The Hargrave Clan: Thanksgiving and Christmas Prep

Well it has been a fantastic start to a great Holiday Season. We started it off a little sad with attending Grandma Repponds funeral in Iowa. It was a lot of fun though because we were able to see where my Dad #2 grew up. In this small town of Maxwell, Iowa they had built a Veteran Memorial and they place bricks of every Veteran from that town. Here are my Dads and his 2 brothers. A really neat tribute

I really do enjoy where I work. This is my latest well location. I love driving out into these open lands and very few people actually go. This site just happens to be just 20 mins from our house!

Well Bennett has been really bugging me to take him turkey hunting with me and I finally caved in and took him with. He really wanted to get a wild turkey for Thanksgiving

This is the flock we were chasing. They were actually part of a larger group that would split up during the day

The first day out it was a little rough for Bennett but that afternoon we did a little shopping and got him his first pair of winter coveralls. I absolutely love it!!

Mom of course has to have her pictures, which secretly I am very glad to have. I really do love having my boys enjoy the things I do.

Patton kept saying, "look Dad, I big. I go hunt turkeys too". Couple more years and he will ready to go

I was so impressed with Bennett. NOT to many 6yr old can hold still in 12 degree weather for a few hours waiting for that perfect shot! Extremely proud Dad moment. He did love looking through the binoculars and whispering me updates on which bird would taste the best :-)

The day before Thanksgiving we finally put one down. Bennett was like a little hound dog as soon as we shot he was off like a flash to drag his turkey out of the brush

We were also able to help my buddy Chad get his first turkey with a bow. It was a great 40yrd shot!

We used an old recipe from my neighbor and smoked that turkey until it was so dang juicy and tender I don't even have words to describe

Bennett was going to give his turkey leg 2x thumbs up but one had was busy holding that delicious turkey

So as some folks know, pheasant hunting is really big here in North Dakota. We had the opportunity to take my big brother Jake and all the kids out for a morning pheasant hunt..........

........well they were great bird dogs, but we did harvest one bird! The kids that it was awesome and cant wait to come back next year to do it again!

Along with Thanksgiving is Haley's birthday!!!!!

Cheesecake + Cupcakes + Good Friends = ONE HECK OF A GREAT PARTY!!!!!

Any chance we get we try to get out and hunt birds. It is an absolute blast and a lot of fun.

We don't let cold weather stop us. We sit in front of our big window with the sun coming through and have ourselves and old fashion picnic.

It sure is a lot of fun watching our little ones play together. They are always coming up with new games and ways to entertain each other.

This little girl is packed with personality. She does this cheeser grin with her little snaggle tooth and squinty eyes. The funny part is she does it on purpose :-)

Bennett is always trying to start new business.......he just hasn't figured that sometimes you have ask for money for services rendered. But hey, at least he is learning selfless service!

I've said it before but we have truly been blessed with great neighbors. John got a new tractor and of course our boys are always wanting to go for a ride. If I remember correcting right before this Bennett had dragged his wiggle bike over and asked Mr. John if he could give it a tune. John of course gave it the works :-)

Well we adopted another little kitty and the boys have named this one "Lars" he is not really a cat, not sure what he is, but he has a great disposition and we sure have come to love him.

......like I said, PACKED with personality!

When Bennett goes to school these two have a great time together

We eat a lot of pancakes in our house, I mean ALOT OF PANCAKES

She has figured out about half the roll, just needs to learn how to finish it out :-)

So I got an early Christmas present, I got my big TV back :-), The answer is yes I am VERY HAPPY!

Thanksgiving Dinner. We had family and friends and lots of good food

Good times with good folks

Just hanging out with cousins

Aunt Haley promised the girls a toenail painting party.......Bennett and Patton would not be left out.

Bath time fun. Haley called this one "squishy face"

We just thought this was really cool. We told Bennett to go pick up his blocks but in the process of doing so he stacked them according to color and likeness. He is always thinking of something

Kennedy is so cute with Lars, they love playing together

Patton has become quite the little photographer. I believe they were playing dress up and Haley was the doctor, fun times

Oh this little girl never stops moving. She has to move pretty fast to keep up with her brothers

We did "lose" Lars for a few days. We left for one of my drill weekends and Haley did lock Lars in the garage and Lars was not smart enough to think we would ever come back, so he hitched a ride with a guy that leaves 50 miles away. Thank goodness he had a collar and this kind man called us and we got our Lars back........Lars ALWAYS get locked up when we leave now. He is very much a people person

Haley's Mom & Dad helped donate to the cause and Haley picked out this "hello" sticker for our door.......not quite sure how I feel about that :-/ I mean a "hello" sticker?? But if she likes it then I love it :-)

Patton and I like to sit downstairs and sing along to music on YouTube. I guess Haley had been watching us for a while. Its the little things

In preparation for Christmas Bennets school put on a big Christmas production. The best part was during the last song Bennett decided he needed to stick his hands in his pants for the ENTIRE song! Don't worry we have video, it will last forever :-)

Well, we finally got some snow that looks like it will stick around for Christmas

To kick off Christmas time the city lights a tree in the middle of town. It was really cold that night but no way were we going to miss free hot chocolate and cookies