{groundhog down}

Oh yes.  That's my first kill.  Ever.

I know, you're impressed.

Our friend, Mr. Groundhog, had been residing under our barn for quite a while, digging holes and such.  Josh kept encouraging me to shoot him when I would see him strolling through our front yard, but seriously, I had zero confidence in my ability to make that weapon work correctly.  

We shoot handguns on our shooting range fairly often.  The one in my hand?  Not so much...or ever for that matter.  

We set up a live trap for our groundhog friend.  We put out lettuce, spinach, fruit, covered it all in vanilla, and even purchased {yes, purchased!} a cantaloupe for him. He didn't take the bait.  He ate all of the food leading right up to the live trap, but he would not enter.  Instead, we caught a couple of possums.  Let's all take a minute and take note that groundhogs are obviously smarter than possums.  

Thankfully, Josh conducted a little groundhog shooting 101 class with me a couple of weeks ago.  He even removed one of the window screens so we could shoot it from the family room.  We're classy in this house, I tell you.  

This is how it all went down {exact times may not be accurate}:

2:17 p.m.  I'm reading about the vikings for our history lesson.

2:22 p.m.  One of the girls spots our chubby little groundhog friend out in the driveway.

2:23 p.m.  I send the girls to our bedroom to watch from the window, and I grab the gun out of the safe.

2:25 p.m.  I open the unscreened family room window and locate chubbs in the scope.  

2:26 p.m.  I click the safety off and attempt to pull the trigger.  Problem: the gun is not ready.  Safety back on.  I must recall groundhog shooting 101 information.  

2:27 p.m.  Gun is ready.  Back on track.  Groundhog has moved closer to the woods.  

2:28 p.m.  I think the groundhog has ran back into the woods, so I close the window.  

2:29 p.m.  Ooooo!  There he is again...he didn't go into the woods!

2:30 p.m.  Watch him through my scope and click the safety back off.  

2:31 p.m.  Fire!!!  Success.  Groundhog down.

2:32 p.m.  Totally feel like a big deal.

2:33 p.m.  Gun away, children out of bedroom, resume with the vikings.

And that's pretty much it, my friends.