Games Rally Review

Games Rally weekend was full of heartbreaks and triumphs again this year!  Gracie's team came in 1st place for "Horse and Stable Management" (only the top score of all teams receives an award), but 3rd place in the actual games. We had two "rookie ponies" that got so charged up they could not be controlled-one even had to be removed from the games for the safety of the rider!
Gemma's team came in 2nd place for the games! I was very proud of both Gracie and Gemma as they exhibited excellent teamwork, sportsmanship, control, and games strategy. The US Pony Club Games are a very difficult discipline for kids this age but a great way to learn and grow with your horse.  Check out the slide show below the photos!

Gracie and Joe in the warm-up arena.

Gemma and Happy in the "Bottle Race".

Gemma makes the hand-off in the "Flag Race"!

Broken arm? What broken arm?

Gemma makes a basket in "Hi-Lo"

Gracie in "Hi-Lo"

Gracie's team-Amanda Traphagan, Jessie Juergensen and Anna Baack

Gemma's team: Dani Drbal, Sierra Wilson and Abby Baack

Gracie maneuvering cones on the "Flag Race".

Gracie, reaching for a flag.



Here is a quick slide show of the weekend:

Nyla 5 1/2 Months

Nyla cut a new tooth this weekend bringing her total to 4. The third bottom tooth actually beat her
second top tooth through, but it is very close behind. No more gummy smiles at the Seevers house.

Loaded and ready to leave for US Pony Club Games Rally!

Nyla-5 Months and Crawling

Nyla has been "commando crawling" since about 4 months (which was freaky enough) but now she's up on her knees and on the move at 5 months!  She also has three teeth (two bottom, one top)! Will someone please tell this child she's the 5th kid?!  She's supposed to stay immobile in my sling and nurse until she's three! haha. 

Happy Birthday Brian!

My baby brother and only sibling, Brian Michael Cochran, would have been 35 years old today. I can't believe it's been 13 years since he died. When I let myself stop and think about it, my heart aches like it happened just yesterday. For me, this grief never gets any easier. It just gets placed neatly in a box and put away while I tend to the business of life. I like to think of him more on his birthday, as opposed to the anniversary of his death.  I still miss him very much. I wish my kids could have known him.  I know they would have adored him.  I often see him in their faces, especially when they are silly or tired.  Happy birthday little brother!

Gemma's Broken Arm

Gemma is resting on the couch this afternoon after falling off her horse and breaking her left arm in two places. She was trail riding around the farm on Rocky, when he was suddenly spooked by something and did a 180 degree turn at the canter (there is some dirtwork going on out there so we think he might have been caught off guard by a big bulldozer parked on his normal route.) Gemma went flying off and landed on her hand, breaking her radius and ulna bone. In the x-ray below, you can see the ulna bone has a crush injury and has actually "buckled". The radius is more of a clean break. She was casted clear up above her elbow in an effort to stabilize these "unstable" fractures. She will be x-rayed again in a week and if the bones have not begun to heal properly, or have shifted at all, we may be making a visit to an orthopedic surgeon to discuss having pins put in.

After falling, Gemma got up, lengthened her stirrup so she could re-mount with one hand, and returned to the barn. She dismounted, tied up her horse and then came to me with tear-filled eyes to explain what had happened. I knew immediately it was serious because very little brings Gemma to tears, or off of her horse for that matter. On the way to the ER she had these comments: "I know I wouldn't have fallen off if I were riding bareback, Mommy. That saddle just doesn't fit him right!"....and "I reached out with my hand so I wouldn't hit my head!" .....and "Rocky was so good Mom, he just stood there with me, waiting for me to get back on (as opposed to taking off back to the barn)!"

We are so grateful that Gemma was wearing a helmet and for our barn rule of wearing helmets "EVERY RIDE, EVERY TIME"!

Lincoln Journal Star Article About John and Karen

Scott's brother and sister-in-law, John and Karen, were recently the topic of a newspaper article in the Lincoln Journal Star. Click the "share" button below to see the article.
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First Day of School 2010

Gracie-5th grade, Gemma-3rd grade, Luke-Kindergarten

First Farmer's Market

Farmer's Market was so much fun today! We were set up by 7:30am and sold out of eggs by 10:45am. We got off to a slow start so I was a little nervous for the kids. I sat them down and explained it was possible we wouldn't sell many eggs this first time, especially considering the competition at $1.50/dz!! But a child's optimism is so refreshing as it didn't even occur to the children we wouldn't sell them ALL. While I was reverting into "sales mode", worrying about the table presentation, reviewing "features and benefits" and what they should say in the "first 30 seconds".....the kids just happily played, greeted the customers and visited other producers to get honey and banana bread samples! I had to chuckle at myself as I settled into the realization that Farmer's Market is not a trade show and the eggs are not medical equipment! They practically sell themselves! LOL

Happy Chickens

Even with all this heat, the chickens seem to be doing really well and production is ramping up daily. We are so grateful to have the shade and bugs that Grandma's fruit trees provide! Now if we can just figure out what to do with the extra roosters! Out of the four, three have to go but we are having trouble getting our courage up to "process" them.  Maybe YOU would like a pet rooster? Did you know there doesn't have to be a rooster in the flock for chickens to lay eggs?

Keeping the water jugs clean is quite a chore in this heat.

The fallen fruit attracts many yummy bugs!

They're running toward the camera because they think we have food!

Time to lay an egg!

Keeping the feed up off the ground is better for the grass. 6 of our 9 breeds are shown here.