WHAT A WEEK, MY ASS IS DRAGGING. THE WEATHER SUCKS. THE BUGS ARE TERRIBLE. THANK GOD FOR....... I AM STILL THINKING. EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE I HAVE A VERY GOOD ONE AND A LOT OF THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR IT IS JUST THAT SOMEDAYS I NEED TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THAT. SO HERE I AM SLOWED RIGHT DOWN, LOOKING FORWARD TO MY LESSON TOMORROW.

ANOTHER GOOD DAY. BELLE WENT IN THE WATER ALL BY HERSELF AND WE ARE LOPING CIRCLES, SHE IS QUITE AN AMAZING HORSE. HATS OFF TO ALL THE KIDS IN THE BARN THAT ARE WORKING SO HARD ON THEIR HORSES. SOME HORSES COME EASIER THAN, BUT KEEP WORKING IT WILL PAY OFF IN THE END. PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE!!!

AMANDA ON JAKE MELINDA ON MJ ERIN ON JOEY

MADISON ON RANGER

NIKKOLE AND LIL MAC

DEB ON REBEL SHARON AND AMIRA
DEB AND BELLE IN LAND

IN WATER

BELLE IN THE WATER FOR THE FIRST TIME. REBA ON DUSTY, ERIC ON JAKE, DEB ON BELLE

SHARON ON AMIRA ERIC ON JAKE DEB ON BELLE

WHAT A DAY!!!! DRESSAGE CLINIC WENT VERY WELL AND SO DID THE LESSONS WE ARE GETTING ALL EXCITED FOR OUR SHOW. VICTOR COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW ALL THE HORSES ARE COMING ALONG, WHICH WAS EXCITING TO HEAR.

WENT FOR A TRAIL RIDE YESTERDAY ON BELLE AND THREE OTHERS: SHARON AND AMIRA, ERIC AND JAKE, AND REBA AND DUSTY. WE DID THE WATER CROSSING, TOOK A LITTLE BIT FOR BELLE TO GO IN THAN NOT PROBLEM. DUSTY DECIDED THAT REBA NEEDED TO GO SWIMMING THAT WAS FUNNY SHIT.JAKE DID WELL FOR ERIC, AMANDA WAS UNABLE TO COME AND EXERCISE HIM SO SHE LET ERIC. JAKE IS A LITTLE ON THE CHUBBY SIDE SO HE IS ON A STRICT EXERCISE PROGRAM. BUT BELLE DID AMAZING LIKE USUAL WE DID BRUSH RUNNING, WATER AND PASSED OUR FIRST CAR. WELL THE CARS WE DEFINITELY NEED WORK ON, SHE IS SO SCARED OF THEM, WEIRD. EVERY TIME IT GETS A LITTLE BETTER. TODAY WE HAVE OUR 4-H DRESSAGE CLINIC THAN LESSONS TO FOLLOW. REBEL IS FINALLY GETTING IT I AM VERY CURIOUS WHAT MY INSTRUCTOR WILL HAVE TO SAY SINCE HE HAS NOT SEEN US RIDE FOR A FEW WEEKS.

JUST GOT BACK FROM OGEMA REVIEWING FAMILY HISTORY, QUITE AMAZING. IT REALLY GETS A PERSON THINKING ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS . ONE OF THEM FOR ME IS RESTORING OLD BUILDINGS. BEFORE THIS TRIP I WAS READY TO TAKE DOWN THE OLD DAIRY BARN, NOW I AM HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS BIG TIME. I GUESS WHEN YOU GO AND SEE HOUSES, BARNS, SILOS, AND SCHOOL HOUSES THAT YOUR GREAT GRANDFATHER HELPED BUILD MAKES A PERSON VIEW THINGS MORE DIFFERENTLY. SEEING THEM IN A CRUMPLED PILE OR NOT EVEN THERE ANYMORE IS REALLY SAD, BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE SEEING THE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CARED FOR OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS IS AMAZING AND REALLY WANTS ME TO DO THE SAME FOR WHAT I HAVE, IF ONLY I WAS A MILLIONAIRE. LOL. BUT I AM PRETTY STUBBORN AND WORK HARD FOR WHAT I HAVE SO LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS. MAYBE SOMEDAY SOMEONE WILL PULL INTO OUR YARD AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AS THE GREAT GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER WHO ' S GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER USED TO MILK COWS IN THAT BARN . THAN I COULD PROUDLY SHOW THEM THE ORIGINAL HOUSE, BARN, SUMMER KITCHEN, AND OUTBUILDINGS INSTEAD OF WHERE THEY USE TO BE BECAUSE I TORE THEM DOWN NOT EVEN CARING ABOUT SOMEBODY ELSE'S HISTORY AND WHAT IT COULD MEAN TO THEM YEARS LATER.

ONCE I GET WRITING SOMETIMES I JUST CAN NOT STOP, SO I HAVE A LITTLE STORY TO TELL FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO READ ON. AS MANY KNOW GOING TO A HORSE SHOW IS STRESSFUL AND A LOT OF HARD WORK, BUT BEFORE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF GRUELING HOURS THAT GO INTO IT, AND WHEN THAT CHILD AND HORSE CLICK AFTER ALL THAT HARD WORK IT REALLY BRINGS TEARS TO YOUR EYES, BUT STANDING BACK AND WATCHING THE PARENTS WHEN THEIR CHILD DOES WELL IS PRICELESS. NOTHING IS MORE SATISFYING AS A TRAINER AND PARENT TO WATCH ANOTHER PARENT EXPERIENCE THAT EMOTION. CONGRATS TO ALL THE KIDS WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD WITH THEIR HORSES, THEY ARE ALL VERY DEDICATED AND HAVE A STRONG BOND NOT ONLY WITH THEIR HORSES BUT WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NOBODY CAN EVER TAKE WAY.

CHECK IT OUT. JADA RIDING MJ, PRETTY COOL. THE FARM HAS BEEN VERY BUSY GETTING READY FOR A CLINIC THIS WEEKEND, PREPARING FOR OUR FIRST DRESSAGE SHOW AND LIKE ALWAYS GETTING KIDS READY FOR THE COUNTY FAIR WHICH IS COMING UP FAST. REALLY WHERE DOES ALL THE TIME GO! SOMETIMES I CAN NOT EVEN THINK STRAIGHT, BUT MOM AND I ARE GOING ON A LITTLE GET AWAY THIS WEEKEND HEADING TO OGEMA, WI. WHERE THE HELL IS OGEMA SOMEWHERE NORTHWEST THEY TELL ME, BUT IT HAPPENS TO BE WHERE THE ORIGINAL SODERBECK FARM WAS WHEN MY ANCESTORS CAME OFF OF THE BOATS FROM SWEDEN YEARS AND YEARS AGO. I WILL BE TOURING MY FATHERS OLD STOMPING GROUNDS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IS LEFT BUT I GUESS I WILL FIND OUT. IT IS STILL PRETTY COOL THAT I HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, TRUST ME I WILL NOT FORGET THE WINE:-)

Busy weekend. We survived the horse show. Tears of happiness presented itself and tears of defeat. Jada got a bloody nose right before her riding class which really sucked, but that how it goes. There is always more. Today was catching up. mowing lawn and training and cleaning. oh my. Belle is doing amazing we are cantering and working on headset. Oh and my dressage saddle arrived amazing. I love it and so does Rebel.

ALL THE HAY IS OFF THE FIELD YEAH!!!!!! HOPEFULLY LESSONS TOMORROW, A FULL DAY OF THEM.

JUST GOT IN FROM THE BARN. WHAT A GREAT NIGHT, OUR OPEN RIDING WAS AWESOME. THE KIDS ARE LEARNING TO HAVE FUN WITH THEIR HORSES AND WE COULD NOT GET THEM OFF OF THEM. THE GREAT NEWS IS JADA CANTERED WITH BARNEY I WAS SO PROUD OF HER. ALL OF HER FRIENDS ENCOURAGED HER AND THERE IT WAS, SHE WAS SMILE FROM EAR TO EAR. WE ALSO GOT A NEW ADDITION TO THE BARN, HERBIE AND SADIE. SADIE GOT HER VERY OWN HORSE AND THEY MAKE A PERFECT MATCH. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! BELLA GOT THE NIGHT OFF.