Thursday, April 30, 2015

Fellowship, Firearms, Food & Fun - Part 2


Fifteen years ago, when we built our little Shouse on the Prairie, we didn't know a soul in our newly adopted town.  Our first Sunday at church, we were warmly welcomed by a family that would eventually become our dearest friends.  But lifelong friendships aren't built over night.  They take care and nurturing and maintenance.  Relationships require effort.  My new friend, Lady Day, and I, took turns hosting each others families for meals after church.  We exchanged homeschooling encouragements and family recipes.  As the years went by, our families hearts were knit with threads of shared memories - both tragedies and triumphs and everything in between.

Not only were we blessed with that friendship, but so many more.  Every time I met another lady that I found interesting, I would invite her to tea.  More often than not, another friendship would be born.  Because our town is very small, most of my new friends had grown up together and already knew each other quite well.  My little shouse became a meeting place - a place for encouragement and exhortation....and tea.

But it wasn't just the ladies and children that benefited from these blossoming relationships.  Our husbands found brothers in each other.  They discussed biblical truths, world events and how to manage their high maintenance wives (ha!).  They became, in every sense of the word, Brothers-in-Arms.

But it gets even better.  We don't just get to fellowship with incredible friends, we get to fellowship with incredible family.  My parents and their pastor(s) join our group, as well as parents of most of our friends.  And when we are together, we are much more than friends - we are what's best in family!  Such sweet fellowship....and a great foundation for Fellowship, Firearms, Food and Fun!



Can you say "Out of Africa"?


Our resident Southpaw





Men in hats!

 
My father and husband - what more can I say?



Who says you can't shoot clays with a combat shotgun?

My mom!

Master Hand Grenade - the winner of the Men's Division, hitting 11 out of 12 clays!

And a combat reload....

Miss Serenity


Maid Elizabeth



The Firing Line

A delightful time!



Thank you for coming for a visit!

Monday, April 27, 2015

Fellowship, Firearms, Food & Fun - Part 1


What a weekend we had!  Sir Knight and I hosted a lovely tea party, complete with a tent, shotguns and wonderful friends.  Although the weather was cool the fellowship was warm and we ate, drank, shot and talked to our hearts content.

We have so many photos, I thought I would share them in two posts - lets get started!


Master Calvin helping raise the tent

Making progress (very slow progress - it was windy!)

Setting up the tea (and coffee) station

Readying the luncheon


The Ladies Lounge

The Gentlemen's Lounge (we shot from this end of the tent)

My parent's wonderful pastor and his wife made these lovely prizes!  This is 1st place for the Ladies Division...


And the Men's

And a special award for putting "Lead Down Range", regardless of clay's hit

Our beautiful Georgia transplant!

Enjoying food and fellowship

Master Hand Grenade - resident armorer
Bowl full of shotgun shells



Pasty's with our tea....

And Scotch eggs

Sir Knight preparing shotguns


Men of the Redoubt

Master Hand Grenade looking very dapper!

Sweet fellowship


Sir Knight manning the skeet thrower

My dear friend - Julianne of Providence Lodge

And her handsome husband

My beautiful mother with a teacup and a shotgun!  Does it get any better than this?
Maid Elizabeth, Miss Serenity and Master Hand Grenade!

More photos to come......And a round two this fall (perhaps!).