My name is Jenn, and I can't wink... (a.k.a. Christmas, Part 3)

It was only about an hour and a half drive from New Braunfels to the ranch where we go hunting, so we left there Sunday night and met my family at the Deer Lease in time to get some sleep before the early morning hunt on Monday.  This year for my birthday my sweet hubby got me some insulated camo bibs and a really nice camo coat to keep me warm!  It made a huge difference!  Typically the mornings in the deer stands are freezing and painful for me, but this year I was much more comfortable and able to enjoy the experience.  Another thing that made it more enjoyable was that on Monday morning I saw my first 8-point buck and also shot my first 8-point buck! 

Like the title of this post informs you, I cannot wink - never have been able to, and, as I have practiced many times over the last 20 years and have made no improvements, I'm assuming that I never will be able to.  It's no serious disability.  I've managed to secure a husband and establish a somewhat normal life without once batting a single eye.  However, the inability to close one eye at a time does create a problem when attempting to look through the scope of a rifle and precisely aim at a deer about 100 yards away.  (Those of you who can wink and have always taken it for granted, try target shooting a rifle sometime with both eyes open... Yeah... it's not that easy!)  To combat this problem, my thoughtful husband suggested I try using an eye patch when I shoot.  Needless to say, it has significantly improved my aim!  (Although he must really love me because I look like a weirdo! hahaha!)  I shot 3 deer this year (2 whitetail and 1 axis) and I dropped them all, dead on the spot.  This was quite an improvement for me over last year, and I think the eye patch has made all the difference!

Chris shot 2 whitetails this year too.  He shot this amazing, big body buck with a pretty decent rack.  He also shot a couple of turkeys.  We cooked the meat from one and ate it up there at the lease and it was really good!

I love hunting, in case you couldn't tell.  But what I love about going to the deer lease aside from the hunting is the time we spend together as a family.  The ranch house we stay in is comfortable and warm and it has facilitated many wonderful times together as a family in the years that we've been going there.  We roasted hot dogs over a campfire, played lots of games, watched a little football, took naps between hunting trips, ate tons of food, and in general just had a fun relaxing time!  I also got to go shopping with my mom and sister in the cute little antique stores in town and go to the James Avery factory and store.  I love getting to hunt with the guys and then shop with the girls.  It makes my heart happy!  :-)

New Years' Day we squeezed in one last hunt in the morning, and then cleaned and packed up and drove back to my parents' house.  We made it home just in time to get together with some of our good family friends for dinner and games.  The next day Chris and I packed up our car and started the long 2-day drive back to Utah.  It's never as exciting coming home from a vacation as it is leaving for one, but we made it home safely and really enjoyed sleeping in our own bed again after 2 weeks.