An Explosive New Year's

The scene


The set up


The range


We went on our annual family shooting outing on New Year's Eve. I was very happy because it was the first time I got to go shooting at all in FOUR years! I kept having to stay home with little ones.


The kids enjoyed throwing snowballs.


And made a snowman with Aunt Megan.


And sliding down hills. See Avery way over there? He's not supposed to be on that end of the hill.


Come down Avery.



While he was coming down, Carson and Emmett climbed up the near side, but we decided that hill was off limits period. The end Avery was on was nearer to down range.


So Carson rolled and slid down this cliff.


And Emmett followed and then that was an end to that hill.


Avery shooting Dad's AR-15


He definitely needed some support


"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!"


He was a very happy boy.


What?! YES, you can have a turn too, sheesh.


Shooting the .22 and Carson is left handed.


Emmett's turn!


Also on the .22 and he was way into it.


Even using the one eye to aim.


Snowballing Mom.


Travis and his .40 Glock.


Setting up some tannerite (an exploding target). Sadly, maybe because it was only half full, it didn't blow, so I just have a bunch of videos of the guys knocking it around.


Megan with Ben's AR-15. See the bullet casing flying?


Travis and his AK-47. He got a new scope for Christmas that's awesome!


Kevin, Ben and Travis did just a little skeet shooting, but Travis was the one to hit all his. And he had to point out to me that that shotgun doesn't have sights either. I haven't done any skeet shooting in many years, and I just remember that on both occasions I was definitely the worst in the group. I should have asked to try a few.


Me with Travis' SKS. By the way, I really hate the cold. Really, really. So I'm quite puffy with all my layers and snowpants! That's okay, I was comfortable!


Me with Travis' AK-47. The new scope was great on this! Because of it this was my favorite to shoot.


Someone had or had found a metal plate so when it was time to get the .50 BMG sniper rifle out, the metal plate was set up for a target.

You can hear the metal get plinked when Kevin hits it with the .50.


Because the scope wasn't dialed in yet, Ben took three shots working on that and then Kevin had that turn and it had been dialed in enough that he hit it. So here's the hit and knocked down metal, but also the rock behind it all chewed up from the four shots.




Then Travis hit the metal plate with his SKS


Travis and then I shoot the .50 BMG. This was my first time getting to shoot it and it was awesome. It really kicks, but you don't realize quite how much until later when your arm starts getting really sore! I can't imagine the soreness after doing multiple shots like the guys did.
Also, they told me to get my eye away from the scope, so I did and then wasn't close enough to the scope to see though it! So I had to pull my head up when I shot because I wanted to see the impact. After watching the many videos of the guys shoot, I realized they were all just as close to the scope as I was to start with! Faulty advice.


Ben had bought some tracer bullets for the .50 so Kevin and Travis each tried one against the mountainside. We couldn't see the tracer on Kevin's shot and then here was Travis'. Listen to the sound of the bullet fly and hit the mountain, it's really cool!


We found Frosty was getting some ideas...


So...


Goodbye Frosty.


Then of course that evening we got together for New Year's Eve celebration.
I made a layered bean dip that was super yummy.


We shot the cannon at midnight.


The kids enjoyed these things and then our big, full, explosive, bang up day finally came to a close.


Happy 2012!

Christmas Decorations

Since my parents couldn't visit for Christmas, my Mom asked specifically for a post of my Christmas decorations. So here's the tour, Mom.
We'll start in the back of the house with the mantle. It got busier as December went by with the addition of 6 kid crafts.


I absolutely adored two of them. They were made at preschool with just one of the teachers taking aside every child individually and helping them to use their finger prints to make snow, the cardinal body, head and in some cases a tree in paint on slices of tree branch. Then the teacher added the fine details and strung them with baker's twine. These were the kids' Christmas gift for mom. Aren't they wonderful! Here's Emmett's:


And here's Carson's:


This painted bird was another of the items made and brought home from preschool.


In the dining area, red berries abound:


This was a favorite find in the post-Christmas clearance last year.


In the kitchen. Bits and pieced on the counter, an advent calendar on the window sill and what Christmas kitchen is complete without Christmas cookies?


On top of the cabinets.


I love the lights on top of these cabinets and they made the Christmas balls sparkle! Sadly, the string I had wrapping the garland burnt completely out after one too many single bulbs went out without replacing, and that strand had been on there for years. So I just climbed up there and laid a new one over the top of the garland and it sufficed for this year.


This is part Christmas, part an aside. In the hall there's another wreath because I have an addiction to them and a 3 picture frame with pictures I took last year seen HERE. The aside is: look, Mom, at the fun new big picture frame on the skinny wall facing the stairs.


I had these decorations last year but didn't do anything with them and this year it dawned on me to hang them from the entry light, and I love how it turned out! It's too bad the picture really loses the dimensions to it.


And finally, the Christmas tree. And the chair that will hold Santa's cookies and milk. Which was already seen in the Christmas post. Over on the end table is the black iron stand I told you about that was holding a large glass vase with purple and silver mini ornaments until the boys broke it. sigh. Travis cleaned up the glass and just stuck the ornaments on top of the two other hurricanes holding candles and I forgot to rearrange that before taking this picture. On the bottom of the coffee table are Christmas books for the boys to enjoy, which they did regularly. In the windows are the ones we'd rather didn't get destroyed by frequent boy abuse, most especially Santa Mouse, but were read for bedtime nightly.


And there you have it.

Christmas

Christmas Eve and the boys were more than ready for Santa.


Yummy goods for Santa and Santa Mouse!


Carson's note to Santa: Dear Santa, Thanks for all the toys. (picture of truck) Carson.


Avery's note to Santa:


Dear Santa Claus, please will you give me all my toys that I want. I hope you like our cookies and milk.


Well, I can tell he wrote that in a big rush, and boy doesn't he sound thankful? Sheesh.

The haul in the morning. Lots from Mom and Dad, a big one each from Santa plus their stockings, and the box full of presents from my parents that came home with us at Thanksgiving. Well, and there's plenty there for Travis and I too. In fact, Travis wrapped several things for himself this year which was really funny after he had previously laughed at me for handing him two things I bought myself for him to wrap for me.


I love all their shocked and amazed faces!


Santa ate the cookies!


One of the things the boys were absolutely convinced they would get for Christmas was fish in the little tank we've had sitting in the garage for forever. We told them that wouldn't happen until we found the right piece of furniture for the house for it to sit on. So here they are excited to see the tank on the counter (being checked for water-tightness) and Travis is pointing out that they should look around... and the ensuing dancing...


...because there's the right piece of furniture. Except neither that nor that tank is what's there now, but that will be a future post.


Time to open stockings. They all got coal from Santa. They were chocolate covered candy cane pieces though. After some wondering about it, we told the boys we thought maybe that was a warning from Santa that they weren't so naughty to warrant real coal, but maybe they have some work to do before next year...


"Look Mom!"


This is what Emmett was excited about, along with his brothers and they all promptly and simultaneously decided to change.


Hot wheels were big on all the boys' list this year, but I love the holding aloft of the coveted Cars 2 movie.


Angry birds that they can use to improve their throwing abilities without too much damage to my house (I hope). They each got their own bird and then a shared gift of one of the pigs to aim at.


Travis liked the wrapping on this gift from my parents... and he and Avery enjoyed one of several shared gifts relating to their new gold hobby.


I got Travis this, uh, pickax? for their prospecting and he immediately obliged us all with a Yukon Cornelius gesture.


Here Avery had to try on another of the shirts he got, is oooing over a light up car, and sitting smugly with his new GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America) hat. Santa got Avery this awesome squid and sub toy he's been wanting.


One of Carson's big highlights was a Star Wars sticker activity book. I love all his faces. His best friend Theo is really big into Star Wars and has this book too, so of course Carson wants to find out all about Star Wars. Santa also brought the family the complete Star Wars movies which we didn't have, so now my boys are actually finding out about the cultural phenomenon. We've watched episodes 4-6 so far, and Carson has begged for the next one between each viewing.


Emmett got a big dinosaur from Santa and the boys all got a big box full of books that belonged to me as a kid.


Christmas evening we went to Travis' parent's for Christmas dinner and gifts. They had a monster tree this year!


This Thomas the Train set was a big hit for Emmett.


These puzzles for Carson have been done dozens of times by him already. He's such a puzzler.


Avery-the-future-dentist was excited about this play-doh drill n' fill set. Carson's also been big into "bajas" as he calls them so was really excited to get this remote control car. Each of them got a remote control car and they've been driven all over the house over and over.


Grandma had the boys' pictures taken in theses this OSU gear and Carson was excited to find it all given to him and immediately put it on.


Avery soon found his and immediately began posing for pictures.


So Carson had to try and pose too.


And finally Emmett found his gear.


The last present they opened was a basketball hoop which will be great for Avery to practice with since he's in a basketball league right now.


What a merry, fun Christmas! Hope yours was as fun, and silly, as ours was!