before they finally decided to come down.

We watched them come right into the pasture and start casually feeding next to the cattle.  There were probably about 6 hens, 4 jakes, and one really nice tom in the bunch.  We watched them right in front of us about 85 yards out, eating, clucking, gobbling, and even sparring with one another for another half an hour.  Then, after calling sporadically throughout the morning the big tom finally noticed out jake and hen decoy. Well, once he saw them, it was over. (For him, that is)  *Side note* We had borrowed some really nice Avian X decoys from another friend and they were definitely worth it, they were so realistic.  Anyways, 'ol tom turkey came right in to the decoy so close that he was bumping into it to see what it was all about.  Not to soon after we decided to let Alex get a shot at it with his long bow at about 10 hards, and then I would back him up with the Benelli if he missed.  Alex made a sweet head shot, though, and I was not needed and the bird went down about 15 yards off to our right.

Well, all this commotion got the attention of the group of about 6 jakes that had accumulated in the distance, and they came running over looking for a fight.  We had spotted one other tom that was not as nice as Alex's but still better than a jake in the group of younger birds.  All the jakes and one tom ganged up on this decoy and were just throttling it, it was the coolest thing to see in person!  It looked just like footage you'd see on a hunting show, it was incredible.  Then, the jakes pushed out the one tom and I waited til he had cleared the group and then made him a jellyhead.  :)  Our two shots had not been more than a minute apart, it was pretty cool to see that much action from the crazed turkeys!

Needless to say we were pretty stoked to have been together and seen all the excitement together, and agreed it probably will be the most memorable turkey hunt of our lives.  We are planning on getting the tails, beards, and spurs mounted by a friend (the one who lent us the decoys) and then displaying our pictures right underneath the twin mounts.  Alright, finally, here are the pictures:

Alex's nice tom-we didn't measure yet, but the beard is pushing 10" and spurs were a nice white, and about an inch

My tom, a younger bird, beard probably about 8 inches, and only one spur

Oh, and did I mention they tasted pretty good, too?? ;)  We had some tasty fried "popcorn turkey" for dinner!

Matt and Jennie come to visit!

Sorry I'm so late in posting this, but we had the pleasure of Matt, Jennie, and Micah coming to visit us on Easter weekend!  It was much anticipated and much too short!  We had a great time, though,  just wish they could've stayed longer...here's a few pictures of the weekend:

Hiking along the trail on state land

Looking over the rock bluff at some little falls

Don't get too close to the edge!

Prime camping spot :)

Family portrait :)

Bow enjoying the expansive rock face

Micah had it pretty easy on the hike

Our family portrait!  (We couldn't get Bow to face the camera, lol)

Trying to keep him from going into the water

Carney Lake-there are rustic campsites on this lake that we hope to use this summer!

Bow dog being a good boy

Throwing rocks into the lake

One final throw

One final look at the beautiful lake

Piers Gorge

Last week we were making the most of the awesome weather, and decided to finally check out a spot we had been told about by a few people.  It was about 80 degrees and we loaded up the Bow dog to hike around at Piers Gorge, in Norway, MI...about 10 minutes away.  It's a rocky trail along the Menominee River, where the river is forced into a tight gorge that results in a series of 4 rapids.  It was pretty incredible,  beautiful hiking, and just 10 minutes away from home!  We'll be sure to make the trip whenever we have family come up to visit!

The first little rapids

Trekking off the beaten path

Rapids #3

Enjoying the cool breeze coming off the water-it felt like air conditioning!

Rapids #3......these pictures do not do them justice

Riverside artwork

Don't worry, he wasn't about to shoot anybody ;)

Bow trying to keep cool by a tree. :) Abit of random sad news......Alex was out with Brian hiking in the woods and stump shooting when they spotted a porcupine in a tree.  Well, naturally, Alex wanted to kill it, so they had Olivia (Brian's daughter) hold Bow while Alex took a shot at it with his bow.  Well, Alex made a kill shot to the head, but when that porcupine started tumbling out of the tree Bow couldn't take it anymore, and Olivia couldn't hold onto him and he bounded after the porcupine.  Naturally, the porcupine did what porcupines do best and quilled Bow right in the nose and he got some in his paw, too.  I'm so glad I wasn't there to see it.  Alex did a good job of removing all the quills from Bow's nose and paw while    Bow just whimpered a little and licked Alex's hand as a sort of "thank you".  Then we got him home and gave him a much needed bath, some peroxide on his wounds, and lots of treats. :)

New job

For those of you who didn't know, I got a new part time job working at the local YMCA! I started last week and I work the front desk...which is more work than it sounds, because they expect you to know everything about all that's going on at the Y, and only pay minimum wage! Lol, but it's been nice to get out of the house and see some people in the community, and the free membership is great! In the meantime, though, I'm still looking for a job in X-ray or MRI...prayers would be appreciated! There's an outpatient clinic going up just down the road from where we are now, and it would be awesome if I could get in there.