Gracie takes a purple ribbon at her first 4-H event in Jr. Showmanship!

Ready For County Fair

County Fair starts tomorrow so we've been busy ironing shirts, shining boots, cleaning tack and bathing horses! I think she's as ready as she can be and if nothing else, Gracie looks like a million bucks! If you're here in Seward, stop down to the fair grounds tomorrow or Thursday and take in some equestrian fun!

New Friends

Daisy and Stormy are getting pretty comfortable with each other.

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.

Breathless

There are moments in a mother's life when she must take a deep breath and realize she cannot be in control. A time when she can only ask God to send angels to protect her children and keep them safe from harm. I took one of those deep breaths today.....but I forgot to exhale and nearly passed out! As I juggled a camera, a 4 year-old and a 17 month old, Gemma and Gracie were having the time of their lives with their Aunt Karen and "The Pony Posse"! (Kara Einspahr and Adrienne and Olivia Trecaso.) You can view more photos HERE.

Did You Know.....

Did you know that if you leave your laptop plugged in for long periods of time with your battery installed that your battery will fry out about 3 times faster than normal?!?! I have been using Dell computers for years and I had never heard that. Interestingly, last year, when I called Dell about my battery only holding a charge for 20 minutes, they sent out a new battery and power cord. The same problem occurred again, only this time they explained that it is my fault because I keep the computer at my desk and plugged in to the AC adapter most of the time. They recommend always removing the battery when you are plugged into AC (unless of course you're re-charging!). They claim a typical battery should last 2-3 years if you follow this recommendation. Mmmm.....with a replacement 9-cell battery costing $180.00.....I have to wonder about this. Any thoughts??

Horse Camp Highlights

We just finished up with what seemed like a marathon of horse camps! Last weekend we spent 2 days in Kansas City, MO for a regional "D-Camp" and then on our way home we checked the horses into the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, NE for a local camp that began on Monday. The camp went from 7am to 5pm every day for five days with the girls getting to sleep over with fellow campers on the last night. Both girls gained a ton of confidence and skill, which you will see in the jumping photos! The US Pony Club does such a great job of promoting teamwork and confidence as well as self-reliance and independence. Parents were not allowed to do much in the way of horse care or tacking up so I enjoyed taking 670 pictures during the week (which I've narrowed down to these 118! You can view them HERE.)

Gracie took her first fall off a horse so now both girls have that behind them (Gemma took a spill after 4-H ring practice a couple weeks ago), thankfully with no injuries. Next up is the Seward County Fair which Gracie will compete in 6 events. Unfortunately Gemma cannot compete in 4-H for two more years due to her age.

I was exhausted at the week's end and told the girls that tennis tournaments would be a lot easier. All we'd need to haul is a racket, a water jug and some cute skirts but they won't hear of it. Maybe next year?

First Annual Slip-in-Slide Party

Our first annual slip-in-slide party was a huge success! Special thanks to Christina Trecaso, not only for starting the tradition but for coaching me on the construction. Scott's cousin, Steve Meyer, his wife Nancy and their two sons, Mason and Mitchell, are visiting from Minnesota. They, along with our nephew, Shawn, his roommates and some neighbor kids, were all a big help with contruction. We used padded moving blankets under the plastic to soften the ride! It was over 60 feet long and about 8 feet wide! No injuries were reported and yes, I was still able to run and jump onto my stomach for a successful belly ride! Scott's back is injured so he didn't make it down but I'm hoping he can give it a shot on Sunday. The kids are WORN OUT! Next year we will use Johnson's Baby Shampoo for the initial "break-in", as opposed to dish soap! Click HERE if you'd like to see the movie clips.