Sweet Afton

Almost There

2011-12-31T20:08:00.002-05:00

I'm going every week now to the doctor until delivery. Things seem to be progressing nicely. I've had 2 colds in the past 3 weeks and apparently coughing mimics contractions so there is a small chance this little one could come early. We'll see. His kicks are getting so strong that he feels like he's just going to break out on his own. I'm not sure what labor is going to be like but I can say that as far as pregnancy goes it's been a rather uneventful one (despite all my complaining). I'm very thankful for that. I'm finishing up the baby room this week and getting the stroller and car seat just in case I run out of time. The excitement grows and so does my need for sleep. I used to feel guilty spending all day on the couch but I'm finding it's so hard to get up that it's just easier if I just sit there. I'm very ready to see this little one and be able to get on a horse again.

Quote of the Day:

Robert California: Last week an accounting mistake resulted in a client getting their order for free.
Andy: Ooh. That's not good. Chalk that one up to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb out there.
Robert California: Who're they?
Andy: They're both Kevin.

Oh Baby

2011-11-16T12:21:00.002-05:00

So, here he is. It took us a while to get a photo of his little face. He was fast asleep even though they had me drink a very sugary drink to wake him up. It was so amazing when he came into focus. The lady doing the ultrasound even went over our scheduled time to make sure we were able to see him as long as possible. It's motivated us to get the baby room organized and ready. Plus, I'm feeling rather huge these days so the sooner we get everything fixed the better. I have about five thousand photos and some are really cute. I'm so excited!!

Quote of the Day: "Death once had a near Chuck Norris experience."

3-D

2011-11-09T11:56:00.002-05:00

We go Saturday with hordes of family for the 3D ultrasound. I'm so excited! I should get a DVD with it so I can put him on the blog. If all goes well this will be the last ultrasound until we see him in person. I hope he's awake. If not I might bring some sugar to help him wake up. Then I'll let him sleep the rest of the day. The nursery is in progress...not like he's even going in there for awhile. He'll be staying with me. He's a pretty active baby. He kicks like a wild man and this morning he found a fun new nerve in my back to jump on. I've heard that being active in the womb usually means a calm baby in person. Let's hope so. If not I'll have to recruit Cedar to help babysit.

Quote of the Day: "Last night, I dreamed that the number two was the most valued number in the world. The vice-president had all the power, athletes fought for silver medals, women were considered the best gender, and stadiums of fans shouted, "we're number two!" As with all my dreams, I'm guessing it was about my fear of immigrants." -Dwight Schrute

What I Can't Do

2011-09-20T14:45:00.004-05:00

I rode a horse the other day. It wasn't a great idea. I didn't fall off and John stood and played safety patrol so I didn't do anything stupid but it wasn't a comfortable experience. It did show me how much I've missed riding. Now that I'm about halfway through this pregnancy I'm really starting to get stretched out and a little uncomfortable. I know it only gets "better." I'm trying to enjoy it but goodness gracious am I tired. My OB laughed at me my last trip when he found me almost asleep waiting for him in the exam room. I got the "you think you're tired now" speech. Anyway, so far so good.

I'm sad about missing State Fair this year but there are other competitions I can enter besides the horse show. John is also going to be entering some competitions. I'm excited for him. He has a pretty good chance of doing well. We are considering entering Laurel in one of the classes at the horse show on a friend's horse. She has become quite the little rider. She talks about it all the time and has bonded with Lilly. Noah even rode last weekend. We had to tone him down a bit. Screaming "heeeya" at the horse while snapping the reins may be how the cowboys on TV do it but Lilly just froze and didn't know how to react to the little monster on her back. If his allergies hold off we can probably do lessons with him too. TWO YOUTH RIDERS! Hopefully I can start posting more often. We have been so busy with barn activities (injured horses, barn drama) that posting has been last on my list. It would be fun to put up a ultrasound photo or 2. I'll see if I can figure that one out.

Quote of the Day: "This morning Danny Cordrea stole a sale from me so what do I do? I go out and I steal Danny Cordrea. Funny thing about it, we don't even need 'em. We already have Packer on the road! Crrrrap. I forgot about Packer!" -Michael Scott

Who dat?

2011-08-13T19:24:00.005-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just expected the "same ole" and then WHAM you get hit in the head. Not a literal hit...but it sort of feels like that anyway. As you can see by my baby ticker in the corner I'm about 16 weeks into my pregnancy. We had a regular OB appointment set up last week and they we where to go back this coming Monday to find out if we were having a boy or girl. Well, we did the fun glucose test, took blood, saw the doctor and then were told we needed to wait for the ultrasound because they were running a little behind. WHAT! They had my chart messed up and they had scheduled the ultrasound for that day. What an incredible surprise. We waited about an hour for the room but it was so worth it. I was so excited (not to mention hyper from the sugar test) that I talked John to death waiting but finally they called us back. Now, I haven't seen the baby since 7 1/2 weeks and then it just looked like a jelly bean with a tail. Still a very moving experience but nothing like what we were about to see. We could immediately make out the baby. The lady did measurements, movement, made sure all the parts were there (not like it would have made a difference to us) and then went to check on gender. I've had a strange feeling that I'd be having a girl since before I got pregnant and I just knew that this would confirm it....just knew. John didn't really have a preference but I knew deep down he would love to have a tractor buddy. Well.......

A tractor buddy it is!!!!!! I'm so excited:)

Quote of the Day: "Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare." -Ed Asner

HOT!

2011-07-28T07:57:00.002-05:00

Boy is it hot!!! I feel so badly for the horses that stand out in this all day. Back when we broke 100 we brought all the pasture board horses in for the weekend just so they could have some relief from it all. It really seemed to help them. Even the shelters don't do much to cool them off when it's this bad. I helped John get hay up last Saturday. It was the rush of the century. We could see the storm clouds building and had about 50-75 bales in the field....and....the tractor decided to not work. After frantically whamming on it it kicked into gear and off we went. Only 15 bales left to go when the storm of the century hit. I think I took 4 showers that day cooling off and then going back out to help. This weekend the hay will have to wait. We have a wedding to attend...in 105 degree heat.

Quote of the Day: "Dwight has been Acting Manager for three months now? ... Nope. A week. Just feels like three months. Let's see, we all have to punch into a time clock, which is very old, very strong, and has the slot about the size of a finger. We were all given new business cards, big enough to set us apart from the competition. Which is how I learned that our titles are now Junior Employee. Our lunch breaks are staggered to prevent wasting time. Mine's at 10:30 and I find that the first hour of the day goes by a lot quicker than the second seven hours." -Jim Halpert

I Dont' Ever Post Anymore

2011-06-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

Life has gotten a little wild lately. I completely forgot that I even had a blog! Work is nuts and the horses have had to fend for themselves. They don't seem to worried about eating grass all day and hanging out under their shelter when it gets hot. We did go to a local show this past weekend. John took Scout and I took Lilly. I didn't ride but I did show model classes and John won the trail class. My cousins showed all day and won high point you and overall high point champion. I'm glad we had a good day. That will be the last show we go to for awhile. This heat is crazy and it's just hard to go outside for anything. John is working like a dog on the farm. It's his busy season too. Most evenings we just collapse on the couch and stare at the TV....very productive. Well, I'll try to post more often. Life is about to get interesting!

Quote of the Day: "In my family, you don't really go out and get things. If you want something, you write it on a list, and then the housekeeper goes out and gets it on Wednesdays and Fridays. So I don't know. I guess you could say that this job is on my list. And we'll see what Rosa comes back with." -Andy (The Office)

Weekend

2011-04-21T14:46:00.005-05:00

John and I went away for a holiday weekend last Friday to celebrate our one year anniversary. My aunt has a house near the mountains and we went and stay several days and did absolutely nothing. I loved it. We did, however, manage to go to my grandma's farm and fish for half a day. John kept catching turtles. It was fun.

We took Lilly and Cole to a horse show recently. Cole acted so badly that we had to cancel most of his classes and John had to ride him for over an hour just so he would stand quietly at the horse trailer. Lilly did great. Hopefully I'll have photos soon (I know I always say that but I really mean it this time).

Nothing more for now.

Quote of the Day: "Today will either be the best or the worst day of my life. Holly gave AJ an ultimatum. He either proposes by New Year's or they break up. Now, if she's engaged, I'm gonna go crazy, and I'm gonna start attacking people. If she's not engaged, in all honesty, I may just burn this whole place to the ground out of happiness. Either way, I am going to need some talking down. And nobody talks me down like myself in a video talking me down." -Michael Scott

Warm Days = Naps (and riding horses)

2011-03-14T10:37:00.003-05:00

I am so glad the weather is finally warming up. That means horse shows and working on my garden. We were preparing to go to the first show of the season on Saturday when we were told the show was canceled. We were pretty disappointed. So, we changed plans and had a trail ride/picnic instead. IT WAS GREAT. We rode all over the farm with my 2 cousins and one of our boarders before we stopped for lunch...got attacked by ticks...and then finished the ride. I'm glad the show was canceled. It was awesome. Now we have to get ready for the next show in exactly one month. I think we'll be ready.

It has definitely been the winter of sickness. All we've done is bounce around colds. I was feeling pretty cruddy so I went to the doctor to get blood work done. My vitamin D level was too low. She said a lot of women are coming in with low vit. D levels. But, it's an easy fix. I'm taking 2,000 iu's a day to get caught up. It may take several months but I hope it does the trick.

Oh, I have become a Scentsy freak! Have any of you come across this? They are little (or big) plug in warmers with some of the best smells ever. No kidding. I've bought 2 warmers already and about 12 different little smelly blocks to melt in them. I don't even sell this stuff but I would be a perfect spokesperson. Poor John. I'm so thankful he puts up with me.

Quote of the Day: "First up, the lost and found has gone missing. It itself, is lost. So please try not to lose anything until we find it." -Michael Scott

Lots going on...nothing to talk about.

2011-01-28T11:34:00.004-05:00

I really enjoy having sit on the couch evenings. We've been pretty busy with the barn lately and it seems like things are picking up. Horse show season is right around the corner and I've ridden my horses a total of 3 times since the fair. I'm actually impressed at how much my horses retained since last season. I got a lot of riding in last year and I'm sure they needed some time off. It's just the getting in shape part that's going to be difficult. John and I laugh at the extreme hay bellies they've all developed. Even always skinny Aari looks a little pudgy. I started this year with visions of increasing my riding lessons but quickly found that it was too much right now. Maybe later. Wallace and Rubble went to the mobile vet yesterday to get spay/neutered. I got a phone call about an hour in that Rubble was only 2lbs and she was too young. Wallace was actually huge so they were able to go ahead with his de-tomcatting. At least they can't get married now. My biggest fear was that we would have a sunroom full of beautiful half feral kittens. Rubble goes NOWHERE until she gains 2 more pounds and I trot her off to the vet. Oh, Valentines Day is almost here!!! I'm so excited. I've already bought John his present/ online/ discount price. He knows what it is so I can't really surprise him so I need one more really good idea. And, that's what I'll be working on for the next few weeks;)

Oh, and I don't do resolutions. Just thought I'd say that. Kind of takes the pressure off 2011. Except, I do want to finish writing a book I started several years ago. Nope, not my resolution though.

Quote of the Day: "I made a resolution to floss, and I did it. 12:01, January first, BAM! Blood everywhere." -Michael Scott

He's Well!

2011-01-03T09:46:00.003-05:00

The old horse is now frolicking around with the other horses. Well, he actually just stands there and they frolic around him. I am so glad he's better and he healed rather quickly. My cousin got a horse for Christmas. I drove up to see him on Saturday. Absolutely beautiful and very sweet. I have pictures! Also, Christmas etc. are over. I killed Christmas at my house last night. It took forever to get everything wrapped up in paper and stored away. Then I ate a salad. I did get some cool stuff. One gift John gave me was pillows. Sounds not that exciting but if you've ever had to live with a really crappy pillow then you know how wonderful it is to find the perfect one. His mom gave me a magic pot from pampered chef. I've already used it twice. It really is magic. With the weather trying very hard to warm up I really want to get back to riding. My horses are fat and scraggly. They need a job.

ps- I found this photo my mom took the day of the bridal portraits! I think it's pretty.

Quote of the Day: "Having Luke here is a pretty big deal for me. Because his mother, who also happens to be my half sister, kind of cut me off from that side of the family fifteen years ago--fourteen. The last time I saw Luke, was the opening day of Ace Ventura 2. And that was '95. So yes, fifteen years on the dot. Anyway, I lost him in a forest." -Michael Scott

Barn Drama

2010-12-14T09:57:00.002-05:00

So, the oldest horse at the barn got hurt. At night. On a Sunday. He was running with the other excited pasture horses when he tripped on his blanket and it flew over his head. Down he went and his front leg was trashed. It took a really long time just to get him from the pasture to the barn. It was pitiful. I was certain that he had broken his shoulder. The vet checked and checked him but couldn't find a fracture. The horse is so big and fuzzy you couldn't even tell if he was swelling or just puffy. They loaded him up with so many pain killers I'm surprised the horse could stand up at all. We decided to give him a night and see what happened. THANK GOODNESS by the next morning he was walking on the busted leg and much more comfortable. I was terrified for this horse. He's 34 years old. Hopefully it's just stall rest and lots of good food for him at this point. He is accepting get well cards;)

On a happier note...Christmas is almost here and I have a new kitten to share it with. Baby Rubble is bonding with Wallace (the grown Tom cat). They share the cat bed at night. It's so cute. I really need to get a picture up because she is a gorgeous calico. She bit me the first time I tried to pick her up (no sign of rabies yet). Now I can hold her without a problem. YEAH!

Quote of the Day: "Toby has been leaving radon test kits everywhere like he owns the place. The first time I threw mine away I thought it was an ant trap. But I figured I'd rather live with ants than with this creepy little disc. The second time, I thought it was one of those, you know, the things you turn over and it moo's like a cow thing but upon closer examination it was another ant trap so I threw it away. And the third time, I did it out of spite." -Michael Scott

Winter

2010-11-30T10:36:00.003-05:00

I've already decorated for Christmas. That's right. I'm DONE. Well, I was done until my mom found another box in the barn with my name on it. Now I have one more box to go through and see what I can junk my house up with now. John made me find a stocking for Wallace (my cat that has no distinguishable color). I'm not sure what to get him for Christmas. He already has a sparkle collar. He is due for a neutering (I'm talking about the cat). I'll spring that on him later. I'm going to try some crafts for gifts this year. My mom is the target. I feel sorry for her. Whatever I give her, no matter how terrible it, is she will feel obligated to display it in her house until the hot glue gives out or the cat attacks it. Poor her. I'm posting this song for her. When she looks at the terrible crafty gift she can play this song and feel a little bit better. Our family had to cancel Thanksgiving this year due the the plague that swept through. John got out with about a day and a half of it. The rest of us went to urgent care. It's been great fun. Oh, John is teaching Scout to not freak out when he shoots around him. We tried it on Thanksgiving morning with Lilly and Scout but Lilly didn't handle it well. Scout did great and John even was able to ride him while I shot caps around him. He did, however, wear 12 helmets. Horses are fun....dangerous and stupid...but fun.

Quote of the Day: "If you break that girl's heart, I will kill you... It's just a figure of speech. But seriously, if you break that girl's heart, I will literally kill you and your entire family." -Michael Scott

Something Funny

2010-11-09T10:05:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I was having a bad day. Aaaand, when you're having a bad day you can always find something funny on youtube. Off I trotted to the internet and found this...

I laughed so much it hurt. Not so much at the model, but just listen to the anchorman. Our horse barn is beginning to fill up...slowly. It's a good thing because it takes me a while to remember the new names off horse/owner. I usually make up my own name for them anyways. I'll stop typing now because the video is worth watching 1,000 times.

Horse Show Wrap-Up

2010-10-29T10:38:00.002-05:00

No horse show photos yet. I have to get up with a lady who has some great ones. We had a decent State Fair. Youth day went by REALLY quickly. I never thought I would utter those words but WOW! The kids made a great show. But, we were showing against world champion horses and riders. Whew! We barely made it out alive but Melissa was able to capture a ribbon. My qualifying classes were mediocre at best. Cole got fifth places Friday night. For some reason the second night is always better so I had some hope for Saturday championships. John and I went over to the fair after youth day on Saturday to waste some time before my classes. He won 2nd place in the hay competition! We took a camera to get photos and video of the horse show and came home only with photos of his hay and ribbon. He is so proud. We ate some junk and walked until we collapsed on a bench. Then, dragged ourselves back to the horse complex for championship night. Cole didn't place at all in his class. Lilly got a spectacular 3rd out of 3 in her qualifying class. I was ready to head home. I decided to finish showing Lilly in her last class anyway. I'm glad I did because there where more horses in the class and she was able to pull off reserve champion (for the second year in a row) and beat a horse we have never been able to beat before. As much as I love my horses I am still exhausted and don't want to see them for another week. They are happily back out to pasture and John is eagerly awaiting his ribbon and premium check in the mail. I might set him up a chair by the mailbox. So, I will leave you with a short training video of Scout. It's a useless video really but I have at least put one image of a horse in this post

Ouch!!

2010-09-28T11:32:00.004-05:00

I was walking through Kohls parking lot yesterday with John so that he could buy some cool guy shoes and I slipped. Remember that toe Daniel broke when he threw me in the ocean several years ago. I re-broke that toe. I didn't realize it until we went into Kohls and were checking out the guy shoes. We bought some for John and then he drove me to urgent care. John was cute and carried my big ugly green pocket book around as I was x-rayed and inspected by the doctor. They showed him how to tape it up and then gave me the coolest shoe...ever to wear for a week. John laughed at me all the way out of urgent care. This is really going to help me out a lot getting ready for the horse show. John won't even let me help feed the horses at this point. I'm going to try to sneak onto a horse today. First, I have to create a diversion.....
Oh, I have a new kitty. Have I already posted that? His name is Wallace. He hasn't yet been introduced to Ellie but the day is drawing near. I'm sure Cedar won't have a problem with him as long as he doesn't run. She has that hound dog chase after things that run down pat.

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: Pam you want to rub butter on my foot?
Pam Beesly: No.
Michael Scott: Pam, please. I have Country Crock.
-Michael Scott (The Injury)

Sigh

2010-09-17T11:02:00.002-05:00

I'm tired. It's been a busy last few months. We've been showing the crap out of our horses and so have our students and boarders. I'm very proud of everyone. It's a lot of fun to take four horses to a show and have everyone come home with at least 1 blue ribbon and 2 horses win end of show high points. I broke out of my shell and took Lilly in a trail class (basically an obstacle course for horses). It was a lot of fun. We got 4th the first time through. We tried it a second time and by then Lilly had it all figured out. She won that class. It's good to get out with friends and family...and horses and just have a play day. We have a new cat that I can't find named Fred and a new kitten named Wallace. Both are very cute. I am so ready for cooler weather!! Maybe we'll have a fall barn party.

...excuse me as a solve a office paperwork mystery....

Quote of the Day: "Cumberland Mills? And how did you get my resume? Oh no no, I''m flattered, don't get me wrong. I''m just not sure it's my official resume, or if its just something a satisfied customer posted online. What does it say under martial arts training? Oh... okay, I''m going to have to supplement that. What''s your fax number?" -Dwight Schrute

Busy

2010-08-30T15:13:00.002-05:00

So, it's been busy. I really want a steak...with blue cheese. Maybe I can talk John into that tonight. We've been gearing up for another horse show. This time we're taking Lilly. She doesn't really want to go but she does have to pay for her room and board. She does occasionally have to get out of the green pasture and work for her cushy life. I know I haven't posted in awhile. We've had a lot going on. I'm teaching some riding lessons and we've been active with church. The barn has gotten some new boarders and there are new ones coming in. Very exciting times. I hope everyone is doing well. We have a new kitty named Mustafa. He's completely crazy and probably the happiest cat I've ever met. Hopefully I'll have a picture up soon of him.

Quote of the Day: "Recently I have been thinking about maybe leaving this job, but I felt like I needed a sign. And then Ann broke up with me the week I was going to propose, the government got shut down and yesterday one of those pigeons took an poop on me. And I was indoors, so..." -Mark (Parks and Rec)

Horses Galore

2010-08-03T10:00:00.002-05:00

We have new boarders at the barn!! We picked them up last Saturday from a nearby stable and brought them home. The horses seem to have settled it very well. We've not had much time to ride because we've been teaching lessons like crazy. It makes for long days but at least I'm tired enough to sleep well at night. I have a new kitten!! Cora from church brought a little black cat into the office last week that had been thrown out of a van. He is super cute and friendly. Almost a little too friendly. It's kind of psychotic actually. I'm thinking some medicine to calm him down would be appropriate. My other cat Rocket isn't real excited to have him on her porch but she's adjusting. Photos of crazy cat soon.

Quote of the Day: "I lied to Kevin. Holly and I can never be just friends. I wrote down, a list of bullet points, why Holly and I should be together and I'm going to find the perfect moment today and I'm gonna tell her. [quickly looks at crinkled note] Number one, "Holly, you and I are soup snakes." The-- and the reason is-- because, in terms of the soup we like to eat-- That doesn't make any sense. [checks note again] We're soulmates! Holly and I are soulmates." -Michael Scott

WARM!

2010-07-22T09:39:00.003-05:00

It's really stinkin' hot! I sit inside for most of the day so I shouldn't complain but come on! I joke with John and tell him it's all this "global warming." I don't think he's amused. He has to feed horses in the morning and then mow or stack or bathe or talk to hay most of the day. I help him feed in the evening and gripe about the heat the whole time. I've just diagnosed (because that's always a good idea) Lilly with Anhidrosis. "What's that," you ask? Oh, just a horse that can't sweat properly. Or doesn't sweat. Or sweats sometimes. Or overheats after walking around the ring. So, she's been doing nothing lately. I'm concerned about her. I have shows coming up but I just don't want to risk hurting her. VBS is going great. It's super hot and I have NOT been self diagnosed with Anhidrosis. I come home dripping. We are having fun though. The children remember the songs from last year and are really paying attention to the lesson. It's so neat to watch. Friday night is the Grand Finale. I'll be getting there early to test out the moon bounce.

Quote of the Day: "I got you one of those veggie muffins you're always eating. Tastes like a rug." -Andy (Parks and Rec)

No Rain

2010-07-14T07:50:00.002-05:00

I love this video of Noah. Not sure what he's eating but it makes me laugh. Did ya'll get those awesome thunderstorms last night? Me neither. I get so excited about a summer thunderstorm and they never seem to happen. We are leaving Cedar out of her pen all day now. She usually comes out and barks all excited and then runs back to her dog house to sleep. Not very ambitious if you ask me. It's been too hot to ride horses lately and I'm starting to have withdrawals. There is no way I'll be ready for the next show as fat and out of shape as the horses are now. I might have to sneak down late at night and ride when it's cool. Martha helped me update my blog. I love the new background. Oh, and I ordered the wedding photo book from Christi yesterday!! Can't wait until it gets here!! VBS starts next week. That means a moon bounce happens on Friday at the finale. It'll probably thunderstorm that day.

Quote of the Day: "When you land, try and land like an eight year old. These bouncy castles are not designed for adults." -Dwight Schrute

Who Needs A Ride?

2010-07-01T07:39:00.002-05:00

Since it's been too hot to ride we've been doing other things. This picture was taken at Mike's birthday party at Kathy's house. I'd never experienced a Water Taxi until then. I'm glad Martha didn't take the picture when I fell out the bottom. Because it's been so stinkin' hot we've been turning Cedar out of her pen for most of the day now. She does really well. Ellie and Cedar keep cool by digging up our foundation so they can both have a comfortable place to lie down. Silly dogs! We finally were able to ride horses last night. There are lots of little baby calves that want me to pet them and name them and take them home. But, alas, John said no. Well, off to do paperwork...

Quote of the Day: "I was thinking about our little leak problem. I was up all night thinking about what we should do to this individual. You know what I think we should do? We make 'em come to work. And we work 'em. And, and we pay 'em. But, we make 'em feel like they did something really wrong. The one question I have is do we give them a Christmas bonus? I say, yes, it's Christmas, but right after, they're right back in the thick of it." -Michael Scott

Cool Beans

2010-06-21T07:13:00.007-05:00

So, apparently I don't update my blog very much anymore. But, in my defense, it has been crazy busy...and...I don't have internet at my house yet. It's mostly been too hot to ride but we have been able to hit a few horse shows in the area that we've never been to before. It's been really fun! A friend I used to ride with 100 years ago (named Jessica...oh and her cousin Katie) have been loading up a variety of horses and trying them out. At one of the shows we were THE ONLY WALKING HORSES THERE! We got some strange looks but still came out with some pretty good ribbons. Then, we came across a show that was small with no dressing out required. We could even pick our back numbers!! I might have picked #1 for me and #2 for John. Oh, did I mention John showed!! I'll have more photos and perhaps a video later.
Fun Fact: Jessica's horse is full brother to the horse I sold the people who where putting on this show. So the whole show we had people coming up and petting her horse. It was a little strange. Even in the show ring during the judging they were doing it. Never had that happen before. It was interesting.

Oh, and we might have won a trophy or 2.

It was so much fun and I have so many slim jims left to eat...we'll be going back.

Quote of the Day: "I don't have 30 thousand dollars lying around. I have it buried very deeply, and I don't want to dig past a certain someone to get it." -Dwight Schrute

How To Lose Money-101

2010-05-19T09:30:00.005-05:00

I went to a horse show and all I got was a urinary tract infection. It was one of the sorriest shows I've been to...ever. I took John and a friend of mine to help show. The person who inspects the horses before we show almost failed Cole because she measured his shoes wrong. Another inspector came up and had to educate her on how to measure. Apparently she was new. I should have loaded my little horses up and left then but NAY I continued like a dummy. The judge hated Cole. I wasn't surprised until I saw the video. My horse looked good! She wouldn't give him higher than last place. I was expecting Lilly to do MUCH better. She has been lately. The judge wouldn't place her at all. We decided to leave after my last class and not come back the next day. Well, the last class sealed the deal for us. Four horses in the class, she called our number as first place. No way. I knew something was wrong. I slowly made my way to the ribbon girl when I saw the judge talking to the announcer. I pulled back into the line up. The announcer said, "I'm sorry, we have them backwards. The first place winner is..." me again. I didn't move. She apologized again. Then she announced I was the winner. It got ridiculous. Nobody knew what to do. I got last. As soon as the class was over we made our move. We scratched all our classes and got our money back. The lady in the show office tried to convince us to stay. I won't be giving money to that organization anymore. Every show I have been to affiliated with the National Walking Horse Association has been a dismal failure. I shall waste my money (John's money) elsewhere. Another show coming up this weekend. Hopefully my medication has kicked in by then.

p.s.- John was a good sport. He even took video of all of my classes and yelled when I didn't win. I'll post some of that soon!

Quote of the Day: "Just once, I would like to be a puppet master and have nothing go wrong. Is that too much to ask?" -Dwight Schrute

Married Life

2010-05-04T07:37:00.005-05:00

So, I did get my marriage license back so I am officially "with husband". I have been cheating on cooking lately. It's not that I'm lazy or don't want too (maybe a little lazy) but getting ready for this horse show has seriously taken a lot of time. Thank goodness there is always Papa John's to back me up. Every time we gain a horse at the barn we lose one too. We just got in a HUGE Canadian sporthorse but the brown mare and her baby will be leaving in a week. It kind of makes me sad to see them go. We get attached and all. Last night I went with John to a Home Owners Association meeting about some pasture work he is doing. That ran late and then we had to go to the grocery store. We got home late and I still need to pick headbands and braid ribbons for the show. John was a trooper. He sat on the couch with his eyes closed as I resparkled Cole's headband and braided fifty million ribbons while consulting him about the colors and how they would match my riding habit. I could tell he didn't really care but he acted like it...until he fell asleep. Tonight is another late night. Somebody come walk Cedar please!

Quote of the Day: "If you'd have told me this morning that today I'd be creating a monster capable of my own destruction, I'd have thought you were referring to the bull Mose and I are trying to reanimate." -Dwight Schrute

I MIGHT BE MARRIED!!

2010-04-19T12:46:00.002-05:00

It's hard to tell really. Martha didn't know about mailing the marriage license in a set amount of time so I sent it off this morning. So, in about a week...I should know if I'm married! I can't thank everyone enough for the help setting up and taking down and eating all of the leftovers. It was so good to have a week away to re-boot. I hope everyone got some good sleep after the long hours of setting up. John and I moved 2 of the cats over to the house yesterday. We took Rocket and Frederic. We plan to take Stevie but he is recovering from some horrible/deadly cat infection that we had to deal with the week of the wedding (thank you to Miranda for handling THAT for me). As soon as I can get some photos up I will. Now I have to catch up on office work and eat my hot-pocket.

Quote of the Day: "I would say I kind of have an unfair advantage because I watch reality dating shows like a hawk. And I learn. I absorb information, from the strategies of winners. And the losers! Actually I probably learn more from the losers." -Michael Scott

Honesty 101

2010-03-16T14:22:00.004-05:00

Ok, so ten things...But, what if I don't have 10 things...

1. I'm getting married in few weeks and I'm scared. Mostly of having to run a house and having to not cook nasty food.

2. I eat burritos for breakfast...with hot sauce. (refer to honesty question #1)

3. I have kept most of my stuffed animals from childhood and they now reside in John's attic.

4. I like "Parks and Rec" better than "The Office."

5. I am WAY more competitive showing horses than I let on. I like to eat professionally trained horses for breakfast!

6. My hearing in my broke ear is getting worse. I make up for it by nodding and smiling. Maybe I should get chalk and a piece of slate.

7. I am afraid to have children. Labor mostly. Anything I can't put out to pasture and walk away from for the evening scares me.

8. My favorite day was the day John left for Iraq. Not like it sounds! It was the most meaningful day we have ever spent together.

9. I love living at home with my parents. I'll miss my left corner of the couch.

10. I think American Idol is stupid...yet...I continue to watch it...

Resuscitating Nemo

2010-03-09T08:16:00.007-05:00

When Martha and Mike where in Ukraine you might remember I bought Noah a blue beta fish as a bribe to keep him happy. Well, my mom kept Noah yesterday for a few hours at the house. He was playing by himself for awhile and then he came in and told my mom, "I pet my fish!" What? Should I be worried? I didn't think he even knew how to get the lid off the tank! Maybe he just meant he fed his fish...or he looked at his fish. If he really did pet his fish we'll be needing a new one soon. As of this morning, Nemo seems happy. Let's keep it that way.

Wedding plans are winding down. Activities are cranking up. My mom found a new cat at my grandma's house. He needs a home. Cutest kitten ever born. He is getting tested for all things cat today and if he comes out ok he will be given to the first person who raises their hand.

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: Ho! Ho! Hooo! Contraption! She's contrapting...! Ok, you know what? I think that I should drive you guys to the hospital and here is why; I am a licensed, Class C driver in the state of Pennsylvania. I gassed up the car--actually I put diesel in this time, trying to save some money--
Jim Halpert:You shouldn't have done that.
Michael Scott:Happy to do it!

Cow Day!

2010-02-19T09:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was cow day at John's farm. We started early and surprisingly we ended early. The cows decided to be cooperative (which is pretty much unheard of). We always have fun on cow day. The little girl cows get ear tags and the little boy cows, well, they get to not grow up to be bulls and live happy lives as steers. John only got kicked a few times by a mad little heifer that didn't want to be messed with.
Oh, the flowers for the wedding have been ordered. The florist was really nice and was much less expensive than what we originally thought it would be. We went and registered after that. That was fun. I did have to wrestle the scanner away from Martha a few times so I could try it for myself. Now, on to the cake. Georgia, I would like to meet with you. I'll find your email address and maybe we can set something up. How exciting!!

Quote of the day: "Jo, I don't know how things work in Florida. Which from your description sounds like a colorful, lawless swamp..." -Michael Scott

AND.....GO!

2010-02-17T10:35:00.002-05:00

Dress, done. Carriage, done. Caterer, photographer, chair rental, pre-marriage counseling, hair/makeup...mostly done. I still have flowers (scheduled for tomorrow), registering (scheduled for Thurs-Saturday), and cake (not even close) left to do. We are less than 2 months out now so it's really time to get crackin'. The stress has set in. The only good aspect to the stress is that I have no craving for fast food. At all. Chips, yes. Not fast food. This week started off rough with John having to put Max to sleep and losing a boarder at the barn due to the trainer leaving. It looks like it could be picking up with several calls from new potential clients. On the up-side a lady came in the office and offered to help with the exploding feral cat problem. So, the root of all of my orange cats at my house is safely at the vet getting kitty parts removed and her ear notched. That was a huge blessing. The rescue is paying for all of it. No more blind kittens! Wow, I think I just got a craving for a taco.

Quote of the Day: "Well that's not the David Wallace that I remember. That, is some sort of... weird creature, that lives in David Wallace's house. Get me out of here..." -Michael Scott

He's Home!!!!!

2010-02-08T10:27:00.003-05:00

He actually came home on Thursday afternoon but I've been too busy to post anything. We spent all weekend catching up with family and horses. Saturday night we had Christmas for him. It was a lot of fun. Now we are finally settling back in to everyday stuff...well...until the wedding stuff cranks up. This weekend John gets to jump back into working cows. I'm sure he's excited. We'll have plenty of pictures to share. Right now, I'm just glad he's around.

Quote of the Day: "I had a very good thing going with David Wallace. He was a good guy, was somebody I could trust. There he is. You can really see that he is ok taking a picture with me. Even though I was there for disciplinary reasons." -Michael Scott

En Route

2010-01-26T15:49:00.004-05:00

By next week John should be trail riding Scout! I'm so excited. We just got the last of the boxes he sent home in the mail yesterday. Everything was covered in a weird dust. Today...we converted from Peachtree to Quickbooks. My accountant (a very patient man) blocked out 2 hours to get the job done. He came in at 9:00am and by 3:00pm the conversion was complete! I hated to waste his whole day...but...I wasted his whole day. I asked him 50 billion questions and I'm sure I'll have lots more. Maybe John knows how to print 941 forms. Now I'm playing catch up with my paperwork. Or, I could just leave for the day....

Quote of the Day: "There's a bunch of messages waiting for you about a bunch of things I don't understand." -Ron (Parks and Rec.)

Stupid Technology

2010-01-18T15:49:00.003-05:00

I just got my new printer/fax/scanner/walkie talkie/riding instructor. They sent me a new one because mine kept saying "Deve Home Sensor Error." No one knew what that meant and after spending 45 minutes on the phone with a guy that was reading a manual to me they said they would send me a new one. Well, I just hooked the new one up and it said...immediately..."Transfer Belt Error," followed by "Invalid Imaging Unit" and "Invalid Yellow Toner", "Invalid Magenta Toner," "Invalid Black Toner." I called the people you're supposed to call when your office stuff dies under warranty and read him all of the error messages. I literally heard the i.t. guy have a stroke on the phone. Then he tried to sell me.......SELL ME.... a repair kit that was nothing but a plastic box for catching excess toner. I already have one. He told me to go empty it out. I told him I just had. He told me to go do it again. Just before I told him to make his mom go do it he followed up by saying he doesn't know what the problem is and that I need to call the distributor. Whatever. I called someone else and went through the entire saga again and he just put me on hold. When he came back he said the hard drive was fried and they would send me a new one. The brand new shiny never used printer's hard drive was FRIED. So, I have 2 huge non working printers sitting here in the office. They make you return the broken ones so someone has to have a car big enough to put the stupid thing in and drive it to the UPS store, twice! The one thing I'll say is that the people I've talked to have been super nice. But, super nice doesn't answer my faxes.

Quote of the Day:
"You just wait for next year's supply magazine to come out and find someone who's not dead." -Dwight Schrute

The Fuzzies

2010-01-13T17:22:00.003-05:00

I've never liked the part of winter when my horses get scruffy. I've been trying to be a good mom and keep their hair braided and neat but it's becoming impossible. It's also been too cold to do anything about it. I'm so ready for warm weather. I love my new kitty...Brian's old kitty. She is working out so well. I'm extremely allergic to her but that hasn't stopped her from following me around the house and sleeping on my feet at night. She will be going outside as soon as it warms up but if anyone is looking for the perfect indoor cat (she is not declawed and will pick the heck out of your furniture) let me know.

Oh, the tables and chairs have been reserved for the wedding. One less thing.

Quote of the Day:
Bully: Give me your winter doodle.
Jeff: If you're trying to be menacing, maybe you shouldn't call the cookie by its name. -Community

Packin' Up

2010-01-08T18:48:00.002-05:00

Guess who's coming home? In just a few more weeks I get to see my best friend again. I'm sure he'll have to "defrag" a little before he's presentable to the public. I'm very excited to see him. We have to do a marathon Christmas before we immediately move on to Valentine's Day! He thought running patrols was hard. Now he has to cram all the holidays he missed into about a week. I'll try not to overwhelm him but there's so much to do. And that doesn't even include finishing planing for the wedding. Hopefully by tomorrow most of that will be out of the way also. On a side note: how have the new taxes affected your paycheck? Stupid liberals.

Quote of the day: "My name is Ron. You don't need to know my last name. Whoever wants to talk, go ahead and we'll be out of here in a tight fifteen." -Ron (Parks and Rec)

Faces Of Christmas

2010-01-04T09:11:00.014-05:00

I decided to ditch all the perfect Christmas photos everyone took during the season and show the family in it's true light. We had a very fun Christmas. Enjoy!

Quote of the Day: "Tom-cat, pull up a mouth. This buffet is unstoppable." -Ron (Parks and Rec.)

Forgotten Updates

2009-12-28T14:39:00.005-05:00

I completely forgot about my blog. With all the holiday stuff going on it never even crossed my mind. I don't have any recent photos to post. I'll add in a random one in a minute. Hop on over to Carroll's blog to see how I spent my last day of work freedom. If anyone wants 4 stupid horses please let me know. I have a new kitty! Brian came back from Maryland with Rocket. She was trashing his carpet and needed to come back to the land of less yankees. I hate it for Brian but I really like this cat. She is, however, available to adoption. Frederic and Tank will be sad to lose their sister again but not sad enough to impede the adoption in any way. I'm babysitting 5 cats for a family in my church until next week sometime. Some of them are also up for adoption. Very cute cats. I'm surprised they get along with my cats so well. John is almost on his way home. They have shipped their junk home and consolidated rooms. Now all he has to do is get on a plane...in a few weeks. I'm sure it's more complicated than that but after 9 months I'm getting pretty tired of the hindering details. We skyped Christmas morning so he could see all of his presents. He even got to open one. We will have his real Christmas when he gets home. Ok, enough catching up. Now for the random picture.

Quote of the Day: "And just like that. The one tiny aspect of government I enjoyed was clubbed to death before my eyes." -Ron Parks and Rec

Afton and Collin and Parades

2009-12-07T09:48:00.006-05:00

I have no reason for posting these photos other than I'm running out of good ones to use. Afton (or as the lady at the vet calls him Af-taaaan) has finally found a buddy that he actually likes. Collin Feral hearts Afton and doesn't take no for an answer. When I feed them in the morning he shoves Afty away from the food bowl to get to it first and he doesn't even get smacked for it. We went to the Christmas parade!!! I can't wait for John to be here next year to experience the all the wonder...like..."I wonder why she fell off the float?" Hopefully Carroll will have photos up this week of all the interesting things the parade had to offer. Some of the floats didn't even have names on them! It was still fun sitting on the curb eating gummy worms and sour patch kids watching all the strangeness. We are already planing our float for next year. It might involve a tractor and a horse topiary.

Quote of the Day:
Ian: I'm a Professor. You can't talk to me that way.
Jeff: A 6 yr old girl could talk to you that way!
Ian: Yes, because that would be adorable.
Jeff: No, because you're a 5 year old girl and there's a pecking order!
-Community

Chicken

2009-12-02T09:59:00.002-05:00

So, Noah's new favorite song is "I Play Chicken With the Train." It's obvious he only likes it because it talks about trains. I was at Martha's house the other night and he wanted to hear the song again. Then...he started dancing. He was moving so fast the camera couldn't keep up with him. Laurel couldn't figure out what was going on. Christmas is almost here...which means John will only be a month from coming home. Look at me starting rumors. His house is nice and decorated. I'm still not sure if he'll like is new Christmas tree but I really don't want to drag down the one from the attic...especially since I have a bad habit of falling down the attic stairs. Hurry up John. I need help putting all this stuff up!

Quote of the Day:
Dwight Schrute: Michael, what is the meaning of this email that everyone got?
Michael Scott: You'll have to be more specific, Dwight. I get like eight e-mails a day.

I Heart Snow Globes

2009-11-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

Carroll and I have a problem. That problem is TJ Maxx Homegoods. When we went on Friday night I was very careful to put my blinders on and not look at the sparkly things. Suddenly I realized that I could find really cool Christmas presents for people. That was a huge mistake. I let my guard down for 30 seconds and I lost all control. I found awesome presents for people but held off buying myself something....until....I hit the snow globe aisle. It was so beautiful!! Carroll and I have a rule that if you are going to buy something you pick the first one that jumps out at you. We had an experience earlier in the evening while Carroll was shopping for Operation Christmas Child at Dollar Tree. We couldn't decide on a teddy bear for the box and then one literally jumped off the shelf at her. He definitely wanted to be rescued. So, I picked the first shiny silver snow globe I saw. And on the next aisle Carroll found her other rescue. You'll have to go on her blog to check him out. Or, he might make a surprise appearance in the video. Christmas is fun!

Pam Beesly: Don't do the twirl.
Phyllis: Lose the twril.
Dwight Shrute: The twirl is stupid!
Kevin: Michael, I hated the twirl.
Andy: Hate the twirl!
Michael Scott: Ok obviously I'm not going to do the twirl I only did it because I nailed the wave.
Phyllis: Yeah, good. Don't do it.
Michael Scott: I am not going to "do" the "twirl," alright? It's not even a twirl, it's a spin. I might do the spin.

2009-11-18T10:10:00.002-05:00

Dollar General and Me

2009-11-16T08:47:00.002-05:00

John, this is what you get to look forward to coming home to. My mom and I went to Dollar General (or Dollar Weoweo)last night and bought a fiber optic Christmas tree for no reason other than the fact that it was pretty. I also started decorating your house for Christmas and threw a lot of old ornaments out. I still have a lot to do. When I'm done I'll have more photos for you!!

Quote of the Day:
"Agri-tourism is a lot more than a bed-and-breakfast. It consists of tourists coming to a farm, showing them around, giving them a bed, giving them breakfast." -Dwight Schrute

"Rags!"

2009-11-11T09:40:00.006-05:00

I'm so excited. We just got the rugs John sent back from Iraq. They make the house look finished. It was hard to get sizes and colors that would work in the house but John's interpreter took on the task and got us what we needed. Now I go in the house and just stand and stare. I'm pretty sure the house is done. Well, except John's army stuff we have to go through in the yellow room and maybe moving more furniture in the green bed room. And more pictures to hang up. Nevermind. John, I need your help.

Quote of the Day: "Let's say two people are in a class together and one wants to ask another one out on a grownup date... but within biking distance of his parents house..." -Troy (Community)

SAY WHAT!?

2009-11-09T08:32:00.010-05:00

Sunday morning at 5:00am I took my horses out of this beautiful area......

Loaded up some friends,an extra horse and all of our junk....

And scampered off to a horse show 2 hours away.

We got to the show and realized that our classes were about to start so we frantically groomed the horses and ourselves.

Just as we were about to ride to the arena they announced that they were delaying the show for 2 1/2 hours. We knew then that we would have problems. At that point we were informed that the judge didn't know anything about Spotted Saddle horses or what gaits they were to call for in the ring. Uh oh! Jessica almost tackled the gate keeper. Then the fun started. Lilly was the best she has ever been at a show. We placed next to last. After being able to watch a few classes I realized that if the horses were shaking their heads (the dominate trait of the Tennessee Walking Horse) he didn't like them. The announcer kept calling Lilly "Imagine of Battlecry." Then, someone "corrected" her and she called her "Imaageee of Battlecry" for the rest of the show. In my frustration and utter rebellion I put Jessica (the mom of the very large brown horse shown above (that they kept calling "Judge's Golden," which is also not his name) on Imaageee for the last class. She truly should have won. But, it's hard to get Lilly into a Quarter Horse gait. I may sound very sarcastic...and I mean too...but I ended up having a good time. Just look at all the ribbons.....CUPS.....we came home with. That show will have 3 less exhibitors next year.

Bridal Photos

2009-10-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Sunday is going to be a busy day. I'm starting to get nervous. Christi is meeting us and we are going to the farm to get my bridal photos done. I'm pretty sure I'll have to buy a new gown after I drag it through all the places I want to have the photos taken. John just informed me that there could possibly/maybe be wild pigs in one of the spots I'm going so now I have to take a security force with me. Mike volunteered. Ah, I hope Christi has one heck of a photo shop program.

Quote of the Day: "Welcome children of the Scranton industrial park community! Join your gangster pumpkin on his pallet truck of doom!" -Michael Scott

I don't know if you've heard....

2009-10-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

Cole and Lilly both won reserve state champion on Saturday night!!! These aren't the pictures but I have some of them coming. This was the first show I didn't get crazy/nervous at. Friday night was an average night for Cole. We achieved our goal of "not last" and then headed into youth day hoping for good results. Cole showed Lilly and Sarah showed Cole. How's that for confusing. When I was talking to them I would have to specify Cole Horse and Cole Boy. Both of them make wonderful rides but Sarah was the one who brought home the ribbons. It was hard to do with 25+ riders in the class. Youth day ran late and I had to run back to the barn...on the other side of the universe...to get ready for our evening classes. We JUST made it. Then I realized I didn't have proper tack and I had to SPRINT IN MY FULL WESTERN OUTFIT back to the barn (on the other side of the universe) to get my junk and run back. I almost passed out. But we qualified for our championship and still had time to bring Cole (the horse) back out of his cozy stall for his last class. He beat great horses and some world champions. I was genuinely shocked after taking 5th the night before. Lilly had a smaller class but was able to take out some tough competition to take 2nd in her last class. Then we packed up so fast my dad had to make sure we didn't forget the horses. I'm hitting one more show this year and then the horses are getting some much deserved time off. Then John comes home. Yeah!!!

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: I will have the spaghetti. With a side salad.
Waitress: Ok.
Michael Scott: If the salad is on top, I send it back.

HORSE SHOW FEVER!

2009-10-15T09:53:00.004-05:00

The photo has nothing to do with the post but I just really like it. Today is bath day for the horses. Yesterday was clipping day. They really hate me right now. It's been too cold and nasty to ride them and I want them to have some time off before they get worn out at the show. I have hot water and John's barn and lots of blankets so they should be fine with a good scrub down. Lilly will be the problem with all the white she has. Cole at least is the color of dirt (easy). Someone is picking my show packet up today so that's one less thing to do. I wish John was able to go (hey look, now the photo applies). He's staying pretty busy and it's getting closer to their coming home date!! He's probably glad he doesn't have to deal with me and my horse show nerves. I have two other people showing for me on Saturday and that makes me more nervous than just me doing it. I may have to celebrate with a taco when it's all over. I've been too freaked out to even eat much. It should be a fun show even if we don't place in any of the classes. I'm just glad to be doing it again.

Quote of the Day: I've been studying Michael for years and I've condensed what I've learned into this chart. "How Michael Spends His Time." You can see we have "procrastinating," and "distracting others," and this tiny sliver here, is "critical thinking." I made it bigger. So that you could see it. -Jim Halpert

Reminder

2009-10-09T09:33:00.002-05:00

The more I look and hold these babies the more attached I get. But I'm still giving them away. They really get along well with their older cousins/brothers/stepbrothers. The family is a little confused.

Is anyone else glad it's FRIDAY!

Quote of the Day: "Andy Bernard does not lose contests. He wins them. Or he quits them. Because they're unfair." -Andy Bernard

What Happened Was....

2009-10-07T07:58:00.003-05:00

I noticed the leg on the chair looked a little funny a few days ago. I forgot to tell my day. So when he sat down this happened. I think my mom laughed for a half hour. Lilly got her new shoes for the horse show. She was so proud of herself. I'm giving her and Cole today off. They have been working very well and deserve a day to go out and play. Plus, I hate keeping horses locked in stalls. Oh, I VOTED!!! And for the first time in a long time the guy I voted for won...by a lot! And who says your vote doesn't count?

Quote of the Day:
"Jim is like, Big Bird. He is tall and yellow and very nice. But would I put him in charge? No. I don't think so. Big Bird doesn't make the tough decisions. If I was gonna put someone in charge I would put Bert in charge. Or I would put one of the real grown-ups in charge like Marie or Gordon, maybe." -Michael Scott

Peeps

2009-10-05T09:19:00.004-05:00

Does anyone know why this chicken is pink? John didn't think to ask while he was there. His main concern was the strange look on his face. Maybe he is also wondering why in the world this chicken is hot pink. It is a very busy time of year. Mondays are especially horrible. I'm hoping we get 48 feet of snow this year so I can get some days off. Can't the Chinese seed clouds? I wonder how much something like that would cost me. Oh, just so nobody forgets...free baby kittens to loving home. 1 fuzzy calico, 1 orange tabby. These are the sweetest kittens and I would love to keep both but I just don't need any more.

p.s.- Holly died. I won't go into details but Cedar is a much happier dog.

Quote of the Day:
"Corporate shut down the Buffalo branch, which left us to absorb all of their clients. I will tell you, there has been work, everyday. I had to come in on a Saturday... to retrieve.... I left my cell phone here." -Michael Scott

YELLOW

2009-09-28T10:03:00.003-05:00

It was a crazy weekend. We went to visit my grandma on Saturday. That was the first time I'd been there in months. We had a great time. Sunday was spent with my 2 youth riders getting ready for the horse show. I'm so proud of them. I let them out in a large pasture just to let them relax and get used to their horses without me being right up under them. I stepped in a fire ant mound. I HATE THEM. I beat my shoe out and stepped in another one instantly. Then, the lesson was over. I can't wait to let them show. I hope to get lots of photos and even some video if possible. We've discussed the fact that ribbons aren't important ;) and we are only there for experience and fun. I don't know if they believe me. But I'll make it fun for them if I have to sew my own ribbons for them.
Oh, the video has nothing to do with the post...so...after while crocodile.
Quote of the Day:
"This is parkour. Internet sensation of 2004. And it was in one of the Bond films. It's pretty impressive. The goal is to get from point A to point B as creatively as possible so technically they are doing parkour, as long as point A is delusion and point B is the hospital." -Jim Halpert

PREP

2009-09-22T10:21:00.007-05:00

I'm exhausted. Getting ready for stuff and trying to finish up other stuff is really starting to get to me. This photo (however bad as it may be) is the epitome of how I feel. So, I'll just plug along and hope by some small chance they let John out of Iraq early to come home and drive me around so I can at least sleep between appointments. At least my horses are pretty. Lilly is getting new shoes. It's a spotted type shoe she has never worn before. She'll probably hate them. We are gearing up for our next big show. I have found 2 youth riders (yes!) and I finally have horses that are in great shape. I think all together we have 9 classes to show in...no more than that...Lilly and Cole are in 3 of the same classes. I'll have to get Lilly and IV and a sugar bit to keep her going. She gets the laziest horse in the world award. If you can come cheer us on or at least cheer on my youth riders it would be awesome. I may have found a home for the baby orange kitten (Stevie) but baby Rain is still up for grabs...not everyone at once now.

John's Birthday is tomorrow!!!!

Quote of the Day: "Who's been saying there's another person inside of me, working me with controls!?" -Kevin Malone

9/11

2009-09-10T13:39:00.002-05:00

"I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot." ~Gary Hart

Slow Day

2009-09-06T17:26:00.003-05:00

Can you feel the weather changing? It's almost cold outside. I'm so excited. That means it's almost time for a horse show. One that I can actually go to and not heat stroke my horse and myself. I've been riding a lot trying to get ready...well...the horses ready. Today turned out to be a catch up on sleep day. I did put the baby kitten out on the porch. Baby Rain can see great but the orange kitten still doesn't have a clue that I'm not a cat. He doesn't have a name yet. Still working on that but if I can't find them a good home I'll end up keeping them. Don't tell John.

Quote of the Day:
"Michael and I have a very special connection... like an umbilical cord." -Dwight Schrute

Oh, save us!

2009-09-03T09:29:00.007-05:00

I need help. Not just mental health (well, maybe). I went to water the office kitties today and found a baby orange kitten in the food bowl. And, guess what, he's blind. It's the brother of baby Rain. I can't keep these kittens. I have too many cats at home. Hopefully...and according to the vet...the blindness is temporary. The mother cat has a deficiency that is causing the issue but with good food it should be corrected. Rain is already seeing light and dark differences so I think she should be fine. This new kitten doesn't have a name so if you can't take him maybe you could at least help with a respectable name. I'm pretty sure John is already signed up for eharmony looking for anyone who hates cats. If you know of anyone looking a cute pet please let them know.

Quote of the Day
"At that moment I was just, so happy. I mean everything that Dwight does annoys me... and I spend hours thinking of ways to get back at him. But only in ways that wouldn't get me arrested- and then here he comes and says he says, 'No, Jim - here's a way.'" -Jim Halpert

Baby Rain

2009-09-01T07:42:00.006-05:00

Now up for adoption (or just come take her please!)

Baby Rain: Rain is approximately 5 weeks old. She is negative FIV and has just been dewormed. She is, however, blind. What am I going to do with another cat! The vet thinks the blindness is temporary and when she is fed properly her sight will return. She functions rather well without her sight...other than wandering out in the parking lot where I found her. She cries a lot and forget locking her in a pet carrier. She's pretty good at dismantling the door to get out. She is currently playing in the computer wires under my desk. Not the safest place for her but you try and tell her that. If you are interested please let me know. She needs a good home and that home isn't mine.

Quote of the Day
Michael Scott: And there's clouds. There's clouds in the sky. I think it's gonna rain. Bad for business.
Dwight Schrute: Well it would if they were altocumulus, not cirrostratus. Get your clouds right.
Michael Scott: Shut up.

Sparkly Things

2009-08-26T07:38:00.006-05:00

Carroll, Jimmy, my mom and I played interior decorators last Sunday. I've been wanting to decorate John's spare bedroom for awhile. We painted it (hired someone to paint it) a very sunny yellow but couldn't decide where to go from there. Then I had an apostrophe! Cottage Chic! I bought a antiqued chandelier and yellow/blue toile curtains (the ones with people and farm scenes on them). Most of the photos came out a little dark but we tried. The sheep painting was a birthday present from Martha and it now resides in the kitchen. I really like decorating that little brick house and when I'm finished I might mess it all up so I can do it again.

Quote of the Day: "Jim Halpert. Pros. Smart, cool, good looking. Remind you of anyone you know? Cons. Not a hard worker. I can spend all day on a project and he can finish the same project in a half an hour. So that should tell you something." -Michael Scott

Tired of being tired

2009-08-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

This week has been a rough one. I can't quite put my finger on why it's been so strange. Maybe it's because it has started to sink in that I can't pick up the phone and call Martha whenever I want to. I have to wait for John to call before I can talk to him. I send them about a million emails each just to tell them little everyday stuff that happens. Most of it isn't worth telling but it's good therapy. John had a rough day earlier this week. He sent this photo because so many things went wrong during the actual mission he forgot to get any "action" shots. This is a "I just got back late from a mission and I don't feel like being happy," photo. I like this one just as much as the others so it doesn't matter to me.

Quote of the Day:
Holly: Can anyone think of things that are over-the-line time wasters?
Stanley: This meeting.
Andy: Heyo!
Michael Scott: Can't set 'em up like that.

Bonk!

2009-08-18T07:47:00.003-05:00

We went and played at John's house last night. We needed a place where we could run and get dirty and not have to worry about the road. We may or may not have but definitely did play on a tractor. I'm not saying which one so the one that doesn't crank this morning...we didn't play on. Martha has been sending us regular updates and photos of baby Laurel. We have shown them to Noah. He usually says "Ok," and runs off to play. We bought a new train ($5) from the Dollar Geoweoweo. It looked pretty cool until we put the batteries in and turned it on. It scared all of us so bad Granddaddy had to turn it off. It runs about a million miles an hour and makes a creepy noise. Noah now stands in the hallway and looks at it but won't go in the room with it. Me either. You definitely get what you pay for. Before bedtime I tried to read him a book (every child needs culture right?). Something about Cowboy Sam. It was so boring I caught him watching the news.

Quote of the Day: "We found ourselves on the, less prepared side of things when Stanley had his-- when his heart went bezerk. And I knew exactly what to do but in a much more real sense I had no idea what to do. So I thought we should have a CPR training class. And... of course you can't get the practice dummy, unless the instructor comes along with it. Red Cross... racquet." -Michael Scott

Rule #1 - Broken

2009-08-11T14:05:00.005-05:00

Noah came into the office today and said "where are the fish?" I had seamonkeys that all died but how do you tell a 2 year old his favorite thing in the office is dead. Then we were stuck on the fish subject. I remembered before Noah was born Martha told me to never ever ever buy him a fish or she would kill me. She was serious. But, she left the country. So, she's not the boss of me. Nemo lives at my house right now. I'm willing to share custody if Martha is.

Martha called and said they landed and are doing well. Then the phone cut off. I'll update as I can.

Quote of the Day: "If your parents never had children, chances are you won't either." -Dick Cavett

Growing and Growing and.....

2009-08-10T14:07:00.004-05:00

My children are growing up. This is baby Frederic. I know you can hardly recognize him from the other video. He looks, well, exactly the same only slightly bigger. I love the barely there white dot on his nose. It will soon be time for him and his fuzzy brother to make a trip to the vet for some...cough...altering. But, that takes $$ and it'll have to wait a few more weeks. So, I'll just keep videoing and taking pictures. Maybe I should start scrap booking them. That's normal, right?

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: Let me just cut to the chase, Dwight. I want you to fall on your sword for me.
Dwight Schrute: Ohh not gonna happen. I did fall on my sword once. I was running with it in my belt. Won't happen again.

Tank

2009-08-06T10:09:00.003-05:00

So, stupid blogger won't let me upload 2 videos to one post. Conspiracy. This is Tank my very cute kitten. He's getting bigger and bigger. I'm pretty sure his dad was a walrus. If you listen very closely you can hear John talking on my cell phone. I was multi-tasking. I'll put Frederic on later. Today is crazy at the office and I'm pretty sure I have some form of the plague. That comes with a sore throat right? AHHhhh!!!

p.s. Happy Fricken' Birthday Miranda!!!

Michael: Paaaaammmm!
Pam: What?
Michael Scott: Come here please.
Pam: Tell me before I come in there.
Michael Scott: I want you to rub butter on my foot.
Pam: No!
Michael Scott: Come here please, I have Country Crock.
Pam: No.

What A Mess

2009-07-31T07:42:00.003-05:00

I went riding yesterday. It wasn't as easy as it sounds. I had to go run the horses out of the shed and then to the gate (that they have knocked down) and run them up to the barn. I was able to get a good look at Lilly when she was in the crossties. She was a complete mess! From her knees down on her front legs and her hocks down on her back legs she was swollen, red, and her hair was gone. She had terrible scabs and some bleeding also. When I checked her on Wednesday she was fine. Her nose also had some sunburn. I do have to keep sunscreen on her during the summer because she has pink skin and burns easily. But, her legs are a different matter. I know horses can get "scratches." Basically a fungus from the area they're living in being too wet. That's not the case in her pasture. Some white horses get are photosensitive and react badly to harsh sunlight. Could it be that? Maybe. Or, fire ants (pire ants: according to Noah. I haven't seen ANY fire ants in that pasture. WHAT IS GOING ON! I washed her with cold water and the swelling went down. I put medication all over her and then some face protection for flies and sunscreen. She looks ridiculous. I'll check her today if the weather isn't too bad. If she isn't improved I'm bringing her in the barn. She hates it but she doesn't have choice.

Quote of the Day: "In the Schrute family we believe in a five-fingered intervention. Awareness. Education. Control. Acceptance. And punching." -Dwight Schrute

The Skinny

2009-07-27T12:55:00.002-05:00

I just bought another veil. It's my new favorite. I bought one several months ago but when I got it I just wasn't blown away. Then I found the very first one I had ever looked at on a website by accident. I snatched it up. I am so excited! It should be here hopefully by tomorrow. Maybe I can post it on the blog. I've already shown it to John so it won't matter. Also, John just shipped 2 chai sets and an Iraqi flag home. It's going to be a fun mail week. I know I've already posted this picture of John but I don't feel comfortable posting the pictures he has sent me on my blog. They have other soldiers and Iraqis in them and I want to make sure everyone stays safe. I survived the camping trip with Mike and his teen class at church. I had a good time. Nobody really slept much. I tried to in the bed of my truck on an air mattress. It's hard to sleep when people keep prank calling your phone from about 20 feet way. Ahhh, good times!

Glass

2009-07-22T08:36:00.002-05:00

Carroll, I owe you a dollar. I didn't pay you enough for the cake plates...but I LOVE THEM! My mom thought the blue one was really cool. I haven't shown them to John yet (I guess I have now). I can't wait to use them. It does mean, however, that I'll have to cook something. Or maybe I'll just put candy in them. Hmmmmm, better idea. John's birthday is coming up Sep 23rd. I know it's early but I'll be getting a box together to send over if anyone wants to contribute. Ok, gotta go.

Quote of the Day: "I have a very important decision to make. We need a new copier. We need new chairs. And I need to figure out a way to keep this money without having everybody hate me." -Michael Scott

ALMOST LOST!

2009-07-17T13:55:00.004-05:00

I reached down to check my necklace today and it was GONE! AHHH! The chain had come apart and the pendant was nowhere. Then the phone rang and delayed my search party attempts. But, I found it on the floor. Crisis averted. It's my favorite necklace and I would have been really sad. Plus, I didn't want to have to tell John that the first gift he gave me I flushed. Now I don't have to. In local news, I rode Lilly and Cole. It was pretty uneventful. I'm actually surprised I was able to catch Cole. He hasn't been ridden in weeks just because he runs from me. Plus, I'm not that dedicated. I usually just grab Scout instead and he's happy for the attention. John seems to be doing well. I wish he was doing nothing but I'll have to settle for close to nothing. I ate Taco Bell 2 days in a row. It's been a strange week and I felt like I needed it. That puts the "try on the bridal gown again" off for at least another week. We will start repairing some of the beading soon and then on to the alterations. I'm very excited!!

Dwight Schrute: Who stands to benefit from our downfall?
Jim Halpert: The Mob? Maybe NASA?
Dwight Schrute: Could be the mob. But then Dunder Mifflin would need to be a front for money laundering and there is little evidence of that.
Jim Halpert:Is there some evidence of that?

Stuff etc.

2009-07-13T08:38:00.006-05:00

What is with the huge thunderstorm rolling through? I'm afraid to answer the phones here. Is is going to do this all day? I'm sending John a big box today the youth group at church got together. I went through it, and uh, it's pretty interesting stuff. We also added letters. Since I can't get him to read a book those will have to do. I have so much paperwork to do here at the office and an insurance auditor is coming tomorrow. Nothing is ready for him. At least I don't have to water trees at the barn today. One less thing. John, Noah has a lot of questions concerning farm equipment. It would be nice if you addressed some if not all of them. Martha resorted to making up words. It'll work for now but he's eventually going to find out his momma is full of it.

Michael Scott: Sir...! I placed a bunch of golden tickets into five seperate boxes and somehow they all ended up at Blue Cross. How did this happen?
Darryl: Were the boxes near each other?
Michael Scott: Irrelevant.
Darryl: I put three pallets on the truck to Blue Cross once a week. They use a lot of paper.
Michael Scott: Ok. I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest. What is a pallet.

FOR JOHN

2009-07-08T12:38:00.003-05:00

Please distribute these appropriately. If you need Safety Patrol tips ask Martha. She was one in middle school. I can just see her with the little stop sign now.

Quote of the Day: "You've been granted level 3 security clearance. Don't get too excited, that's out of 20." -Dwight Schrute

sad

2009-07-07T10:19:00.003-05:00

I just wish we showed this kind of respect for a fallen soldier.

The Elusive John

2009-07-02T08:29:00.005-05:00

John has been out of contact for several days but Noah wanted to sing him a song yesterday in the car on the way to his house. I let the camera roll. Yes, I know it's an Airborne song and doesn't exactly apply to John but Noah doesn't know that. We went and played on some of the tractors at John's house also...shhhh...don't tell anyone. We hope to hear from John soon but we know this kind of thing can take awhile.
A lot is happening over there so please keep him in your prayers. We love you John!

Quote of the day: "The Michael Scott Paper Company is a dream that I've had...since lunch. And, I'm not giving up on it that easily." -Michael Scott

Frustrations!

2009-06-25T11:37:00.003-05:00

I just got off the phone with Martha. She was in freak out mode and I can understand why. There is a lot going on in Washington that could have devastating effects on all of our lives and businesses. I would like to challenge everyone today to become more informed about some of the HUGE issues that we are facing.

Cap and Trade: "A cap-and-trade program is one in which a government or regulatory body first sets a limit or “cap” on the amount of environmental degradation or pollution permitted in a given area and then allows firms or individuals to trade permits or credits in order to meet the cap." -ecoagriculture.org

This foolishness is basically an extra tax on businesses that most businesses can't afford. Are you kidding me? They've been doing this kind of nonsense in Europe for awhile and finally the public seems to be waking up.

Universal Health Care: "Health care coverage for all eligible residents of a political region and often covers medical, dental and mental health care. These programs vary in their structure and funding mechanisms. Typically, most costs are met via a single-payer health care system or national health insurance, or else by compulsory regulated pluralist insurance (public, private or mutual) meeting certain regulated standards. Universal health care is implemented in all but one of the wealthy, industrialized countries, with the exception being the United States.[1][2] It is also provided in many developing countries and is the trend worldwide." -wikipedia

The White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was recently asked an interesting question,

Q The President actually told the AMA that "there are some countries where a single-payer system works pretty well." Do you know what countries he was referring to or what he was talking about?

MR. GIBBS: I don't know exactly the countries. I think you could -- I think if you talk to people in the countries that have those systems, they'd think their health care is pretty good.

Q Would you know specifically, though -- Canada, Britain --

MR. GIBBS: Canada, Britain, maybe France. I don't know the exact countries, but, again, I think -- I don't think the President is going way out on a limb that some people in other countries have a health care system that they like, just as Americans like the health care that they have.

Uh, Michael Scott answer. Please read up on what's going on with our country. I'm about to start firing off some very strongly worded letters to congressmen and whomever else has unfortunately provided the public with their email address. Please join me.

Rachael Out

Kitties and Stuff

2009-06-22T08:17:00.003-05:00

Yes, this is a dorky video and my commentary is even worse. But, I wanted John to see his new babies. Carroll and I played this Saturday. We shopped and movied and ate. We had a really great time. I have fallen in love with the Homegoods store. We went down every single aisle AND I FOUND THIS....

It now belongs to me. I'm sure I'll drop and break it on the way to John's house. I'm sure John hopes I'll drop and break it on the way to his house. Joy and her friend from Texas came and played at the barn on Sunday. It is very good to have her home. Everybody pray that VBS will go well this week. Millions of children would be great. We'd settle for 20 however.

Quote of the Day: "Dwight hit a bear. He'll be here in a sec." -Michael Scott

BOX MAILED!

2009-06-17T11:00:00.008-05:00

It took us about and hour last night to get everything together and labeled. Carroll, Mrs. Shirley, my mom and I got some stuff together to send to John and his guys. What I didn't eat we mailed to Iraq. It's some good stuff. Along with it we sent some items John requested. He constantly needs things like foot powder and I may or may not have sneaked some Lindor peanut butter things in there also. He'll get it just in time for it all to me squished and melted. But, we tried. I don't know about this whole converter box thing. If it rains it breaks up, if it's windy it breaks up, if it's sun shiny and a medium size bird flies over it breaks up. I miss old T.V.

Quote of the Day
Michael Scott:Our company is worth nothing. That's the difference between you and I. Business isn't about money to me, David. If tomorrow my company goes under I will just start another paper company. And then another and another and another. I have no shortage of company names.
David Wallace: Michael--
Michael Scott: That's one of 'em! Yes!

Converter Box

2009-06-15T09:41:00.004-05:00

I stole John's converter box from his barn. I turned toward the TV Friday just in time to see it go off. Now I can get lots of really weird channels. I'm currently watching one of the dumbest alien movies ever made...no wait...it just got dumber. The picture posted today is of John doing something that he can't really tell you about. He is in an undisclosed location acting in a military way with nondescript people. Actually, It's not a really big deal. It was just some mission he had to run one night. I'm pretty sure he was humming while he was doing it and probably rolling on the ground some too. We are getting a box together for his 16-18 guys so if you want to contribute it would be great.
I just got of the phone with an irate man. Maybe I could ship him to Iraq. He sits in his house all day and worries about his drain flies. He could use some sunshine.

Quote of the Day: "You all took a life here today. You did. The life of the party." -Michael Scott

Let's Go Fishing

2009-06-09T13:51:00.002-05:00

I've been wanting to post this for awhile. It is so much fun to watch Noah fish. He mostly reels them halfway in and runs around screaming that he caught one. Mike will put them in a buck of water so Noah can name them and then they turn them loose. So far all have survived. Even the one in this video. He names them all either Nemo or Dori. Go figure.

Quote of the Day: "No, Dwight. 'Respect.' R-E-S-PCEVEE-T. Find out what it means to me!" -Michael Scott

Hitting The Road

2009-06-02T08:04:00.008-05:00

I WENT ON VACATION! We took off last Friday and went to the mountains. It was awesome. I slept, and slept, and read books, and went to weird little shops and bought stuff (note: the wooden bear). I was able to skype John for about 9 seconds before a storm came over the mountain. It was actually cold up there. I guess the weather hasn't realized that it's summer yet. Perfect! I have two new baby kittens now. I caught the brother to Frederic. The girl I met at the vet never called me back about taking him so I'm stuck with a FLUFFY orange and white kitten named Tank. Tragedy struck, however, this weekend. My uncle informed me that a black cat was run over in front of my house on Saturday night (he always gets stuck burying my poor cats). He buried it before it could be identified. I have 4 black cats. Well, 3 and a half. One is a stray that comes and goes. I had to do inventory on everybody and we narrowed it down to 2. It could be Jake (the stray) or Peri. We were doing so well with cats lately too. But, it's almost impossible to keep a cat from roaming. Peri was my feral inside cat that we had to kick out because he liked to spray inside. It makes me sad but I'm glad that I didn't have to call John and tell him his beloved Dump was roadkill.

Quote of the Day: "I want to clamp Michael's face in a George Foreman grill." -Jim Halpert

Hot Day

2009-05-27T10:53:00.004-05:00

John, this post is for you. Scout and I had a very rough training lesson in which he tried to throw me off and then act like he had forgotten how to walk forward. Reverse was working great, however. We ended up riding a long time until he settled down and realized he wasn't in charge...even thought he really kind of was. He was pretty sweaty so he got a nice bath somehow managing to break the metal sprayer on the end of the hose. Still trying to figure out how he did that. That horse is trouble! I didn't get video of me trying to fly spray Aari. Mostly because you have to use two hands to go there. It wasn't a pretty sight. You'd think after 5 million sprays she'd be over her issues by now. I'm putting her and a box and sending her to you. She said she likes the sand.

Quote of the Day:
Angela: I never felt safe here.
Andy:You're always safe with me, I'm a very good screamer.

Weird Week

2009-05-22T19:58:00.002-05:00

This week has been strange. I got some kind of horrible virus/sickness that I'm probably passing on to everyone around me. Whoever gave it to me is dead. It might be the flu...which would make me sitting through the flu shot earlier this year a huge waste of time. John sent a list of things that he could use over in Iraq. I'm going to try to get some stuff together this weekend if I can go out in public. If anyone would like to send something I can put it in the box also. I caught Brian a kitten before he goes to Maryland. It was a little orange feral kitten from the office. We named him rocket. Then we found out he was a she. Her name is still Rocket. I caught another kitten that night to keep the first one company. He really is a he and his name is Frederick. He is an orange/white. VERY CUTE! They had minor correctable medical issues. They should be fine in a few weeks. I'll be keeping Frederick.

Quote Of The Day: "Listen why don't we just leave that position vacant? Truth be told, I think I thrive under a lack of accountability." -Michael Scott

Show Wrap-Up

2009-05-18T08:04:00.005-05:00

I wanted to add more horse show photos especially since Angie took so many. My mood ring I bought at the beach is leaking black stuff. Is that safe? I hate to throw it away but I also hate to get mercury poisoning...or whatever...from a $4 ring. Never mind. I just threw it away. John Skyped yesterday. I think the call dropped about 14 times. The audio was pretty broken but it was good to see him. I snapped a few pictures of him and got a tour of his little room. Guys kept coming in to talk to him while we were talking so we were interrupted a few times. He's been very busy since he's gotten there. Doing what? you ask. I have no idea. He won't tell me. But, he does see horses eating at a dump and lots of stray dogs and cats. Yes, I said cats. Oh, I got the bottles for the wedding in the mail. Last night I sat down and filled about 50 with the glitter. I also found that a lot of the bottles are cracked or broken. The people who packed and mailed them did a crappy job and it looks like the box was dropped. I'll be sending an email!

Quote of the Day: "Well, I swallowed all your ideas. I'm going to digest them and see what comes out the other end." -Michael Scott

Tired and Hardly Moving

2009-05-12T07:42:00.003-05:00

Angie and I survived the horse show. Oh, yeah, so did Lilly and Cole. They both came home with blue ribbons. I won't tell you it was because they were the only one in the class. The show ended up being a very small one that got even smaller on Saturday. The government implemented a new rule that we have to check our horses without saddles. That was fun. It was about 90 degrees, I was in a western outfit with long sleeves and dragging a saddle on and off my horse all day. I hope that stupid rule doesn't last. I even got to talk to John during my warm up ride on Lilly before her debut as a junior spotted saddle horse (that's the class she won be default). Angie was awesome help. She is covered in bruises where Cole bit her while waiting on Lilly to get out of DQP.

If anyone wants John's address email me. He loves getting letters. Please pray for his safety. I'm not sure what he's doing because he gives me the "fluffy" version. But, he seems to be doing well. Hopefully Skype will be up soon. I love you John!

Quote of the Day: "I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure I'm in a dance-off!" -Andy Bernard

I'm Off!

2009-05-07T08:46:00.002-05:00

I don't have any Cole/Lilly pics on this computer so this one has nothing to do with my post. I'm off to the horse show...at about 6:00 tonight. This will be Cole's millionth show and Lilly's 3rd. Both are going with minor injuries. Nothing that causes them any pain but superficial stuff. We don't actually show until this weekend but I need to get them settled in their stalls and pick up my show packet. I got an email from the show managers saying that entries are low this year (good for us) but I'm not sure what to expect. Several of our classes are almost back to back...switching English and Western saddles and clothes. Plus, it's supposed to storm. Good times!

Quote of the Day: "This is awkward to talk about but there may or may not be but definitely is a mutiny forming in the warehouse right now." -Jim Halpert

Presenting.....The House!

2009-04-30T18:04:00.012-05:00

Prepare for millions of pictures~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katie inspired me to put up the pictures I took of the finished house. Some of the photos aren't that bright but hopefully you can see everything. The only thing left to do is put down hardwood floors in the big room. I am so happy with how it turned out. I'm even happier that I didn't have to do it...so are Martha and Carroll. John's parents had crown moulding put up as a wedding present (it's gorgeous!) and my parents provided a lot of the furniture. Most of it was redone by my dad in the shop behind the house. My next goal...and I have to wait for John...is to finish the garden wall in the back then start planting flowers. I would also like to have a vegetable garden after we get married. Martha is insisting on chickens but I'm pushing for a sheep. Don't tell John. Martha found one for $4 on Craig's List the other day. Now all the house has to do is sit and wait until John gets home. Only 244 more days!

Quote of the Day: "When Michael was in charge, this place was like the Roman Empire. And the Wild West. And war-torn Poland. There was just, a lot going on. So what you wore to work was the least of anybody's worries. And in the chaos, I soared." -Dwight Schrute

There's no place like yardsales

2009-04-26T16:19:00.004-05:00

I know now why John went to Iraq. He didn't want to help with the yard sale. Friday night Carroll and I considered going too. Check out Martha's blog for lots of details. We had people shopping while we were setting up. It was dark. They shopped with flashlights. Since we left the house about 5:30am Saturday morning I completely forgot to get suntan lotion. I am totally fried. Even though I'm exhausted and probably won't ever do it again I actually had a good time. I really wanted to scream "EVERYTHING HALF OFF!" Martha never gave me that chance.

Quote of the Day:
Jim: "What case have you ever actually solved?"
Dwight: "Case of the beet bandit. Missing beets from all over the farm, no footprints. Inside job. Mose in socks. Boom. Case closed."

Travel Time

2009-04-21T17:38:00.002-05:00

Well, John has safely landed. He won't even really tell me where he is. He only gives me what Michael Scott calls "general specifics." We talked until his phone minutes ran out. Now he has to resort to email. The good news it he's that much closer to being done. I can't do much to help the cause until I get an address for him. Then I can start sending him junk. I did deworm his horses today. That's doing something, right. I'll update as I can.

Cool Water

2009-04-18T19:50:00.003-05:00

John is officially off. He went at 5:00 today back to base. Before he left today we walked some of the trails we take the horses on. It was pretty hot so we played in one of the creeks. The water was freezing! The cows snuck up on us. We would see them peeping out from behind the trees on the other side of the bank. After 15 thousand different phone call of "report back now, no, I mean later, wait, I mean now again, hang on, did I say now...or later...or...." AHHHHHH! I have to go o bed. I'm exhausted.

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: "Oh hey is that Princess Unicorn? I thought they were all sold out."
Dwight Schrute: "They are now."
Michael Scott: "Cool. 'My horn can pierce the sky'."

Play Days

2009-04-14T18:58:00.004-05:00

Can you see the tree face?

We got our first ride in last week since John had been back. The past week and a half has been filled with John running back and forth to the base and us trying to cram everything in we can while he's here. We took the horses all over his farm and rode to the very back of the property. There is a really cool tree that Joy and I found that has a face carved in it. It's kind of creepy! I got off, waded through the creek and got pictures. The water was freezing. Today we tried to go to the Battalion send off for all the guys in Fayetteville. By the time we got there the fire marshal had ordered the doors to be closed because they said too many people were inside. So, we called John and told him we would watch it on t.v. and had go home. Ah, it's almost over, right?

Quote of the Day: "Maybe the Michael Scott Paper Company... was a huge mistake. I should leave, I should go, and start my own paper company. That'll show 'em." -Michael Scott

Guess Who's Home!!

2009-04-06T15:17:00.003-05:00

Well, he was home. Now he's gone again until Wednesday. Carroll and I had to go to the base to pick him up. Yep, they searched the truck. It's really uncomfortable having someone go through all your stuff. It was also raining and dark. We pulled into the parking area right before the bus with all the guys on it pulled up. It was so good to see him. We couldn't go straight home. Some of the guys needed a ride to find their peep's. Then we went to McDonald's. Then we took him to see his newly redone house. He really liked it. It isn't completely finished. He did have to take a shower by the light of a pink seahorse (don't ask). We'll finish that when he comes back (hopefully) for a few days later this week. It's really hard to catch up in just a few days but we don't have much of a choice. Especially when the army says to report one day, then says don't, then says do again, then doesn't have water for the troops. I think I'm complaining more than he is. But, he's almost done. That's the phrase for the next 9 months..."you're almost done."

Quote of the Day: "These people need love and I am going to get it for them. Who cares if we sell a little bit of less paper today. A great boss cares more about the happiness of his employees than anything else. I am going to be Cupid. And I am going to shoot my sparrow at unsuspecting victims. And they are going to get hit and say 'I'm in love! I was hit my Cupid's sparrow!' Funny little bird but he gets the job done." -Michael Scott

Starting a Rumor

2009-03-26T13:11:00.002-05:00

I've decided to start a rumor that John will be home next Friday. I'm not sure if that's the actual date and neither is he. It will be nice to have an advocate while dealing with the horses. WHO KNEW that they could cause so much trouble. Scout choked again last night. He only got a very small amount of grain to bribe him into a stall while the rain is here. I even have a big rock in the feed pan to keep him from eating too fast. When I went to check the stall doors I noticed him flipping his lip up. In Scout language that means "I hurt." We flushed him with the water hose forever. He would try to cough and only a little squeak would come out. Pretty sad. It finally worked after we walked him up and down the barn aisle. The only way you can tell if he's better is to wait for him to act like, well, himself again. It started by me dragging him down the aisle and ended with him dragging me. No more grain for Scout.

Quote of the Day
"I just want to say for the record I did not kill anyone. Stanley was attacked by his own heart." -Dwight Schrute

Time to SLOW DOWN

2009-03-23T19:40:00.003-05:00

Wow! This week kicked my butt, or, I kicked somebody's butt...I can't really remember. Meet the #1 on my list, Scout. He went back into training. He nearly killed me. Then I rallied and won. I rode him again today and he was much better. I even took Aari out on a trail ride. I'm pretty sure something is dead behind John's barn (no it isn't Scout). There were a lot of circling buzzards. We went looking for it but it stayed lost. John will be happy to know that his horse now has a reverse gear. Lilly is awesome. I am so excited to show her. She and Cole get reshod on Friday. Then, I'm taking a vacation.

P.S.- HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY ANGIE!!!!

Quote of the Day
Michael Scott: Ok, so dig this. You're on the street, and one of your gang disses you.
Darryl: Oh my goodness.
Michael Scott: Yeah. Right. So what do you do to get 'em to make it right?
Darryl: Well see, um, in a gang world, we use something called fluffy fingers.
Michael Scott: What is that?
Darryl: That's when someone really gets in your face, you know you just, start ticklin' 'em.
Michael Scott: Really?
Darryl: Yeah. And he starts tickling you. And pretty soon you laughing and hugging. Before you know it, you've forgotten the whole thing. Y'all just go and get an ice cream cone.
Michael Scott: I would have never though that.. gangs would be tickling each other.
Darryl: Oh. It's effective.

Smack Down

2009-03-18T07:51:00.002-05:00

I got tired of the horses being in the barn. Scout and Aari had been in for two days and Cole and Lilly had been inside for two weeks. They were all nuts. The ground wasn't dry but the heavy rain had stopped so out they went. They bucked and ran forever. It took me about an hour to clean out four stalls. They were nasty! I think they had thrown a party the night before. We worked on John's house over the weekend. It took all day Saturday and part of Sunday to get things cleaned and arranged. I think all we have left to do are curtains and rugs. The rest of the house looks awesome. I'm having a hard time believing it is the same house. It was so full of paint supplies and trash it was hard to see through it all. But, finally, it's done!! I moved most of John's army stuff to the attic. That crap was heavy! One of the boxes got away from me while I was going up the stairs and I fell backward...down the steps. It hurt. I'll leave the rest of it for him to move. I want to post pictures but I also want him to be surprised when he gets home. I'll think it over.

Quote of the Day: "I am single now. What we have here, is the ultimate smack down between the Nard Dog, and crippling despair, loneliness, and depression. I intend to win." -Andy Bernard

Break Contact

2009-03-13T07:46:00.002-05:00

John will be on the dark side of the moon for the next few weeks. He probably won't be able to call or email at all. At least he got the box of backup food before went out. Before he left he sent this picture. I still can't get used to the time change between here and there. I'll call him to ask him something and forget where the heck he is. Oh, update on the wedding dress....it came and I LOVE it! I went ahead and ordered a veil to go with it that matched perfectly. So, now for the shoes and I'm done. Well, with that part anyway.

Lilly's foot still looks really bad. I had to wash it with dish detergent just to get it clean. I don't know what that vet was thinking telling me to leave bandages off of it because it won't heal and it stays nasty with her WALKING on the cut! I wrapped her back up in a bandage with a lot of medication on it. It already looks like the infection is going down. I won't get a chance to clean it until Saturday. Speaking of Saturday (wow, lots of news) the painters are done at John's house. It looks incredible! I'm taking Saturday to clean and get furniture arranged. John should be home in a few weeks and I don't want him to have to clean at all. I have two more lights to buy (bathroom and kitchen) and all the lighting is done. Martha will take pictures so I can post them hopefully Sunday.

Quote of the Day:
Michael Scott: "Today is Spring cleaning day here at Dundler Mifflin, and yes I know it's January, I'm not an idiot, but if you do your Spring cleaning in January guess what you don't have to do in the Spring... anything. They say a cluttered desk means a cluttered mind, well I say an empty desk means an..."
Dwight Schrute: "Empty mind."
Michael Scott: "Well, no... that's not what I was going to say."

Etc.

2009-03-09T11:05:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of John drawing in the dirt. He learned it from years on the farm while working with sneaky cows who would try to escape during cow capture day (usually around the first of the year). Now he uses it for the military. I hope he covers it up so any cows who might have learned to read by now won't know his plan. Lilly is still in recovery. I have been faithfully cleaning and putting nasty paste all over her leg since the vet came last week. She is getting more tolerant of me especially since I load her up with treats when we're done. I hate that we are missing some really valuable riding time but I need her to be 100% sound when we start back. Cole is getting tired of having to babysit her in the next stall. I can tell he's ready to get back outside. His legs have begun to lock up so he has to get daily exercise. I really don't want to go down that road again.

John has started a Bible study with the guys in his unit. Please pray that more guys will attend and that it will catch on.

John, I'm shipping you a box-o-stuff tomorrow (Tuesday) with the book in it.

Quote of the Day
Michael: So, bankruptcy is kind of like the witness protection program?
Oscar: NOT AT ALL.
Creed: EXACTLY.

Horses and Stupid Ideas

2009-03-02T19:11:00.003-05:00

Lilly tried to ski. She failed and now she's injured. She has lacerated the back of her rear leg and is now on medication and on stall rest. When I went to feed her supper and bring her in for the evening I noticed A LOT of blood on both of her hocks. I don't know how the blood got all the way up there unless she fell down and stayed down for awhile. It really freaked me out. I cleaned her up and scrubbed the wounds down the best I could. She wasn't really interested in me messing with her. She was in quite a bit of pain. The cuts are in a place that would be impossible to stitch. So, we have to settle with keeping it cleaned and medicated. I'll see if she's any better tomorrow. Ahhh, and right before show season. At least she's white so the scar won't be a different color.

My dress comes tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Quote of the day:
Ryan: "A few years ago, my family was on a safari in Africa and my cousin, Mufasa, was... he was trampled to death by a pack of wildebeasts and we all took it really hard. All of us, kind of in the audience, of what happened."

Michael: "Do you want to talk about it anymore?"

Ryan: "Oh, it would probably take me like an hour and a half to tell that whole story."

Serenade by Noah

2009-02-27T11:49:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I found a new wedding song. I got Noah some Beatrix Potter DVD's for his birthday. I was at his house while he was watching the Peter Rabbit video (or as he says "Peta Cottontail" in a British accent) and I heard him singing this song. It was so cute. I actually found the piano music for it and now it's in my Songs to Play at the Wedding book. Martha actually had him call me at the office the other day and sing it to me. All he really sings is "...day...day..." Very cute! Maybe I should just have him sing it at the wedding. John is preparing to move to another military base. He is actually getting some time to sleep now and he usually answers the phone when I call him...no more "hang on, there's a loud tank going by" any more. We are going to try and Skype on Sunday if the weather isn't bad. The dress hasn't yet come. It's supposed to be here on Tuesday at the latest.

Quote of the Day: "It was a weird day. I accidentally cross-dressed." -Michael Scott

!!!ON SALE!!!

2009-02-22T18:56:00.002-05:00

I just bought a wedding gown. Literally minutes ago, I hit the "pay by credit card" button. I found it on a site that sells pre owned wedding dresses. It's an Allure gown that sells for $1100 (yeah right!) and because it is discontinued I bought it at a HUGE discount. It's not any on the ones pictured here. John reads my blog so I can't post it. I'm hoping it works. I can return it if it stinks. More info after it gets here.

Quote of the Day: "Hello everyone! As you know, we are six days away from Phyllis’ wedding. So get your suits to the dry-cleaners, get your hair ‘did’ and Karen…you might want to invest in a dress or a skirt of some kind if you don’t already have one. This may be Phyllis’ only wedding ever. It’s my job to ensure that none of you look like ragamuffins." -Michael Scott

Barn Day

2009-02-16T08:32:00.008-05:00

Well, it was riding day at the barn. Scout and Lilly were the first to meet me and they were very skeptical. Once they realized I wasn't after them they relaxed. Scout actually ran about 50 laps in the pasture and almost took out a gate he was so excited.

Up first was Cole. He wasn't concerned about the riding as much as a noise coming from John's house inaudible to everyone but himself.

Noah took his first few steps on a horse. Lilly acted perfect. She didn't really have a choice.

Then, he was on trainer duty.

He was also the cheering section. He would clap and say "Yeah Haji!"

And, then it was time to clean up. Thank goodness I had a helper.

Quote of the Day
Wallace: Did you shout "fire," causing a panic?
Dwight: Yes, I shouted fire. I shouted many things. I also shouted instructions on how to get out of the building so you can imagine my frustration, as safety officer, when nobody would heed of, would heeded, heeded of--
Michael: Headed of-
Dwight: When no one would take headed of my instructions.
Michael: Heed. Take heed.
Dwight: I don't see my co-workers-
Michael Scott: Take heed of-
Dwight: -heeding this. Right now.
Wallace: Right...what?

Valentine Suprise

2009-02-12T13:18:00.003-05:00

Guess what I got today! They are beautiful. I was just admiring them when Dave came up behind me and silly-stringed the back of my head. Thank you John for the flowers. I can't wait to show them off.

It's paint buying season. We found someone to paint John's house and they can start as early as next week. That means a frantic run to the Home Depot to buy more of the paint I already had and pick a new color for the giant paneled room. I sort of have a color idea picked out but I'm nervous about painting large areas. They are even going to paint my purple bathroom. I have to decide if I want the ceiling painted silver or the tin put up. Ah, the fun stress begins. I'll try to get pictures up of the happenings. Oh, I have to move all the furniture also. I think that calls for leaving work early.

Happy Valentines Day!

Quote of the Day: "You spend your whole life trying to get people to like you and then you run over one person with your car - not even one of the popular ones - and everybody gets on your case. Doesn't make any sense." -Michael Scott

Horse Tales

2009-02-07T18:47:00.003-05:00

Lilly learned to canter!! Wahoo. It only took about 2 weeks for her to recognize the signal. And, she's great! She does an even better canter than Cole. And SO much slower. I can't wait to show her in May. I'm putting her in every class they offer. I just got back from walking Holly. She has been trying to dig out of her pen so I figured she might want to go on a little walk. By walk I mean she dragged me around the yard and halfway around the pond. Then she just gave out. I about had to carry her home. She's really showing her age. I found a cool tank charm on ebay the other day...and...well, I bought it. It's so little but it's heavy.

Quote of the Day:
Toby: Didn’t you lose a lot of money from that other investment? The one from the email?

Michael: You know what Toby? When the son of the deposed king of Nigeria emails you directly -- asking you for help – you help. His father ran the freaking country ok?

i580

2009-02-02T19:26:00.002-05:00

I have a new cell phone! Everybody celebrate! It's a Nextel i580. I can take photos and ...uh...other stuff. I have cool new ringtones. My dad got me an army issue (tough) phone. I guess he felt sorry for me. Everytime I called ANYONE on my phone it would cut off. Poor John. I don't know how many times I dropped his calls. Now when I drop it off of my horse I don't have to worry about messing it up. I played dance dance revolution last night at the Super Bowl party. Since football isn't my thing we broke out the XBox and danced...and looked like idiots. Sometimes it's fun to look like an idiot. I'm hoping it snows tonight. I just emailed this photo to Country Magazine. Hope I get in. They said it can take up to a year but it took Martha and Noah one month. I'm going to beat that record.

Quote of the Day: "Who's that sportscaster that bit that lady? Marv Something? Andy is like Marv Something: great sportscaster, big weirdo creep." -Michael Scott

Crime Aid

2009-01-29T20:44:00.003-05:00

I love this picture!! It reminds me of some really fun times. Everybody please pray for John. He is actually doing great but he is working with very large machinery and I want him to be safe. The Family Readiness Group will be sending out about 80 small packages to the guys in his unit first of next week so they will all have something for Valentine's Day. The sanding is finished at John' house and the windows are being finished. That should take about a week or two. The crown molding is being shipped in tomorrow and I have to prime and paint it...a lot of it. But, it's going to be beautiful. I'll be posting pictures as we go so John can keep up with it also. John wasn't going to to the crown just yet to save some money but his parents decided to have it done for us for a wedding present. !!!THANK YOU!!! I can't wait to see it finished.
Everybody jump over to Leanna's new blog. We set it up for her tonight.

Quote of the Day: "Welcome to C.R.I.M.E.-A.I.D. Crime Reduces Innocence Makes Everyone Angry I Declare. It is not known how many office robberies occur every second because there is no Wikipedia entry for office robbery statistics. However, tonight, its victims, are standing together and standing strong in the form of song, cooking lessons, and hugs. Really Phyllis? You're auctioning a hug?" -Michael Scott