A Shoot 'Em Up Good Time

We had a family outing today. We found a range locally that holds IDPA matches 2 Saturdays out of the month, so today we participated in one. Today we participated in our first as a couple (Carl had done it one time before). IDPA is the International Defensive Pistol Association, and the matches at this particular range consist of 6 different "stages". Each stage is a run of a certain real-life scenario type situations, with different positions to shoot from at each. It's easier to understand once you see the pictures. We each shot at each stage, and there are other people in your group, so we got to watch the others go first, since we were the new kids on the block today. In the end, your score is time, and each miss or shot outside of a certain zone counts against you in seconds, adding on to your time. Whoever has the best time wins, but there is no real prize, outside of self-satisfaction, unless you are REALLY good. Everyone there is nice and everyone just wants to be better, so they are helpful and understanding. Also, there were two other women who shoot as well, so I was not alone, which was nice. : ) Anyhow, it was a good time, and the point of the whole thing is to have real people practice in somewhat real-life scenarios to prepare for it if someday you really are in it. And, it's just plain fun and great shooting practice! :) Below are a few pictures we took, but since we forgot our camera, they are from our phone, so not super quality, but pretty good for a phone.

Here Carl is showing his gun and magazines under his vest. We both wore vests, because part of being in a real-life situation is having your gun concealed on your person, and having it concealed in the match is part of the rules, to simulate this.

This was the 2nd or 3rd stage. This is from 25 yards, standing.

25 yards, kneeling.

This is one of the last stages, and it is a run where you start behind a closed door, open the door, pull out your gun and start. You then move through the door, hit a target on the run, and move to another place of cover to hit more targets. Many of the runs dealt with you on the move, and/or moving targets, while you were on the move (those were a new challenge!).

This is the last part of the above run.

Here I am taking cover behind a doorway, and attempting to shoot some "bad guys".

It looks like I'm walking here, but really I am moving fairly quickly (part of reality is not wanting to be without cover for long).

We had a good time, and are excited about again participating, becoming better shooters as we go. It's a fun challenge, and great target practice. This all reminds me, praise God for the Supreme Courts Ruling in favor of gun owners! Okay, my gun kick is done now. : )

Back Where I Come From

Being a military family, "home" is a very transient word for us. Typically when I think of home, I think of wherever my husband is, wherever the Lord and the military have landed us. Because of the fact that we know we are never anywhere for a long period of time, and we prepare months in advance for a move, it doesn't take us long to settle in wherever we go. It takes only a matter of days for me to change my mental picture of "home" when we move. Of course new friends are never replaceable and never forgotten.

Having said all this, there is always one place that is permanently and was first "home" to me, the place where I grew up, and where my family remains, on the farm in central Illinois. It is where I have my fondest memories of childhood, where my grandparents still remain, where my family is and still farms. I just returned from spending a couple of weeks up there while Carl was in school, and I again found comfort in the land I am so familiar with and love so much (along with those who reside there). : )

To those of you who are not from Illinois or other lands like it in central USA, these pictures may be somewhat of a shock...especially to my dear, dear friends who live and grew up in Washington. Yes, Illinois is one of those places that allows you to understand why we once thought the world was flat. : ) I love it. I did not put any pictures of the houses, as I feel better not doing that for safety reasons. I apologize for the poor quality of some of the images and size.

The buildings I circled here are a grain elevator and it's distance from my parents house, as we are looking at it here is approximately 3 miles. As you can imagine, it is much clearer looking at it through your own eyes. Just to give you an idea of how flat the land is, and how far you can see with the naked eye.

As it is planting season, the farmers are out in full force. Here's one of the tractors my grandpa and dad use.

We did have to retreat to the basement once when I was home, as summer storms are not uncommon there, and this year seems to be especially stormy. Here was the sky one night as the rain was moving in. Isn't God beautiful? I love to see how He displays His glory through nature, especially the sky, and there is no sky like in Illinois, my home. : )

So how did the mustache end up?

It's gone!!! Carl and I both agreed that he looked kind of scary and decided that the stache must go! ; ) He's currently in Florida, so I don't have a picture, but thought you all may like to know the end result. : )