Boy am I a big behind on the HoLiDaZe...
Happy New Year !
Merry Christmas!
Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving!
We are ready for new seasons of growth already!
Out on the farm we see the seasons differently.
Instead of leaf peeping
Soybeans n seedlings signal seasons.
Sadly, so do births n deaths...
This year we lost four dear farm family members -
Most recently our beloved boy Nicodemus passed away peacefully.
Our wonderful vet came to the farm to ease his pain forever and we buried him here.
Happy rolling in the hay this fall!
Most recently our beloved boy Nicodemus passed away peacefully.
Our wonderful vet came to the farm to ease his pain forever and we buried him here.
Happy rolling in the hay this fall!
Henny Penny was found peacefully passed one early morning as I prepped for a horse show.
She was the last of our very first group of chicks 6+ years ago.
Ironically the one least likely to live as she was constantly pecked by her peers.
A pet who lived inside for TLC and yogurt treats and was laying til the end!
A friends fun father passed peacefully as well.
He was honored in the town parade with a long line of his historic tracters
We are also very much mourning the passing of a close family friend and father of a student.
Ronnie will always be remembered and missed.
Mental health and suicide are now very important issues for me.
Before you all run crying from your screen
There have been many wonderful new additions to our farm family!
For Christmas I surprised The Farmer with a Beagle puppy - "Copper!"
He gamely goes everywhere with us, mostly snug inside someone's coat!
We got a new rooster, "Jeff"this spring
and his new kids (sold to teach kids about profits)
Ronnie's beautiful family has become a blessed addition to our own.
A friends fun father passed peacefully as well.
He was honored in the town parade with a long line of his historic tracters
We are also very much mourning the passing of a close family friend and father of a student.
Ronnie will always be remembered and missed.
Mental health and suicide are now very important issues for me.
Before you all run crying from your screen
There have been many wonderful new additions to our farm family!
For Christmas I surprised The Farmer with a Beagle puppy - "Copper!"
He gamely goes everywhere with us, mostly snug inside someone's coat!
We got a new rooster, "Jeff"this spring
and his new kids (sold to teach kids about profits)
Ronnie's beautiful family has become a blessed addition to our own.
Time flies. Too fast.
This is supposed to be our family journal but...
no matter what I do, I can't keep up.
My horse business is crazy busy.
We've had too many great group outings n shows to count!
We've had too many great group outings n shows to count!
My home is somewhat neglected, but
my blessings are still bountiful.
THIS shot says it best.
Merit has healed and is back to her previous amazing self.
Praise be!!!
THIS shot says it best.
Merit has healed and is back to her previous amazing self.
Praise be!!!
Once again I'm compelled to document what I can here.
I must confess that I'm now a full time FB addict.
Feel free to check in on me here
I can't help it ~it connects me to my horsey biz buds n nearby neighbors.
But I miss my bloggy buds who share my love of home, goats, chickens n vintage goodness!
This is a pic I just found on my phone from the first day of spring when they wanted to swing at the park on the way home from school.
This is a pic I just found on my phone from the first day of spring when they wanted to swing at the park on the way home from school.
These were taken soon after when we took bikes to town for what they used to call "bike hiking."
I am all too aware how quickly these days of simple pleasures are slipping bye...
This poor tiny baby snake was 1/2 frozen on our tackroom floor early spring and I thought he was fake!
I picked him up, thinking he was Jack's toy and then screamed as he slowly moved!
Spring also brought our first time training n showing young foxhounds!
Such sweet, destructive and fun pups, Preacher n Parker were!
Poor Parker was almost attacked by sweet Merit and ran away over night in a cold rain. Kids in jammies searching n prayers on knees followed. He was home by dawn and another miracle followed..
Jack WON best junior handler at the MD Hound Show!!!
Jack was sooooo focused it caused a stir. He was almost the youngest kid out of nearly 25!
Sarah did a great job too!
School ended with the field day in which we said goodbye to our beloved principal Mrs. Townsend
Jack n Sarah both won many events!
We also celebrated as usual with a trip for ice cream, this year with our new pony pals Ben n Sammy!
After playing on a wet n muddy playground, Ben stripped!
Their super sweet farm girl mom is the bestest at arriving w/ helping hands when life is bleak!
Their super sweet farm girl mom is the bestest at arriving w/ helping hands when life is bleak!
Summer brought much fun and many stops at beautiful honor farm stands for peaches etc
It was also time for many birthdays, including my "little" boy!
He had a hunting n cammo themed Bday with much fun at the local amusement park too.
All summer he rides shotgun for me as I pull hay wagons and jumps out fast to help with hitching!
I'd love to tell you that he still plays with his tonka trucks, but really he's making ramps to jump his bike
He's now a huge help and can drive our skid steer to help put out hay and take out muck! Just in time for my accident!
He also got another clean shot on a buck n filled our freezer!
It's been another year of tennis camp n family matches, thanks to JoJo!
And we rode and we rode and we rode.
Wearing our too many pairs of boots!
Both kids also started helping me train ponies for clients!
Soooo proud of them, each with their different styles n strengths!
Bible camp was fun as ever!
There was another milestone as the kids were big enough to go off alone at our small town carnival and rode scary rides like the upside down ZIPPER that was too much for mommy n daddy!
Jack had to share his slushie at the local farm stand one hot day!
Of course we made lotsa hay. And this year The Farmer did wheat n soybeans too.
Right now he's busy building himself a huge hay n straw storage shed, and Jack really helps!
Our cute cousin from Seattle came to see DC with us!
School started and now I have a 2nd and a 5th grader (her last year at our great school)!
Sarah's now had her first "marching" band performance at a high school!
Football's not really my thing but it was pretty moving to watch her play The Star Spangled Banner on it's 200th anniversary while the flag waved proudly over Francis Scott Key H.S. at sunset!
Jack also had his first school performance! Singing and playing handbells!
Too bad I broke my collarbone end of Sept...
AND it DIDN'T HEAL after THREE months...
Almost NO USE of my right hand/arm,
unless you count my Trex like clipping n braiding for Opening Hunt...
Almost NO USE of my right hand/arm,
unless you count my Trex like clipping n braiding for Opening Hunt...
so I had SURGERY A WEEK before Christmas!
I'm ashamed to tell you how it has soured me.
For some reason no meds really control my pain.
I've become a sad, scared and miserable old hag.
I have a true new appreciation for those with a chronic illness.
Especially those who are somehow able to smile and remain upbeat!
This accident was a result of my rushing to prepare for my busiest season in a decade.
Talk about horrible timing! Maybe that's why I didn't heal as expected.
I broke my collarbone by falling off my favorite (high strung) horse in a stupid minor lack of attention to him, because I was focused on a student.
That happened Thurs pm while teaching students due to fox hunt that Sunday for the first time at Carrollton's Jr Hunt
That happened Thurs pm while teaching students due to fox hunt that Sunday for the first time at Carrollton's Jr Hunt
I've been enormously blessed by the help I've received from The Farmer and all my dear clients friends.!!! They've clipped n cooked n mucked n swept n done all things from office work to house to barn... I LOVE them ALL n wouldnt be able to carry on without their emotional support as well!!!
It takes a villiage to prep ponies for shows etc!
Two days after my accident we drove 2 hours into VA and my amazing children qualified and rode in the Jr North American Field Hunter Championships!!!
It was a series where they were invited to hunt with many large hunt clubs while being judged.
Without me.
They and their ponies were superstars.
It was a series where they were invited to hunt with many large hunt clubs while being judged.
Without me.
They and their ponies were superstars.
Xo I am beyond thrilled for them! Xo
So to any of you persistant enough to still be reading, I'm sorry!
This has become a year in review that's even longer than a novel.
But it has been a blessed Christmas season.
We did our usual traditions of tree cutting
AND the big HORSE PARADE with many of my student elves!
Guess who came back in town? (Our Elf, Clayton!)
He arrived with a fancy sweater n dress up party that inspired our parade costumes!
He copied our horse Parade w elves on ponies dressed as Rudolph
and Santa (The Farmer) on a Clydesdale
AND my shoulder injury!
He even left a googly eyed sign warning he had eyes everywhere and other elves posted as watch guards before I went in for surgery
Later it seemed there was a mutiny tho!
and maybe an early New Years celebration in the recycle bin w/a lampshade on his head?!
The year is ending with another adorable elf in the form of my 1 yo nephew visiting from Austria!
He too has had an Elf come to stay and he's already captivated by the Elf on the Shelf movie!
And a wonderful family gathering sponsored by my ever inspirational mother who has spoiled n showered me with TLC throughout this last painful season, including getting me to the Kennedy Center 3 days post surgery.
We just celebrated Sarah's 11th Bday!?!
I can't believe I have a "tween"!!!!
She is the best daughter taking care of me and all the farm critters while I mend. Earlier in the year she became my junking bud n found she loves Lucketts n thrifting as much as I do! <3 p="">
We did our traditional ice skating n pizza, this year with cute Bella who shares the Birthdate!
New Year's Eve finds us all snuggling in bed together hoping the alarm wakes us for the ball drop.
Earlier we celebrated JoJos Bday at lunch, knowing we weren't up for her late niht party!
Wishing a very healthy n happy 2015 for all!
Please touch base and tell me how you're doing this season!
