Let's Play Dress Up!

Our whole family is taking Tae Kwon Do together from a great guy here in town. Every year near Halloween he asks the students to dress up in costumes for class. He has a few parameters (nothing disgusting or immodest and you have to be able to actually do TKD while wearing your costume). While our family typically doesn't dress up for Halloween we decided to go ahead and dress up for the class.

I must say it was A LOT of fun! I laughed so hard that it was difficult to actually do the moves. :)

Arielle decided to be "Miss Piggy", reporter pig from the Muppets in Space movie:

Jessica decided to be a Jedi Knight (mostly because she is a low key kind of person. I have no idea where she gets that from!)




Joshua went as "Rex" from Napolean Dynamite (you know, RexKwondo! Josh even had his lines down. He was so stinkin cute!!)

What else would Gracie be besides a princess? She is of course a darling little princess so we never try to get her to be anything else. It wouldn't be right! :)

Here I am with Richard Simmons! I was so excited to get to do a "Sweatin' to the Oldies" infomercial with him!!! (Or was that "Sweatin' Oldies"? lol) Jon was a crack up! He had his lines down too and had the instructor in stitches. I ended up as his groupy but originally I was going as "Hannah middle age Montana, another child star out of touch with reality" but I didn't think my costume worked. When I got there though a couple of the girls asked me if I was supposed to be her. :P All I know is, I was reeeeeeeeeaaaaal shineeeeee! Jessica told me she wouldn't lose me in that get up. I asked her if that was good or bad. She never did answer me!

And of course this wouldn't be complete without the picture of our instructor; front and back. He was really hamming it up. You have never had an abs workout until you've tried to do TKD while laughing hysterically!

My Anniversary...

Yesterday was our 17th anniversary and except for that one year where we mostly wanted to kill each other, they've been wonderful years! :D (Oh come on, everybody has times like that! Don't pretend you don't!)

Last year for our anniversary Jon took me to dinner and the Symphony and it was wonderful. I loved it and felt so fancy.

This year we did something a little different; we went shooting!

Over the past several months I've gotten into shooting handguns and I've found I really like it. We have a membership at a range that's not too far from us and we try to get there a couple of times month. It's nice because it's something we can do together that we both really enjoy.

Well, for our anniversary yesterday we went into Everett to Sam's Gun Shop and Range and my darling husband rented out the .45 caliber handguns for me. I got to shoot any and all of them that I wanted and it was so fun! He's such a gentleman that he would let me shoot them first and when I wanted a new one he'd go get it for me.

These are the guns I got to shoot yesterday:

XD45 Tactical: Really liked this one but it's a bit too big for my hand. I love the way it shoots; recoil is nice and it's very accurate.

Smith & Wesson M&P: This one has the changeable backstraps but I think they had the medium on the one at the range. I've held it with the small backstrap and that fits me much better. Jon liked the cocking serrations but wasn't impressed with it. We both liked the XD better.

Kimber ProCarry 3" barrel .45: Sigh. I have a love affair with Kimbers. This one was a bit sassy being so small but I still liked it well enough that I sent Jon back to the counter to get it for me to shoot again after I was done with the others. The one they had was plain black so of course I'd want a prettier one but as far as shooting, it was a nice little gun. Fit me almost as well as my EMP. DH liked it so well that he said if he didn't already have the ProCarry II with a 4" barrel he'd be wanting that one.

FNH .45 (but I haven't a clue what model it was!) I didn't like this one. The checkering on the grip chewed up my hand so it hurt to shoot it. I also didn't like the trigger. It was a long pull and very spongy. I kept squeezing it wondering if it was ever going to break! The reset was short but then you had the long spongy pull. (It felt like there was a marshmallow behind the trigger.) Jon only put four rounds through it and I only did three.

Kimber Custom Carry 5" barrel .45: It was nice but we both liked Jon's Kimber a little bit better. Maybe it was because it's a range gun and has taken some abuse, maybe it's the difference in the grips that were on it. I don't know but while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it like Jon's Kimber.

Kimber ProCarry II 4" barrel .45: Jon owns this one and was gentleman enough to let me shoot it again. Sigh. I love this gun. It feels wonderful in the hand, nicely balanced, beautiful trigger and the recoil isn't a big deal. He's got a stainless frame and slide so it's pretty too! Lovely, lovely gun. (He's not real sure he likes me referring to his gun as "lovely" though.)

Springfield EMP 9mm: This one is my baby and I'm still loving her. It fits my hand beautifully and shooting it is fantastic. I am looking for a .45 but this one will never be ignored! Very accurate and I haven't had one issue with it. I don't think I've ever had a FTF or FTE on this little gun. She's still my favorite.

Sig P229 9MM and .40: We love them both. I had to shoot them, I still had ammo! As always, I love the Sigs. They both shoot great and feel wonderful in my hand. The frame is a teeny bit large for me but I just really don't care with these! lol The 9 mm was my first gun and you know how it is with your first love! They've just come out with the .22 conversion kit for these and I'm wondering how long we'll be able to hold out. We have the Mosquito .22 that is designed just like it's bigger counter parts but neither of us like to shoot it as well as our bigger ones. Since my 14 yo has pretty much claimed the Mosquito as her own I need the conversion kit, right?

We had a great time playing with all of these guns. Then we went into the store and ogled all the guns in the case. When we were done we went and got a big steak dinner. All in all a perfect anniversay date. (Well, near perfect. I didn't come home with a new gun or anything so there is that. )

When I was shooting last night I was thinking back to when I first shot at Sam's. I was very nervous and scared because it was afterall, a gun. It counted every bullet out of my 9 mm that day and was relieved to be done but since I used to shoot (and like it) I was determined to enjoy it again. Like anything, once you learn some basics and get used to the whole process you can relax a little and enjoy yourself. It was cool to be standing there shooting any .45 I could get my hands on when just a few short months ago I was barely able to make myself shoot the 9 mm!

If you live in my area, lots of ranges have ladies night on Mondays....see you there! :D

My current favorite song...

I don't know how to get the actual song up on here so I can only give you the lyrics. However, if you want to hear it go buy the new Chris Tomlin CD; Hello Love. As usual, Chris has a tremendously worshipful collection of songs that just make you want to throw your hands in the air and sing at the top of your lungs or fall on your face in adoration of The One True King. When I first listened to this song I couldn't help but cry.

All the Way My Savior Leads Me
Chris Tomlin

All the way my Savior leads me;
Who have I to ask beside?
How could I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?

All the way my Savior leads me;
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.

You lead me and keep me from falling.
You carry me close to Your heart.
And surely Your goodness and
Mercy will follow me.

All the way my Savior leads me;
O, the fullness of His love!
O, the sureness of His promise

In the triumph of His blood!

And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings it's flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way!
Jesus led me all the way!

All the way my Savior leads me.
All the way my Savior leads me.

Comforted...

Psalm 33

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.

He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men.

From the place of His dwelling He looks
On all the inhabitants of the earth;

He fashions their hearts individually;
He considers all their works.

No king is saved by the multitude of an army;
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for safety;
Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,

To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in Him,
Because we have trusted in His holy name.

Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

Father God, I thank You for sustaining me today. I thank You that You are made perfect in my weakness. Your grace is sufficient for me. I thank You that Your steadfast love never ceases and Your mercies are new every morning. You say in Your Word that mourning may come for a night, but the new day will bring gladness. Bless me with a healing night's sleep. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Help me to stay on the path that leads to life.