Peter had wanted to take another snowboarding trip with his buddies for his birthday but it wasn’t possible this year (besides, he got in a couple of days when he went to Utah earlier this month 🙂 ).  So instead he took me and the boys to the gun show and then we met some of his buddies at the shooting range.  He had a great day and we’re so glad he took us with him!
My sisters and I grew up in a house with no guns. Â Guns were scary to me and I didn’t understand them (or people who had them in their homes), but Peter grew up in an environment where guns were just a part of life on the mountain. Â This is one of the many differences between the family I was raised in and the family I married into. Â Before today I had only shot a gun once…when my brother-in-law married my twin, they lived in a tiny cabin on top of a mountain with bears prowling about. Â So when I visited them, he put a gun in my hands, set up a target and showed me how to shoot it. Â I shot it once and said that was good enough (thanks for trying, Vann!).
So when Peter took me out to the shooting range and loaded a pistol for me to shoot I was determined to do my best and have fun if I could. Â The first few shots really shook me up. Â The noise and power of it were unnerving. Â But the target drew me in and it was increasingly easier to make a good shot. Â I feel like shooting today has helped me get beyond some fears that I have had since I was a child, and I am understanding more Peter’s healthy view of “arms” and respect his taking responsibility as a citizen and leader of our home.
I hope you had a wonderful birthday Peter and I love you!
