Gracie Rates Up To D-2

Gracie and 4 of her friends from Cornhusker Pony Club took their D-2 test last weekend. All the girls not only passed, but the tester said they were "more prepared than any group she ever tested"! Way to go girls! Click on the blue screen to see slide show.

From 2010-D2 Testing

Posted by MommyD at 6:08 AM

Early Risers??

Gemma and Luke had some friends over last night for a camp out. Surprisingly, this brave group of 5, 6, 7 & 8 year-olds stayed outside all night long. But what had them up at the crack of dawn?? THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM!!! Oops......


From left: Noah Ruegg, Anna Royuk, Luke, Gemma & Lizzy Schultz

Maria Yoder

I'm finally getting to the subject of Maria! Maria Yoder is 18 years old and the second oldest of 12 children!  I met her family in the fall of 2001 when we purchased our first side of grass-fed beef from her parents, Paul and Colleen.  That was the beginning of a most interesting relationship..... one that would change my life forever!  Shortly after the beef, we tried their fresh raw milk. After making the hour drive once about every six weeks (and freezing the milk), I convinced about five other families to share the drive and bring fresh milk back every week.  The next thing you know I was coordinating a "Farm-To-You" co-op with over 150 families picking up farm fresh foods at 7 different locations around Akron and Cleveland!  Oh and did I mention all of this was illegal?

I thought we could just find a nice senator to sponsor a bill to change the law so I led a state-wide raw milk legislative initiative through the Ohio House and Senate.  Silly me....how was I to know that "Big Dairy" powers of Ohio had a much stronger voice than a bunch of farmers and health-conscious mothers? It was not in their best interest for people to start buying milk directly from farmers, especially the kind of milk that caused a person's health to improve!  After the bill failed, we were later thrilled to walk away with a court ruling which recognized our right to drink the milk of a cow we own.......and the "herd share" contract was born.  Here in Nebraska it is legal to buy fresh milk on the farm but in Ohio farmers and consumers still walk on egg shells waiting for the next attack on their rights to consume the foods they choose.

After moving to Nebraska, I've stayed in touch with the Yoder family (you tend to grow close to people on the "front lines") and that's how we were blessed with the opportunity to have Maria come help us out for five weeks!  You can meet the rest of Maria's family at http://www.yoderfarm.blogspot.com/.

Maria's sister Audrey made Nyla this adorable baby gift......a dress to match Maria's!

It's Official!

Well, it's official! Our friends, the Trecaso's, are taking Karen's horse, Bonnie, back to Ohio with them! Adrienne fell in love with 4 year-old Bonnie when she discovered that Bonnie would jump anything she asked her to! The best part of the arrangement is that Bonnie will be "leased" to the Trecaso's for the next four years, meaning that Bonnie will return to Nebraska right about the time Gracie or Gemma will be ready for a larger, faster, higher jumping horse! Adrienne is an awesome rider and we all sat in amazement as she led Bonnie over heights we didn't even know she was capable of!! They are sure to make a great team.

My Best Friends

My Best Friends!

John and Christina and I and all our kids are playing in downtown Lincoln today. We started the day with a blood draw and trip to the veterinary lab for a horse who may be traveling back to Ohio with theTrecasos! Then we enjoyed an amazing lunch at "The Bread and Cup" in the Haymarket, then shopped and made jewelry together at Euphoria.

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!)