HorseDoctor
PMA Member
:moon:Good luck "little feller"! Knock em dead! Seriously! Dead! 
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Pure Craziness
This week has been about as crazy as it gets. I was in a meeting in Prescott Monday when my niece back in Newton called me to ask me what was up with my mom. I had no idea, so I got to find out that my mom was in the hospital back home after passing out in her kitchen. She's had 6 weeks straight of chemo (2nd time around fighting her lung cancer) and it apparently caught up to her. I had major deadlines at work, but was in constant contact with my niece getting updates. Her kidneys didn't look good and a nurse told my niece that I should probably get home to be with my mom, so we priced tickets for me to come home this morning. My niece was able to the doctor Friday and he said that her kidneys weren't great, but weren't bad either. He was confident that she would recover soon enough. No plane tickets bought yet. First round of prayers answered!
Then, without getting into the details, I ended up taking my wife to the ER at 1230 this morning with acute abdominal pain in her lower right side. My first thought was appendicitis. I ran up and told Syd what was happening and told her she was in charge of her little brother. 5 hours later, her pain had subsided and all tests, including a CT came back negative. Best they can come up with is a really bad tummy ache. We crawled into bed at 0500 this morning and then were woken up at 0730 by our son, who was ready for the day. To her credit, Syd came in and told us she had made waffles and coffee. That was one of the best cups of coffee ever. Really! I'm so proud of the young lady she is becoming!
We got a few things done (in super slow motion) and decided to hike up and pull the cameras to put them in another area we want to scout for Syd's elk hunt. Our rain season has started back up again, so we wanted to get moving to beat the storms that start on the mountain first. Early last week, a 17-year old boy was struck and killed by lightning up there hiking to the summit of Mt. Humphreys (12,000 feet; above the treeline). We got halfway to our cameras when huge lightning bolt raced across the sky over our heads. We kind of dismissed it as a fluke, noting that the building storm should be pushing away from us with the typical southwest winds. We were debating having me just run up to the cameras while everyone else just went back to the truck, but the biggest concern was the wide open meadow that you have to traverse (uphill) to get to the cameras, one of which is in the meadow. That's when another big lightning bolt streaked across the sky right over our heads. As I stood there debating whether or not to continue by myself, my wife, kids, and dogs took off for the truck. I hollered at my wife that I was going to push on, but she yelled at me to head back with them. I thought about that kid from earlier and decided she was right. I guess wisdom does come with age!
We're working on a plan to get back up there next weekend, in between a 5K race we signed up for and Syd's soccer starting up again this week. I'll let her talk a little about her soccer season, since it involves some big news. After 2 hours of sleep, followed by 5 hours at the ER, then another 2.5 hours of sleep and being on the go all day, I'm actually getting read for bed. Hopefully, we'll have some pics to share soon!
This week has been about as crazy as it gets. I was in a meeting in Prescott Monday when my niece back in Newton called me to ask me what was up with my mom. I had no idea, so I got to find out that my mom was in the hospital back home after passing out in her kitchen. She's had 6 weeks straight of chemo (2nd time around fighting her lung cancer) and it apparently caught up to her. I had major deadlines at work, but was in constant contact with my niece getting updates. Her kidneys didn't look good and a nurse told my niece that I should probably get home to be with my mom, so we priced tickets for me to come home this morning. My niece was able to the doctor Friday and he said that her kidneys weren't great, but weren't bad either. He was confident that she would recover soon enough. No plane tickets bought yet. First round of prayers answered!
Then, without getting into the details, I ended up taking my wife to the ER at 1230 this morning with acute abdominal pain in her lower right side. My first thought was appendicitis. I ran up and told Syd what was happening and told her she was in charge of her little brother. 5 hours later, her pain had subsided and all tests, including a CT came back negative. Best they can come up with is a really bad tummy ache.
We crawled into bed at 0500 this morning and then were woken up at 0730 by our son, who was ready for the day. To her credit, Syd came in and told us she had made waffles and coffee. That was one of the best cups of coffee ever. Really! I'm so proud of the young lady she is becoming!We got a few things done (in super slow motion) and decided to hike up and pull the cameras to put them in another area we want to scout for Syd's elk hunt. Our rain season has started back up again, so we wanted to get moving to beat the storms that start on the mountain first. Early last week, a 17-year old boy was struck and killed by lightning up there hiking to the summit of Mt. Humphreys (12,000 feet; above the treeline). We got halfway to our cameras when huge lightning bolt raced across the sky over our heads. We kind of dismissed it as a fluke, noting that the building storm should be pushing away from us with the typical southwest winds. We were debating having me just run up to the cameras while everyone else just went back to the truck, but the biggest concern was the wide open meadow that you have to traverse (uphill) to get to the cameras, one of which is in the meadow. That's when another big lightning bolt streaked across the sky right over our heads. As I stood there debating whether or not to continue by myself, my wife, kids, and dogs took off for the truck. I hollered at my wife that I was going to push on, but she yelled at me to head back with them. I thought about that kid from earlier and decided she was right. I guess wisdom does come with age!
We're working on a plan to get back up there next weekend, in between a 5K race we signed up for and Syd's soccer starting up again this week. I'll let her talk a little about her soccer season, since it involves some big news. After 2 hours of sleep, followed by 5 hours at the ER, then another 2.5 hours of sleep and being on the go all day, I'm actually getting read for bed. Hopefully, we'll have some pics to share soon!
bigbuckhunter88
PMA Member
Wise decision not risking it with the lightning. That's some dangerous, unpredictable stuff. Hope all the family health issues have been resolved for the better.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Its dried out the last few days and we made it up there yesterday to pull the cameras and there were some cool elk calf pics I was excited to share. Then my mom's doctor called me this morning to let me know that mom has gotten worse and has asked to be put in Hospice care. I will be getting on a plane in two hours, getting to Des Moines around 1130 tonight and will go straight to the hospital in Newton after that. My wife and kids will catch up to me in a couple of days as I know more. I've been walking around the last hour with my Rosary beads trying to make sense of the world around me. I pray for her peace and for my family in my absence. If its not too much to ask, I'd appreciate the same. Syd is taking this hard.
HorseDoctor
PMA Member
Hard to know who's to say in such a situation. If it is time, I hope it is swift and peaceful. Travel safe and know that we are all praying for you & your family. Thank God for Hospice people!
bigbuckhunter88
PMA Member
Prayers sent.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
It has been a very rough couple of weeks since my last post. My mom lost a hard 3-year battle with stage 3 lung cancer just before 2am on Friday, August, 12. I was sleeping 5 feet from her side. Before I finally crawled into bed at 11pm, I kissed her forehead, told her I loved her, and let her know it was ok to go while I was sleeping. It was a surreal, peaceful moment to see mom's pain over, but we left nothing unsaid and there were no regrets. I got there in time to talk to her, assure I was there, tell her I love her, and let her know it was ok to go be with my dad. She was ready. The outpouring of love and support from friends and family, including some fellow IWers, was amazing. Tony (Risto) drove down to pay his respects and Wayne (Bowman) and his family were a Godsend in his help, support, love of our kids, and help with keeping us moving and uplifted. As expected, Syd took it pretty hard, but she got to meet several people who loved her grandma and got to hear how much my mom spoke about her and how proud she was of Sydney. We had a long talk about honoring my mom's wish to keep moving forward and be successful in everything she does. One night, we had Dairy Queen for supper because it was one of mom's favorite places and Syd ordered the exact sundae that mom always had. We laughed and smiled that night. Syd and I agreed that we need to keep this journal going. I know she has an entry in mind, but just needs to find the time to get to it now that she's back in school (finally caught up from missing) and both cross country and soccer are going.
We have some great trail cam pics that I still need to get posted, some pics a buddy was sending me of 4x4 muleys in Syd's deer unit, and some general pics from our time back in Iowa that are worth sharing. To ease the pain and take their minds off things while my wife and I attended to matters, Syd and her brother got to go bass fishing with a cousin and then spend a day at the State Fair.
We have some great trail cam pics that I still need to get posted, some pics a buddy was sending me of 4x4 muleys in Syd's deer unit, and some general pics from our time back in Iowa that are worth sharing. To ease the pain and take their minds off things while my wife and I attended to matters, Syd and her brother got to go bass fishing with a cousin and then spend a day at the State Fair.
HorseDoctor
PMA Member
So sorry for your loss and so happy that your mother is at peace. Glad you were there for her last moments. I'm sure that made it easier for her. Peace be with you all...
bigbuckhunter88
PMA Member
So sorry for your loss. She is now pain free and she will be looking down on you all.
Hanyak
Active Member
Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. There is nothing that can be said to reduce the grief you are going through now. Cherish the memories and live life to the fullest when you have the chance. The Lord has a plan for each and everyone of us. Keep the faith and keep moving forward.
KnuckleDragr
Active Member
Sorry for your loss. Prayers sent to you and your family.
AZHunter
Iowa Boy At Heart
Back on Track - Pic Heavy
I want to thank everyone for the kind words, prayers, and support. It means the world to our family. We're settling back into our routines, while still dealing with the estate and various entities' paperwork, but its still forward progress. The good days outnumber the bad days and that is important. Honoring all of mom's wishes has also helped. There is something cathartic about honoring and carrying out/living her words that I can't put my finger on, but I thank God every day for it.
As promised, we are continuing our journal. Below are some pics from the trail cams we pulled right before I flew home. We're hoping to get them back up in a different area, but our weekends between now and Syd's hunts are getting more and more complicated and full, especially with having to fly back to Iowa the end of September to clean out mom's house.
We had a smattering of elk moving through in front of both cams in July and into early August. I know that where the elk are now isn't necessarily going to be where the elk will be in mid-October, especially after three consecutive weeks of pressure, but its still nice to know they are in the area and there is a mix of dense cover and open feeding areas nearby. I remain cautiously optimistic for Syd's hunt. I won't bore you with a ton of cow elk pics, but there are a couple of good ones worth sharing.
A good sized herd of cows moving through near the trail.
They're moving through the canyon below the trail, too.
I never get tired of watching calves play. They may be elk, but they remind me of human kids with their carefree attitude! This calf, like my kids, has to climb on every rock it passes!
And our last hike up and back revealed more bear activity than I've ever seen in this area. There were several rocks and logs flipped over with claw marks in the dirt/mud where the bears are scraping for food. One of these days, I'm positive we will cross paths with a live bear!
As I mentioned earlier, we had a ton of good things to celebrate while we were back in Iowa. My cousin, Matthew (who lurks here), drove down from Huxley to take our kids fishing at a farm pond one afternoon so my wife and I could have some time to get things done. They said the big ones weren't biting, but Jacob managed to catch his first largemouth bass and he was excited! If memory serves me correctly, Jacob caught the first one, Sydney caught the most, and Matthew caught the biggest one. It was just great to see them smiling and making their grandma proud!
That night, after the kids went fishing, we went and had supper at the local Dairy Queen, one of mom's favorite places! Another cathartic moment full of smiles, laughs, and great memories.
Shortly after that, we met Wayne (Bowman) who "happened" to be driving by in his police unit after we texted him the above picture. He invited us up for a tour of the police department and we enjoyed every minute of that, especially my kids. He let them each try on his SWAT gear and, at times, it was hard to say who was having more fun! I'll make sure its ok with him to post those pics and, if so, that might be a good thing for Syd to post up in her next entry, which she's planning on.
Monday afternoon, August 15th, my phone started going crazy with texts from my buddy who lives right in the middle of Syd's deer unit. He was out scouting on a day off and sending me pics of various bucks he'd been seeing. We were getting ready for mom's visitation and needed that distraction. After showing Syd the pics, its safe to say she's excited for her deer hunt. Most of what my buddy was seeing were "...at least 4x4s..." and he sent several pics! He's on board to take us out opening weekend!
My wife has to head back to El Paso this weekend to attend to some important family matters, so its just me and the kids. I was thinking about getting up early one morning and taking the kids archery deer hunting into Syd's elk unit, but they both seem more interested in heading to the shooting range. Over the last two weeks, all I've wanted to do is spend as much time with my family as possible. The things that used to be important just aren't as important right now. Family is what matters most. Everything else will fall into place at His will.
I want to thank everyone for the kind words, prayers, and support. It means the world to our family. We're settling back into our routines, while still dealing with the estate and various entities' paperwork, but its still forward progress. The good days outnumber the bad days and that is important. Honoring all of mom's wishes has also helped. There is something cathartic about honoring and carrying out/living her words that I can't put my finger on, but I thank God every day for it.
As promised, we are continuing our journal. Below are some pics from the trail cams we pulled right before I flew home. We're hoping to get them back up in a different area, but our weekends between now and Syd's hunts are getting more and more complicated and full, especially with having to fly back to Iowa the end of September to clean out mom's house.
We had a smattering of elk moving through in front of both cams in July and into early August. I know that where the elk are now isn't necessarily going to be where the elk will be in mid-October, especially after three consecutive weeks of pressure, but its still nice to know they are in the area and there is a mix of dense cover and open feeding areas nearby. I remain cautiously optimistic for Syd's hunt. I won't bore you with a ton of cow elk pics, but there are a couple of good ones worth sharing.
A good sized herd of cows moving through near the trail.
They're moving through the canyon below the trail, too.
I never get tired of watching calves play. They may be elk, but they remind me of human kids with their carefree attitude! This calf, like my kids, has to climb on every rock it passes!
And our last hike up and back revealed more bear activity than I've ever seen in this area. There were several rocks and logs flipped over with claw marks in the dirt/mud where the bears are scraping for food. One of these days, I'm positive we will cross paths with a live bear!
As I mentioned earlier, we had a ton of good things to celebrate while we were back in Iowa. My cousin, Matthew (who lurks here), drove down from Huxley to take our kids fishing at a farm pond one afternoon so my wife and I could have some time to get things done. They said the big ones weren't biting, but Jacob managed to catch his first largemouth bass and he was excited! If memory serves me correctly, Jacob caught the first one, Sydney caught the most, and Matthew caught the biggest one. It was just great to see them smiling and making their grandma proud!
That night, after the kids went fishing, we went and had supper at the local Dairy Queen, one of mom's favorite places! Another cathartic moment full of smiles, laughs, and great memories.
Shortly after that, we met Wayne (Bowman) who "happened" to be driving by in his police unit after we texted him the above picture. He invited us up for a tour of the police department and we enjoyed every minute of that, especially my kids. He let them each try on his SWAT gear and, at times, it was hard to say who was having more fun! I'll make sure its ok with him to post those pics and, if so, that might be a good thing for Syd to post up in her next entry, which she's planning on.
Monday afternoon, August 15th, my phone started going crazy with texts from my buddy who lives right in the middle of Syd's deer unit. He was out scouting on a day off and sending me pics of various bucks he'd been seeing. We were getting ready for mom's visitation and needed that distraction. After showing Syd the pics, its safe to say she's excited for her deer hunt. Most of what my buddy was seeing were "...at least 4x4s..." and he sent several pics! He's on board to take us out opening weekend!
My wife has to head back to El Paso this weekend to attend to some important family matters, so its just me and the kids. I was thinking about getting up early one morning and taking the kids archery deer hunting into Syd's elk unit, but they both seem more interested in heading to the shooting range. Over the last two weeks, all I've wanted to do is spend as much time with my family as possible. The things that used to be important just aren't as important right now. Family is what matters most. Everything else will fall into place at His will.
HuntingKeeper_425
New Member
The last few weeks have been pretty tough. Sorry I haven't been updating in a while, school and life have been challenging. Thank you guys so much for all the support with everything that has been going on.
I can't believe that I'm actually in seventh grade. It seems a lot different now that I'm not a sixth grader. My teachers are not that different though. My engineering teacher I have known since I was 7. So that's not much different. My social studies teacher and my math teacher I had last year, so that is basically the same. The only different teacher this year is my English teacher. But she's pretty awesome.
I might be getting to hunt in Iowa next year for deer. I am super excited, for I hear that there are some pretty big whitetails up there. We should be coming back around October.
This weekend, me and a few of my friends went to the Coconino County Fair. It's definitely not as cool as the Iowa State Fair, though they did have deep fried candy bars on a stick. We went on this ride called the Pharaoh's Fury. Its a boat that swings up in the air very high, back and and fourth. We went to the very top, and when it goes to its highest point, you are literally weightless. My friends said I was screaming my head off the whole time. We also got our faces painted, and in one of the sample pictures there was a little girl with a purple butterfly. I remembered when I was younger I went to the fair and got that exact ssame one. I look again, and notice that the girl in the picture is actually me! Super cool! It was from about 8 years ago.
I can't believe that I'm actually in seventh grade. It seems a lot different now that I'm not a sixth grader. My teachers are not that different though. My engineering teacher I have known since I was 7. So that's not much different. My social studies teacher and my math teacher I had last year, so that is basically the same. The only different teacher this year is my English teacher. But she's pretty awesome.
I might be getting to hunt in Iowa next year for deer. I am super excited, for I hear that there are some pretty big whitetails up there. We should be coming back around October.
This weekend, me and a few of my friends went to the Coconino County Fair. It's definitely not as cool as the Iowa State Fair, though they did have deep fried candy bars on a stick. We went on this ride called the Pharaoh's Fury. Its a boat that swings up in the air very high, back and and fourth. We went to the very top, and when it goes to its highest point, you are literally weightless. My friends said I was screaming my head off the whole time. We also got our faces painted, and in one of the sample pictures there was a little girl with a purple butterfly. I remembered when I was younger I went to the fair and got that exact ssame one. I look again, and notice that the girl in the picture is actually me! Super cool! It was from about 8 years ago.
