Friend Filled Weekend

This past weekend was one of those that reminded me how blessed I am to have the people I do in my life. Our friend Michael was coming to visit from Springfield, so of course Eric had a huge weekend planned out!

Friday night we did a little fishing. Michael, Justin, Eric and I (and Bailey of course) headed out to the pond to catch some bluegill. I slayed them, not to brag or anything. Guess that's what happens when you can go fishing any time you want! After dinner we invited some more friends over for a bonfire, which was made in our driveway. One of these days we might have a real fire pit!

Even though it "rained" all day- really it only misted- we weren't going to let that stop our plans to go shooting on Saturday. Eric set up a pop-up for all of us to shoot under. We might have had just a few targets to shoot at :)

The mist did stop for about a half hour, so we decided to play a friendly game of knockout! Shooting clays really made me miss the shooting complex at Sparta. Eric and I will definitely have to venture down there this summer. 

We didn't just shoot shotguns and rifles, we also shot some pistols! Corey let me shoot his, and once I realized that you have to slowly pull the trigger, I got a bulls-eye!

I also got to shoot Brian's pistol. It was so big- it reminded me of being in the old west!

Then it was time for the TVs. The picture below perfectly portrays how rednecks move TVs long distances. They set the TVs up at different distances in the field. 

After the TVs were placed in the field, we had to shoot holes in them so we could place tannerite inside-that's right, we blew these things up! We shot at closer TVs with the pistols and used shotguns and rifles to hit the ones farther away. 

Then it was time for probably my favorite part of the afternoon- shooting them and watching them explode! I've never witnessed tannerite being used, and let me tell you, it is so cool. Some of the TVs were a little close, and you could definitely feel the shockwave from the explosion. It was also crazy to see the pieces fly everywhere after they blew up. But don't worry, we scoured the field to pick up all the pieces we could find. 

That night, we headed out to the Gabby Goat to eat and hit the town. I am so happy this guy came to visit!

The darts players for the night. Michael and I were on a team, while Emilee and Calvin (and sometimes Eric) were on the other team. It's a good thing Michael was good, because I can't aim a dart to save my life! 

On Sunday, Eric and I went over to Doug and Ashley's for dinner. We got to see their new house and hang out with Emery- which might have been my favorite part (shh don't tell Ashley and Doug)! I'm so happy that they are close to home and we have the chance to get together on a whim. When we left, I even got a kiss from Em <3

I don't know how I got so lucky to have friends like these. We all come from different places, but our paths crossed and our lives are all the better for it. Here's to many more weekends filled with friends and love!

The Simple Life

Do you ever have one of those days (or weekends) where you are reminded of why you live where and how you do? For me, this past weekend was one of those times. Yes, I love visiting friends in big cities like St. Louis, Peoria, Nashville, etc. But there's no way I could live there! The traffic, the people, the noises, the lights- it's all way to much for me. 

I prefer the simpler life. The kind where you can grab your fishing pole on a Friday morning and head to your pond between the rain showers and catch some fish. The kind where you can sit on your porch in the evening and watch nothing go by except the sunset (and your dog). The kind where you realize just how lucky you really are. 

Like I said before, this weekend was one of those times. Thursday night we went out to Floyd's in Oblong for some tacos with Garrett and Emilee. When we got home that night, we noticed that our walkway was covered in night crawlers! Eric had me go in and get a tupperware container, and we managed to snag over 20 night crawlers.  

Friday morning, it didn't look like it would ever stop raining. We were in the middle of cleaning the house when Eric told me to grab the worms- we were going fishing! So we headed out to the pond and fished for a little less than an hour before it started raining again. 

Bailey enjoyed the fishing too. When she wasn't busy wading into the water to get small branches that were near the shore, she was trying to bite the fish we caught as we pulled them off the hook. 

We got 8 bluegill and 3 bass- a productive morning if I say so myself!

So thankful dad raised me right and taught me how to filet a fish! Having two people filet fish makes things go so much faster. 

On Saturday, it was time for my Uncle Dean's wedding! This is his second marriage, and I'm so glad that he has found someone who makes him so incredibly happy. Dad was even asked to be the best man!

And of course I had to get a picture with James. We've been with each other through thick and thin, and I couldn't imagine having anyone else as a brother but him. Somehow I managed to not get a good picture with Eric, must have been having too much fun!

Sunday was Easter. It was the perfect day filled with family and food. It was also the perfect reminder that although my heart still aches to have Ian back in our life, thanks to Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead, I will get to see Ian again one day. He died and rose again so that we may have the promise of eternal life- a promise that I am very much looking forward to. 

As the sun set on Sunday, I felt God's love pour out of the sky. I was reminded that there is a greater plan, and that one day everything will make sense. Until then, I'm going to keep enjoying the simple life. It's gotten me this far, after all.