Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Wheeeee!

Monkey really wanted to sled over the weekend.  Unfortunately, we told her that there isn't any snow so we couldn't.  Little good that did, she was not going to accept no for an answer.  So what did we do?  A little redneck sledding!


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Monday, June 27, 2011

Welcome to the Smith's

We went over to a friends' lake house on Saturday, JC wasn't able to make it so my neighbor Ashley and I made the trip with Monkey and her little buddy D-Man.  

The last time we were at the lake house it was about a year ago and the directions that were given to us were wrong.  So this time we were trying to be pretty diligent about taking the right roads.  It's an hour drive there and while the kids did really good on the trip, they were starting to get a little restless and were ready to get out and play.

We find the right road, but got a little confused as to which house it was.  We finally pull up to the house, get the kids out of the car, unload all of the groceries, diaper bags and what not.  D-Man was super ecstatic about the new sandpit they put in the front yard and Ashley and I were impressed with the new two-car garage.  

With our hands full of bags and kids we walk into the front door and into the hallway.... and then Ashley looks at me and I look at her and say, "I don't think this is the right house!" 

We of course laugh hysterically at how ridiculous we are and turn to go back to the car.  That was when we notice a BIG sign out front that says "Smith's, Est. 2005"... did I mention our friends' last name isn't Smith??  Whoopsie!

After finally getting to the correct house we had a lot of fun hanging out and the kids had a great time playing in the water, even with the rain that we got.  We are definately looking forward to the next trip over, and this time I think we'll get it right!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to the two most important men in my life....

To the one who taught me how to dance,


who holds his daughter's shoes while they frolick in the water,


And lets his grandaughter take the wheel.


And to the one who gave me the most amazing little girl in the world,


Teaches our daughter to always get back up on that horse,


And is willing to lend a helping hand.


I hope your Father's Days were as awesome as you both are!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thursday Thirteen

1. I think there are two types of people in life.  The ones who get excited when they hear that one of their favorite books is being made into a movie and the ones that cringe.  I belong in the cringer category for the most part.  There's at least one other person ou there that gets it, he's a cringer too.  And he hits the nail right on the head as to why in this article.  Which are you?

2. Huh.  Did you know if you live in Montana, neither you nor your groom actually has to be present at your own wedding?  Well darn it, if I had only known!

3. I am taking off work early tomorrow and treating myself to a massage.  Actually, I've had a gift certificate to use for a local spa since LAST August and I finally forced myself to make an appointment.  I don't know why it's so hard for me.  I actually really enjoy getting a massage, I just hate having to make an appointment, take the time out of my day and go do it.  I'm looking forward to it, it'll be a nice relaxing way to start this crazy busy weekend.

4. Speaking of the weekend, if you don't have plans you should really come out to our farm for a rousing day (or two) of shooting.  Same-day registration is available, so no excuses!

5. I can't believe it is the middle of June already.  We haven't gone canoeing or camping once yet!  This calendar can not be right.

6. Oooh, I believe I have found another 5K that I want to participate in.  Looks super fun! 

7. Our garden is looking pretty good.  Except for the fact that my dear sweet husband tilled up part of my basil!  I had big plans for that and now I'll have to either put it on hold, or actually go to the store and buy some. 

8. The radishes are doing extremely well, we have them coming out of our ears right now!  I think I might try making some radish chips sometime soon.  Sounds interesting, right?

9. I'm an aunt... again!  My sister-in-law had a beautiful little girl on Friday.  Monkey is very excited about having a new cousin.


10. Not only did we celebrate the birth of this sweet little girl on Friday, but we also celebrated 5 years of marital bliss!  Happy anniversary babe, you've made 5 years, seem more like 5 days, time really does fly by when your having fun.

11. I like this quote.  A lot.  "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

12. We are on the hunt for a new babysitter.  Monkey has been with the same one since my maternity leave ended and she loves it there.  Unfortunately, they are moving and changes have to be made.  Not only are we sad, but I absolutely HATE the search for a new one.  I really don't think there is anything more daunting than trying to find someone you trust to care for the most important being in your life.  It's not a decision made lightly!

13. It's Father's Day this weekend!  How will you be celebrating?  I will be spending it with my family and 30 or so others shooting countless rounds of .22s!  And baking.  Baking lots of lots of cookies for said group.  Sugar is essential for getting through long days.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Caption This!


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Monday, June 13, 2011

To My Fellow Gun Owners

As I mentioned previously, my sister and I spent a weekend in Indiana manning the Guns Save Life booth at the Indy 1500 Gun & Knife Show.  While we did have a good time, there was also a little bit of a damper put on our fun and games.  I will let Bonnie (who also happens to be the Secretary of GSL) explain our thoughts.  The following was written by her, an open letter to our fellow GSL members and gun owners:

This past weekend (June 3rd – 5th) I had the pleasure of attending the gun show in Indianapolis, helping man a booth for GSL. We drummed up some good publicity for the organization and a good time was had by all. Well…almost.

This was the second gun show I’ve attended this year, and the second time there’s been a negligent discharge of a firearm. (Notice how the term is "negligent," and not "accidental." Failing to use the proper term can also mean failing to place responsibility where it is due. These firearms certainly aren't shooting off rounds by themselves...it always takes a person to allow it to happen.) The first occurrence was, of course, in Bloomington, which was nothing short of a tragedy. Two people were seriously injured and lives have been altered by that single event. With the few facts that we have, it still makes us wonder, How on earth did that even happen?!

But the negligent discharge at Indy was a different kind of animal. We know exactly how it happened. It was on Friday, the first day of the show. We heard one shot, stopped talking, and turned toward the general direction of the sound. I remarked that it sounded like it came from the main entrance…maybe it was a patron’s gun on the way in. The dealer sitting next to me said, “No, it was a dealer. It’s always a dealer.” And he was right.

In my opinion, event management handled it extremely well. Not long after it happened, they got on the loud speaker and gave the brief facts of what occurred, as well as the fact that the dealer in question is evicted from that gun show for good. You see, the dealer in question had his own loaded sidearm. He apparently was wanting to show someone else how this pistol was broken down, and in trying to dismantle it, he shot himself in the hand. We had all already been told that no loaded firearms were allowed in the building, and because of this incident, we would repeatedly be told that throughout the course of the weekend. The policy was zero tolerance. You get caught with a loaded gun, you are gone. Easy enough.

So the situation wasn’t all that bad. After all, the only person injured was the one who was negligent. If the pistol had been pointing the other way, he could have also hit his child and pregnant wife. There could have been a much more bleak ending to this story. But as it is, I was and am still deeply disturbed, and this is why:

Until this moment, I haven’t discussed the discharge at Indy with anyone outside my own family. How could I possibly go to work on Monday and tell my already gun-shy co-workers, “Yep, there was another person shot at the gun show this weekend. Say, are you ready to let me teach you how to shoot yet?” I’m embarrassed. We gun owners take great pride in pointing out that the people using guns inappropriately are the criminals, not us law-abiding citizens. But perhaps we all need to reevaluate that notion. Perhaps we all need to go over the basic rules of firearm safety for the umpteenth time.

One more example from this weekend: A young dealer near our booth came over to talk to my sister and I on Sunday. He was a good fellow and we’d been talking all weekend. But this time he came over carrying a pistol that he was selling, finger on the trigger. I called him out on it and his response was a shrug and, “I’m around unloaded guns all the time…” I wanted to scream at him, but instead I pointed out that the guy who shot himself on Friday was probably around unloaded guns all the time too. All I got was another shrug.

“It’s always the dealer,” I had been told. Because in that scenario, the dealer is the one who is just too comfortable with his “unloaded” gun. Put it in a different scenario, and it could be any one of us that is just too comfortable with our “unloaded” gun. And it’s up to all of us individually to make sure we don’t fall into that trap. No skipping a step in the safety check. No assuming we’ve already checked it. And for crying out loud, no pulling triggers just for kicks.

We here in Illinois are already fighting for our gun rights. Let’s make sure we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot in the mean time.

Bonnie Garrett
GSL Secretary

Friday, June 10, 2011

Clock is Ticking....

There's still time to sign up for the Appleseed at my parent's place next weekend, 18th and 19th. (Also having one August 20th and 21st.) It is the best rifle marksmanship training you are ever likely to receive! And cheap, and fun too of course. Check out the website; on the schedule it's listed under McLean, IL. Then feel free to ask me questions if you have any.  I may not have the ALL the answers, but I can surely point you in the right direction!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: 2 Year Pictures

I'm a little late posting these, but I finally had a free day and was able to have a friend take Monkey's two year photos.  Here are just a few of what she took, I think they turned out great!





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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Salvation Lies Within

My sister was presented a gift from her father-in-law a few weeks back.  It's a beautiful custom made Bible cover. 


The other side has her name on it so nobody could ever confuse it with their own.  Nice, right?

But wait, it gets better....


It's not really a Bible cover at all, it's actually a secret gun case!  Clever, right?  If someone breaks into your car or house, the last thing they are going to take is your Bible.  Genius! 

Monday, June 6, 2011

Indy 1500

Whew.  What a tiring weekend I had.  I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Indianapolis working the Guns Save Life booth at the Indy 1500 Gun & Knife Show.  While it was exhausting, I did have a good time and met some great folks. 

I also purchased a really cute necklace while there.  Can you tell what it's made from?


Pretty cool, right?  Jeni Benos, of Jenuinely Jeni Inc. hand crafted it.  She is so incredibly talented and what a thinker!  Gotta have some use for all that leftover brass.  Check out her webiste, she has some really neat jewelry available.  My sister got a Pistol Petals necklace, super cute!

The only other thing I really was in the market to buy was a concealed carry purse.  I checked out quite a few and found one that I really liked.  Most concealed carry purses look like old lady handbags, but this one was actually cute! 



Unfortunately, it was just a bit of a tight squeeze for my pistol, so I had to pass on it.  Do you have any recommendations on a concealed carry purse?  I'm in the market for suggestions.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Garden Answers

In case you were up all night wondering what the answers were to yesterday's garden pictures, here they are....

Strawberry Bush

 
Tomato Plant

 
and Turnips!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Garden

Our garden is actually starting to LOOK like a garden!  Can you guess what these plants are?




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