Family

My Daddy & Momma
They’ve always been – and will always be – my rock and my foundation. I base all my decisions in life on what they would do, and what would make them proud. My mom passed away when I was 16, but way before she went to heaven, she taught me to be a fighter, and that nothing comes easy. She taught me to be genuine, humble and selfless. She always went out of her way to do for others and to show them love. And she put her family first no matter what; she sacrificed things for herself to make sure we had the best. Her passing changed my life forever.
My dad has always been a hard working, blue-collar guy who provided food for the table through his carpentry work. He’s my #1 hunting partner. He had me in the woods with him when I was five years old, and he never did anything without me right by his side. We’ve always been more like brothers. I look up to my dad more than anyone else I’ve ever known. Lucky for him he was able to find someone very special to continue to share his life with after my mother’s death. She’s loving, caring and good to all of the grand youngins’. But to make it even better she likes to hunt and fish more than daddy, not to mention her tomato gravy and biscuits are DA BOMB!

Grandmamma Arnold
Wow, she was a lady like none other. She gave me the nickname “Blueboy” ‘cause I was her only blue-eyed youngin’. She was my guardian angel. She took care of our entire family. And her country cookin’ made Emeril look like a rookie fry cook!

Granddaddy Arnold
He was a strong-willed man who loved his family and loved spending time with them. He expected all of his kids to come over nearly every Saturday night for steak dinner and Sunday morning for breakfast. He was a hard working boilermaker who was never, ever idle. He was always looking for something that needed done.

The Waddell’s
Keeping with family tradition I’m raising 3 hunters and 1 huntress, Mason (7), Meyer (3), Macoy (1) and Addie (1). Having 4 kids definitely makes you appreciate your time in the woods, oh and your time at home. I’m not going to lie to you ~ It’s tough! However, we make it work and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I feel God has blessed us with healthy children, a loving (yet normal) marriage and an extremely supportive family. My wife and kids are my saving grace. I couldn’t do any of this without them there for me at the end of the day.

Papaw Owen
He was my dad’s dad, and he was the very definition of Southern country folk. His closet held nothing but overalls, his garden was the envy of all who saw it, he was proud of his moonshine still, and he cooked everything he killed. Papaw taught me to run trotlines in the swamps of southern Georgia, and he showed me how to cook turtle and just about any other country critter you can think of. He was always jolly, and I’ll never forget his stutter. He lived right next door to us in Booger Bottom.

Uncle Tommy
I always called him brother. He’s the one that got me interested in sports when I was younger. He always played with me like he was my age. I’ll never forget my first little league football game; Uncle Tommy got me so fired up before the game, I got a migraine and could barely play. He always cheered me on. Our family get-togethers were always more fun when Uncle Tommy was there.

Uncle Morgan
He and my dad always took me hunting. I swear he never bought a turkey call, a new set of camo or even a box of shells without also buying one for my dad and me. He made huntin’ fun. He’d take photos of all our kills, and he kept a journal of what we saw and what the weather conditions were like. And I can certify that his old Chevy pickup hauled out over 250 deer. Uncle Morgan now lives right next door to my dad.