Christmas letter and all that.....

Well, here I go! I completely lost track of time and not only did it become December, but apparently I fell off my "oath to blogging" wagon! So, with my coffee cup in hand and snow falling outside, my annual Christmas letter will appear!  (and yes...it is snowing again, adding to the 2+ feet of snow we already have!)


Each year for us is generally very much like the last, only it seems to be in fast forward as the years add up. Aside from some crazy things at work, it was a pretty basic year. We spent some time up at Breezy Point and Battle Lake over the New Year. Megan is still a girl scout Brownie and she doubled her cookie sales from the year before!  I went to Las Vegas in February for a Veterinary Convention. I did not come back a millionaire as it is very difficult to win millions, just one penny at a time! Kris still works at LaMettry's and we still are happy to be at our little hobby farm in the country.  I think we gained a dog, sold a horse, bought a horse and gained too many kittens. As I said.......pretty basic year. Ok, I will get you more details!


Megan turned 9 in November. She is in 3rd grade and absolutely loves school and her teacher. She is a very good reader and got to be in an enrichment reading class this year. Her best friend is Kaitlyn and they were both VERY excited to be in the same class this year. They are great friends and spend as much time together as possible.  The two of them showed their horses together all summer long. She sold her pony Lieba to another little girl this past summer.  (Which was pretty tough on Mom, by the way! But it was her decision.) She decided she wanted something faster and that Lieba was much happier going slow and teaching another little girl the ways of the saddle. So after lots of talking and looking she sold Lieba and bought Leah. Leah is the horse that every little 9 year old girl would love to have. She is an absolute gem. She is a 21 year old quarter horse mare that loves my kid as much as Meg loves her. They are an excellent team. Meg wanted to go faster and fast is what Leah will do......only when asked though- which makes her "Mom's" gem as well.  They won ribbons and achieved goals this summer and can't wait until next year. We have tons of video and pics of this dynamic duo. 


In August, Megan got to be one of the flower girls in her uncle Cory's wedding. What a beautiful wedding it was! Jenny was a gorgeous bride and we are so happy to have her as part of the family. Megan thought it was great fun to be all dressed up and dancing the night away. 


This fall, as usual, we did quite a bit of trial riding again. I found it to be the most wonderful "family" time. I realized how much my daughter had grown just from one year to the next. Many times, just the two of us would throw the horses in the trailer and take off for an afternoon of riding. I absolutely cherish the memories we all made from the back of our horses this year. Kris and I did our annual Dodge trail ride over our 12th anniversary weekend. It was a beautiful weekend with warm temps and sun shining. Kris is still riding his trusty mount Jamr and I have my 3 year old Chancy. She truly is turning into a great horse. We did not get to show much this year, but enjoyed our time together in the arena and on the trails as well. 


In November, Jeff and Heather had their little girl!  Megan is so excited to finally have another girl in the family, not that she loves Hayden, Brody and Broc any less!  Of course, she can't wait to teach Taylor the joys of horses! Watch out Jeff and Heather!


This brings us to the end of 2010......so hard to believe. We were busy all the time this year, but wouldn't want it any other way. We are truly blessed with wonderful family and great friends. This was a year to just remember what's important and cherish the memories we've made. Hope this finds all of you with warm hearts and smiles on your faces. Wishing you all the most merriest Christmas and a fabulous 2011!
Take care!
Love, 
Kris, Heather, Megan (the 2-leggeds)
Sophie, ChaChing and Nemo (the ankle-biters)
Leah, Chancy, Caddi, Jamr & Carrots (the eating machines)
Abby, Sassy, Curious, Black Stripes, Twister, Noodles, & Flower (the barn staff)






Ok- and this is also my pledge to keep up my blogging, so check in often to see what we are up to or check out my old posts!!! 

How time flies!!!

Wow- I cannot believe that October is already over! How time flies when you are having fun! 
October is always a busy month for us as it is usually when we are able to get the most trail riding in, so our weekends are pretty full. Here are the highlights of our October fun.....
We started off the month with a quick visit from my Auntie Jane who was in town from Vancouver for work convention. She was able to come to our little farm for a quick visit with my parents and Greg and Bill. Amazing how even though we are able to see her very little, family always picks up right where we left off and we had a fabulous visit and dinner. Loved being able to share my animals and farm with her. Nemo was pretty sure he just wanted to hop a plane and go home with her! 
The next weekend was our 12 year anniversary and annual trip to the Dodge trail ride in Wisconsin.  This was our 6th year in a row of going on this ride.There are usually about 400 to 500 riders on this ride.  We had warmer than usual temps and plenty of sun to go along with great friends and great horses for a nice long weekend.  My parents came to stay with Megan and take care of the rest of the animals that we left behind. Thanks Mom and Dad!
The following weekend we were actually home, but Meg and I did make it out for a ride at Murphy with her friend from girl scouts, her Dad and brother. This was especially fun as usually Meg has to hang with the adults when we go trail riding.  We rode for a few hours on a beautiful fall day. 

The weekend after that I went to our last big club show of the year up in Fergus Falls. I was not showing, but my friend Linda Jo's horse was in the derby, so we drove up and helped out with the runnings of the show and took care of Riskey and cheered him on to a belt buckle win in the limited open breeders derby. Megan got to come along and meet up with Grandma and Grandpa Haagenson as it was MEA weekend and she did not have school or daycare, so she chose going to the "lake" instead of hanging with Mom! hahaha

The last and final weekend of October Chuck, Linda Jo, Kris and I went to the Pillsbury Forest  near Brainerd for the weekend. We left Friday morning and after road construction, a few detours and a blown tire on our trailer, we had a fabulous weekend with chilly, but sunny and dry weather. We will definitely be heading back there and will have to bring Megan there as well, as I am sure that she would love the trails! We had quite the adventure! Even saw some wildlife.....including a ticked off porcupine!  Curt and Mavis came and stayed with her while we were gone this time and were able to celebrate an early birthday with her as well. 

camp at Pillsbury

Kris and Nemo

The map.......hmmm it is a tricky one!

Nemo hiding

Notice the snow on the ground

We also made time for pumpkin carving and Halloween somewhere in this crazy month!

Of course Megan was, believe it or not, a COWGIRL for halloween!! 

Now on to November.......an equally busy month that started off right away with Megan's 9th birthday!!! November updates coming soon! 

The joys of hard work

Really? The joys of hard work?
They always say that a good days hard work is great as you really feel as though you have accomplished something for the day.  As I sit here with a sore back and tired muscles in my arms and even in my hands and fingers, feeling relatively exhausted...........I guess I do have to agree. It is a pain in the butt to stack hay and there are certainly days that I really wonder why the heck I do it year after year, but when it is all said and done and the barn is full of hay, all ready for winter, it is always a really great feeling.  Putting up hay is something that we all dread to a certain degree, but I have found aside from the physical part of hay, you get the benefit of time spent with friends and family as well.  Some of our best stories have been told while stacking hay. A few of the best jokes or the laughs that last so long that your belly hurts......all while putting up hay. Sure we gripe a bit as we do it, but that is half the fun as none of us are ever really that serious.  You dig in and get it done and then before you know it, it is done! Spending quality time up in the rafters of a barn with hay up your nose and down your bra are hours well spent!! The horses seem to almost give a look of appreciation, or that might be just satisfaction in their eyes knowing that they will have feed for the winter. Either way it is a good feeling to have it done for the year.  
A special thanks to my neighbors and friends and my family, even Megan helped with hay this year, for time well spent and work well done.  Feels great! 
Ok- arms too tired to type anymore........ice cream and TV time, here I come! 

Coffee....

This is my tribute to coffee.
There is just something magical about coffee in the morning, don't ya think? As many know, I am not anywhere close to being a morning person, but coffee makes it bearable and somewhat enjoyable to have mornings. There is something about that smell lingering in the house on a crisp morning, like this one, that just makes it all ok.  The smell not only wakes me up as I zombie walk to the pot, but brings me back in time to mornings of waking up to that smell at home, at grandma's or at Crosslake. All good family gatherings always have that rich coffee smell and I think that is part of the reason I love it so much.  As I am starting my process of waking up in the morning, it is nice to reflect on a few memories each day. Now there are days that I simply rush to the coffee pot and  fly around the house like a crazy woman, but the days that I take just a half a minute to bring up a memory- my whole day turns out better, I am pretty sure. 


Coffee is an acquired taste, that is for certain. Some like it doctored up with cream and sugar and all sorts of fancy stuff. I myself, prefer it black. I think in some way, the way you take your coffee, reflects on your individual personality and traits. I find myself to be a blunt and straight forward person. I like people to tell me how it is, no sugar coating or beating around the bush........just like my coffee. It can be a bit bitter at times, but I always know exactly what I am getting with black coffee. Now, having that said, there is an occasional time where I like to add some generic creamer stuff to it. I also love a raspberry mocha from time to time, but for the most part, especially in the mornings, I like it black and to the point. 


The absolute best tasting coffee is the coffee I make while camping out of my percolating coffee pot. I am not sure that the taste is any different, as I use the same can of Folgers, but the process takes longer, the smell is stronger, and the air is usually crisper. When I get up to make coffee while camping, it is usually a very quiet and peaceful time of the day, the only time I love mornings.  I start the coffee and then feed the horses and get their water. By the time I have that done, coffee is almost ready. I love to sit in my lawn chair listening to the sound of horses eating and the birds chirping and just be. Just sit there and enjoy that moment. 


Coffee and I will have a long relationship-my morning partner that gets me going and keeps me from going too fast all at the same time. Who knew a beverage could do so much? 


How do you like your coffee? 

"Making the best of it" is great!

Well despite the mass flooding and rain that we had this past week and weekend, Megan and I still had a wonderful time camping with the horses at Upper Sioux Agency State Park. We arrived on Friday night just as the sun was going down after our long drive of singing songs and eating Subway.  We quickly set up camp, blanketed the horses and fed  them  and the dogs and then attempted making the campfire. It was not raining at this point, but was getting pretty chilly and was quite damp out. Our friends Dave and Trina arrived shortly after us, so joined us in the fire making attempt. It was a measly fire at best, but managed a couple s'mores anyway. The heat was on in the camper and boy did that feel good! Meg, Sophie, Nemo and I all snuggled in and went to sleep.  We woke up early to pounding rain on the rooftop and cranky horses out on the tie lines. I went out at about 5:30 am and tied them under the awning with fresh hay which made them very happy! Snuggled back in with Meg and the dogs for a bit and then we leisurely got up and hung out in our jammies in the camper for a good share of the morning, as it was still raining. We made a big breakfast with eggs and bacon, showered and just hung out. At about noon, the sky was looking brighter, so we made some lunch and low and behold the rain stopped and we were able to saddle up and go for a ride! It was pretty gloomy and we when we set out, but by the end of our ride the sun actually had come out! The woods were beautiful this time of year, even with the flooding on some of the trails. It was truly amazing to see.  The park had many areas that were underwater, but how neat to be able to see it all from horseback. After a nice ride we, went back to camp to supper and another attempt at a fire. This time Dave brought his fire ring/pit from home and we had much better luck! We shared chips, salsa, potato soup, jello, crackers, jerky, hot dogs, dessert bars, and a bottle of wine. It was a gorgeous night with the coyotes howling in the background and many stories told around the campfire.  Meg loves to do the game where each person does part of the story. We had a few pretty crazy stories in the end!! Sunday was an even nicer day and the trails were less slippery and we had a great ride yet again.  Came back and ate a late lunch, before Megan "starved to death!" and then packed up and made the trek home.  Alway hate leaving, but also nice to get home. I will share some pics of my nice relaxing weekend with some great friends and  my fabulous little girl!

Megan and Sophie Sat am

Finally stopped raining!

And so the trail ends- lots of water!

Back at camp- the sun came out even!!          

Meg and Trina on the trail? or is that the river?


Stuff from the weekend:
*Watch out for the picnic table!
*"Yea and there was this time I came upon a cougar"
*Crescent feels "oh so pretty!"
*Marshmellows should not be eaten with lighter fluid on them!
*Sparring lions, aka, Nemo and Ozzy
*Ring around the rosie to wash their legs!

Come heck or high water....

Well as the saying goes..........
Meg and I are heading out tomorrow after school for our first ever mother/daughter camping with the horses. She is so extremely excited and I have to admit that I am too!  We are going back to a state park that we went to last year as a family that she just loved. What a great way for us to be able to go and have a great weekend together.  We know that there has been a bit of rain and that we may get wet again on Sat while we are riding, but that is so not going to stop us. We have been planning this for months and by golly we are going!  We will make the best of it and at least we know we have a dry place and heat in the trailer.  We are bringing Leah, Chancy and Sophie and Nemo. It will be a trailer full, but who could ask for more? We plan on taking a bunch of pics and doing a scavenger hunt of sorts. We are going to see all the different things that we can see on the trails and truly enjoy the outdoors, even if it is wet! Of course I am praying that we stay dry, but will take it as it comes and learn the lesson of "making the best of it."  Will have a busy day tomorrow between work and getting the final things packed up, but again, worth it!  Look for pics and stories next week! Think dry thoughts for us!!

My addiction continues.....

ok - this is a quick one, but I was in the grocery store tonight and saw that there was a new Patricia Cornwell book, right there in front of me and it was on SALE! ARGRHGRGRGHHH!!
You guessed it, could not help myself, I bought the book.

This leads me into being thankful for the little things in life...and the big things too. My friend Jen-jen did a great post on her blog  tonight and it reminded me to be really thankful that I have a great bunch of people around me, family and friends alike. And..... to be thankful for the roof over my head, and my horses' heads, on a night like tonight with all the heavy rain. There are days when I get pretty stressed out over money and work and the pressures of everyday life.  If I could just remember to "chill out" and take a look around me and take those moments that I would have used stressing about things and do something constructive like, send a note to a friend, call a family member for no reason, say a prayer, smile at a stranger, or give a "squeezy" hug to my daughter.  I need many reminders to just stop and look and listen........... here's hoping you all have this mastered better than I.

I just can't stop!

A few of my friends were posting about their addictions to soaps or types of TV shows in their blog and it got me thinking. First, it got me thinking of how cheap and broke I am as I don't even get the channels that their shows are on because I refuse to pay for anything more than my antenna on my roof! hahahah  And then it got me thinking of what my favorite show would be.   I realized that I do not really have one, partly because of limited channels and partly because I would much rather pick up a book. I am not saying that on occasion I like to catch an episode of CSI Miami or The Good Wife, but for the most part I will grab a book.

Now, you may think, how wonderful to grab a book instead of sitting in front of the tv, but in actuality, it is not.  I have a severe addiction (some would classify it as a disease) to reading and once I start a book, I generally cannot stop. At least with a tv show, there is a time limit. I, however, can start a book at 9:30pm and unfortunately read until 2 or 3 am without having any idea that I have done so. I have finished books in one night many times, as I physically am unable to put it down. It is like I am in a trance or coma or under some spell, that I just keep reading and reading and page after page goes by.  I say in my head that I will be done at the end of the next chapter, but it never happens. I have such an illness that I have to hide books from myself and give myself "breaks" so that I get some sleep. I am on one of those breaks right now and my book is out in the horse trailer, so that I will have to walk outside to get it if I want it. I have not started it yet and can't even remember the title, which is a good thing or I would be sneaking out there in my slippers to read.  I am trying really hard to pace myself and teach myself some self control when it comes to books, but as yet, I still have not been very successful.  I even tried reading different types of books to see if that was part of the problem. I usually read murder/mystery/detective type books. I thought maybe they are just too intense. I borrowed some books from a friend, hoping they would be boring and I would lose interest. No such luck. I even tried to appeal to my cheap side and refuse to go to the library. I buy the books to read hoping this will help me make them last longer than a day or two. Nope. So if you have any suggestions on how to help me with my addiction, let me know! Otherwise I will continue on as I have been for many years with my current plan, or lack of one.  Happy reading!!!

Here are some of my favorite authors:

Sandra Brown

Patricia Cornwell- love the Scarpetta series

Iris Johansen

Tami Hoag

James Patterson

Mary Higgins Clark

Jonathan Kellerman

Wendi Corsi Staub 

Lisa Gardner

Dick Francis

The list goes on and on and on!!

 Ps. I plan on grabbing my book out of the horse trailer 

very soon as my "break" will soon be over!

 Yippee!!!

                            

Odd, but true....

Ok, as most of you know I am a Vet. tech, so being in that line of work I see what most people would call some really gross stuff.  You know, like, afterbirth, guts, pus, maggots, abscesses, diarrhea, etc.  I find none of the above things offensive or gross in anyway.  But I do have a few things on my list that I absolutely find to be just plain gross.  As I am coming down with a cold, or trying to fight it off, not sure which, I come to my first thing I find to be really gross.   
1. SNOT:  Any type of snot or discharge from a nose I find to be absolutely disgusting. The worst time in my life was the stage where my little girl seemed to always have a runny nose and not the skills yet to take care of it on her own. It was a daily challenge to not gag while wiping up her snot. I could amazingly tolerate it somewhat in my own kid, but let me tell you to not take offense if I suddenly shy away from your beautiful snotty child. I do not mean to be rude or hurt feelings, I am simply keeping myself from gagging. Here is a funny side note, cow and horse snot does not bother me. Hmmm   
2. FOOD PARTICLES IN DISH WATER:  Ok, there is just something nasty about partially eaten or mushy food chunks that accidently make it into dish water. I really get eeked out by this and will not wash dishes without a thick pair of rubber gloves.  
3. PEOPLE POOP:  Again, cow, horse, dog, cat or any other animal poop is never an issue for me, but people poop of any kind I find to be really gross. Again, no worries, I still like your kid, but do not expect me to help in the diaper department unless it is an emergency and there are no other options. Having that said, if your kid is bleeding profusely, you can count me in to help with that, not a problem as blood never bothers me!!  
4. THE SOUND OF A JUICY BUG BEING SQUISHED:  Enough said.......gag, gag, gag, gag.......
5. Last but not least, DROOL:  Again, sorry parents with really cute kids that are teething.   Drool has a texture to it that it can slime all on it's own that is truly gross. This one thing is an exception to my rule of things I do not mind from the animals, excessive drool from any creature can get me. Yuck!!


There ya go, my list of gross things.  I just knew you all wanted to know what gets me, right? Hahahahah Oh well, I shared anyway! :)

Thanks Tina!

Well, this post is to thank my long-time friend Tina for getting me into the blog thing.  She put the challenge out there for the September blog-a thon, and I accepted. However, I have to modify my September plan.  I have found that I really enjoy jotting down some thoughts and sharing some photos on my blog, but realize that I do not necessarily enjoy doing it every day. So, I have decided that I will continue with my blog and post things every few days instead of everyday, so I have failed the blog-a thon!! As much as I wanted to meet your challenge Tina, I decided that a blog should be something that I enjoy and not something I feel that I have to get done, as I have so many things that I have to get done!! hahah I find some days that an idea or thought just jumps in my head and is screaming to be typed out, those are the days that I will post.  My new goal is at least 3 times a week and I think that is a more realistic goal for me.  I have to give cudos to all that have kept up with it and will make it through! Way to go!! I have enjoyed reading and writing and thanks again Tina for getting me into the crazy world of blogging. I hope to continue to share my strange and busy life and get a peek into other's lives as well. I find reading others is almost as much therapy as writing my own!  Until later.........

Mondays.....

So, really why is it that Mondays are so much harder than any other day of the week?

As I was sipping my much needed coffee this morning I was trying to figure out why Mondays are always so tough for me. I go to bed at the same time or earlier than all the other weekdays, but still when that alarm goes off, I feel an extra bit of disdain for the poor thing. Really, it is a good little appliance, that I tend to abuse on a regular basis and yet  it still faithfully performs it's job no matter what.  If we could all be more like an alarm clock, never complaining and always first one up for the day!  Of course, if all I had to do once I was up was make a little noise and then go back to quietly sitting on the dresser, I may complain less too! Anyway, I figure my Monday attitude must be more psychological than anything. Surprise, surprise, huh? Hahahaha  Must be the knowing that there is an entire full week ahead of me and I tend to take Mondays to organize the week and figure what all has to be done. Sometimes that gets a bit overwhelming, but as the week goes on, what looked like a week that was going to be crazy out of control, usually never is.  I believe that I, as do others I am sure, can sometimes get ourselves psyched out by our own "lists."  I will do an experiment for next Monday......I will plan out my week on the previous Fri and see if this helps my Mondays seem less daunting.  I doubt I will ever have a great love for Mondays as I really love my weekends, but going to try to amend my Monday attitude just slightly.........as long as there is still coffee........

Let the laundry and the dishes wait!!

Well, this afternoon I should have been finishing laundry and dishes and other mundane house chores, but Meg and I decided it was such a nice day and the DNR website said that the trails were finally open in Jordan............so .......you guessed it!  We went riding!!!   We had such a nice time. It was just Meg and I and our fabulous horses out in the woods on a beautiful day.  As we pulled in and were getting saddled up, I realized how much my daughter has really grown up this year.  She unloaded  her own horse by herself, proceeded to brush her out without any prompting and then went right to picking out her feet before throwing her saddle pad on and asking me to help get her saddled.  Wow.  She knows all that needs to be done and just does it. So we hopped on and rode through the forest and along the riverbanks.  How lucky can one person be?  I have never pushed the horse thing on Meg, she seems just as crazy about it all as I do and how wonderful that we can share this amazing passion with each other and have afternoons like we did today.  As we were loping along pretending to be princesses on our way back to the castle to warn the people of evil lurking from a far away land, I loved my little girl a hundred times more than I did a few minutes earlier. Not because she was sharing my passion, but because she was sharing her young mind with me and I got to be a kid this afternoon too!  Again.....how lucky can one person be?  Here are some pics from our day......

picking out Leah's feet

Heading out on the trail

the river

Our 1st attempt at taking a pic of the 2 of us while still riding our horses!! We had the giggles!

Attempt #2.... still giggling!

Meg wanted to see if I could take pics while we were both running ! Yep I can!!
Running to the castle through the enchanted forest!

Heading back-checking for secret paths that may lead to another land!

Relaxing while the horses eat some grass and cool out. What a great day!

Happy and tired horses. 

Some days

All I have for today is that I am so thankful for my family, my wonderful friends, my roof over my head, my animals and.........................
that I am not one of those completely stupid people!  I am not talking about actual intelligence here.......I am referring to those people that you just cannot figure out if they just left the house with their head not attached or what. I have a few of those types of people that I have to deal with on a pretty regular basis. Very nice people with PhD's and degrees, but still manage to ignore the laws of nature and life. This blog is to help me not focus on their blatant idiocy, but to just simply be thankful knowing I am not one of them!! hahaha
There, I feel better as I got to vent and who knows? Maybe tomorrow they will attach their head to their shoulders and the soap opera that surrounds them will disappear!

Ok- I apologize as this was a pretty negative sounding post, so I will post a  cute pic to make it better and promise to post a happy and upbeat post tomorrow!! :)

From Sophie...

Well, I will not be near a computer at all tomorrow, so I would be missing a day in the blog-a thon, so Sophie, Megan's dog decided to stand in for me and post a blog for Friday...

Hello...my name is Sophie. When I was a puppy is when I came to this family and got my very own kid.  I came on the kid's 4th birthday.  I had a pretty pink bow on my head and I instantly loved my kid. Even when she squeezed me really tight! I am the smartest, fastest, mostest love-able-est dog ever! I am also very humble as you can tell.   I have lots of responsibilities in my house, but my favorite is taking care of my kid. True, she does drive me a little crazy sometimes when she makes me go down the slide or dress up like Tinkerbell. Of course, there was also that time that she locked me in the closet and put me in her toy barn, but let me tell you all the cool stuff that we get to do that is not so much like torture.  Every night I get to sleep in her bed with her and she is very snuggly so I like that as I am always cold!  All she has to do is say "bedtime" and I can't run fast enough to get there.  I keep trying to master going up the ladder to the bed on my own, but still need a little help.  The other thing my kid likes to do with me is teach me tricks. I can jump over stuff and onto  stuff and I can run faster than all of her friends,  she said that just today!  My kid also gives me baths and paints my toe-nails. I know the mom and dad think I don't like this, but actually I think it makes my paws pretty so I sit very still and let my kid fix me up! The very best part of the day is when my kid comes home.  My whole body goes crazy! I really have little to no control over it- I just wiggle and wag and go nuts because I am sooooo happy!! I even "smile!"  She also feeds me treats and lets me rest in her cool bean bag when we are hanging out in her room.  When my kid goes to visit the grandmas and grandpas, which are really cool people by the way, I get to go along with! That is the best as it is so much easier to protect and keep an eye on the kid when I get to go with.  Every once in awhile my kid goes to a "sleepover" and whatever that is, I do NOT like when that happens as I am left home without her and am very sad until she comes back.  I take my job very seriously and it is hard to do if I can't find my kid, trust me I look all over the house and then the mom tells me she is at a sleepover.  I know there are lots of dogs out there that don't even come close to having a cool life like I do, so I put up with some crazy things that my kid asks me to do because I truly love her and never want to be without her. I wish that all dogs could have their very own kid like I do.
One of my other jobs at this house to is take care of all snakes or mice or anything that gets near the house that should not. I am lightning fast, if I do say so myself, at ridding the yard of any varmints that should not be there. Not only am I fast, but precise.  I excel at this job. My brother and sister (ChaChing and Nemo) are unfortunately not as gifted as I am in this department, so they just bark to let me know and then I take care of it.
I am also a fabulous guard dog, despite my 12 pound stature.  My kid and family will never have to worry about any boogeymen when I am around because I am one tough dog with a very big bark, well maybe it is not so big, but I am sure that it would scare away bad guys.

Anyway, I have it good. I have a warm house,  my own kid, friends, a family and even a winter jacket for those chilly months.  What more could a dog ask for?

Snuggly kid

My new dog "snuggie"- keeps me warm!

BEDTIME!!!!

My kid when she was 4 and I was little. I promise I was not as scared as I look in this picture!! 

Strange....

Ok, I just had to share this as I found it to be the weirdest thing ever. I had to run to Canterbury today and I was in the parking lot, in my car, when I noticed a little old man fumbling with something out of his pocket. So- I sat there and watched for a minute. He was fumbling with a "I love my Cub" bumper sticker. I sat there and watched trying to figure out what he was doing. He proceeded to walk from his car to a different one and then peeled the backing off of the sticker and placed it on the car. After that he pulled out a roll of scotch tape and proceeded to tape around the edges of the bumper sticker. So, if that was not weird enough, he pulled out another "I love my Cub" bumper sticker and put one in the back window of the car as well.  I figured maybe he knew the person that drives that car and it was a funny joke. I was about to get out of my car and go about my business, when he pulled out yet another sticker and proceeded to another car!! At this point I really began to think that was pretty odd and decided that maybe if I got out of my car that would startle him and he would stop with his crazy bumper sticker ritual. No such luck, he went right on stickin'!! Not sure how many cars at Canterbury got "Cub" stickers, but at least he left mine alone! So, beware of a little old man about 75 to 80 years old in a green jacket with Cub Food stickers and a roll of scotch tape!!

Time........

Time........something I never seem to have enough of.  Especially this time of the year I start to get the "crabbies" creeping in because I start to feel the pressure of time. Of course it is the realization that laid back summer is over and winter is on it's way. This means the days are starting to get shorter and shorter and I am used to using every last bit of daylight to get everything done in my days. Fall is my all time favorite season, although it is always too short and I find myself in a forever time crunch this time of year. Suddenly I have a ton of things I need to get done outside before winter and school starts and it is also the best time of year for trail riding!!! These 3 things do not all get along very well!  If we are trail riding on the weekends, then when do we get stuff done outside and when Meg is in school, we can't take off on a Friday morning to beat the traffic. It is the most enjoyable season and also my most stressful.   I am always excited for the cooler temps and changing leaves, but going to try really hard this year to not feel the stress of all the things on my many lists and just enjoy the season. If I could only add 2 more hours to each day just during the fall- it would work out just great!! I could get everything done and enjoy myself as well. Life is so short and can be gone in an instant. I try to live each day as it is my last, however, especially this time of year I must balance my "playtime" out and get stuff done as well!! I hate that!! hahahah

Trail riding at Murphy Hanrehan- trust me those are not bows on the horses- they are dryer sheets to keep the skeeters away!

1st day of 3rd grade

Knowing it will be a busy evening tonight, I am just going to quick post 1st day pics and leave it at that.  It is a cold and windy morning for the 1st day of school. We had to change to a different outfit than previously picked out to combat the weather a bit better! And then had to grab a jacket as well! Wow! Well here they are- pics of my little 3rd grader!!!

Nemo does not want her to go this morning!

We remembered pics on the 1st day of school this year instead of the 3rd day, like last year!! hahahahahah

He ended  up coming to the bus stop with us

Sophie hates t he school bus-she was whining and shivering when she saw the backpack come out. 

Back to mornings......

Anyone that knows me at all, knows that I really do NOT do mornings. I need repeated alarms to actually get me out of bed and then once I am up, it takes me even to longer to actually be coherent and awake. I am sure that a big part of my morning trouble is that I tend to be a night owl and hate going to bed.  Lack of sleep does make it tough to "rise and shine" no matter how much coffee I consume.  Going back to school for my daughter is very much.........going back to "mornings."  I have somehow managed to replicate my morning attitude in my own kid when she is awaken before she naturally wakes up.(Otherwise she is bright, bubbly and chipper!)   We have our routine worked out, though, no talking until at least one cup of coffee for me and one cup of juice for her. We silently drink our morning beverages and quietly eat our breakfast. And as much as I hate to admit this, we somehow got into the routine of doing all of this on the bathroom floor with the hairdryer blowing on us. When we are done with breakfast, we sit side by side and start our morning chat of what our days may bring and how we slept. We then diplomatically decide which one of us has to go grab our clothes that we laid out the night before. As you see,  the person that has to get the clothes will no longer be in the warmth of the hairdryer. As the Mom, I usually go. It is a very weird routine, I know, but it really works for us and as much as we are both not looking forward to having to get up early again, we both giggled and admitted we were looking forward to our "mornings."

I always get caught!

Well, once again today I realized for the reason of my primal fear of getting in "trouble." I tend to be a rule follower and have a hard time crossing that line as I really fear the consequences. Today was yet another reminder that even when I don't mean to break the rules, I get caught!!! Ughghgh!!
Kris, Meg and I set out for a nice family trail ride at Murphy Hanrehan Park. I was busy helping Kris and Megan saddle and then getting my own horse ready to go after we got parked.  I normally park the rig and then immediately go to the little pay box and deposit my money and get my trail pass for the park.  I remember making sure when we left to have enough cash in my wallet so that I did not have to write a check. I was all set. So off we went, bridles in hand and smiles on our faces, until about an hour down the trail we came upon a police officer in the park.  How odd, I thought. He stopped and waited for us to approach. As we arrived at his car he asked to see our trail passes.   OH NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I had not went to the pay box and done that!!!! Panic mode is setting in right now!!!
 "I always pay and follow the rules officer.  I love being able to use this park and I just completely forgot as I was busy helping my family get ready to ride. "
As you can imagine he was not very sympathetic.  I am sure that is what they all say when they get caught without their trail pass.  So unable to plead my case, we got slapped with a ticket for Kris and I both at $65 a piece!!!! The trail pass is normally $7.  So, yet again......reinforcement for my ever present fear of getting in trouble.

Moms and Grandmas..........magic?

Today I am challenging anyone who reads this to find those little things that remind us of people, places and experiences we have had in the past and cherish those memories.

My thought was prompted today by an experience that I had while out on the trails with my trusty mount, Chancy the 3 year old quarter horse. It was a beautiful day filled with sunshine, a light breeze, good friends and good horses. We were walking along, thoroughly enjoying the company and the view, when suddenly we came upon a swarm of really angry ground bees. My poor little horse was desperately trying to figure out how to get them to stop stinging her and which way to go to get away.  I, of course, was really concentrating on not falling off and helping my horse get out our situation. As we are dancing, jumping, spinning and jigging around before we finally just broke to a run to get away from them, a funny thought popped into my head........"If only I had those little green capsules of medicine that my grandma and mom used to have......I could make her, and myself, as I got stung too, feel better...."  I found it odd that as I am trying to control my 1000 pound 3 year old, all I could think of was how wonderful it was to have a grandma and a mom that was always there for me when life "stung" me.  As I continued the ride, I found a smile on my face remembering some of those great times that these wonderful women had given me and how they were always there to take away the "sting" for me.  They are like magic with their words, hugs and medicine at just the right times and places.  I am so thankful for that! I never could find that magical green medicine in the little glass capsules in any drug store. Trust me, I have looked! It was the greatest stuff as it instantly took the burning and pain away.  Is it possible that my memory is a bit blurred and it was just their own special "magic" all along?
So, take a moment to remember the little things that prompt a memory and be thankful for the people in your life that have been there to whip out their little green capsules of magic for you............and..........watch out for bees that live in the ground!! They are not very friendly after your horse steps on their home!!!

Grandma Goranson and Meg

My Mom

I got nothin'.......

Well, here it is day 3 of the blog-a thon and already I have nothing popping into my  head that is worth talking about. I could mention the wind and cool temps, the stresses at work, the need to get some things done around the house or Hunter the dog visiting for the weekend, but that would a be a sentence at most and stuff that everyone already knows, so I choose today to try and load a few photos onto this post. I will try to get pics of the furry canine side of our family. Hoping it will be good practice for a day that I have something relevant to share and may need a pics to go with it! hahahaha
Here they are:

Sophie-Meg's dog

ChaChing- my crazy girl

Nemo-Kris' buddy

Nooooooo...not yet!!!!

Ok- here I go on day 2.....
As Meg and I were saddling up tonight for our regular evening ride, I got to thinking.....I really do not want school to start! I am just not ready! It is not because I am overwhelmed with my daughter being a 3rd grader, however, not sure how that happened, it is not because I am feeling sad or I worry that she will not do well or does not like school.  The reason I do not want her back in school is I know it will cut into "our time." It is a strictly selfish request that school just wait a few more weeks to start up again. I know it is an important part of life, but just not ready. I will have to go back to  enforcing bedtime rules and homework.  This means less barn time, ride time, silly time, kitty time, movie time........  I do not want to have to be the adult here and enforce the school year rules! I have so enjoyed my daughter this summer as we have had hours of long talks, many miles in the saddle together,  days when we were silly and days when we were sad.  She is such an cool little kid that makes me laugh and warms my heart. Never thought I could ever be so excited to sit at a horse show in 100 degree heat ALL DAY,  just to see that electric smile on my kids face when she runs her horse "home."  Who knew I could actually put off my shows for hers and be ok with it?  (huh- maybe I am growing up as well!! hahah)
I do know that after that first day that she comes home so excited to tell new stories and things she learned, it will all be ok. Each year she becomes a little more and more independent and maybe that is part of my school time blues as well.  In the summer, she needs me to saddle her horse and take her to the horse shows and I get to be her buddy for part of the day.  That is way more fun than homework!!!
Until next time.......

Huh.....well here goes!

Well, here I am sitting at my computer trying really hard to be creative and figure this whole blog thing out. I love checking out other people's blogs and because I am sure that I need to try to stuff one more thing into my crazy life, I feel the need to try to figure this darn thing out!
I have a wonderful family and a pretty darn good life and feel the need to share our stories with others.  Most entries will revolve around our horses and animals as they make up most of our excitement!  As a family we all have a great love and get a ton of enjoyment out of our animals, so be prepared!  We have a crazy little farm in the middle of nowhere, up on a hill, with lots of wind, trees and "nature" at it's finest.  The animals live the good life, which in turn helps us live the good life as well.


There, that is my start....now I will see if I can continue and if I really did make an entry or if I am just typing for my own enjoyment!! hahhahah