The Christmas church program was wonderful, all the kids did a super job and while Maddy and Jada were putting milk and cookies out for Santa, Ken and I snuck out on a trailride and it is 11pm and we just gotback.    It was  wonderful !  I rode Coco and Ken rode Mj, we must have seen at least 20 deer which was pretty cool---now I am warming put with a glass of spiced christmas wine.  Merry Christmas everyone.  Enjoy all the little ones opening up all their presents:-)

Pictures went really well, now I am listening to Jada play the piano--what a beautiful job she does.   I am so proud of her. Hopefully all goes well at church for the girls program, than mama is hoping to go for a Christmas eve trail ride.  Keep your fingers crossed.  We also have all of our donations for the humane society waiting for delivery, thanks to all who participated had a lot donated and glad out kids could be part of helping others over the HOLIDAYS.

                                                       MADISON AND COCO

                                                                  JADA AND BARNEY

                                                      KEN AND MJ           DEB AND REBEL

Nice day, getting ready for Santa, the kids are all excited to open presents.   My sister came down and we got pics to try to make a winter card since I didn't get them out for christmas.   Oh well better late than never!

What a wonderful way to start a weekend-- with a night ride!!!  Eric came over so Madison, Eric and I went on a ride, the stars were amazing and the fresh snow made everything so bright.  All the horses did great and it was really nice to see Eric it has been a while, I really miss having him around:-( Well this is the time of year to thank GOD for everything that we have and I try to do that faithfully everyday, because I am truely blessed.    Than this morning the girls and I were cleaning stalls all pretty and Belle wanted to go for a ride, well hell yeah  I'm game!!!!   So I saddled her up first time since her accident and off we went, it was amazing.   I didn't even lunge her and we went out back for a ride in the snow and had a blast, she is quite a horse and I love her so much.  Now headed to the in laws for christmas.   MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!

     I just had an awesome weekend with old and new friends in Sturgeon Bay and now I can't believe that I am picking shit in the mud in the middle of December and being able to ride horse in he outdoor arena----AWESOME!!!!!   I got to ride Rebel to night while Jada videoed us and my great husband put it online for me, sense I am computer DUMB. lol.   Than I got to ride Claudia the paint mare I will be showing this summer and she did fabulous, Jada might be showing her also pending on how Belle turns around:-(  Hopefully I will be able to start working her soon.  I am still waiting on whether I will be accepted on training a horse for the trainers challenge for Pipers Rescue Ranch, kinda excited about it but only time will tell.  Also waiting on the next snow storm to go sledding and ride in the snow--- an absolute high!!!   Above is Coco, Madison's horse, pulling uncle Chops on the tube, can't wait for next time!!!

What an awesome night for a ride!!  Shantel came over and we took Rebel and Coco for a ride, we saw 5 falling stars.  Looking up into the beautiful sky really makes me thank our creator because he did an amazing job, everyone should not take that beauty for granted.   Hopefully we get some more snow so we can ride in the blanket of beauty cause God knows I hate to drive in it. lol

Another super duper ride!!! Riding the horse you absolutely love at night in fresh snow is breath taking.   The kids were getting pulled by the snowmobile and Rebel and I were running along side cheering them on.   Ride on my friends Ride on!!!!!!!!

What a beautiful day!!!!  I just got in from riding horses in the fresh snow and teaching one to pull a sled.  I had to work out a few kinks but in no time Coco was pulling her little girl in the sled, it was a blast.  Madison yelling faster so I kick it up to the next gear and away we went, snow blasting Maddy in the face while she is shrieking with excitement.   What could be better than that?    Than after I gave Coco a good work out I saddled up Mj and went for a ride---a very relaxing one through the woods looking for deer tracks, now Rebel is in the stall waiting, I think I am going to pony him behind the snowmobile before I get on him, he usually is way to exciting with the first snow fall, lol.
    Update on Miss Belle she is still healing but doing well I have lunged her a few times and she seems like she is going to pull out of this sound but only time will tell.     Everybody enjoy riding in the snow and stay safe!!!!

The girls and I just finished watching the movie "Dark Horse", makes me cry everytime, but an excellent movie.  I guess its good to clear the tear ducts every once in a while.

     This morning I wake up and I always check out my bedroom window and count horses, as I peered out the window Belle ears were forward looking at something, something I couldn't see.   I look out the living room window and Yogi is tearing up the ground like something is out of place.  Without question, I start to get dressed because something wasn't right, I look out the back door and sure shit there goes one of our beef cows not where she is suppose to be and ohhhh there goes the other one, mind you we only have two, thank GOD.    Soon the whole house knows there is a problem and out I go cause they were running towards the road looking for play mates-  not good.    Thank goodness they love their corn bucket, I am out there hollering come here bessies! Come here bessies! Come get your corn!  Laughing at my self thinking shit this is never going to work, the end result will be high speed beef, Right.    Well, after a couple shakes they stopped in there tracks spun around and were running towards me. What a sight! I am in their pen running with their corn while they are on the other side trying to catch me and all I am hoping is that I find the opening where the fence is down.  Running, running, hoping.  There it is, fence down only one strand, the bottom.   I am on the inside they are on the outside licking the bucket cause that was the only leverage I had for those two beast, we are face to face I am holding up the top wire pleading to the cows to go under neath.  Almost! Here comes Ken and the dogs there went the cows!
     Round two:  High speed beef???? Late for work.  Kids late for school, great Friday morning.   Lets go get Barney.  The girls helped me saddle barney while Ken got the bobcat with a round bale--bribery??? Nah! That did not work either, but Barney was the hero, he got on them cows like flies on shit.   He was amazing, we herded them cows up like we were doing that all our lives and we put them right where they be long---in their pen with fence on this time!
     When it was all said and done, it is a story of a wonderful horse that we are honored to own, he taught both of our kids to ride and many adults too and when we need to get shit down right we can count on him for anything.  He is truly amazing and we will enjoy every bit of life he has to offer, from going down the trail, to running a barrel pattern or chasing cows  he is the best horse a family could own.    

The house is so quiet--family is at high school football game,  mom is home relaxing.    I have been working everyday including saturdays, my sub is on medical leave until 11-11, so alot of things are not getting done.  Oh well at least  Iam making money to pay Belle's vet bill.   By the way, she is doing well slow but surely she is healing, prety soon she will be bandage free....YEAH!!!!!  Above is the pic from Monday when vet  cut off her proud flesh. Yikes.

    

     Jada comes home from school yesterday with a get well card for Belle that all the kids signed, talk about pulling on heart strings.    But we did get good news Belle is doing very well she is still sound and healing well.    The vet says she is getting an opinion about getting her temp. taken, which don't surprise me none. She is quite a mare and that is why I know she is going to pull through this like a champ.  She has a lot of support and we really miss her at home and lessons learned the hard way.    The whole family including myself got educated and reminded that no matter how careful you may be or how much riding you have underneath your belt----life can throw you a loop.   Thank God it wasn't worse, thank God my kid is not in the hospital.     Hopefully Belle will be home Friday and that she continues a quick recovery.

My brain is still spinning, my emotions are still high, trying to keep everything in control without totally losing my mind.  I wanted to end the weekend with a ride, so I saddled up Belle and went off for an adventure and everything was going great. Left the farm without a problem, passed the cows, passed a group of riders, crossed the creek and enjoyed every bit of the fall smells and smiled. Well that was short lived I decided to crest a hill and as I was descending I  heard a TWANG. Heart dropped and I new we were in trouble, it was deadly barbed wire!  I jumped off of Belle three legs escaped the nasty tangle, but the left hind wasn't so lucky.   In 30 seconds a lot of damage can be done, so close to hitting an artery where she would of bled out before we made it home.   Thanks God she quit fighting so I could untangle her leg and started toward home which was a mile away.   She was a trooper, we had to cross the creek up hills down hills finally made it.  Not wasting anytime off to the vet we went not expecting the news.   All I heard was hock joint- infection- a week in the hospital and $2000.   Holy shit shoot me now.   Look at what I did to my kids horse, how can I not fix her.   So I signed the release and come home without a horse and a worried family wondering what the next few days will bring.   

What a beautiful weekend?  Went riding with 16 other women at Spur of the Moment Ranch and had a wonderful time---great riding, good food, and better drinks and most of all a lot of laughs.   If the saying laughing makes you live longer is true, we all added a few years.   The most exciting part of the weekend is we added a new addition to the family, her name is cocoa, a black and white 8 year old paint mare for our youngest daughter Madison.  We have been searching a long time to replace good old Barney and we finally found her.   They fly like the wind together, its magical watching rider and horse connect like they do.  As a mom my heart stops a little bit and at the same time you get teared up because they are so perfect together, now both of our girls have their girls to take care of them and grow together.
     Just got off the phone with Micah's trainer things are going a little better with the help of Billy and Cuckoo.  Micah is doing all three gaits, but is born a runner, he don't want to be a western pleasure horse. He is thinking barrels would be more fun, what ever it is it is at least we can make him in to something where he will be happy.  Wednesday I will go observe his training and make the call to keep him in or out.  Happy trails to all who have been enjoying this beautiful weather!!!!!!
    

     This weekend I watched a really good movie if you like tear jerkers, I need to watch one of them every now and again.   The name of it was " A Little Bit of Heaven" with Kate Hudson, I just love her, well she didn't disappoint me, another excellent movie.  She was a young lady that found out she had colon cancer at the age of 25, what a life changing moment.  Movie or not you start to think about all the people you have known or know that have lost their lives to cancer or are fighting for every  minute of their life.   My hat goes off to all of them and the people around them that have supported them, because in reality when they pass on we are still here grieving.   You might see something that reminds you of them or hear a song that triggers a memory, I would like to hope that most of the tears we shed are happy ones, I know mine are with a little sadness because you miss them so much.  That movie triggers this and makes one ask themselves about their life.  What am I doing right now?   What do you want to do?   Are you happy?  Did you experience love? Do you want a family?   Out of all the questions I always think Are you happy is the important one, because if you are not happy you are not going to experience the treasures of life.   I personally have always set goals and made them---some people say its my pig headedness--- I want to say its my passion for life.   Without passion what the hell is life!  I couldn't imagine riding horse just cause, or going to work hating it, kissing my husband because he is the man I married.....No I do all them things because I love them and its my choice.  If I didn't want to ride no more I would get a motorcycle, if I didn't like my job I would relocate and surely if I didn't enjoy kissing my husband I would divorce him.    Sounds drastic to some people but not me, its life and if you are going to live it you should be happy.   Chances are if you are happy so will the people around you be--its contagious.  

I guess I do the best writing in the morning, quiet house, sleeping kids.  Well, we all survived fair weekend. Jada's horse, Belle did good at the fair for her first time, we took her everyday to prepare her for the sale of champions on Sunday than Friday night I had a dream to bring Barney and leave her home, so we did.   Call me weird but I listen when stuff like that happens if only other things could be so clear----like Mr Micah.    Micah he is a work in progress not to sure about him, I like him and what to continue liking him but some days it is really hard when he is a spaz.   He is a 5yr old Appendix I sent out to training and that was hard to do, I usually do it myself and let me tell you it is so hard to trust someone with your animal when u are on the other side of the scene.   My boy is an hour away I only see him once a week if I am lucky.  I think right now he is pissed off at me and that makes me sad.   Only time will tell if he is going to work out.   I know it will take longer than normal because he has been in situations before we can only assume with his behavior  or he is just a head case and I will have to move on.....what else does a person do,  how much money can one dish out?
     I also ran into a long time friend at the fair with his family----and I call him the lucky man that still had something to share  because 2years ago he was in an accident where his tractor ran him over and just about killed him.   No one thought he would ever pull through, but with Gods prayers he did, he looked amazing I could not believe it was him.  We hugged and bullshitted about horses cause I trained every horse he ever rode.  What a guy!! What a strong support system!!!!   That is what it is all about God, strong family, and true friends.  Sometimes life leads us all a stray, but the ones that find that correct path really have something to share.   They are the strong ones, the survivors!  So please don't take your life for granted and listen to the little things, because some times those are the things that really stop us in our tracks for a brief second and save us.

Waiting for my coffee to brew is one of my best things to do in the morning---the smell is amazing, but drinking it is my favorite.   I recently tried the french vanilla folgers yummy yummy top it off with a little almond milk and good to go.

     This week has been a little busy its fair time, plus madison is sick on top of it.  They say its just allergies which is good at least its not west niles or the crouping cough.  I guess we can handle the allergies, she just is not thinking that spray up her nose is a good thing. LOL.  As for Jada had to run and get picture thats after we had a photo shoot with a hyped up horse and a soon to be teenager.....Fun Fun!   My sister and I survived and the pictures are awesome.  Now it is to the fair everyday after work today with cupcakes, tomorrow with Belle, the next day with Belle and ect...... Jada qualified for the sale of champions and the horses do not stay at the fair so we have to run them back and forth and Belle has never seen a ferris wheel, pigs, or chickens----this should be at least exciting.  HA HA.  God please be with us the next few days so I don't have to turn to mount royal light for comfort.LOL

     Mondays are my day off at work from running the mail, so I get a little free time which is super, sometimes I get stuff done while other days I might just watch a classic movie.  Well today I am counting our families blessing which has happened in the past and totally freaks me out.  Sometimes I wonder if my time is drawing nearer.
     We were headed up to the in laws just pull in the drive way and I am hearing a horn go off like it is stuck or the alarm or something---kept going on with life---thinking to myself weird.   Ten minutes later we heard someone pulled out on the highway and hit another car and at that point hair stands up on the back of your neck,because it easily could have been us.At that moment you give your kids the biggest hug ever and thank the Lord we were all still together and that I did have to go to the bathroom before we left home.  Things happen for a reason--right.

BACK AT IT!!!

This time of year always makes me want to write so here I am again.  Life has changed alot since last year, we closed our barn last fall which opened alot of windows for the family.  The kids are growing up so fast and I don't ever want to look back at my life and realized that I missed it because I was to busy.   So decisions were made with no regrets and we have been going nonstop since.  Jada who is 11 is showing in pleasure shows on a 5year old QH mare, Belle, who you guys might remember from previous posts and they are doing awesome together.  Our youngest Madison, who is 8, is running barrels with her horse Barney and leading in her division for high point.  We are so proud of both of them as for Ken and I we are strong as ever and enjoying our time together with our kids and our less hectic schedule.
     This time around with the blog I will concentrate on life. Sometimes when you are laying in bed and thinking about something do you ever just want to write it down or discuss it??? I do. So it might get  a little random or crazy, but I am doing this for my mental health no one elses, but along the way it might inspire someone to do a good deed or think about your own lives and really look at it.  Maybe you might pick up the phone and call someone you haven't talked to in a while or tell someone you love them and really mean it.. So I guess I will see how this goes, talk to ya all soon.