{10 days into 2013...}

 

I have been very neglecting. And for that, dear readers, I am sorry. But, I have been...busy. Busy loving my Kindle Fire.

And my TOMS. 

And my sweet baby girl. <3

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But, mostly...We've been busy with hawks. Yes, I said hawks. 

This past Saturday I set out with 4 of my brothers, my crazy Daddy, one of Daddy's co-workers and his sweet daughter and Mr. Dale. Our "Hawk Expert". We went hawk hunting. No big deal.

For the past 2 years, Daddy, Spencer and Isaac have been studying falconry, the last month, Daddy and Spencer passed a test that allows them to capture a hawk, train it, and hunt with it!! So, after a delicious, buttery/sour-creamy breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we set out, with our binoculars and Walkies, and looked for hawks. It took forever. We just drove around and looked for hawks. But, after about an hour and a half, we found one we could catch!!

Mr. Dale and Spencer threw out a little trap with 2 poor gerbils, and we watched and waited for our 'prey' to be overcome with hunger and attack our trap. It did. It got caught. Spencer named it Bane. And now, it's sitting down in our garage. 

A while later, we caught another one. Daddy's. Which, after much serious thought, he name "Flight Risk", and calls him "Risk" for short. :)

They were so excited! Like 2 little kids on Christmas morning. It was hilarious. 

Now, if you're thinking,  "Well why did they take them out of their natural habitat? That's just cruel." It's okay. I though that too. But then Daddy told me that the percentage of Red Tail Hawks {Which is the kind they caught} surviving all the way to adulthood is very low. When falconers capture and train these hawks, they are basically saving them. They teach them the basics of hunting and surviving, then after 2 years, they let the birds go and start the cycle over again...catch another bird...train it...hunt it...let it go... Something like that. I don't understand a lot of anything about it, but I do know that it's been pretty cool to tell people that my Dad and brother have hawks. ;)

After we got the hawks prepared for the ride home, Mr. Dale, who has a LOT of birds himself, brought out a small falcon for us to hold. Ben was so excited. :)

 

How amazingly beautiful is that??? I told Daddy that I wouldn't mind having a smaller bird like this one. :)

So yeah. That's what's been keeping us occupied. :) Be jealous y'all. It's the coolest thing ever. :):)

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Sunday, Nan and I met some friends downtown at Winter Jam 2013. 

We had to wait for a while till the doors opened, in a HUGE crowd with a TON of people, so we did what girls do and took pictures of ourselves. ;)

Kristen and Ellie.

Jessie and Kristen.

When we FINALLY got in and seated, we had a while before the show actually started, so Ellie and I decided to take a self portrait. We failed at that. :)

Royal Taylor, Red, Matthew West, Sidewalk Prophets, Jamie Grace, Newsong, and Toby Mac were there. And they were awesome. :)

We danced and screamed and sang along. We were crazy. But I really loved all of the songs and the messages that were given. Our God is great. One of my favorite songs from the night was by Matthew West...

I am a child of the one TRUE King. How amazing is the hope we have in Christ? How amazing His love for us is.

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Well, there's a little look into what the Morse family has been up. I hope your year has been blessed thus far! 

"Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord." Psalm 31:24