Saturday, January 16, 2016

Hunters and Homemakers

 Lidia

 Sawyer

It all started when Cliff's daddy was a little boy. Hunting was a way of life in those days. Mr. Clifford's father carried him hunting for ducks and squirrels. This tradition was passed down to Cliff as the only boy in his family.  Mr. Clifford had always told Cliff that he wanted him to have his guns and when he passed away, Cliff inherited them.  It was something they shared as father and son.

Years later, Cliff is now passing down the knowledge and traditions he learned as a boy, from his father, to our grandchildren.

Cliff and I believe in teaching Lidia and Sawyer useful skills that they can carry into their adulthood. I've taught Lidia how to sew, knit and cross stitch. She's been learning how to cook, also. She will make a great homemaker, one day, if she so chooses. Cliff has been teaching them how to start a fire and cook outdoors, in their camp in the woods. He has been teaching them to fish. And just last weekend, he taught Sawyer and Lidia how to handle and shoot a 410 Shotgun, for the first time. He even saved the shotgun shell and wrote a little note on it saying that it was their first time shooting the 410. He has a treasure box for each of them with things he's saving and the shotgun shell will be saved there. The 410 shotgun, pictured above, was Cliff's first gun. He received it when he was a little boy...just 8 or 9 years old and has made many, many memories hunting with his daddy and using this gun. Hunting for Sawyer is only a season away. I'm not sure that Lidia will find it appealing, but shooting at targets is fun for her.

Teaching Lidia and Sawyer the right way to handle guns in order to hunt for food is a time honored tradition in this family. Passing down memories, those time honored traditions and family treasures....the guns in this case, is a part of our family heritage. The memories live on!

Laurie







12 comments:

  1. Laurie, Your husband is being very responsible with the children. I feel that if young people are to be around guns, they need to know the rules and be safe. Blessings to all, xoxo,Susie

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    1. Hi Susie! I totally agree. They need to not only know how to safely use the gun, but need to respect it for what it can do.

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  2. Very nice....I love the variety of skills! Always useful in real life, too. They look so cute in those photos!

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    1. Thanks, Betsy! I don't think you can ever have too many skills. Variety is the spice of life, right? :)

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  3. I like the idea of the treasure boxes. Do the grandkids know about them or will they be a surprise gift to them at some point in the future?

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    1. No, they don't know about them yet. Not sure when, but it will be a surprise at some point. Maybe at their graduation. Just haven't thought that far ahead.

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  4. What wonderful grandparents you and Cliff are! The kids are being exposed to many skills along with learning respect and self-responsibility . . . all life skills that will serve them well when they grow into adults. And what loving memories they will have of their grandparents!

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    1. Ah, thank you so much, Mama Pea! That's our goal.

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  5. These are wonderful traditions to pass on. My boys all learned to shoot at a young age, and I was happy that my dad wanted to pass down his treasured family guns to my boys. I have started working with my little granddaughter on cooking, and I hope she will want to learn to sew with me when she is old enough.

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    1. Hey Cindy! Good to hear from you. Love those traditions! I bet your granddaughter will jump at the chance to learn to sew and follow in your footsteps with cross stitching, too. Have a great evening.

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  6. I come from a long line, and am still surrounded by hunters. Always love when this can be passed on to a younger generation - my dad sent my brother and me through Hunter's Safety training when we were 10, because of guns in the house. I carry my card to this day. We did the same thing with our kids - they both had Pellet Guns to start with, and my son moved on to the real deal. Teach em' well - I love seeing this, in this day and age! XOXO

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    1. Thanks, Tanya! I'm so glad we are able to pass it on to Lidia and Sawyer.

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