Sunday, April 26, 2009

2009-Piano Recital

Gracie and Gemma (both 1st year students with Diane Steinauer) had their piano recital this afternoon. I asked the girls if they were nervous and they both said "not really"! Gracie took Suzuki piano lessons in Akron for a while when she was three, but between the birth of Luke and our move to Nebraska, they hadn't had anything consistent until this past year. I think they're finally in a groove now and don't mind practicing. You can hear and see Gracie playing "Horseback Camp" HERE and Gemma playing "Carnival Caprice" HERE.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Riding Lessons

Gracie took a riding lesson with her friend Jessie Juergensen today. The two girls were thrilled to be in the arena together. I also caught a couple great shots of the other kids playing around the buildings. Gracie is doing really well and is very excited about the arrival of "Shadow", a new horse we are having shipped out here from Virginia. Aunt Karen met a family in Tokyo who needed someone to use and love their 20 year-old mare while they are stationed abroad. "Shadow" is already a trained hunter/jumper and dressage horse!! Woo Hoo!! She will arrive here in Nebraska about mid May. Click HERE to see more photos from today.


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Monday, April 20, 2009

Dance Recital

I know some of you back in Ohio may find this hard to believe but we do have a dance studio out here. Yes, the arts are alive in Seward, Nebraska! I finally had a chance to upload some photos from the girls' dance recital on Sunday. Gracie was in three dances: a jazz, ballet and a tap. Gemma was in 2 dances: a ballet and tap. Both girls did a great job and received flowers from their grandparents after the show. Gracie's hair is so long that it took a zillion bobbie pins to hold up that bun, and we still netted it out of fear it would fall apart. You can click HERE for 108 more photos from our day! or not...haha

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Ready To Fish

All the time I've been spending with the girls and the horses has given Scott and the boys some bonding time! Unlce John, these pics are for you! Luke has been practicing his casting and will be ready to fish with the big boys this summer!

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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! We missed out on the family photo this year. Everyone changed out of their outfits before I could take a picture! Should have taken it before church but we were running late. Got Gemma to take this one shot of Gracie and I. The girls had a Japan theme for their dresses this year.
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Our First Mounted Session-We Did It!


Today was a big day for the girls and I. We loaded up Doc and Rocky for the first time and trailered them into Lincoln for the first Pony Club mounted session of 2009. The girls have been studying since January and taking riding lessons but had not yet attended a "mounted session" with fellow Pony Clubbers. Between packing up 2 horses and all their tack, connecting a truck to a trailer, loading the horses, unloading horses, driving on I80, tacking up, and entering an arena with strange horses, the day was full of "firsts" for sure! I was very proud of the way my girls and the horses handled everything. The girls were really worried because we had not had a chance to purchase them the special breetches or schooling pants and chaps required by Pony Club but it all worked out and we hope to get them into their appropiate riding attire by the next mounted session. A special thanks goes out to our trainer, Patty Lavelle for supervising the packing and loading process at the farm! You can see the other shots I took from today by clicking HERE.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Jack Update


Jack is 4 weeks post-surgery today and his wound is coming along very nicely. I've stopped putting a dressing on it but still irrigate and clean it out every day. If you'd like to see more photos click HERE. You can compare with the originals HERE.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Happy Boys?

Ya know, in this photo one could almost assume that big brother is kind, loving, careful, nuturing and in tune with the needs of a one-year-old baby. But if you look very carefully into Marshall's eyes, he is really saying, "Mom, please don't leave me here like this! You know as soon as you take your eyes off me, he is going to pinch, squeeze, push, poke or drop me on the floor!!
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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Dinner For Eight

After a thunderstorm warning, a tornado warning and a winter storm warning our "dinner for eight" was a huge success. Everyone made it (even Brennan, a volunteer fire fighter, after being called out to fight a house fire!)