Taylor Shoots and IDs

Ken got a new rifle and couldn't wait to try it out. Taylor decided that she wanted to give it a try and get on the range, so off they went. 


I kept getting text messages and phone calls from Ken telling how great Taylor was doing.  Apparently, the Mini-14 was a bit loud for her, but she tried shooting one round, then another, then another and finally, Taylor decided that she loved it!

All of her shots were on the black.  Ken was totally impressed and kept praising her for doing such a great job.  Then, Taylor got to help Ken with cleaning!!  She is far too much like her Mama, and she not only loved cleaning the rifle, but she loved the smells.  Ken came in and told me that Taylor was going on and on, "Now I'm totally like Mama!  All I need now is an awesome Boo-tay and a good voice."  I laughed for a long time, but it was totally sweet at the same time.  I love that she feels that way about me.


Then today, Ken and I took the girls to Barstow USMC Logistics Base so we could get Taylor and Mandy their military IDs.  Jordan is completely bummed that she is too young for one, and she offered to sit up "really tall" in order to pass for 10 years old.  Ha!  

As you can see, the girls are stoked to have their own ID cards now, AND they can go shopping on the base by themselves now when we're there - Pendleton, watch out!  

Stress Relief...go shooting

On Tuesday, Ken gathered most of our pistols and a buttload of ammo and we headed to the gun club so that Dad could try shooting pistols.  Dad has never fired any pistol other than a .22 before - in.his.life!  That is so foreign to me, and I could never wrap my head around it, but it's true nonetheless.  I know that getting a permit to touch and then purchase a handgun is difficult in New York, but I just couldn't believe that Dad had never gone through the process.


Well, Ken went out of his way to make this fun for Dad.  He worked with George, the Pistol Chairman, and got access to the storage room where all of the steel targets are located.  When we arrived, I had the fun job of laying everything out while Ken set up the targets.  Dad spent the time not believing that he was actually going to do this, and even more surprised by everything that was needed in order to shoot.


Ken had a couple guys from the Quail Forever group meet up with him, and he talked to them for a while.  During this time, I got started with Dad - went over gun safety, how the revolver worked, how to load it, etc.  He stepped out and took his first shots.  

Dad's first shot with a handgun ever

From there, he was hooked!!!  I had started Dad on Ken's 686 which is a 4" frame.  After a while, I let him shoot my 686 which is a 6" frame and magnaported.  Dad lost his mind!  He loved the revolver and enjoyed the single action accuracy as opposed to the double action.

Ken returned to us, and watched Dad do his shooting.  He was a good shot and had some great groupings despite not ever doing this before.  While Dad was shooting, I would take my 686 back and let off some shots.  I loved the cowboy reactive targets and spend the day trying to get 4 for 4.  Most of the time, one of the stupid cowboys wouldn't stay down, so I would pull the string, get them lined up and do it again.  Took me about half an hour, and then I achieved success!

As Jordan would say, "Yay Me!"

Dad had gotten very comfortable with the revolvers, so I moved him on to the automatics.  Ken wanted to start Dad on his .40, but I intervened and had start with my 9mm.  It's a 4" barrel and completely awesome.  Dad was uneasy at first, and very nervous, but after the first double action shot, he totally got into it with the single action.  Plus, he was happy that there wasn't a lot of recoil.  

Please note that even with my little camera, I caught a picture with the brass flying!  Awesome!!!

Ken was finally able to give Dad his .40 to try.  Dad was again nervous, but he handled it as well as all of the other pistols after a while.  He was hitting the steel targets, knocking them down, and he was able to get 2 - 3" groupings.  

I'm not sure who loved this more, Ken or Dad, but each of them were "male bonding" and Ken was thrilled being able to do this for his dad.  Getting set up was fun and watching Ken teach his father and coach gave me a giggle.

Ken was totally stoked to bring out the Ruger .44 that he had borrowed from our friend, Grant.  Ken wanted to make sure that Dad had the full and total experience, and Ken loved being able to shoot it.  Dad kept warning me not to take pictures of him because he was afraid he would lose the grip on the pistols and drop them and then I would have "evidence" of such, but again, Dad was a natural and did really well.

Ken showing his dad how "it's done"

We all had a great time at the range.  Dad was getting tired and my stupid blood sugar dipped, so we cleaned up and headed to lunch.  Ken and Dad went back in the evening to shoot some more after they had rested while I stayed home with the girls.  Apparently, the male bonding without the woman was really cool for them.

Life is never dull

I spent today taking care of the last of my work before the week off for Thanksgiving.  Things have been really crazy with my job, and despite it being "part-time," I've been working my ass off!  Ok, well, not really, but you understand the expression.  Ken has been very quick to point out that not only has my ass not disappeared, but he would prefer it stay where he is.  Thank you, Love, for your  endless devotion to my posterior!  


So, Ken and I spent some time at the range yesterday in order to, literally, blow off some steam.  Ken loved that I took the time, and that I fired his new Savage .243.  I was expecting a huge kick to it, but I was pleasantly surprised when there wasn't.  It was nice.  

I was thoroughly looking forward to tonight's Family night so that Ken and I could spend some time together and cuddle. Unfortunately, Ken's temporary crown broke.  He debated about what to do: try the temporary dental adhesive or go to the VA and hope they call in a dentist.  Because of the sensitivity to heat and cold, he went ahead and drove down to Loma Linda.  


Now, when Ken left for the VA, Jordan was in the shower.  Jordan gets out of the shower, "WHERE'S DADDY!!"  She is frantically searching the house - naked, by the way - for Ken.  I explained that Daddy had to go to the hospital so they can get a dentist to put a new tooth in his mouth.  Jordan, "Daddy lost a tooth!  That's so sad!  You don't get money for losing your big kid teeth!"


Mandy was spending the night with her BFF, Maddie, so Ken and I decided to hold off on Family Night until tomorrow.  I went ahead and put on Alice in Wonderland for Jordan and me to watch in order to enjoy something of the evening.  I really enjoy Tim Burton's take on the world.  Jordan spent the entire time talking to Alice through the movie, "Don't drink that!  Don't eat that!  Don't go there!  Oh! You did it anyway!"  It was as entertaining listening to Jordan than watching the movie.  

OK, now, for those of you who are interested, I was checking out some of my favorite blogs today.  There are so many that I enjoy, but Love, Actually has another great idea posted on her site and I love that the idea came from a friend whose husband sounds an awful like mine.  It just proves that most men seriously only think about "one thing."  


http://loveactually-blog.blogspot.com/2010/11/12-lays-of-christmas.html


I'm hoping to be able to get motivated to do my holiday baking soon, and there's so many great recipes out there.  I know that the first thing Ken will ask me is if I'm going to make the Pfeffernuse.  They are his favorite at Christmas, and the answer is "yes I will."  (Just ask me about them closer to Christmas.)

Taylor Qualifies!

Once again, I am completely excited and proud!  Taylor qualified to move on to Stage 2 of the Jr. Rifle Team after only three days.  The first day was just an orientation, and then she missed a Thursday while Ken and I were gone.  Tonight, she came home bubbling about how she is already done with Stage 1 and she will get her badge next time.

Way to go Taylor!

Sunday Drive & evening with the girls

Ken and I took off in the morning for Temecula.  Ken had found a great deal through an on-line posting of a 20 gauge reloading press that he has wanted for a while.  He got the press, the cover, shot, powder and hulls for the price of the press alone!  Score for Ken!

The press is not completely set up in his garage, but when it is, I'll make sure to get a picture of it  with Ken.

Since we were down in the area, we popped over to Wine Country and tried a new winery:  Wilson Creek.  

http://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/

We have been to a couple other wineries in the area, but while the wine was good, the experience was rather blah.  This time, we completely loved the tasting experience.  Ken and I were not dressed for anything but being together, unlike many others who were dressed to the hilt, but we enjoyed our five selections, and we completely loved the grounds.  There was a play area for those who wanted to hang out with their kids, a gazebo and chairs throughout for lounging as well as 5 tasting areas within the winery so you weren't horribly crowded.  The favorite that we brought home was the 2008 Muscat Canelli.  It was a sweet white but not like a dessert wine.  We loved the '06 Cabernet Sauvignon as well as their Syrah, but we chose to stick to buying only one bottle this time.

Love our numbers!

Ken didn't want to take a picture with me inside.  

The weather was really warm - 81 degrees after being so cold last week, so there were many people out and about enjoying themselves.  Ken and I had a great time with our short stay and we headed home.

We stopped by Turner's in order to get some more powder and hulls for the reloading press, and we called Sean and hung out at Starbucks for a while before finishing the trip home.

After the girls had their supper, I started working with Taylor and Mandy on cross-stitching.  Remember, this was the most girlie thing that I used to do.   They have been wanting to learn, but they have not been great at following directions and having patience, so I waited to start working with them.

This is what they wanted to start, so I made two copies of the chart:

This is a simple chart for children (hence "Children's Corner") and the girls really love the idea of making a ladybug.  So, I helped them get the fabric ready, showed them how to read the chart and helped them to thread the needle.  Then, they got started.

Directionality was difficult for them, but Taylor was very persistent.  Mandy did really well for the first 10 minutes, and then she was obviously bored, but she kept going so Taylor wouldn't get done before her.

Mandy had trouble only watching the front of the piece, and she had no trouble telling me that my way was "uncomfortable" for her, so I had to back off and let her find her own way.

Taylor caught on really fast, and learned how to undo a mistake very quickly.  The girls enjoyed themselves, and time passed quickly for them.

Taylor wanted to know when this would get "fun."  I had to explain to her that she may not really enjoy herself until she finished her first piece, then she would be happy.  She was agreeable to finishing this so I will pay to have it professionally framed for her room.  Taylor had no trouble showing the camera what she had done in 35 minutes:

Now, where was Jordan through all of this?  She was happily playing in the room BY HERSELF. She had a great time until I caught her with the camera:

As you can see, I disrupted her concentration and she was unable to continue with her imagination afterwards.  LOL  

At the Range

OK, I would love to say that I put a few more rounds through this initial shot, but the fact of the matter is that this was my first shot and the best that I did.


Ken has been working very hard getting reloads made for each of our calibers.  He just finished the test rounds for my 686 revolver in .38 caliber.  He's waiting to work on the .357 rounds for me until I'm sure that I want to use them.  


Again, for months, Ken discussed the various types of reloading presses that he wanted to get.  He wasn't sure he wanted to pay the money for the Dillon X650, but I'm really glad that he finally listened to me.  Even with careful checking, he is able to make 250 rounds in 45 minutes.


So, he finished getting some test rounds ready for me, and he was very disappointed that I wanted to wait until today to fire them.  The very first shot was THE BEST!  Although I used to compete with this exceptional pistol, it has definitely been a LONG time, and I was so very proud of myself for pulling this off.  I looked at Ken and commented that this was an awesome shot.  Ken was inspecting the brass, looked up and said, "not bad."  I was astounded.  "Not bad! Really?!"


Of course, if I had put two or more rounds through the same hole, then it would have been more impressive, but I was very happy with it after not seriously shooting for so many years.  


We had a buddy on the range with us while I was testing the rounds.  He was rather small and didn't want to be social, but he ran across my feet a couple of times.

I guess that will teach me to wear flip-flops to the range!

Taylor Wows the Team as the Newbie!

Just last week, Taylor held a .22 rifle for the first time and fired 5 shots.  Her target was amazing, and I must correct myself and state that she was firing at 50 FEET not yards.  My mistake, but as an adult, I'm used to yards.


So, today she showed up and signed her name to shoot.  She went and found a jacket that fit her and asked Ken to help her get it on her.  

Side note - there is no way for Ken to love these girls more, but he was completely emotional when Taylor chose to sign up as Taylor Koehler.  Talk about smiling from ear to ear!  Ken was so thrilled that she would prefer his name.


But, I travel a different story.  So, Taylor waits patiently for her turn to shoot.  At this stage, the kids are learning the 5 different stages:  prone/supported, prone/unsupported, sitting, kneeling, and standing.  When she receives a set of two targets with both passing scores, she receives a badge for that Stage and then moves on to the next stage to learn.  When she has completed all five Stages, then she will qualify for the competition team.


So now it's Taylor's turn.  She gets to the mat and has everything ready, but she waits for directions.  Taylor had asked Ken one final question before heading to the floor - which way did the rounds go into the block?  He made sure that she understood the primer had to be facing up.  

Ken asks one of the other Club members to help her out since both coaches were busy helping other kids.  This man got down and went over all of the instructions she needed and made sure that she understood. 

Taylor then fired her first 25 shots.  I was really proud of her because she took the only advice that I gave her:  breathe deeply between shots and take as long as you need.  


When she brought back her first target, I was beaming with pride in my child.  Ken commented that apparently, I had passed my shooting gene down to her.

After she finished her first target, she was left on her own to finish.  Taylor seemed to be getting really bored with everything - she was looking around at what everyone else was doing, she was forgetting to put the bolt forward, etc.  As it turns out, she was checking everyone else out to see how much better she should do.  It worked!  Her second target was even better!

None of the men could believe that this was her first time shooting and that this was only her 2nd time holding a rifle!  I was approached and asked how many times she had been trying to qualify for her Basic Badge, and I explained that this was her first night.  That was when I learned that many of these kids (some being high school students) had been coming out for months and were still on their first Stage.  Trying not to be prideful, I said nothing regarding the other children, but inside, I was completely undone.  


For example, here is what was going on in my mind while I was pretending to simply look at my daughter's targets, "OH YEAH!  THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!  WHOO-HOO! SHE IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER KIDS HERE, OF COURSE!"


Taylor was completely beside herself with happiness.  She knew she had done well when she kept being asked how many times she had been there.  She decided that she officially wanted to join the Team, knowing that she had to commit to all 5 Stages and only when she was done with them all could she tell me if she didn't like some of the Stages and did not want to continue. If she wants to continue, however, Ken and I both told her that we would make sure that she had a shooting jacket that she could put her patches on, and that we would buy her all the necessary equipment for the Shooting Team.


As you can see, Taylor loved this idea:

So, yes, I am an extremely proud Mama again.  I have Mandy wanting to join the Team next month as well as Jordan.  We'll see when Jordan's allowed to join since she doesn't like to listen to rules or directions.  In the meantime, it appears that Taylor has found her niche.

I am a Proud Mama!

Taylor has been thinking about joining the Junior Rifle Team for the last few months.  She didn't think she wanted to do it because she didn't want to be known as a "Tomboy" but she finally decided to give it a shot.


Ken took her out for supper and then they went to the Intro Class where Taylor listened about gun safety, what's expected of the shooters, etc.  When it was time to try shooting she hesitated, but she finally got up the nerve and she did really, really well.

Some of the kids didn't hit the target at all, but Taylor did.  Her first shot was high, but then she understood how the sights worked.  She couldn't wait to show me her target when she got home.   I was even more proud of her when Ken told me that this was shot at 50 yards!


I'm incredibly proud of her - not only for her natural ability but for having the guts to try something new.  She can't wait until next week!

Ken and a New Toy

OK, this is MY blog, so I'm posting MY version of this story to it!


Ken and I have spent months watching the local stores get less and less ammunition on the shelves.  We will go to these stores right after delivery, and yet, there is still not enough ammo to make it worth while for us to go to the range in order to practice and have fun.


Then, when you CAN find the ammo, you have to pay so much for a box of 20 (because it's almost impossible to find boxes of 50 or 100), that it's not worth buying it let alone shooting it.


So, we discussed and debated the gun laws with friends, checked online to see what the hell was going on - turns out there were tons of rumors about Omaba getting rid of guns, etc.  Now, we were faced with the question, Where are we going to get ammo from so we can practice and teach the girls?


We found a couple of distributors that would work with us, and that helped, but it was a long drive and costly.  


The only decision to make was to reload our own.  With Ken being Ken, this took a long time to make a decision.  Is it worth the cost of the press and all of the components for us to do this?  Will we shoot enough to have the press pay for itself?  Which is the best press to purchase?  What components are best?


OK, while I am a gun enthusiast, even I reached my limit of talking about everything.  It has dominated all of our conversations for the last two months, and my head has actually hurt.  Being the "girl" that I am, I talked to some friends, researched some stuff online, and told Ken to buy the Dillon XL 650.  It is a lot more money up front, but their warranty cannot be matched by any other company.  I was happy with what I heard and read, so I made my decision.  Sadly, for me, it took Ken two more months to reach the same conclusion.


We started combing the various stores for components after Ken placed his order.  We found powder at Bass Pro for far cheaper than anywhere else.  He found primers, but they weren't the ones he was looking for.  Of all the reloading components, primers are the hardest to find.  He was able to find a guy who handles San Diego County Sheriff's Department, so he has an order for small pistol primers that he prefers.


The Dillon press arrived on Thursday, so Ken got busy making the best bench he could design quickly so he could assemble the Press.  Here's what happened in our garage:

Ken rearranged the entire garage in order to get a spot perfect for his bench and press.  

I made him get out of the way of the new pride and joy, and he couldn't contain himself.  As you can see, Ken also installed some new lighting so he will have perfection while he reloads.  

Ken didn't even notice that I went out and took this picture of him playing with new toys.  He was very involved.

I had to take this picture.  Only in my house would ammo cans be used for bookends!  I've always meant to get bookends, but never thought I should spend the money - I have a bookshelf, that should suffice.  OK, I have many bookshelves!


When everything was said and done, Ken said that he was very happy with his decision to buy the Dillon.  He has had no trouble getting replacement parts for the casualties of his set-up process, and he loves that he came up with the idea to go for the Dillon.


Yes, he's still breathing and we're still married.  I believe I had a moment of tantrum, but that was all!