Boys and Guns

After my brother returned from his first year of college a few weeks ago, one of the first things he did was buy a shotgun. My mom then decided that she wanted a shotgun for Mother's Day and Dad and us kids were more than happy to oblige her :). A couple weekends ago, my mom, two of my brothers, and I went out to a ranch and did some shooting. Although I must say, the boys primarily shot the guns while my mom and I primarily shot with the camera - hence the plentiful photos of my brothers shooting and none of my mom or me (I got off 16 shots and my mom fired 8, the boys shot over 100 between the two of them). Here are a few of my favorite photos from the day:

It was a beautiful day! This lake, which in my not-too-distant memory was once riddled with litter - oil cans, tires, old cars and the like - was looking quite pristine. The sky was beautiful, the sun was out, and there was a slight breeze to keep things cool.

My brother Joe and his shotgun. He and my mom got the same exact gun except my mom's is short-barrel.

Action shot of the empty shell being spewed from the chamber!

My brother Nano looked totally legit with his surplus store pants and black shirt.

Country Folk in a City World

One theme I've been noticing a lot in country music lately is a longing for going home, escaping city life, and returning to the country. Needless to say, this is a theme I can reeeeally relate to! Here are a few songs, some older and some new, and in no particular order, that exhibit this theme:

The Farm - Home Sweet Home

Rascal Flatts - Banjo

Keith Urban - Where the Blacktop Ends

Montgomery Gentry - Where I Come From

Tim McGraw - Where the Green Grass Grows

Rascal Flatts - Mayberry

Rodney Atkins - Take a Back Road

Own the Night Tour

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I saw Lady A in concert! The photo above is of me and one of my best friends at the concert. It was a wonderful experience! I was never a huge Lady Antebellum fan but their latest album has several treasures and they're great performers.

The opening act was Thompson Square, a new country group that I really like. Unfortunately, it was pretty evident that they're inexperienced performers. But, I look forward to seeing them again when they've gotten more experience under their belt and know how to enunciate into a mic :).

Darius Rucker also performed and I'm not a fan of 95% of his country songs, but overall, the entire concert was awesome! I only wish it had lasted longer. If the tour happens to be coming near you, I highly recommend going to see it. It was worth every penny!

Here are a few of my favorite songs from the evening:

Love I've Found in You - Lady Antebellum

Dancin' Away With My Heart - Lady Antebellum

Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not - Thompson Square

A Few Hours in the Country

A few weeks ago, I went home for a few hours and went on a walk with my mom. Abba (my younger sister) was up at one of the neighbors training horses so we decided to walk there and watch her. Here are some photos from our little trek:

Fall Fun: Daytrip to Apple Hill

Wow, I can't believe it's already the first day of December and that in just 21 more days it will officially be winter! This autumn has gone by so fast, which on one hand has been a good thing, but on the other, has left me feeling like I haven't soaked up this beautiful season as much as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I did get a chance to go to Apple Hill with the other young adults from  my church here in Sacramento.

For those of you who don't know, Apple Hill is a well-known destination for apple picking, Christmas tree getting, and all other kinds of goodness. Despite having lived within 2 hours of it my entire life and having countless friends who make yearly treks there, I had never gone there before! Let me just say, it does not disappoint! People praise Apple Hill so much, that I was sure it couldn't live up to all the hype - but it totally did! I hope to go back soon and spend more time looking at the crafts, taking in the scenery, and enjoying all the yummy apple-centric pastries and beverages. Here are some photos from the day:

What a view, am I right? It was breathtakingly beautiful - and cold!

"Everyone! Look like you're having fun!" resulted in the above photo where everyone looks slightly scared/scary.

Our fearless young adults leader, Ashlei.

Some of the YA (young adults) ladies. My two best friends are there on the left.

Ah, orchards! We walked around this one for a long time and picked some of the apples left behind from the harvest.

One of the farms we stopped at had this awesome fire that we gathered around to warm up. And we sang the full version of Father Abraham while we were there. Yes, we did get some strange looks.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this International Harvester.

Have you ever been to Apple Hill? Are there any destinations near you that are an autumn must-visit?

Fireworks!

Monday night I watched the fireworks show with some friends in Sacramento. We parked at Arden Fair Mall and then walked ten minutes to Cal Expo. By the time we got there it was only a half-hour to showtime and we weren't sure we would be able to make it through the line in time to get in. So, we sat on the side of a grassy area in the parking lot. I wanted to put down the tailgate of a random truck and sit there, but my friends weren't brave (or perhaps foolish?) enough to do so.

I think these are my favorite fireworks. I love the way they burst and then cascade down in elegant little drips of gold.

Another shot of my favorite fireworks. Please ignore the tree in the upper right corner; our seats were great but this tree that framed the view of the fireworks from where we were sitting managed to make it into a few of my shots.

I hope everyone had a great and fun-filled Independence Day! God bless America!

Happy Fourth of July!!

image

Today I would like to post a few of the lesser-known verses of the star spangled banner. Whenever I read the stanzas of this song, I always imagine how it must have been for Francis Scott Key to watch the British bombing Fort McHenry...hoping for a flash of light to reveal that the flag was still there, that the fort had not fallen.

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July!

image

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep

Where the foes haughty host in dread silence reposes

What is that which the breeze o'er the towering steep

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream

Tis' the star-spangled banner! Oh how long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

image

Oh! Thus be it ever, when free men shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Thus conquer we must, when our cause it is just

Then this be our motto, "in God is our trust,"

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!