find a bird, frannie.

I went hunting.

Well, I guess I didn't shoot a gun so I technically didn't hunt... but I did go with my dad while he, my uncle, and three of their friends went hunting. Apparently my going surprised a few people... but I love learning new things, and I couldn't resist a trip with my dad. I'm graduating in a few months, so what better time than now to go on an adventure with him?

And oh, what an adventure it was. Five men, all over 40, let me invade their "guy's weekend." Somehow, I ended up with my own room and the biggest bed in the bunk house. They treated me wonderfully, and were incredibly patient with me, as I put on at least 15 items of clothing or showered in twice the time it took them. However, they weren't bashful at all about poking fun at each other and cracking jokes the entire time. It was entertaining from the very first moment on. 8 hours to Lawrence, and another 5 to Logan. Hunting is quite the sport. I say sport, because it was quite the workout. Three days of walking around trying to find birds. :) Luckily, we had five awesome dogs that went along with us. Frannie and I were the only girls.

I am just so thankful for all of the memories. Especially with my dad. We had some really fun (any funny) moments together, including our 12 hour long excursion back home (He did point out that we missed one Bass Pro Shop between Lawrence and home... let me point out that we only missed one). We had a blast, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I almost stepped on two quail and one pheasant (and yelped all three times once they flushed)... and then sat down on a ridge with William, only to find out moments later that there was a quail about 6 feet from my foot hiding in the bush. So I then sat next to William as he shot at the bird. We hunted in 40mph winds the first night, after a 20 degree drop in the temperature. I saw the biggest cowpies ever. I tried hominy, listened to the guys all talk about the importance of Bean-o when chili is eaten, ate more twizzlers than I knew possible, and ducked whenever I saw a gun anywhere close (please know that I was far more paranoid than they were unsafe).

But I also saw a whole new part of God's creation. Rolling hills, flint hills, prairie chickens, incredible sunrises and sunsets, rabbits, cedar trees, and miles and miles of amazing landscape. It was beautiful- and it proves there is so much to life for me to see and experience.

All in all, memories to last a life time.