Whew! The last month has been crazy! We don't have internet access at our house yet, and the few hurried times I've managed to run to the library to pay bills online have not afforded any time for blogging. I miss it! All's going well at our house, although much more slowly than we had hoped. Currently the kitchen is primed and waiting to be painted after Christmas, the living room is missing some wallpaper (although not all - there are six layers to be stripped!), our pots, pans and food supplies are living in the spare bedroom, and we are still sleeping on an air mattress on the living room floor next to our wood stove. But we love having our own home and wouldn't trade it for anything! I promise to post pictures as soon as we get our own internet connection, so that I can upload them from my computer (which is also on the floor in the spare bedroom :-P).
Right now I can blog freely because we are visiting my family in NC. YAY!!!! This is a MUCH needed break for us - we realized a couple days before coming down that we hadn't actually had a full day off since we visited down here last Christmas! This past year every day has been at least partially filled with schoolwork, building the barn, moving, or working at the barn. It's been a crazy, busy, tiring year but wonderful all the same. We love what we're doing and are excited about all the opportunities and blessings God has given us over the past year.
We are also incredibly thankful, for many things: jobs that we love, a house of our own, the luxury and joy of our horses, the opportunity to work closely together much of the time, our wonderful church, good friends, family that loves us and with whom we can rest, relax, recuperate and recharge. But most of all, we are thankful for God's incredible, indescribable, incomprehensible gift of Christ, His Son. Without Him and His grace, abundantly poured into our lives, these blessings would mean nothing. He is the ultimate source of all the joy, strength, patience, love and community we have experienced this year, and words cannot express our thankfulness and adoration. It is our hope that each of you would draw close enough this Christmastime to see and feel the joy, hope and love this babe in the manger, this Savior on the cross brings into the world.
December 23, 2006
November 12, 2006
A House of Our Own
Well, it's taken me awhile to post this amidst all the craziness, but we are now homeowners!!! We closed on Wednesday afternoon, moved some clothes and other things over Thursday, and spent several hours this evening trying to scrape old wallpaper off the kitchen and living room walls. We're house-sitting at Camp DuBoff this week, so we won't actually move in until Saturday evening, which is nice because it gives us some time to get organized.
We are also hoping to paint the kitchen and living room before we move in. After tonight, that may be an ambitious goal, but we're going to try! We discovered this evening that the kitchen has not one, but three layers of wallpaper on the walls. And the living room has not three, but SIX layers of old wallpaper!!! Most of it actually started coming off fairly easily in the living room, although it's somewhat disconcerting because it feels like you're taking a whole chunk of the wall off! But the bottom layer is pretty sticky, so we may have to get a steamer for that. We'll see. We don't have internet or anything set up yet, so updates may be spotty for awhile, but I'll try and stay up to date as much as possible.
We are also hoping to paint the kitchen and living room before we move in. After tonight, that may be an ambitious goal, but we're going to try! We discovered this evening that the kitchen has not one, but three layers of wallpaper on the walls. And the living room has not three, but SIX layers of old wallpaper!!! Most of it actually started coming off fairly easily in the living room, although it's somewhat disconcerting because it feels like you're taking a whole chunk of the wall off! But the bottom layer is pretty sticky, so we may have to get a steamer for that. We'll see. We don't have internet or anything set up yet, so updates may be spotty for awhile, but I'll try and stay up to date as much as possible.
November 04, 2006
Draughts and Pearls
I think I mentioned before that Paladin is and Irish Draught/Quarter Horse cross. Although I don't know his QH bloodlines yet (I don't yet have his papers, but I'll be getting them from the breeder), I do know about the Irish Draught side. Here's a little about IDs from the website for the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America:
"Over a century of selection has produced a warm-blooded breed which are very sound, sensible animals with good bone, substance and quality. It is proud of bearing, deep of girth and strong of back and quarters. The Irish Draught is neither as massive nor as heavily feathered as it's name implies and has movement that is smooth and free, without exaggeration, and not heavy nor ponderous. Standing over a lot of ground, the Draught has an exceptionally strong and sound constitution, great stamina and an uncanny jumping ability. In addition, this breed possesses a fabulous temperament made up of willingness, intelligence, docility and common sense."
Here is a little about Paladin's daddy, a purebred Irish Draught named Mountain Pearl:
"Mountain Pearl is one of the Irish Draught world's best known and popular stallions. He is a horse of exceptional athleticism with superb, people oriented temperament. He is 17.1 hh and bright bay. He was foaled in 1989 in County Cork, Ireland and passed performance testing by the Irish Horse Board in 1993. We imported him in late 1997 and he stands stud in eastern Iowa.
His jumping ability and movement speak for themselves:
Even so, the characteristic Mountain Pearl and his foals are most noted for is temperament. When people visit, be they horse people, or children, or grandparents they are amazed at his attitude. He is gentle, kind, and curious, yet majestic. Wow! is the most common reaction from people, then they want to get close and touch him - which he loves."
"Over a century of selection has produced a warm-blooded breed which are very sound, sensible animals with good bone, substance and quality. It is proud of bearing, deep of girth and strong of back and quarters. The Irish Draught is neither as massive nor as heavily feathered as it's name implies and has movement that is smooth and free, without exaggeration, and not heavy nor ponderous. Standing over a lot of ground, the Draught has an exceptionally strong and sound constitution, great stamina and an uncanny jumping ability. In addition, this breed possesses a fabulous temperament made up of willingness, intelligence, docility and common sense."
Here is a little about Paladin's daddy, a purebred Irish Draught named Mountain Pearl:
"Mountain Pearl is one of the Irish Draught world's best known and popular stallions. He is a horse of exceptional athleticism with superb, people oriented temperament. He is 17.1 hh and bright bay. He was foaled in 1989 in County Cork, Ireland and passed performance testing by the Irish Horse Board in 1993. We imported him in late 1997 and he stands stud in eastern Iowa.
His jumping ability and movement speak for themselves:
Even so, the characteristic Mountain Pearl and his foals are most noted for is temperament. When people visit, be they horse people, or children, or grandparents they are amazed at his attitude. He is gentle, kind, and curious, yet majestic. Wow! is the most common reaction from people, then they want to get close and touch him - which he loves."
November 03, 2006
A Horse of My Own
It may surprise some of you to know that, although I've loved horses as long as I can remember, ridden them since I was 7, trained them since I was 16, and now make my living working with them, I have never owned a horse of my own. There have been several special horses in my life, but they've all been owned by other people.
Now, there are some nice things about that. For one, it's nice to have someone else picking up the tab for board, shoes, blanekts, food, shots, etc. I often joked that I had the best of both worlds - training and spending time with horses I loved, without having to pay for or worry about them.
But, seeing one favorite horse after another get sold and leave the farm gets old and sad after awhile. And there was one special boy I just couldn't bear to let go. Yep, that's right, I BOUGHT A HORSE!!! I'm now the very proud and excited owner of my very first horse, an amazing 4-year-old Irish Sport Horse named Palladin.
I started Palladin this summer and fell in love with him before I ever rode him, but never even considered buying him. He has a quirky, goofy personality that is comical and lovable at the same time. He loves attention and play and turns to mush when you pet his face or scratch one of his favorite spots. But I love most of the horses I work with, and I wasn't looking for a horse.
Then, when I rode him, I couldn't believe what I was feeling. There is absolutely no way to describe this to someone who hasn't ridden nice horses or doesn't ride at all, but Palladin's canter is the most incredible thing I've ever felt on a horse. Most babies are gawky and awkward (and he can be sometimes too!) and need help finding a rhythm, but his canter is the smoothest, most naturally rhythmic gate I have ever felt. It's like riding a waltz played in perfect time by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
And then we started jumping him.
It was all downhill from there. So I joked about finding somebody to buy him for me, but prepared myself to say goodbye, because I knew he'd sell quickly once we started advertising him. But driving home from dinner with Jamie one night, she mentioned that she knew I loved him and we could figure something out with his price. Luke and I debated the pros and cons, went back and forth, and decided not to buy him - after all, we are closing on our first house next week! But after sitting down and really crunching the numbers, we figured out that we really did have the money after all, and so today Jamie called the 16 people, some as far away as California, that had seen his ads on the internet and were seriously interested in buying him.
It still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I OWN MY OWN HORSE!!! :) I've been trying to post a couple of pictures, but it's not working. There are a couple pictures of him from this summer on Jamie's website, but I'll try and post some new ones as soon as possible. I can't wait to show him off. ;) He's just adorable and stunning at the same time.
So I finally have a horse of my own. :)
Now, there are some nice things about that. For one, it's nice to have someone else picking up the tab for board, shoes, blanekts, food, shots, etc. I often joked that I had the best of both worlds - training and spending time with horses I loved, without having to pay for or worry about them.
But, seeing one favorite horse after another get sold and leave the farm gets old and sad after awhile. And there was one special boy I just couldn't bear to let go. Yep, that's right, I BOUGHT A HORSE!!! I'm now the very proud and excited owner of my very first horse, an amazing 4-year-old Irish Sport Horse named Palladin.
I started Palladin this summer and fell in love with him before I ever rode him, but never even considered buying him. He has a quirky, goofy personality that is comical and lovable at the same time. He loves attention and play and turns to mush when you pet his face or scratch one of his favorite spots. But I love most of the horses I work with, and I wasn't looking for a horse.
Then, when I rode him, I couldn't believe what I was feeling. There is absolutely no way to describe this to someone who hasn't ridden nice horses or doesn't ride at all, but Palladin's canter is the most incredible thing I've ever felt on a horse. Most babies are gawky and awkward (and he can be sometimes too!) and need help finding a rhythm, but his canter is the smoothest, most naturally rhythmic gate I have ever felt. It's like riding a waltz played in perfect time by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
And then we started jumping him.
It was all downhill from there. So I joked about finding somebody to buy him for me, but prepared myself to say goodbye, because I knew he'd sell quickly once we started advertising him. But driving home from dinner with Jamie one night, she mentioned that she knew I loved him and we could figure something out with his price. Luke and I debated the pros and cons, went back and forth, and decided not to buy him - after all, we are closing on our first house next week! But after sitting down and really crunching the numbers, we figured out that we really did have the money after all, and so today Jamie called the 16 people, some as far away as California, that had seen his ads on the internet and were seriously interested in buying him.
It still hasn't quite sunk in yet. I OWN MY OWN HORSE!!! :) I've been trying to post a couple of pictures, but it's not working. There are a couple pictures of him from this summer on Jamie's website, but I'll try and post some new ones as soon as possible. I can't wait to show him off. ;) He's just adorable and stunning at the same time.
So I finally have a horse of my own. :)
November 02, 2006
The First Snowfall!
Well, we knew it was supposed to be nasty weather last night, but we had no idea it was supposed to snow! We looked outside this morning and saw about 1/4 inch of snow covering the ground and roofs around us.
I guess we shouldn't be surprised, as it's typical New England weather - bale 3rd cut hay one day, get snow the next! At least the snow waited til November...
I guess we shouldn't be surprised, as it's typical New England weather - bale 3rd cut hay one day, get snow the next! At least the snow waited til November...
October 26, 2006
God is Good!
Yay! We keep moving forward towards our closing. Today we had the septic system inspected (it's over 50 years old!) and everything checked out, so we're good to go there. Our lawyer was going to finish the title work either today or early tomorrow and send it to our mortgage company, so we should be able to close next week!
God continues to show Himself all-sufficient and all-powerful through this whole process. Several people have asked us if we need help moving - we thank them, but tell them we don't really need help, because all the furniture we own is a table and four chairs. Then today, Luke's boss offered us a whole living room set - a couch, love seat, and recliner that he and his wife are getting rid of! Amazing! Some other folks from church offered us another recliner, so we'll have lots of places to sit in our new house. :) We are so blessed by the generosity of those around us.
God continues to show Himself all-sufficient and all-powerful through this whole process. Several people have asked us if we need help moving - we thank them, but tell them we don't really need help, because all the furniture we own is a table and four chairs. Then today, Luke's boss offered us a whole living room set - a couch, love seat, and recliner that he and his wife are getting rid of! Amazing! Some other folks from church offered us another recliner, so we'll have lots of places to sit in our new house. :) We are so blessed by the generosity of those around us.
October 22, 2006
House and Horse News
Well, despite a few hiccups, we're still moving steadily towards our closing, which is scheduled for a week from Tuesday (yep, Halloween!). We've secured our homeowners' insurance, and have sent a flurry of faxes back and forth with our mortgage company, getting all the necessary paperwork completed. The people we've been working with are absolutely amazing - fast, helpful, continually going above and beyond to help us get in this house and understand the process. They work nationally, so anyone who's thinking of looking for a home, let me know and I will give you the names of the guys we've been working with. I really can't recommend them enough.
We do have one prayer request. We've been trying to get the septic system inspected by a specialist, but have so far not been able to find one who will travel out to our area! Even the realtor has been unsuccessful in finding someone to come out. So, you can pray that we will be able to find someone who will travel to this area and is able to come this week, so we can proceed with our closing.
In other news, I took several training horses to a show today along with a couple other girls from the barn, and they were all wonderful! I rode a huge grey quarter horse/thoroughbred cross who is at the farm so we can train him to jump and win. He is very fancy but can also be explosive. Thankfully, he was wonderful and really settled in as the day went on. Galen showed a pony that I started just two months ago. He jumped his first jump last week, cantered a jump for the first time yesterday, and ended up competing in six jumping classes today! We discovered that he has incredible natural talent over fences, and he won ribbons in two of his classes (out of 30 entries!). He was amazing! We also took two other horses that have only been jumping for about a month, and they were both great - very brave to the fences, trying hard for their riders, and doing extremely well for their age and experience level. We'll be going to one of these shows every month during the winter, so hopefully everybody will just keep getting better.
We do have one prayer request. We've been trying to get the septic system inspected by a specialist, but have so far not been able to find one who will travel out to our area! Even the realtor has been unsuccessful in finding someone to come out. So, you can pray that we will be able to find someone who will travel to this area and is able to come this week, so we can proceed with our closing.
In other news, I took several training horses to a show today along with a couple other girls from the barn, and they were all wonderful! I rode a huge grey quarter horse/thoroughbred cross who is at the farm so we can train him to jump and win. He is very fancy but can also be explosive. Thankfully, he was wonderful and really settled in as the day went on. Galen showed a pony that I started just two months ago. He jumped his first jump last week, cantered a jump for the first time yesterday, and ended up competing in six jumping classes today! We discovered that he has incredible natural talent over fences, and he won ribbons in two of his classes (out of 30 entries!). He was amazing! We also took two other horses that have only been jumping for about a month, and they were both great - very brave to the fences, trying hard for their riders, and doing extremely well for their age and experience level. We'll be going to one of these shows every month during the winter, so hopefully everybody will just keep getting better.
October 09, 2006
We Got It!
Today we met with the realtor and owners for the house we are interested in, and they accepted our offer! We're buying a house!!! We are so, so excited. It needs new paint in pretty much all the rooms, and eventually we hope to pull up the linoleum and carpeting to get to the wood floor beneath, and expand the bathroom, but it's a great little house with a nice big kitchen, large living room, and two-car garage with a workshop in the back that is perfect for Luke's leather-working and farrier stuff. Both the living room and workshop have woodstoves, which we really like, it has a good-sized yard with excellent gardening soil, and there are blueberry and rasberry bushes in the backyard. Did I mention we're really excited? We're already fully approved for our mortgage, and are hoping to close within a month.
God has answered so many prayers and opened (and closed) so many doors in the past few months to lead us to this point, and we're so thankful. We are overwhelmed by His goodness right now, and also can't wait to be living in our new home! We'll try to take and post some pictures as soon as we can.
God has answered so many prayers and opened (and closed) so many doors in the past few months to lead us to this point, and we're so thankful. We are overwhelmed by His goodness right now, and also can't wait to be living in our new home! We'll try to take and post some pictures as soon as we can.
October 01, 2006
House Hunting and Good Friends
Would y'all pray for us? After several months spent fruitlessly waiting for a promised rental to be ready for us, Luke and I moved on about a month ago and have started looking for other places to live. We had waited so long because this place seemed perfect, but the people kept delaying getting work done on it so our move-in date kept getting moved back, then they wanted to charge us more money than they originally said, so after several frustrating months, we are looking for something else. We would prefer to buy, and actually looked at a house this weekend that seems like it would be great for us. But whether this house works out or we find another one, we just want to be in our own place soon. We are incredibly thankful for the hospitality of those we've stayed with, but are very ready to have our own home again!
Since we're house-hunting, we're also mortgage-hunting, and this is where we really need prayer. Most lenders are a little wary, as Luke is self-employed and has only been so since May (they want him to have been self employed for anywhere from 6 months - 2 years!) and I am also relatively new in my job. So we're talking to several different companies and local banks and asking friends in the area for recommendations on good lenders.
Speaking of friends, Luke and I are so thankful for the one thing in our lives that has been stable and wonderful for the past few months: our church. We found it shortly after moving here, and have greatly enjoyed getting to know the people and becoming part of the body at Coila Church. There are several younger couples that we have gotten together with and we all have a lot of fun together. There are also many delightful families and older people in the church, so it's a great mix. We are part of a great Sunday school class on marriage, and are enjoying the bi-weekly "home fellowship" meetings on Sunday nights: a small group of (mostly older) people get together in someone's home, spend an hour and a half in study and prayer (right now they're finishing up The Purpose Driven Life), and then share a potluck meal. It's been great to spend time with smaller groups of people in the church, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and friendly. Praise God for the members of His body He places in our lives at just the right time! Here's a huge hug and "thank you" to everyone who has been placed in our lives at one time or another as a friend and encouragement to us. We hope to give the same to others. We love y'all!
Since we're house-hunting, we're also mortgage-hunting, and this is where we really need prayer. Most lenders are a little wary, as Luke is self-employed and has only been so since May (they want him to have been self employed for anywhere from 6 months - 2 years!) and I am also relatively new in my job. So we're talking to several different companies and local banks and asking friends in the area for recommendations on good lenders.
Speaking of friends, Luke and I are so thankful for the one thing in our lives that has been stable and wonderful for the past few months: our church. We found it shortly after moving here, and have greatly enjoyed getting to know the people and becoming part of the body at Coila Church. There are several younger couples that we have gotten together with and we all have a lot of fun together. There are also many delightful families and older people in the church, so it's a great mix. We are part of a great Sunday school class on marriage, and are enjoying the bi-weekly "home fellowship" meetings on Sunday nights: a small group of (mostly older) people get together in someone's home, spend an hour and a half in study and prayer (right now they're finishing up The Purpose Driven Life), and then share a potluck meal. It's been great to spend time with smaller groups of people in the church, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming and friendly. Praise God for the members of His body He places in our lives at just the right time! Here's a huge hug and "thank you" to everyone who has been placed in our lives at one time or another as a friend and encouragement to us. We hope to give the same to others. We love y'all!
September 24, 2006
Fall, Cooking, and Visitors
I love fall. It is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year. The air gets crisp and clear, the leaves blaze into glory and then crunch underfoot, and the last brilliant wildflowers fill the air with a sharp, sweet scent, mixing with slight hints of decay, smoke and cold to create that unique smell which tells you that colder weather is on the way.
Everything about fall days is glorious. The cold, sharp mornings when you can barely see your breath and there's a new energy in the air... horses are a bit more restless, more alert, and everyone's blood is pumping a bit harder; the mellow afternoons when the sun on your back provides just the right amount of warmth, the horse under you is relaxed yet responsive, leaves rustle in the resting woods, and an uphill gallop is the perfect end to a long work day; the chilly, clear evenings when the exquisite sunset fades into a brilliance of stars and bundling up is necesary to stay warm... I absolutely love this time of year.
I also love fall foods. There are still fresh, brightly colored vegetables to be had, but the cold weather also inspires heartier foods such as creamy soups, squash, root vegetables and warm baked goods - cornbread, apple pie, pumpkin bread - yep, fall is the time for me! Although I love cooking, I haven't done much of it the past four months. But this past week we've had soup almost every night - thick lentil and hearty vegetable-barley, which both smell delicious while cooking and warm up a chilled body instantly.
There's a farm stand not far from here which has the best sweet corn we've ever tasted, as well as all sorts of lovely fresh produce. Yesterday afternoon I stopped to pick up some corn and found a novelty: purple peppers! I'd seen green, red, yellow, and orange, but never purple before, so I bought a couple, along with my butter-and-sugar corn (so named for its white and yellow kernels, but which is also very taste-descriptive), some red onions and fresh tomatoes.
Luke's parents arrived last night for a week-long visit from Montana, and so today we cooked a big Sunday dinner. We had my fresh corn on the cob, as well as a lovely fresh vegetable salad. It was such a delight to chop up purple peppers, red onions, yellow pepper, and deep red, juicy tomatoes and enjoy the lovely fall colors drizzled with a simple vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a tablespoon of sugar, a dash of sesame oil, and a tablespoon or so of lime juice. Mmmmm. While chopping veggies and boiling corn, we simmered rice on the stove and baked biscuits in the oven. The crowning glory was the slow cooker roasted chicken. I discovered this recipe online, and every time I want an easy crowd pleaser, I use it. Today it was lovely to simply stick the chicken in the crock pot before church and return home to a fragrant house and a warm meal for my guests. Here's the recipe for anyone who's interested:
1 whole chicken (the recipe says 3lbs., but any size works - today mine was 5lbs.)
1/2 c chicken broth (or water and boullion)
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c honey
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 t balsamic vinegar
2 t lemon juice
1 t sesame oil
2 T minced garlic
Rinse the chicken, pat it dry and place it in the crock pot. Whisk all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cook for 4 hrs. on high or 8 hrs. on low and enjoy!
No, I haven't tried it (yes, I'm still a vegetarian), but everyone I've served it to loves it.
So here's a toast to fall, home cooking, warm comfort foods, and time with family!
Everything about fall days is glorious. The cold, sharp mornings when you can barely see your breath and there's a new energy in the air... horses are a bit more restless, more alert, and everyone's blood is pumping a bit harder; the mellow afternoons when the sun on your back provides just the right amount of warmth, the horse under you is relaxed yet responsive, leaves rustle in the resting woods, and an uphill gallop is the perfect end to a long work day; the chilly, clear evenings when the exquisite sunset fades into a brilliance of stars and bundling up is necesary to stay warm... I absolutely love this time of year.
I also love fall foods. There are still fresh, brightly colored vegetables to be had, but the cold weather also inspires heartier foods such as creamy soups, squash, root vegetables and warm baked goods - cornbread, apple pie, pumpkin bread - yep, fall is the time for me! Although I love cooking, I haven't done much of it the past four months. But this past week we've had soup almost every night - thick lentil and hearty vegetable-barley, which both smell delicious while cooking and warm up a chilled body instantly.
There's a farm stand not far from here which has the best sweet corn we've ever tasted, as well as all sorts of lovely fresh produce. Yesterday afternoon I stopped to pick up some corn and found a novelty: purple peppers! I'd seen green, red, yellow, and orange, but never purple before, so I bought a couple, along with my butter-and-sugar corn (so named for its white and yellow kernels, but which is also very taste-descriptive), some red onions and fresh tomatoes.
Luke's parents arrived last night for a week-long visit from Montana, and so today we cooked a big Sunday dinner. We had my fresh corn on the cob, as well as a lovely fresh vegetable salad. It was such a delight to chop up purple peppers, red onions, yellow pepper, and deep red, juicy tomatoes and enjoy the lovely fall colors drizzled with a simple vinaigrette of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a tablespoon of sugar, a dash of sesame oil, and a tablespoon or so of lime juice. Mmmmm. While chopping veggies and boiling corn, we simmered rice on the stove and baked biscuits in the oven. The crowning glory was the slow cooker roasted chicken. I discovered this recipe online, and every time I want an easy crowd pleaser, I use it. Today it was lovely to simply stick the chicken in the crock pot before church and return home to a fragrant house and a warm meal for my guests. Here's the recipe for anyone who's interested:
1 whole chicken (the recipe says 3lbs., but any size works - today mine was 5lbs.)
1/2 c chicken broth (or water and boullion)
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c honey
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 t balsamic vinegar
2 t lemon juice
1 t sesame oil
2 T minced garlic
Rinse the chicken, pat it dry and place it in the crock pot. Whisk all the other ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cook for 4 hrs. on high or 8 hrs. on low and enjoy!
No, I haven't tried it (yes, I'm still a vegetarian), but everyone I've served it to loves it.
So here's a toast to fall, home cooking, warm comfort foods, and time with family!
September 15, 2006
Apologies and Anonymity
Sorry for any confusion generated by my last post... just trying to keep everyone on their toes! ;) For us, having a new horse and a new car is very exciting right now!
Okay, new rule. NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS! Even if I don't know you very well, I'd at least like to know who you are. I don't want to change my settings so that only blogger members can comment, but if you're not a blogger member, please at least leave your name with your post. It's a little eerie to know that someone is interested enough in my life to leave a note, but isn't even willing to let me know who they are...
Okay, rant over. Back to regularly scheduled programming. :)
Okay, new rule. NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS! Even if I don't know you very well, I'd at least like to know who you are. I don't want to change my settings so that only blogger members can comment, but if you're not a blogger member, please at least leave your name with your post. It's a little eerie to know that someone is interested enough in my life to leave a note, but isn't even willing to let me know who they are...
Okay, rant over. Back to regularly scheduled programming. :)
September 14, 2006
Our Family is Growing!
We have exciting news! This week we welcomed two new additions to our family: Logan, a 6-year-old Morgan/mustang cross, and a dark teal green '97 Saab 900S hatchback.
Logan is Luke's new project horse, which I bought for him as an advance birthday present. He has only been ridden three times - once by me, and twice by Luke. Luke is learning a lot from him and will also be teaching him a lot, such as how to be a good roping horse. Although Logan isn't tall, he's strong as a freight train and a quick mover, so he'll make a great cow pony.
The Saab is my new car, which we bought from a boarder at the barn. I love it and am so excited to actually buy my first car that's all my own. Plus, it's not white! YAY! My first car was a white Tercel that I shared with Daddy. My next car was a small white Toyota pickup that was given to our family. Luke's big Dodge is white. And I've never even liked white cars! Although the Saab needs a couple of things tuned up, it runs well, is in excellent condition inside and out, and is a very fun car to drive. Although Luke has sworn up and down that he'll never be seen driving a car around, he actually enjoys driving the Saab because it's so peppy. I think I may have to hide the keys!
In other news, I've had some exciting rides the past couple weeks. Jamie isn't riding anymore, so I get all the ruffians. ;) I'm being stretched and learning a LOT! This winter will be a huge growing time for me, since I have some awfully big shoes to step up and fill.
My birthday was pretty quiet - Luke and I both had to work, so we stayed home and rested that evening, but went out for dinner with friends the next night. Then, on Sunday, we celebrated by going to a horse show and I rode a slightly crazy horse for four hours straight! But we really had a breakthrough there, and I think he'll be much better now.
Well, it's time for the Cosby Show, so I'm off to watch it and laugh. Hope things are well with y'all!
Logan is Luke's new project horse, which I bought for him as an advance birthday present. He has only been ridden three times - once by me, and twice by Luke. Luke is learning a lot from him and will also be teaching him a lot, such as how to be a good roping horse. Although Logan isn't tall, he's strong as a freight train and a quick mover, so he'll make a great cow pony.
The Saab is my new car, which we bought from a boarder at the barn. I love it and am so excited to actually buy my first car that's all my own. Plus, it's not white! YAY! My first car was a white Tercel that I shared with Daddy. My next car was a small white Toyota pickup that was given to our family. Luke's big Dodge is white. And I've never even liked white cars! Although the Saab needs a couple of things tuned up, it runs well, is in excellent condition inside and out, and is a very fun car to drive. Although Luke has sworn up and down that he'll never be seen driving a car around, he actually enjoys driving the Saab because it's so peppy. I think I may have to hide the keys!
In other news, I've had some exciting rides the past couple weeks. Jamie isn't riding anymore, so I get all the ruffians. ;) I'm being stretched and learning a LOT! This winter will be a huge growing time for me, since I have some awfully big shoes to step up and fill.
My birthday was pretty quiet - Luke and I both had to work, so we stayed home and rested that evening, but went out for dinner with friends the next night. Then, on Sunday, we celebrated by going to a horse show and I rode a slightly crazy horse for four hours straight! But we really had a breakthrough there, and I think he'll be much better now.
Well, it's time for the Cosby Show, so I'm off to watch it and laugh. Hope things are well with y'all!
August 21, 2006
Camp DuBoff
Well, the drive was long on Saturday but it was uneventful, so that was good. We spent 45min. driving around Brunswick, looking for the church, but eventually found it. The wedding was small, with only 3 or 4 other friends there, and the rest was family. It was very traditional, with Pachelbel's Canon for the processional, traditional welcoming and vows, short and quick. The reception was outdoors at a state park. There was lots of good food, and the bride and groom seemed happy.
But it was still a very long drive. :-P
Currently we are house-sitting for some horse people that my family actually knew years ago when we did foster care for shelter dogs. They call their house "Camp DuBoff" because they have three horses, three sheep, four dogs, five cats, a large house, gardens, and a pool all set on 135 acres on the side of Mt. Anthony right outside of Bennington, VT. It's absolutely beautiful and we are really enjoying our stay here (which Shelli will be glad to hear - she told us, "We want you to enjoy yourselves because we want to use you again and again and again!" They've had problems in the past finding reliable house-sitters). They took the two younger dogs with them, so we only have the older two - "Brisco," a decrepit old Doberman who looks and moves something like an ROUS (from Princess Bride) and "Lucky," a smallish German Shepherd who is very sweet to us but has the bad habit of biting strangers in the behind if they seem scared of her (so don't run away if she starts barking!). Then there are the cats: Lucky (yes, same name for two animals), Sammy, Amy, Sueanne and Fat Emily (who is the fattest cat I've ever seen - she gets stuck if she tries to go through the cat door!). The horses are BJ, Domino and Austin - a Rocky Mountain Horse, Paint, and huge Belgian cross, respectively, and the sheep - Lilly the mama and BillyBob and AnJolie, the twins. The animals all get fed in the morning, and then we get to eat. ;) The dogs and horses also get fed in the evening, and the horses get a bedtime treat. We're having lots of fun. :)
Oh, and the very exciting news is that we sold Annie yesterday! I was prepared to be very sad when she sold, because I've enjoyed her so much, but she was bought by a family who just moved to a farm in VT and are new clients of Jamie's. They will board both their horses at the farm every winter, and Jamie will give them lessons at their farm in the summer. SO, we'll still get to have Annie at the barn every year and keep tabs on how she's doing, which will be so nice. Yay!
But it was still a very long drive. :-P
Currently we are house-sitting for some horse people that my family actually knew years ago when we did foster care for shelter dogs. They call their house "Camp DuBoff" because they have three horses, three sheep, four dogs, five cats, a large house, gardens, and a pool all set on 135 acres on the side of Mt. Anthony right outside of Bennington, VT. It's absolutely beautiful and we are really enjoying our stay here (which Shelli will be glad to hear - she told us, "We want you to enjoy yourselves because we want to use you again and again and again!" They've had problems in the past finding reliable house-sitters). They took the two younger dogs with them, so we only have the older two - "Brisco," a decrepit old Doberman who looks and moves something like an ROUS (from Princess Bride) and "Lucky," a smallish German Shepherd who is very sweet to us but has the bad habit of biting strangers in the behind if they seem scared of her (so don't run away if she starts barking!). Then there are the cats: Lucky (yes, same name for two animals), Sammy, Amy, Sueanne and Fat Emily (who is the fattest cat I've ever seen - she gets stuck if she tries to go through the cat door!). The horses are BJ, Domino and Austin - a Rocky Mountain Horse, Paint, and huge Belgian cross, respectively, and the sheep - Lilly the mama and BillyBob and AnJolie, the twins. The animals all get fed in the morning, and then we get to eat. ;) The dogs and horses also get fed in the evening, and the horses get a bedtime treat. We're having lots of fun. :)
Oh, and the very exciting news is that we sold Annie yesterday! I was prepared to be very sad when she sold, because I've enjoyed her so much, but she was bought by a family who just moved to a farm in VT and are new clients of Jamie's. They will board both their horses at the farm every winter, and Jamie will give them lessons at their farm in the summer. SO, we'll still get to have Annie at the barn every year and keep tabs on how she's doing, which will be so nice. Yay!
August 18, 2006
A Wedding!
Some of you may remember Beth, my maid of honor at our wedding last summer. Well, she is getting married tomorrow (Saturday) and Luke and I are driving to Maine for the wedding. If you think of it, please pray for her new marriage, as well as safety and alertness for us as we drive the 9 hours round trip.
I'm off to bed now, but will post another update about our fun upcoming week tomorrow evening or Sunday.
I'm off to bed now, but will post another update about our fun upcoming week tomorrow evening or Sunday.
August 07, 2006
Sand is not as soft as it looks...
Well, I was bucked off today for the first time at the new farm (and the first time in almost five years!), so I joined the club. Jamie, Eric, Luke, and our friends Kate and Sandy have all come off in the new arena, so I was one of the only ones left. Still, we've been here for almost 12 weeks, at an average of 20 rides per week, means I made it almost 250 rides without coming off.
I was riding Sundae, the most advanced of the young ones I've started since coming here. He was lazy and easy-going when I warmed him up on the ground, and fine when I got on. Then we started walking down towards the end of the arena, he saw something, leaped sideways and then started bucking. I stayed on for the first four hops, but was already off-balance because of the leap. I came off and landed hard on my hip and shoulder, as well as somehow managing to fill my helmet with sand. I think I'll be washing it out of my hair for days! Sundae bucked three more times, then stopped and walked right over to me. I did a little more work on the ground, during which he was lazy again and showed no signs of wanting to buck at all. Then I got back on and we walked, trotted and cantered around the arena, and he was fine! So I don't know what his deal was!
At first I thought I had popped my shoulder out of joint, but although my arm has felt quite weak the rest of the day, it's fine. My hip is incredibly sore and I'll be limping around for a couple of days, but by the weekend I should be none the worse for wear. I can tell you one thing - he won't ever get me off again!
Other than that, things have been going well here. We only have one more week of Dorset left, and although it's been fun, we're all looking forward to coming home. We got a couple of new horses in - one boarder that will hopefully be here long-term. They seem to be a nice family with a (quite tall) 11-year-old girl and her new Thoroughbred gelding. There's also a very cute pony here for training this week. Next week we have 5 or 6 new training horses coming, most of whom will be here for a month. Jamie's trying to capitalize on the time left she has to ride, because by mid-September she'll have to stay on the ground.
We continue to love our church, and are really enjoying two other young couples who we've spent several evenings with and always hang around talking to after church.
We're still waiting on the house we're supposed to move into. Please pray that things will work out, as the owner and her foreman seem to keep stalling or just not doing anything about it. We're getting really tired of it all and are going to start looking for some other options once the show's over and I have a little more time.
Well, I'm going to grab some dinner, some ibuprofen, and some ice! Take care and let us know how y'all are doing.
Love,
Erin
I was riding Sundae, the most advanced of the young ones I've started since coming here. He was lazy and easy-going when I warmed him up on the ground, and fine when I got on. Then we started walking down towards the end of the arena, he saw something, leaped sideways and then started bucking. I stayed on for the first four hops, but was already off-balance because of the leap. I came off and landed hard on my hip and shoulder, as well as somehow managing to fill my helmet with sand. I think I'll be washing it out of my hair for days! Sundae bucked three more times, then stopped and walked right over to me. I did a little more work on the ground, during which he was lazy again and showed no signs of wanting to buck at all. Then I got back on and we walked, trotted and cantered around the arena, and he was fine! So I don't know what his deal was!
At first I thought I had popped my shoulder out of joint, but although my arm has felt quite weak the rest of the day, it's fine. My hip is incredibly sore and I'll be limping around for a couple of days, but by the weekend I should be none the worse for wear. I can tell you one thing - he won't ever get me off again!
Other than that, things have been going well here. We only have one more week of Dorset left, and although it's been fun, we're all looking forward to coming home. We got a couple of new horses in - one boarder that will hopefully be here long-term. They seem to be a nice family with a (quite tall) 11-year-old girl and her new Thoroughbred gelding. There's also a very cute pony here for training this week. Next week we have 5 or 6 new training horses coming, most of whom will be here for a month. Jamie's trying to capitalize on the time left she has to ride, because by mid-September she'll have to stay on the ground.
We continue to love our church, and are really enjoying two other young couples who we've spent several evenings with and always hang around talking to after church.
We're still waiting on the house we're supposed to move into. Please pray that things will work out, as the owner and her foreman seem to keep stalling or just not doing anything about it. We're getting really tired of it all and are going to start looking for some other options once the show's over and I have a little more time.
Well, I'm going to grab some dinner, some ibuprofen, and some ice! Take care and let us know how y'all are doing.
Love,
Erin
July 29, 2006
*Hanging my Head in Shame*
Sorry everyone for not posting more consistently. I could make excuses about our busy lives, but I know the rest of the world is busy too, so I won't even try. I don't have much time left on this library computer, but I'll do my best to compress our update!
July 10-23 we had seven horses up at a huge horse show in Dorset, VT. There are 16 tents with 90 stalls each, plus truck-ins for the day, so each week there are over 2,000 horses from around the country (and some from Euroupe too) at this show. We had a lot of young ones, just getting used to the show atmosphere, as well as some more serious competitors. I showed the first week, placing 6th, 7th and 6th in three of our five classes with a horse who was just coming back to showing after a long break, so we were very happy. Galen did very well on her pony as well as several of the farm's ponies that she rode for Jamie (you have to be under 18 to show ponies). We are going back on Monday for the last two weeks, although we'll only have five or so horses there this time. You can see pictures on Galen's website - click on "Competitions" and then "Vermont Summer Festival."
My job has changed a little bit to focus less on management and more on horses, which I am very happy about. Currently I am doing 25 rides per week, which keeps me very busy, but is a lot of fun. Right now I have five young ones that I am starting. They range in age from 3-6, and none had ever been ridden before. I have about 10 rides on one, 4 rides on another, 2 rides on two more, and the last one I haven't ridden yet, as he's taking a little longer. I'm also still riding Annie and she continues to do well. We thought she was sold, but unfortunately the woman decided not to take her. :( I'm also working with a young thoroughbred mare, "Rosie," who Jamie rescued 1 1/2 years ago off the track. She's very pretty, and we took her up to the horse show so she could just learn how to deal with all the other horses and still be calm, realize she wasn't at the races, etc., and she did very well. We might show her sometime in the next two weeks. There are also several other training horses that I ride once or twice a week just to keep them in shape, and I'm enjoying and learning a lot from the wide variety of horses I get to work with.
Jamie and I also have a whole load of young training horses coming mid-August when we get back from the show, so we'll have plenty to keep us busy. Perhaps the biggest news that I can finally let out is that I'll be doing most of the riding with them, because Jamie is pregnant! She'll be 20 weeks at the beginning of September, so won't be able to ride much after that, so we'll be working together with her on the ground and me in the saddle.
Well, time to get back to the farm! I'll try to be better about updating.
Take care all,
Erin
July 10-23 we had seven horses up at a huge horse show in Dorset, VT. There are 16 tents with 90 stalls each, plus truck-ins for the day, so each week there are over 2,000 horses from around the country (and some from Euroupe too) at this show. We had a lot of young ones, just getting used to the show atmosphere, as well as some more serious competitors. I showed the first week, placing 6th, 7th and 6th in three of our five classes with a horse who was just coming back to showing after a long break, so we were very happy. Galen did very well on her pony as well as several of the farm's ponies that she rode for Jamie (you have to be under 18 to show ponies). We are going back on Monday for the last two weeks, although we'll only have five or so horses there this time. You can see pictures on Galen's website - click on "Competitions" and then "Vermont Summer Festival."
My job has changed a little bit to focus less on management and more on horses, which I am very happy about. Currently I am doing 25 rides per week, which keeps me very busy, but is a lot of fun. Right now I have five young ones that I am starting. They range in age from 3-6, and none had ever been ridden before. I have about 10 rides on one, 4 rides on another, 2 rides on two more, and the last one I haven't ridden yet, as he's taking a little longer. I'm also still riding Annie and she continues to do well. We thought she was sold, but unfortunately the woman decided not to take her. :( I'm also working with a young thoroughbred mare, "Rosie," who Jamie rescued 1 1/2 years ago off the track. She's very pretty, and we took her up to the horse show so she could just learn how to deal with all the other horses and still be calm, realize she wasn't at the races, etc., and she did very well. We might show her sometime in the next two weeks. There are also several other training horses that I ride once or twice a week just to keep them in shape, and I'm enjoying and learning a lot from the wide variety of horses I get to work with.
Jamie and I also have a whole load of young training horses coming mid-August when we get back from the show, so we'll have plenty to keep us busy. Perhaps the biggest news that I can finally let out is that I'll be doing most of the riding with them, because Jamie is pregnant! She'll be 20 weeks at the beginning of September, so won't be able to ride much after that, so we'll be working together with her on the ground and me in the saddle.
Well, time to get back to the farm! I'll try to be better about updating.
Take care all,
Erin
June 13, 2006
Fulfilling my responsibilities ;)
Okay Nicole, I'm finally getting around to your tag! Sorry it's taken so long...
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW ME?
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Babysitter (imagine that! ;))
2. Horse farm worker (several different farms throughout HS)
3. Summer Missions Program Core Staff (at Gordon)
4. Barn Manager and Training Assistant
Movies I would watch over and over:
1. Out of Africa (Kenya and Meryl Streep... it doesn't get much better than that!)
2. You've Got Mail (daisies are definitely the friendliest flowers!)
3. Emma (I love the hair-dos!)
4. Hmm... it's late and I'm blanking right now. I'll come back and update when I think of something else (which will probably happen when I'm lying in bed tonight trying to fall asleep!)
Four Places I have lived:
1. Nairobi, Kenya
2. Alexandria, VA
3. Williamstown, MA
4. Ndu, Cameroon
Four TV shows I love to watch:
Hmm, this is hard since I don't watch much TV, but junior year when I lived with a bunch of other girls we enjoyed:
1. Friends (borrowing as many DVD seasons as possible!)
2. What Not to Wear
3. Cooking shows on the Food Network (I watched these a bunch while we were housesitting last summer in MT), especially Rachel Ray.
4. Yep, that's pretty much it for me. I'm not much of a TV girl...
Four websites I visit daily:
Right now? I don't even get on the web every day! At school though, these were definite dailies:
1. Exchange - the Gordon email server. This is still my top one.
2. The Generous Wife
3. Go.Gordon - the student info page
4. Blogs
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Surfside, SC (next to Myrtle Beach)
2. England - London and Stratford-on-Avon (sort of... it was also for school, but felt like vacation!)
3. The Smokies of Tennessee
4. Shenandoah
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheesecake
2. My grandmother's banana bread
3. Good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
4. Anything my mom makes (except fried okra!) - in the summer, particularly corn relish
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed!
2. Anywhere in Europe (particularly Italy, England again, or France/Paris)
3. On a tropical island somewhere
4. On a fancy horse
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW ME?
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Babysitter (imagine that! ;))
2. Horse farm worker (several different farms throughout HS)
3. Summer Missions Program Core Staff (at Gordon)
4. Barn Manager and Training Assistant
Movies I would watch over and over:
1. Out of Africa (Kenya and Meryl Streep... it doesn't get much better than that!)
2. You've Got Mail (daisies are definitely the friendliest flowers!)
3. Emma (I love the hair-dos!)
4. Hmm... it's late and I'm blanking right now. I'll come back and update when I think of something else (which will probably happen when I'm lying in bed tonight trying to fall asleep!)
Four Places I have lived:
1. Nairobi, Kenya
2. Alexandria, VA
3. Williamstown, MA
4. Ndu, Cameroon
Four TV shows I love to watch:
Hmm, this is hard since I don't watch much TV, but junior year when I lived with a bunch of other girls we enjoyed:
1. Friends (borrowing as many DVD seasons as possible!)
2. What Not to Wear
3. Cooking shows on the Food Network (I watched these a bunch while we were housesitting last summer in MT), especially Rachel Ray.
4. Yep, that's pretty much it for me. I'm not much of a TV girl...
Four websites I visit daily:
Right now? I don't even get on the web every day! At school though, these were definite dailies:
1. Exchange - the Gordon email server. This is still my top one.
2. The Generous Wife
3. Go.Gordon - the student info page
4. Blogs
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Surfside, SC (next to Myrtle Beach)
2. England - London and Stratford-on-Avon (sort of... it was also for school, but felt like vacation!)
3. The Smokies of Tennessee
4. Shenandoah
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Cheesecake
2. My grandmother's banana bread
3. Good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting
4. Anything my mom makes (except fried okra!) - in the summer, particularly corn relish
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In bed!
2. Anywhere in Europe (particularly Italy, England again, or France/Paris)
3. On a tropical island somewhere
4. On a fancy horse
More Pictures (Finally!)
I've tried several different evenings to post these pictures, and the connection keeps cutting out on me. Ugh, dial up is such a pain after being spoiled by Gordon's fast connection for four years! Anyway, here are a couple more pictures from the show:
Here is Patrick, one of Jamie's ponies, wearing Luke's cowboy hat. He's only been sat on once, but came to the show to hang out and get used to things, since he'll be a fancy show pony one day.
Here's a picture of our friend Kate and her horse Ajax. It was the first show ever for both of them and they did great!
Here's another picture of pretty Annie waiting in line for ribbons to be announced.
I call this picture, "the cowboy and the equestrian." Too bad both Annie and Luke had their eyes closed! Oh well, there's always next time.
This is my favorite picture from the show - the gorgeous girl with her reserve champion ribbon and her kind eye up close. She kept moving her head around, but Galen was able to snap this shot and it's so cool!
We had a bit of a crazy weekend up here when the temperature dropped to 45 on Fri. night and it dumped rain, which wasn't in the forecast. We had a bunch of horses outside without sheets, and they were all shivering Sat. morning. When horses get cold like that it's very easy for them to colic, so we were super worried. Thankfully, we only had one horse get sick, and she wasn't too bad. She was living outside and got chilled, so had a bit of a stomach ache for a couple days, but we managed to nurse her back to health on our own over a couple days. However, it required going up to the barn every 2-3 hours on Sat. and Sun. nights, so I'm beat! But now she's better and she's been so sweet that we've decided to go ahead and saddle her tomorrow and start training her to sell.
I also had a great session with Appy this afternoon, a 3-year-old appaloosa/mustang gelding that was given to Jamie last year. I've worked with him about 7 times, put a saddle on him for the 4th time today, and he was so good that I'll ride him for the first time tomorrow! So that's exciting. Maybe we'll even get some pictures.
Well, it's starting to get late so I'm heading up to do night check and then to bed. I'll try and visit everyone else's blogs in the next couple of days, sorry I haven't been keeping up! Hope all's well with everyone; let us know how you're all doing!
Take care,
Erin
June 05, 2006
Anniversary and a Horse Show
Wow, it's hard to believe that one year ago today Luke and I got married. It's been fun remembering our wedding this morning. So far we are enjoying a quiet, restful day at home; we're hoping to head out later to do a little shopping and have a nice evening. With all the business in our lives these days, it's so nice to just take a day and relax together. We talked about making plans, or "doing" something, but decided we just wanted to spend some restful time together, which has been great.
We celebrated in a different way yesterday, a way that seems quite appropriate for us - we went to a horse show! It was our first show since we've been married, and my first time competing in over five years. I took one of Jamie's training horses, Annie, who I've been working with a lot since we've been here. She is a sweet, beautiful, Belgian-Thoroughbred mare who just turned 7 and is 16.3 hands tall (she's a big girl!). Jamie rescued her and her sister (who has since been sold) a couple of years ago, but hadn't had time to work with Annie consistently since then. She was skin and bones when she came, incredibly nervous, couldn't be caught, scared of everything, and had only been ridden a handful of times. But she's been progressing beautifully, and has wildly exceeded everyone's expectations. She's been a joy to ride.
At the show yesterday we did the walk-trot division, since we just started cantering her last week. She absolutely loved the show ring and was relaxed and unflappable all day, which is amazing for her! We did four out of the six walk-trot classes (we didn't do the halter or trail classes), got three blue ribbons, one red, and were reserve champions! So it was a great day. Here are some pictures of my wonderful girl:
We celebrated in a different way yesterday, a way that seems quite appropriate for us - we went to a horse show! It was our first show since we've been married, and my first time competing in over five years. I took one of Jamie's training horses, Annie, who I've been working with a lot since we've been here. She is a sweet, beautiful, Belgian-Thoroughbred mare who just turned 7 and is 16.3 hands tall (she's a big girl!). Jamie rescued her and her sister (who has since been sold) a couple of years ago, but hadn't had time to work with Annie consistently since then. She was skin and bones when she came, incredibly nervous, couldn't be caught, scared of everything, and had only been ridden a handful of times. But she's been progressing beautifully, and has wildly exceeded everyone's expectations. She's been a joy to ride.
At the show yesterday we did the walk-trot division, since we just started cantering her last week. She absolutely loved the show ring and was relaxed and unflappable all day, which is amazing for her! We did four out of the six walk-trot classes (we didn't do the halter or trail classes), got three blue ribbons, one red, and were reserve champions! So it was a great day. Here are some pictures of my wonderful girl:
Galen, an amazing young rider at the farm, took these pictures. She's a great photographer too, and I'll post some more of her pictures tomorrow. Now Luke and I are off to do night check at the barn and then head to bed. Take care and keep us posted on your lives!
May 28, 2006
WOW!
Sorry it's been so long since an update! Things have been crazy here in Hoosick. Here's a quick rundown:
We visited CBC in Williamstown last Sunday, and it was a lot of fun to see so many old friends. We enjoyed the Youth Sunday service - I can't believe how grown up all the "little kids" are now!
I officially started work this past Monday, although we had been around the farm all weekend. Some of the things I've done this week include: cleaning and organizing the office and tack room, creating new turnout and feed boards, revising the employee handbook, hiring and training a new worker, riding several horses and working with several young ones in the round pen, helping out with chores, taking a couple of horses home and picking up a couple loads of hay on the way back, showing visitors around the farm, correcting employee mistakes, bathing a couple of horses in preparation for shows and demos, and going with Jamie to her demonstration at Dressage at Saratoga yesterday. It's been a busy week!
Luke worked on finishing up the tack room at the end of last week. Unfortunately, he was sick most of this week with some sort of flu we think. He had a very high fever accompanied by achiness and lack of appetite for three days, and stomach pain for three days after that! He is feeling much better now, although he gets tired quickly, has lost a lot of weight (he's bony!) and feels pretty weak. So please pray that he returns to full health soon and is able to start working again.
Please also pray for our friend Jamie. She's going through some stressful health issues right now - please pray for her health and peace of mind, and pray for us as we seek to pour God's love into her life.
Well, it's time to go up and do night check at the barn, so I better close. Tomorrow starts another busy yet exciting week. While the past two weeks have been exhausting in many ways, I also feel so blessed to have a job that I absolutely love. It truly doesn't feel like I'm going to work every day - more like I get to do things I enjoy and spend time with people I love, and by God's amazing grace I get paid to do it! He's so good to me, it is truly overwhelming. I am blessed beyond measure.
Let us know also how we can be praying for you and what's going on in your lives! Although we may be hard to get ahold of right now, we still want to stay connected and look forward to hearing how y'all are doing.
Hugs,
Erin
We visited CBC in Williamstown last Sunday, and it was a lot of fun to see so many old friends. We enjoyed the Youth Sunday service - I can't believe how grown up all the "little kids" are now!
I officially started work this past Monday, although we had been around the farm all weekend. Some of the things I've done this week include: cleaning and organizing the office and tack room, creating new turnout and feed boards, revising the employee handbook, hiring and training a new worker, riding several horses and working with several young ones in the round pen, helping out with chores, taking a couple of horses home and picking up a couple loads of hay on the way back, showing visitors around the farm, correcting employee mistakes, bathing a couple of horses in preparation for shows and demos, and going with Jamie to her demonstration at Dressage at Saratoga yesterday. It's been a busy week!
Luke worked on finishing up the tack room at the end of last week. Unfortunately, he was sick most of this week with some sort of flu we think. He had a very high fever accompanied by achiness and lack of appetite for three days, and stomach pain for three days after that! He is feeling much better now, although he gets tired quickly, has lost a lot of weight (he's bony!) and feels pretty weak. So please pray that he returns to full health soon and is able to start working again.
Please also pray for our friend Jamie. She's going through some stressful health issues right now - please pray for her health and peace of mind, and pray for us as we seek to pour God's love into her life.
Well, it's time to go up and do night check at the barn, so I better close. Tomorrow starts another busy yet exciting week. While the past two weeks have been exhausting in many ways, I also feel so blessed to have a job that I absolutely love. It truly doesn't feel like I'm going to work every day - more like I get to do things I enjoy and spend time with people I love, and by God's amazing grace I get paid to do it! He's so good to me, it is truly overwhelming. I am blessed beyond measure.
Let us know also how we can be praying for you and what's going on in your lives! Although we may be hard to get ahold of right now, we still want to stay connected and look forward to hearing how y'all are doing.
Hugs,
Erin
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