Len, Jake, and Andy have always been my big brothers. We shared many good times together hunting over Thanksgiving week. Growing up as a hunter at the Vande Hey cabin meant that if you got a deer, it was a requirement that you dress it out and drag it out.

Well, I will never forget Thanksgiving 2010, when I shot my 14 pointer and didn’t find it that night – I was devastated. After sitting the next morning, I realized we had gone the wrong direction when looking the night before and so I knew right where we needed to go. Jake found blood first, then Len found the next and then my Dad yelled “I got a body.” I never ran so fast in my life!

Needless to say, after we found that thing – I thought I could do anything! I dressed out the deer and then figured I had all the strength in the world to drag it out. I took one pull on the horns and couldn’t budge it. Len sat back and watched all of this happen (and me struggle) with a smile and finally said - “We got this one, Ang.” They drug out my deer and we definitely celebrated that day!

Len was always there for me through the years, always steady, never judgmental.

Miss you brother.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of us from that day – right after the guys pulled him out of the woods.