Maize the Wonder Horse.

Noel has been giving me a few lessons on Maize.  She has also told me to get out there and ride her as much as possible, so that I can get some seat time and gain confidence.  I love this horse.  Maize is super broke, but fun.  She is not going to do anything crazy, but she also likes to put me to the test every now and again.

I trotted during my last couple of lessons.  That is SO much harder than it looks.  I am so completely out of control when I trot.  Finally during the last lesson, I had a trot that just felt good.  Apparently, it is half art, just learning to find the rhythm and ride the trot.  Here is a picture of one of my trotting moments where Maize was going wherever she pleased.  I think we almost took Noel out.  Either that or Noel is doubled over with laughter.  I think it is probably a bit of both!

Sidney is a tough coach.  She does not take no for an answer and had Maize and I going up little hills and over large logs.  Again, small things for most riders - huge things for me.  I am just glad to have Maize as a teacher.

Toby Mac.

Sidney is becoming quite the little concert go-er.  She and Hannah bought tickets to the Toby Mac concert.

My mom made this super cute clear bag for Sidney to take.  Hannah was kind enough to pack it, strap seen below.

They showed up early to get settled.  It was reserve seating and they had pretty good seats.  Honestly, there really aren't bad seats in Extra Mile Arena.

I got to see lots of videos of them rocking out during the concert, super bad karaoke voices and all!

I think the only thing Sidney talked about for days was this concert.  She already has tickets to the Lauren Daigle concert that is coming up.

Austin, Broken Toe and All.

Gah!  I have been treating my left foot terribly.  First the block of ice, then I literally broke my little toe.  Rather, Bella, broke my left little toe.  Who knew that a little toe was so useful?  I guess you do not know, until it is screaming at you!  Despite a broken toe, I had a work trip to go on.  I borrowed Sidney's black tennis shoes, because they are a size bigger than I normally wear and off I went.  

Kendall is my resident Uber driver.  I love that she drops me off and picks me up at the airport.  It makes it all worth it.

We stayed at this really fun and funky hotel in Austin.  My room even had a corded old fashioned red phone.  The room keys were wood.  

Apparently this tree was required to remain during the construction of the hotel, so they just build around it.

Janelle and I took our selfie.  We are squinting as it was 90 degrees in Austin.  I definitely was not prepared for that, but I am certainly not complaining!

Galentines 2024.

The girls and I exchanged valentines gifts this year (somehow I forgot to take a picture, again).  My mom brought me this beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Kendall and Sidney took this cute polaroid of them and their Dutch bracelets.

The girls and Hannah had a Galentines food and craft night.  

Levi's World.

I sort of feel like Levi is one of my kids.  It is his world, and I am just living in it:)!  With a face like this, how could you think any differently?!

One of my coworkers was out here from Chicago.  She wanted desperately to go meet our horses.  So on the way to the airport, we took her by the ranch.  It was a super windy afternoon.  She brought apples for Pigeon and Levi. How did I not get a picture of Karen?  She did send me this picture that she took of us though.  It was so fun to show Karen around and really see her face light up!

We got a sleezy hood for Levi to tame his mane.  We tried it on, but have not left it on yet, because it has been so gross out.

During his Ferrier appointment he kept curling his lips.  Sidney swears it was her bad breath.  Whatever the reason, it was hilarious.

We have decided that he love Redbull.  Sidney gave him a little taste, and he was reaching for it after that.

Yep, he is a cutie.  On March 3rd, we will have had him for one year.  From wild to mild-ish:).

NWWJS 2024, That's a Wrap.

This has been a bit of a discombobulated jump season!  There are typically five shows over the winter.  Sid and Pigeon competed in November and December.  We took Levi to the December show for the experience.  The January show was cancelled due to crazy cold weather and snow.  The last show Kaycee (Jayde's horse) got injured the night before, so Sidney and Jayde were not able to make it.  

Despite being strange, the girls and their horses had an amazing time every show.  Clay (the gate guy) is always so complimentary of their growth show over show.  The course for the February show was one of the hardest I have seen.  It is so much tricker then you think.  The course is timed.  You want to get as close to the optimal time as possible (not too fast, not too slow) and you do not want to knock over or miss (fault) on any of the jumps.  The jump below is number 7 in the course, if I remember correctly.  It is a super sharp turn from the jump before, and a lot of the jumpers missed it.  Riders and horses had to make a quick, but wide turn, to square off for this jump.  Sometimes I think I am holding my breath the whole time.

Sid hates this picture, because she is so far out of her seat.  Well, only she would critique that, because I just see the bravado of running a horse toward a jump and hoping for the best!

Pigeon sure has turned out to be one amazing guy.  He is so willing to give anything a try!

Competition Season 2024.

Dance competition season is in full swing.  The days are long, the practices hard, but it is all worth it!  The girls usually get there bright and early in the morning and do not make it home until the late hours of the night.  The comradery that is build on these long days is amazing!

The instructors are with them every step of the way, joining in on the fun.  Oh the stories they tell!

The full make-up, hair and costumes are adorned.

I took some pictures of one of Kendall's early solo competitions.  This is going to be a good year, for sure!  I am incredibly proud of this girl for pushing through!

During their first competition, one of their team members was injured during her solo competition.  This equates to being out for a few weeks.  The team was able to quickly re-block their hip hop dance, but the contemporary is just too complicated to pull out one person.  They put on their best attitudes and competed their hip hop dance.

I love being this girls' mom!

Kendall placed first and platinum with her solo in the senior intermediate contemporary category.