Remember what the season is about....

I've doing some thinking and no it didn't hurt! I try to get through tough days with humor and sarcasm and think I may have gotten a bit of a reputation for being a smarta$$; I'll take that! If I can bring a smile or make you laugh, I've done my job.

One thing I have found is that there are some people that cannot handle sarcasm and are far from understanding humor. Is life that crappy for you that you can't crack a smile occasionally? It seems like you notice these people more during the holidays, especially Christmas, the one holiday that is supposed to be fun and a celebration of the birth of Jesus! I get a bit of a chuckle reading the stories of people that were Black Friday shopping, cutting in line, stealing doorbuster items from other peoples shopping carts and running, and in some cases just all out fighting! Honestly, I wish I would have been there, that's entertainment at its finest!

I believe Santa in pretty much done shopping for our house, my bank account agrees! If we stop now, we can buy a smaller tree! I really like that we have gone back to getting a real tree. What a great time going to the tree farm and picking out that perfect tree. I have found that each one of us has a different opinion of what is the perfect tree. Maybe it has to do with the height of the individual looking at the tree...hehe, they all look bigger to Ethan! For me, the perfect tree is the one that we all agree on, but most importantly, a tree that will hold all the ornaments! This year I will turn over the saw to Brandon and let him do the ceremonial cutting, a task that the boys always want to do, but I was a little selfish. Maybe getting the tree will put me in the Christmas spirit!

One question I do have: What is the perfect age to break the news of Santa myth to your kids? Ok, I know you're wondering, no, Brandon knows the truth! I do remember when we told him though, it kinda broke my heart, but made me laugh at the same time. Brandon found an unlocked door to the room we were storing the gifts in, so we decided it was time to tell him. I can't remember what age he was, but when we told him, he just broke down crying! Holy crap Batman, did we just destroy our kid? He recovered nicely and has done a great job of keeping the secret for his little brother...but...I think Ethan may be on the bubble. Why do I think this? Well, most of his friends are a year older than him or more and I can't believe someone hasn't told him yet. He did make reference to Santa having EVERYTHING that he wants, but I can't help but think there is that doubt.

So what's the perfect age? Do we let him figure it out on his own? Will his buddies tell him? Help me out people, I don't want to have the same reaction as we did the first go around! It does leave a great story though....:)

Remember what the season is about and share some humor with the Grinches that are out there!

@markbolin

I have a lot to be thankful for....

Thanksgiving always brings the "I'm Thankful For.." words out of people. That's great, but you know what, I have a lot to be thankful for every day.

I have a great family that I'm thankful for. You may think your spouse is the best, but I would argue with that because I'm confident that my wife is the best. Live with me for one week and you will understand why I say that! I am also thankful for my two boys God has blessed us with,  because they keep me on my toes. I am also thankful that they look a lot like me because then I didn't have to spend any money on a paternity test!

I could go on forever with all the things I'm thankful for, but I will avoid sounding cliche'. What I will say is that I am thankful for the life I have with my family; everyday.

Have a great Thanksgiving and don't stop being thankful everyday, because today could be your last.

@markbolin

Boy Do I Remember The Excitement....

I was first exposed to a Wisconsin tradition when I was 9 years old and boy do I remember the excitement I felt as we prepared to hunt for the almighty Whitetail Deer! Many of my best memories began back then, as I observed, tried to be "one of the guys" and earn my place in the hunting party. You see, this hunt only comes once a year and lasts 9 days. That's not a lot of time to earn that respect from the seasoned hunters, so as a "hunter in training", you have to work extra hard.

Many people have had an impact on my growth as a hunter. My cousin Mike being the biggest contributer in my hunting education; he taught me pretty much everything I know today. Mike taught me how to walk the land, find my way and scout for the right spot to harvest my deer. He not only taught me how to hunt, he also instilled in me the need to take care of this great natural resource so that I can share it with my boys and generations to come. Mike sports a great bumper sticker that reads "Take a Kid Hunting...So You Don't Have To Hunt For Them". This says it all about Mikes love for the hunt and sharing it with our children.

I have also had the opportunity to watch Mikes daughter grow from the little girl that called me her "boyfriend" and waited for her yearly stuffed animal from me, evolve into quite the hunter herself. In recent years, I got to share in her success with a hat trick of Bucks; and beauty's they were. I was proud of her because she earned that success, it was Mother Nature paying her back. She is a mother now and I bet that little girl will experience the family tradition as she grows up. I know I'm looking forward to seeing that as well.

I started taking my oldest son with me to the woods when he was 9 and he has had to earn his spot in our hunting party. Although he still has some badges to earn, I enjoy seeing the excitement he has as the days near to the big opening day. Last year I had the opportunity to be with him when he harvested his first deer. I'm pretty sure I was just as excited as he was. I will never forget the look on his face when that deer took off running after the shot. I guess I would have run too if I saw a 12 year old kid running full steam at me as I lay on the ground...LOL!

There are so many memories that I would like to share, but this blog wouldn't be able to handle it! One thing I'm certain, we will and already have continued to make more of those great memories of the big hunt. Both my boys will get the opportunity to experience the excitement and it's my hope that they will pass it on to their children.

If you are heading out for the hunt this year, good luck, be safe and make sure you share the excitement with a kid. It will be a memory they will never forget; I didn't.

@markbolin

It's been a while...

It's been a while since I blogged. Not a whole lot going on the last week, just hanging out, getting my knee back into shape. Gives a person too much time to think, especially once you are sick with watching TV. I'm not a very patient person, especially when it comes to waiting for an injury to heal. One look on the internet and I'm right on track, unfortuneately it's a 2-3 month track. Those that know me, know that I'm by no means a skinny guy, quite opposite as a matter of fact, but my butt is really getting sore! I was thinking about picking up one of the horseshoe pillows...LOL!

It's been a while since I've been able to take the boys to the woods for a little hunting and bonding. I never thought this recovery was going to be this long or I would have waited until after the hunting season. You know, that time when hunting ends and ice fishing begins. What? You don't ice fish? There is not much more exciting than driving your truck onto the ice, to your ice shanty and spending the day out on the water..err..ice. My mom always refer to my ice shanty as my ice condo. So what if it has heat, an oven, stove top! By the way, it has 3 lights and outlet to plug the TV into...LOL! If I forget my fishing gear, who cares!

It's been a while since....forget it. This weekend Brandon will have the opportunity to hopefully harvest a trophy during the Wisconsin Deer Hunt. If he does get lucky, he will learn that turning 13 comes with many privilages, like gutting his own deer and dragging that sucker out of the woods. I can't do it, so now is is time! Maybe he will harvest two! Maybe he won't want to after the work of the first one!

That's all folks....TTYL!

@markbolin

Laughter is the best medicine...but eating is a close second!

Wow! That about sums up the whirlwind weekend that I just experienced. I never imagined this would ever happen, at least not to the extent that it did. Just locating my family through Facebook seemed to be overwhelming, but to actually meet them in person (some of them), was completely off the hook.

Just when I thought meeting one Aunt for the first time in person was exciting, another showed up. Seriously? Wow! The weekend just kept getting better and words cannot describe it. I will sit back and absorb it all and wait for the pictures to get posted on Facebook; we took a LOT! We all found that we shared many similaritys, with the biggest being in the sense of humor department. They say laughter is the best medicine and I must agree with that, but eating is a close second!

This weekend wasn't just about meeting family for the first time, it was about learning, sharing, laughing, crying and eating. I think we did a little bit of each, some things more than others, like eating. Although the time spent together was short, we maximized that time to the fullest. What a great way to learn about someone but to let them take you down memory lane. Memory lane doesn't always bring back all good memories, but it allows closure on the bad to some extent and I believe that also happened this weekend. It is natural in life to not want to close the book on some things, but I believe it is the healthiest thing to do; we must get on with our life and enjoy the years we have left together.

I met 4 cousins this weekend as well and WOW, what great people. It was amazing to see just how similar we were even though we had never met. My cousin Tim and I actually have similar looks, but I'm pretty sure that I'm better looking than him! LOL! Sorry Tim. I can honestly say that we all connected just as if time never got by us to begin with; it was like we'd known each other forever and I'm very excited for the future.

I know it was a bit overwhelming  for everyone, but hands down, it was the best weekend I had in a long time, even if I was gimping around! I can only hope that we can do it again, but with the rest of those that couldn't make the trip this time around.

Life is good.....