Nice job Jon!! It's a great feeling but it looks like you learned a few things as well. I know exactly what you mean when you say it wasn't how you envisioned your first kill.
Death is a dirty business as you know and they don't all drop as dead as a stone. I am sure you learned that patience is a hard thing to come by. I personally think you took a fine deer and you should be VERY proud of yourself.

I always like to hear how your first field dressing went. Did you retch and get dry heaves. Were you enveloped in the steam of a hot gut pile?? How did you do on the butt?

If you have not taken her to the butcher yet you should clean her up a bit and have someone take a pic with you in it. Good pictures will make your trophy last forever. Maybe send the hide out to get tanned. Will cost about $30.00 but worth every penny. I send mine to WB Place but off hand I forget where they are.

I can remember 20 plus years ago having a real nice8 pt. coming in with his nose to the ground. I flung an arrowat that beast without a thought at all and missed by yards. Fun ain't it??