Midwest family & hunting!

12-24 November we headed south for our annual fall trip to the Midwest. This year we traveled through 4 states, got in two hunts, and saw a whirlwind of friends and family!

Missouri Deer Hunt

A few days after arriving in Cedar Rapids, we headed south to Gentry County, Missouri for our annual white-tail deer hunt.

Coal sat in the tree-stand with me (mostly sleeping) in my backpack.

Paul got a beautiful 11-pt. buck, and me, a nice doe for Christmas dinner.

Paul's buck ....what a beauty!All the boys got nice deer this year, some in the youth season (the weekend before the adult opener), some with us (hunting with their dads).
All in all, a super fun trip on a wonderful piece of land - Thanks for hosting Brock!Coal thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with all the new people in his camouflage clan.

Western Iowa Duck & Pheasant Hunting
Visiting with the Wallaces (Paul's uncle Jim & aunt Norma, and cousin Craig's family)

Duck hunting in Lakeview, IAGiant Canadas!3 generations of duck hunters

Coal got a kick out of the birds.......but wasn't so sure about being sized-up next to one.Midwest fall harvest...such a great time to be in the heartland.

With an impending rain, all the combines were harvesting like crazy. I had never seen a giant 'mound of corn' like this before. Usually by the time we arrive, most of the corn is out of the fields.Pheasant hunting wasn't quite as good as in previous years (maybe because much of the corn hadn't been harvested yet...i.e., lots of places still left for the birds to hide), but we managed to flush a few roosters, work Craig & Jackie's dog 'Rigley', and take one home.

Coal seemed to be having a good time, no matter what we were doing.Great visit with Aunt Norma, Cousin Craig & wife Jackie, Paul & Coal, and Uncle Jim.
Thanks you guys!

Milwaukee (Mequon), Wisconsin
Visit with Aunt Susie & Uncle Tim
After bird hunting, we headed back to Cedar Rapids, IA, had a day with Grandpa Roger and an evening out with Paul's highschool buddies, then headed east in Roger's Prius to visit my aunt Susie. Along the way, we stopped in Madison, WI and had lunch with our friend Chris Franson.

While at aunt Susie's we went to the Milwaukee County Zoo and checked out all the African animals......Coal and aunt Susie really got into it.

...and we got to see our halloween brothern!We had a great time...thanks aunt Susie!
Decatur, Illinois
Early Thanksgiving with the Flints

After aunt Susie's, we headed south, visiting my friend Kristin and husband Damon in Chicago, then on to Paul's older brother's in Decatur. Grandpa Roger drove down from Cedar Rapids, and younger brother, Al and his daughters drove 14+ hours from Maryland!

The 'girl' cousins (Karli, Emily, & Addi).The Flint men
Lee, Paul, Coal, Al, & Roger (minus Matthew...at school)

Thanks Lee & Sue for hosting (& cooking!)
...and everyone else for traveling to be together!

Finally...on our flight home, we planned a 4 hour layover in Minneapolis, during which we were able to go out to breakfast with friends Bill & Lynn Szepanski. Great to catch up! Thanks you guys! We shared the flight home with Paul's boss Dirk and wife Margaret, and made it home in good time. Great to see everyone, awesome trip, but phewww...good to be home!