Horse Show Mom

Throwing a Mocktail Party!

2012-01-16T16:52:00.001-08:00

On Friday night, we hosted a Mocktail Party for Natalie and her friends before their Winter Formal. I made a bunch of different appetizers and nonalcoholic drinks and it was so much FUN!!!

One of the drinks was a Faux Sangria made with white grape juice, orange juice, fruit and club soda:

I did a bunch of different garnishes for the drinks including berry skewers. I also made a Strawberry Lemon Punch, a pitcher of Shirley Temples, and had a bunch of different flavored ciders from Trader Joe's.

For the food I made Antipasto Kabobs, Hummus Cucumber Canapes, Bruschetta, Mini BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders, Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Bites and had some desserts from Trader Joe's. I LOVE Trader Joe's :)

Cost Plus and Target had some fun straws, umbrellas, skewers and toothpicks to make everything so festive. My friend Jaci came over for the afternoon and evening and was a HUGE help to get everything ready. The kids showed up around 5:00 and some of the parents joined us as well. It was so much work but so worth it. Such a GREAT evening!! And this why I do it... for my precious daughter. Isn't she gorgeous? Inside and out :) Making all these precious moments count.

Change is in the Air

2012-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have decided to blog again after a very long hiatus. Writing is something that is very therapeutic for me and something that I have missed very much. The last two years have been incredibly busy and stressful for me. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Shauna and miss her. In her absence

I have filled my days with a stressful job and being a busy wife and mother. I have tried to live life large in her footsteps, with some stumbling blocks along the way. At the same time, my heart is filled with love and gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I am very blessed to have my husband and daughter whom I love with all my heart. Having adventures and time with them is what I live for. Because of them, I have survived these past two years. Not necessarily pretty all the time, but I have survived.

This year I am working hard to make some changes. I have tried to quit my job about five times so far, to no avail. This last time is the closest so far. It looks like a replacement is finally being hired for me to train so I can have surgery. A full time person for my crazy part time job. Much needed. There is a chance I may continue a part of my job from home once I have healed. We will see how it all shakes out.

Surgery is never fun, but I am ready. I'm tired of feeling like crap all the time, and this surgery is another step to help me feel better. Bring it on. I will know more when I meet with my surgeon tomorrow. Hoping for a date in February. The sooner the better. I have had to push it off for awhile since I was diagnosed with Graves Disease late this summer. Now my thyroid is almost regulated so it is time for this next step.

I cannot wait to have more time at home. To cook from scratch more often. To have friends over for a cup of tea. To entertain more. To exercise. To read. To write. To remember the things that make me happy. Maybe I will even remember how to be an artist again, how to create beautiful things. I also want to organize and get the house in good shape again. We will have a high school graduation in 1 1/2 years and I want it to be perfect. Then it will go on the market. It will be time for a huge lifestyle change for us as Nat heads to college. So much change ahead. And I will embrace it.

Even my job of "horse show mom" is changing. Natalie was in an accident on her horse in October. She was bucked off at a show when Carmina hurt herself on the cross country course. She hit the ground head first, was unconscious and then had a seizure. She was taken by ambulance to the nearest emergency room where she was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury/concussion. Luckily she had an excellent helmet and safety vest on. They probably saved her life. Things could have been so much worse. Slowly she is recovering from her brain injury. School has been a bit of a challenge. College entrance exams have had to be postponed. She finally rode a horse for the first time yesterday after a forced 3 1/2 month break. Her horse goals have changed. Possibly no more eventing for her. Possibly selling Carmina. So much is up in the air.

I want this blog to document the changes ahead. I want to share my experiences with you. I want to share recipes, favorite books, organization projects, art and decorating projects. You name it. And all on a budget... without my job I will have to start cutting coupons and bargain shop for everything. I also hope to share my new horse show mom adventures here as well. Perhaps I will become a polo mom? Nat is trying a lesson on Wednesday :)

So here I go, ready or not. Change is ahead and I am ready. "Change is good" sounds like a great motto for 2012.

A Year Without Shauna

2010-12-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

It has been one hell of a year. I'm not sure anyone wants to read this or cares, but I feel like getting it out.

At first, Shauna's death didn't seem real. How on earth could my best friend be gone forever? How could the everyday texts, phone calls and visits stop cold turkey? How could it be that I would never be able to confide in my friend ever again? Or never see her smile, hear her voice or laughter? December 3, 2009 was the single most sad day of my life.

The first month I poured myself into planning Shauna's Celebration of Life. I wanted every detail to be perfect and fitting for the amazing person that she was. I cried, but I really didn't have time to let it really sink in. I was still surrounded by her loved ones. I was still getting cards, calls, emails and texts. So many people reached out to comfort me, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Thinking back, the day of her Celebration was surreal. I loved hearing the stories, seeing her family, friends and acquaintances come together to REALLY celebrate Shauna. It just didn't seem right that she was not sitting next to me!!! I know she was there, watching over us, but already her physical presence was incredibly missed. I mostly remember sticking really close to Jim that day. And crying. A lot. The kind of sobs that shake your body. Seeing and hearing S in Brian Lindstrom's movie after the service just got me... hearing her voice did me in.

After her celebration was REALLY hard. For the most part, the texts stopped. The emails stopped. The cards stopped. I dropped into a very deep hole. I cried. I moped. I threw temper tantrums. I either slept a lot or not at all. I was lonely. I missed my friend and was pretty much inconsolable. My poor family somehow put up with me. They loved me and cared for me. A few friends would check in too. I found out quickly whom I could count on. And those who really only cared about Shauna and not me. That was a tough one. I also realized how much people got caught up in the drama of Shauna's cancer, her dying. How they used me to get to her or to get information about her. I felt used and betrayed. I struggled immensely with the feelings of sadness that were overtaking me. Somedays were bad. Somedays were worse. Somedays were okay.

Jim and Natalie were there for me completely. Unconditionally. They always have been. I am the most blessed person I know to have them as my family. They are my everything and my entire life. I love them with all of my heart and soul. They are the reason that I am slowly coming out from the deep hole.

I started a job in March. I went back to work as a legal assistant/executive assistant at a law firm. I worked as a legal assistant after college and before having Natalie. It had been awhile. I decided that if I was going back to work, I needed a flexible part time schedule and I needed to make good money. This job fits the bill, but it is also the most stressful intense job I have ever had in my life. Many mornings before walking in the door I felt like throwing up. Many nights I cried myself to sleep. The learning curve was very steep and scary. Somehow I have survived it and have mostly figured out how to make it work in my life. I am grateful for a paycheck (that I can direct deposit completely to the horse). I am grateful for the flexibility to have time with my family. I am grateful for the distraction to get me out of the house and out of bed each morning.

I still have my days. I am busier than I have ever been. I'm exhausted and overwhelmed most of the time. I am also cherishing and savoring the good moments. Especially life's simple pleasures. Loving watching Nat ride her horse. Loving cuddling with my husband on the couch while watching a movie. Loving the rare moments that I do get to spend with a few friends.

I think of Shauna every day. Multiple times a day. I still reach for my phone to call or text her. I still get tears in my eyes when I remember certain memories out of the blue. I am so very lucky to have had her as my best friend. To have experienced life with her by my side. To have had a friend who really took the time to know the real me and who genuinely loved me. I will always be grateful to have experienced that kind of friendship. Shauna really knew how to be a friend!

In the years to come, I hope to take better care of myself. I hope to find the energy to exercise more. I hope to find the time to do something creative and artistic again. I hope to honor Shauna in ways that count. To show her that I am living my life with gratitude, with intention, with love, and with passion. The way that she lived her life.

I will love you forever, Shauna. You are missed but never forgotten. Thank you for being my guardian angel and BFF.

Never Forgotten

2010-03-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I did not put my tribute to Shauna on here..... Miss you, my dear friend.

I wanted so much to be a speaker at Shauna's celebration. We shared such an unforgettable and rare friendship and I wanted the world to know the Shauna I knew and loved... but for many reasons... I did not speak. My brain was in such a fog, filled with grief and sorrow, that I knew I could not do a job worthy of what Shauna deserved. Instead, I put my energy and love into choosing other speakers, planning details of her celebration, and creating programs and the slideshow. Shauna and I spoke at great length about what she wanted for her service, especially at the beginning of her diagnosis and after attending funerals of members of her cancer support group. As we would be walking up the killer powerline hill trail together, she would tell me what she liked at one service, what she didn't like at another service. I tried hard to remember all those details, but hoping that I would never have to put them to use. Toward the end of her battle, we rarely talked about "it". "It" was just too real and too hard. In October, I felt the overwhelming urge to write her a letter one evening. Not to say goodbye, but to celebrate all of the things that made Shauna so special and unique. I ended up writing a 10 page letter that night and giving it to Shauna the next day. I have incorporated some of that letter into my own tribute to Shauna... what I would have read at her celebration if grief hadn't overcome me. In retrospect, I have no regrets. I sat quietly in the background during Shauna's service... and knowing Shauna, that is exactly where she would have been. Her quiet but powerful self, sitting in a chair, watching her efforts and love pour out of those who knew and cherished her.

My brain is still in a fog some days... like everyone else who is grieving her loss... I have good and bad days. She will forever be in my heart and I know she is my guardian angel, with me every moment. If only I had her beautiful words to tell my story. Here is my belated tribute to my beloved friend....

"I met Shauna when she was a young mother... Spencer was in pre-school and Kaelin was merely a babe. She attended the very first scrapbooking class that I taught at a local store. I was immediately drawn to her quiet, nurturing, and kind demeanor. We became fast friends after that night and shared so many fun times together. Scrapbooking weekends at the beach and Black Butte, scrapbooking conventions and crops, taking our kids to Farm Camp, working out at Hawthorn Farm Athletic Club, and taking The Artist's Way classes together. Laughing, talking, creating. We could talk for hours and feel so at ease with each other.

She was such a busy person... holding down a job and being the coolest supermom in Beaverton. Time with Shauna was a luxury, and I will always cherish those coffee dates, scrapbooking crops, and playdates at the park with the kids. And with her every minute, was her camera, documenting all of those special moments. Shauna LOVED being a mom, first and foremost. With much unconditional love and guidance, she continually gave her kids the tools they would need to succeed, to spread their wings and reach for their dreams. Nothing gave her more happiness than sitting at a soccer or basketball game, watching her children play and play well! I also knew from spending time with her, that she was madly in love with her husband. She was so proud of him, and always encouraged him to follow his passion of being a coach. We always said how lucky we were to both have married our true loves, and still be happily married to them.

Shauna became quite the celebrity in the scrapbooking world through her job and by submitting pages to magazines and contests... she was known for her beautiful layouts, stunning photos, and unique journaling. I was in awe watching her create masterpieces. When Spencer and Natalie started second grade, Shauna was hard at work on a paper-piecing book at Hot Off the Press. She recommended me to help out on the book. I was so excited at the prospect of working next to my friend, even if it was on a temporary basis. Luckily, I was hired on permanently. I adored sitting at the desk next to Shauna... it really was a dream job. Creating scrapbook pages and cards while sitting next to one of my closest friends.... and getting a paycheck!! We were lucky to work together until June of 2006 when I took a leave of absence because of my husband's sabbatical. A few days into my time away, Shauna was diagnosed with cancer.

In one of her writings, Shauna said she got cancer and won the lottery all in the same day. She was so in awe of the strength, love and support of her community. I used to joke with her that even with cancer, she was an overachiever. Shauna chose to fight her cancer with that "all or nothing" attitude that had always served her well, enduring the most brutal of chemos with grace and courage. Losing her hair. Being so sick, she thought she would never be able to get out of bed. But through it all, she reached out to others and told her story on her blog. Reaching out to her friends, family, loved ones, her community and to complete strangers. Reaching out with her touching words, her compelling stories and her incomparable will to live. She really wanted to give back to others, in appreciation for all that her community was doing to support her and her family. When she was feeling good (or even just "okay"), you would see her volunteering at school events. One of the most rewarding ways she "gave back" was to work as a patient-teacher for medical students who were taking a class called "Living with a Life-Threatening Disease." Through her example and experiences, three future doctors learned first-hand the importance of compassion, kindness and love in treating their patients. Facebook also became a huge way for her to reach out to others. She was giddy over finding friends from every aspect of her life.... all 525 of them :) And lucky for me, she shared so many of her wonderful friendships. Through her powerful posts and sharing her everyday battle with cancer, she touched every one of her friends and brought them into her army. And what an Army she had... people bringing meals, giving her children rides to school and activities, as well as people providing maid service, gift cards and other necessities. Shauna continued to be an over-achiever through "Write Around Portland". She really found her voice at the workshops, and her writings will forever be her legacy and gift to us all.

One of the most touching nights of my life was a Hat Shower for Shauna. Cheryl and I held a shower right before Christmas in 2007 when we knew that Shauna would be losing her hair due to a new chemotherapy regimen she was starting. Approximately 30 women gathered at my house, each showering Shauna with love, hope and a hat. For as long as I live, I will never forget that night. Truly powerful and inspiring.

I saw a transformation in Shauna because of her cancer. She went from that overly-busy, working supermom, who rarely left time for herself in her day-to-day life, to having to take care of herself in order to keep living. To live every single day to the fullest. To give all of her energy to fight off the cancer. And boy, did she live it up. She tried hard to tell the people she loved just how much they meant to her... to leave nothing unsaid. Something that used to be very difficult for her. Our friendship became stronger and stronger each day, and I'm sure many others felt the same way. Shauna had a gift of connecting to people that was like no other. When she was with you, it was as if you were the only person in the universe. She gave you her undivided attention, and truly loved you for who you are. The good, the bad... it didn't matter to her. She took the time to get to know the REAL me... I can't think of very many people who have done that. Sometimes I think she knew me better than I know myself. She always knew the right thing to say to make it all better, to make me feel special and loved.

Shauna was an example of how each of us should live our life. Living in the moment. Making every day count. To travel to exotic places even when it is a challenge, to reach out and connect to others, to tell our story, to take chances, to follow our passions, to not miss a moment even when we are too busy or feeling crummy.

I am so grateful to have shared such an unforgettable friendship with Shauna. She gave me her deepest, darkest thoughts and feelings. She shared her wishes and dreams. She let me into her heart. And even while she was in the biggest fight of her life, she was still the person I could always count on to be my confidant and friend. She was always there for sage advice and a trusting heart. Never too tired or sick for my calls or visits. ALWAYS there, no matter what. Together we could accomplish anything. We could move mountains. We were safe. I will forever cherish every single second.

I always thought that Shauna would be our miracle. She was always supposed to be the one who would beat the cancer... we were supposed to grow old together. Little old ladies sipping Javaculas at Borders. Watching our kids grow up, graduate from college, get married. Bragging about our grandkids. My husband reminds me that we did have a miracle. Shauna was given three and a half years with us... with Stage IV cancer... that is quite a miracle. And I am so very grateful for every minute I had with her... for every coffee date, for every birthday party, for every errand, for every day we carpooled and sat next to each other at work, for every day we got to watch our kids grow up together, for every Slurpee run, for every walk up those steep hills, for every conversation, for every text, for every email, for every laugh, for every tear, for every smile, for every time I saw that sparkle in her eyes. I am so grateful to have shared this journey with her, my BFF. Love you forever, Shauna."

A Celebration of Life

2010-01-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

I made this slideshow for Shauna's Celebration of Life. Many thanks to family and friends who helped me gather the photos. More thanks to my incredible husband who so kindly provided tech support. I have never posted video on my blog before... hope it works.

Goodbye, My Friend.

2010-01-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

I have not been able to write for awhile... my dear Shauna passed away on December 3rd. Ever since, I have been planning her services, grieving, and trying to celebrate Christmas with my family. Tomorrow is Shauna's Celebration of Life. I wanted to share my last day with Shauna...

I saw Shauna the day before she passed away. Dave asked me to come over and be a witness for Shauna signing her will.

Shauna had this whole will thing hanging over her for a LONG time... she had mentioned several times this summer... "I really need to go downtown and sign my will" but never seemed to get it done. I think it was just too hard for her to deal with.

Shauna was in bed that morning. I went up to see her and gave her a big hug and held her hand. We talked briefly before the attorney arrived. I had tried really hard to not cry around Shauna at the end. I wanted to be strong, as if everything was "normal". But that day, there were tears. Before I went in the house that day, Dave had asked me to plan Shauna's services. Also a source of many tears.

The attorney arrived, Shauna sat right up and wrote out her gorgeous, beautiful signature. I signed as a witness. Our friend Jaci was also there as the other witness. Afterwards we had to go downstairs to sign the notary book. My tears were really starting flow.

I went back upstairs to say goodbye to S. She squeezed my hand so tightly and looked up at me with those big, beautiful blue eyes and said "Paris, are you okay?". I giggled a little, caught off-guard that she had said that. I replied, "I'm okay if you are." I told her again how much I loved her. I just couldn't believe that on a day like that, she asked me how I was doing. She cared so deeply for those she loved, and even when facing death she was mostly worried about everyone else.

I really didn't think that would be the last time I would see Shauna. She was still alert, talking, sitting up without assistance. I received a few more texts from her that day. The next morning, I texted her as usual but did not hear back from her.

Later that day, almost to the barn, I got the call from Cheryl that S had been transported to the hospital. She asked me to come over to the house to help with a project. We both expected Shauna to come home that night.

We hurried home from the barn. I made dinner so it would be ready for my family, then waited for Cheryl's call. I started to worry. I texted and called Cheryl. She was on her way back to the hospital with the kids... that S was unresponsive. She said that Elizabeth was at the hospital so I texted her. Elizabeth called me back right after, with the news that S was gone. Natalie was the only one home with me at the time. She held me as I cried and cried. Jim arrived home soon after, and the three of us held each other. It was the single most sad night of my life.

I was able to go to the hospital to say goodbye to Shauna after she was gone. I will be forever grateful for that. There was nothing unsaid between us but I was still glad to say goodbye. I tried so very hard to leave nothing unsaid these last 3.5 years. One night in October, I sat down and wrote her a 10 page letter. No where in that letter did I say goodbye, but I tried to celebrate everything wonderful about her and our friendship together. That letter is buried with S, along with a photo of us together. I have a copy of it and will cherish it forever.

Shauna and I both wore friendship necklaces... the kind pre-teens probably give to each other ;) Cheryl was kind enough to give me Shauna's necklace so I now wear them both with much love. It will forever be a symbol of my unforgettable friendship with S. I am so very blessed to have known and felt such friendship and love. Love you forever, S.

Fundraiser for my BFF

2009-11-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, one of my best friends has been battling Stage IV cancer of unknown origin for 3 1/2 years now.

I wanted to let you know about a book I have created on Shauna's behalf. It is an 8 1/2" x 11" soft-bound printed book that combines many of Shauna's amazing Galapagos photos with selected writings from her blog. Many of the writings are from her experience with Write Around Portland.

With her permission, I am selling copies of this book as a fundraiser for the Shauna Berglund-Immel Lifeline Fund. My cost for the book is $22 plus shipping (approx. $2). Any donation in addition to the $24 will be donated to Shauna.

This book has been a labor of love and a celebration of my friendship with Shauna. I would be greatly touched to share this book with all who love and support Shauna.

If you would like to order a book, please contact me via email:

parisdukes@comcast.net

You may make checks payable to me, Paris Dukes, or send payment via paypal at jandpdukes@comcast.net. My address is:

12235 SW Fulmar Terrace
Beaverton, OR 97007

I will forward any donations (not including the price of the book) to the Immel family as the orders come in.

Thank you for your continued support. Your donations will be greatly appreciated. Please contact me with any questions.

Fondly,
Paris

Today I am Thankful...

2009-11-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Over on Facebook, there was a challenge to post one thing that you are thankful for each day before Thanksgiving. It has been such a blessing for me to think about all of the good things in my life, especially when things have been so hard for many that I love.

I hope each and every one of you have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day. May you have a wonderful day!!

Here are a few things I am so thankful for....

My husband. He is my rock, my best friend, my true love.
My daughter. She makes me so proud everyday. Being her mom is the best job in the world.
Living in Oregon. My beautiful home sweet home.
My friends and family. I am so blessed to know such love and kindness.

Much more to be thankful for, but those are some of the biggies :)

Happy 15!!!!!

2009-11-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

Happy 15th birthday to my baby girl. You are the best thing to ever happen to your dad and me. We love you with all of our heart and soul. You make our lives complete. How did you ever get to be so grown up and lovely? It happened in the blink of an eye, and we have enjoyed every second. You make us proud everyday, Natalie Jayne. xoxoxoxo

Where do I start???

2009-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Life has been a blur since August.... wondering how to put it all into words.

We had a great time at USPC Western Championships. The rental RV worked out great and Nat did a great job as both a member of a Quiz team and as Stable Manager for a Show Jumping Team. She made lots of new friends and had a fun time!

I had several interviews for part-time employment... and did not get any of the jobs. Thinking there was a reason for that. I think you will agree when you keep reading... although a pay check would be really nice about now.

Memo did not sell yet. The funny (?) part is that she has been AWESOME! We are thinking that giving her a break from showing this summer, lots of bareback work, and Natalie growing a ton has helped them both! They have had some amazing rides so we are just kind of going with it right now. We had to suck it up and buy a (very used!) horse trailer (lost our ride to PC meetings) so that should give us lots of freedom to get out and do some schooling shows and clinics. Looking forward to some fun horsey times this fall. And yes, I am learning how to drive the horse trailer and we all survived the inaugural voyage. Go me.

Natalie is now a FRESHMAN in high school! How did that happen?? She is at the same school... ACMA... and continues to love it. She is very buried in homework as she is taking three honors classes this semester.

And now onto the not-so-fun stuff....

My dear friend Shauna was admitted for a short stay in the hospital the beginning of September. On that same night, my dad went into cardiac arrest and was taken to the Salem Hospital. Crazy, crazy night. Short story: he went into cardiac arrest four times and they brought him back each time. Since he was not conscious, they tried a hypothermia-type treatment where they cooled his body off for 24 hours, then warmed him up gradually. It helps to prevent any swelling of the brain. It worked like a charm... he was awake and talking almost immediately after warming up. No signs of brain damage. They did discover a major blockage in his heart.

Fast forward a couple weeks more, Shauna was back in the hospital for two weeks. At the end of her stay, my dad went in for triple bypass surgery. Surgery was very scary with all of his risk factors, but he did very well and is now home and recovering.

Shauna is now home too, with a Palliative Care team in place. She is still doing aggressive chemo along with a hospice-type situation at home. Docs have basically shut down her digestive system and she is being nourished/hydrated intravenously by TPN. She has an NG (nasalgastro) tube in place to relieve pressure in her stomach and to get rid of the severe vomiting/nausea she was having. She is the strongest person I know... a true hero... to go through all that she has the past 3+ years. She is such a fighter, and is making the best of being tied down at home. Some days she has been up for visitors, and we even took a walk around the neighborhood last week. So good for us to have time together and get some fresh air :) I look forward to seeing her any chance I can... I really miss spending my days with her. Quite an adjustment for me as I got used to our walking, coffee dates and errands almost every day. I am so blessed to have her in my life, and look forward to having her back in action soon.

Life continues to be a roller coaster every day. I much prefer the high parts of the roller coaster to the upside down and downward spiral parts. Sometimes I get really, really down and find myself hiding out. I try so hard to be grateful for everyday and all of the blessings in my life... it is really the only way I have been able to (barely!) survive the chaos. Jim and Natalie are my rocks. I love them so very much.

Summertime

2009-07-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

And the livin' is easy.

I'm guilty. I've been goofing off all summer. Not a good blogger at all.

We started the summer off with a FUN road trip! We spent a night in Reno, a night in Las Vegas, then hit the Grand Canyon. It was my third time there, but Natalie's first. What a sight to behold. It was nice to have Jim's parents along.

We headed back to Vegas after two nights in Arizona and had a great time with our family and friends. Luckily, we missed out on the really high temps. Not too bad at all.

Eventually we headed north to Zion National Park... another gorgeous place! It was fun to have Jim's parents, Jason, Marie and Gracie with us. We stayed at the Zion River Resort in cabins... kind of "fake" camping. Jim's aunt and uncle are camp hosts there... always fun to see them.

Our big hikes were The Narrows and Angel's Landing. LOVED The Narrows! It was wonderful to hike through the cool water when it was so hot. Still can't believe I did Angel's Landing... in the heat of the day no less!! Lots of water and stops along the way, but I made it without having a heart attack!

It is always hard to say goodbye to family. After a great breakfast and photo shoot, we headed north again to Bryce National Park. Unfortunately, we only had a couple of hours to spend there. We will definitely go back... stunning!! Our final destination for that day was Grand Junction, Colorado so lots of hours in the car.

In Junction, we stayed with our good friends, The Wilson's. They are really more like family. Rachel, Annie and Scarlett drove over from the big city to spend time with us! Talk about lots of fun and laughter. We had a ball!!!

We drove over to Gunnison for a day to see my nephew, Drew. He goes to college at Western State. It was great to see where he lives. Beautiful! We took a trip over to Crested Butte... another great Colorado town.

After two weeks on the road, it was time to head home. We spent the night in Baker City at an historic old hotel that had been refurbished. Such a cute little town!

The rest of the summer has been a blur. We are still trying to sell Memo... no luck yet :( Kind of weird to not be spending every other weekend at a horse event, but also kind of nice. We still spend plenty of time at the barn :) We had a great camping trip with the Thomas family at Stub Stewart State Park. Good times. We are going canoeing with my family this Sunday. In August, we are renting an RV and going to USPC Western Championships at Donida Farm. Natalie is not taking Memo, but will be participating in Quiz Rally and as Stable Manager for the Show Jumping team. Should be almost like a vacation not having a horse around!!

Will try to post again before autumn ;)

19 Years of Wedded Bliss

2009-06-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last year, on our 18th anniversary, I told the story of our wedding. It was a rainy (monsoon!!) day in Las Vegas that I will never forget.

This year we already celebrated our anniversary a couple of weeks earlier by going to Astoria. What a great time!!

Trying out some micro-brews and having lunch at Ft. George Brew Pub:

Definitely a great place for a smooch... the Astoria Column:

A hidden away beach on the hike to Cape Disappointment lighthouse:

Enjoying a walk on Delray Beach:

The Cannery Pier Hotel was amazing, and we cannot wait to go back!! We had so much fun riding bikes on the river walk, going to dinner at the Bridgewater Bistro, walking through the farmer's market and so much more. A very romantic weekend together :)

Happy Anniversary to my best friend and soulmate. I love you with all of my heart, Jim. Thank you for being the most amazing husband I could ever dream of. You make everyday seem like our honeymoon all over again... I treasure every minute we have together. I can't wait for the next 19+ years with you, babe. Cheers!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

FRIDAY!!!!

2009-05-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

It is FRIDAY and I'm a happy camper! The sun is shining... we are supposed to hit 86 degrees today. Summer is here... if only the school district knew that ;) Two more weeks of school... we are almost there!

Jim and I are heading to Astoria for the weekend to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is not until June 9th, but this was the only weekend that we had time to sneak away. We are staying at the Cannery Pier Hotel which looks amazing!!! We have heard that Astoria is quite the hip place to go these days... lots of cool restaurants and nightlife. Not to mention the trolley car and great hikes. Should be a romantic weekend with my sweetie :)

Last weekend was the USPC Oregon Region Dressage Rally... it was a GREAT rally with FAB weather!! Our club did the food for 60+ people, 2 meals for 2 days. It was a lot of work, but turned out great! Lots of good help and laughter :) Memo and Nat did great!! Memo loves being a fancy dressage pony in the sun at DevonWood :) Natalie's team ended up winning first place in both riding and horse management! It was awesome!! Natalie and Memo scored their first "9" on a dressage movement... a beginning halt at "x". Not bad for a wiggly little Arabian, and for doing First Level. A very successful, but tiring weekend.

My car is in the shop... again :( AAA had to tow it :( This time they had to order a new ignition switch from Germany!! Holy moly. What a pain. I hate that my car is getting so old and so high maintenance :( I love my car. I have been a truck-driving momma all week. Jim has loved being able to ride to work on the motorcycle. It took some work to get it going again... two of his bikes have been in pieces in the garage for awhile waiting on various parts. He is so handy to be able to fix them himself :)

I hope everyone has a superb weekend!! I know that I will :) xoxo

Is this thing on?

2009-05-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. Again. But then again, I'm not so sure anyone even reads it anymore ;)

Life is super busy right now... end of school is nuts! We are definitely on the home stretch now, and I am sooooooo grateful. Really ready for summer!!!

Mother's Day was super special... each day of the weekend started with horse events, of course ;) Saturday, Natalie and I drove to Gaston for a Pony Club Standards & Ratings Clinic. CMPC made quite the showing... we are frustrated with how ratings go in our region so we want to know details and how to make it work for our kids. We got home around 1:3oish and enjoyed a quiet afternoon at home. Jim and Natalie made dinner for me while I lounged on the sofa. Heaven, I tell you! They gave me the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" so we watched that together. I adore that movie and bawled my way through it. Even Natalie was shedding a tear by the end.

On Sunday, we had a riding clinic up at Windsong by the same National Examiner who did the Standards and Ratings Clinic. She was very knowledgeable and had good feedback for the kids. Memo was super bad! Bucking, kicking out, rearing. Sigh. She agrees that Memo is not a horse suitable to continue with Pony Club upper ratings. I guess it is good to hear it from a neutral source. Still hoping that the horse-gods will help us to get her sold and find the right horse for Nat.

After the clinic, we enjoyed lunch on the patio at the Greenway Pub. Life is good when the sun is out and you can sip a Ruby outside on Mother's Day :) We had another quiet afternoon at home... just the best! Really enjoyed my time with my family and some extra spoiling and relaxation. I'm a lucky momma.

This week I am working hard to get the house cleaned up, get caught up on laundry and bills, and so much more in preparation for my trip to Colorado! I leave on Thursday morning and will fly into Denver. Rachel is picking me up from the airport so we can spend some time together that afternoon. She and Shan are leaving for the Grand Canyon that night so I'm so grateful to get to see her before she leaves. That night I am meeting up with some of my high school friends for dinner. Will be so great to catch up with Lori and Jeff! Then I am off to Fort Collins to spend the weekend with Annie, Ben and baby Scarlett!! Can't wait to meet sweet Scarlett Adeline... is that an awesome name or what??? I remember how hard it was when the grandmas all went home and Jim went back to work after Natalie was born... so I'm heading out to spoil the Markse's rotten!! Will cook, clean, and hold little Scarlett as much as possible so Annie can get caught up on her sleep :) I will miss Jim and Natalie terribly, but so excited to spend some time with Scarlett.

Off I go to get stuff done. Wish me luck and safe travels... you know how much I *love* to fly ;) xoxoxo

Where did April go??

2009-04-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

Spring is just flying by...I cannot even believe that it is April 22!! It is finally starting to warm up around here... the weather has been gorgeous!! I wish it would stay in the 70's year round!!

Lots going on here as usual. Lately I have enjoyed the job of "Professional Play Dater"... great benefits, no pay ;) Lots of lunch and coffee dates that I have really enjoyed!! I have great friends!! Today I'm having lunch with Jim... I did last Wednesday too. I'm hoping we have started a new tradition.

Natalie has decided to put Memo up for sale. A tough decision, but smart. Jim shot some video and photos of her that we need to get online. Natalie even rode some horses last weekend and fell in love with a little grey Thoroughbred jumper. No cross country experience though, and we really have to wait until we get some action on Memo before we can seriously start looking. Great time to buy a horse... not a great time to sell. Wish us luck!! Nat really needs a horse to rate on for Pony Club this summer.

Annie and Ben welcomed their little girl into this world on April 19th... welcome sweet Scarlett. I cannot wait to meet her next month when I go for a quick visit. Planning on spoiling the Marske family rotten!!!

Pretty sure that we will run up to Gig Harbor this weekend to help Sam celebrate her birthday. Always love to go up there... so beautiful!!

Happy Wednesday all!! xoxoxox

Easter Update

2009-04-13T10:21:00.001-07:00

Hope that you all had a great Easter. Ours was great in some ways, not so great in other ways. Oh well.

Jim did an Easter photo shoot. Here are my favorites:

What a beauty. She is really growing up on us... sigh.

Love this one of my family.

Nat took this one of me and Jim. I have the best hubby in the whole world.

Had a quiet day here. Made a nice breakfast for Jim and Nat, then they headed to the barn to see Memo. I made a big ham dinner: brown sugar glazed spiral ham, garlic mashed potatoes, Italian asparagus, biscuits and berry crisp. We took leftovers down to my sister's house... my nephew Ethan is in the hospital so we cancelled our big family dinner. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. My mom has been a big help with Colby.

We ended our evening with a few Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. Nice to hang w/my family. I love them to pieces.

Big hugs going out to my girl, Shauna. She had the chemo from hell this last week. The side effects have been the worst ever. Love ya, S. xoxo

Big hugs to my bud, Sam too. She had to put her dog, Daisy, to sleep on Thursday. We will miss Daisy so much.

Hate that life has to be so hard for so many of the people I love :(

Just for Natalie...

2009-04-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a blog post for my darling daughter, Natalie.... :)

She just told me that I haven't updated my blog in ages, and that it is all because of Facebook. That Facebook has sucked everyone's brains out. LOL

So here you go, Nat. I hope that I still have a brain ;)

Life is so crazy busy right now. I barely feel like I have time to breathe.

Spring break was a blur last week. We spent all week preparing for the show and rally. Insane.

The show was good. The rally was kinda (really!) bad.

Memo actually jumped the jumps at the show!! Not so much at the rally. The good part about the rally is that Natalie scored a 100% on her written horse management test. The only pony clubber to do that.

We really enjoyed the rental RV we had for the weekend. It was a Godsend in the rotten, horrid weather! Really worked out well, and we are hoping to rent it again for Western Championships in August.

Now that we are home from the show, I am wading through piles of laundry and trying to make 53 brushes! I finally got another big order, as well as a small local order. Go me!

Memo is officially on my "list". I am so annoyed with her behavior. Not sure what we are going to do. It is really up to Natalie. Lots to think about....

Off to finish dinner.

Woot Woot!!

2009-03-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

Natalie received some really awesome ribbons in the mail yesterday (as well as a beautiful engraved photo frame)!! Congrats to Natalie and Memo!

They won 2008 USEF Region IV Horse of the Year Championships in both Arabian Hunter/ Jumper Horse and Arabian Specialty Horse!!

They also received 5th Place in Training Level Dressage for the region.

Their photos will be in the April issue of Equestrian magazine!! Way to go!!!! Proud momma, as always :)

Slacker Blogger

2009-03-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Where in the world have I been this last week? One simple answer... at home with a sick girl. Natalie had it bad. Really bad. I was sure she had strep but no. Just a really nasty virus. She missed three days of school as well as a three-day weekend. It was ugly. I haven't seen her that sick since she was a little girl (OMG... remember ALL those ear infections??).

She is on the mend. Still very pale and worn out. Still complaining of a sore throat this morning. Tuesday was her first day back to school. Luckily just a few more days of school before Spring Break and a chance to get some extra rest.

Memo has missed her terribly... and Natalie REALLY missed Memo. Janice and Elise took great care of her while Nat was sick. When we saw her yesterday, Nat just hugged her for the longest time. The sad part... Memo had to get a chiropractic treatment yesterday so now she cannot be ridden for 5 days. Natalie will have to do special stretches and hand walk her each day. I'm sure that will be a good bonding time for them, but sad that she cannot get back in the saddle.

Today I am supposed to be getting allergy shots. Not going to happen. Stuck at the VW service waiting room... again!!! This time it is some kind of coolant leak. I pray that it is just a hose of some kind and not the radiator....

And a couple of hours later....

Not good news. My car could have blown up!!! Holy crap!!! $1200 and it will be good to go!!!! Dang it!!! Took the shuttle to Intel to get Jim's truck so I can pick up Nat from school. Nothing is ever easy.

Okay... I'm in a mood so I will sign off. Sigh.

Under-The-Weather Wednesday

2009-03-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Natalie is home sick today... sore throat and headache. A slight fever too. Feels crummy. Hopefully she can sleep and rest herself out of this bug so she can get ready for another crazy weekend.

I have no excuse (other than allergies??) but I have had an incredibly lazy and unproductive day. I slept in until 9:30. I didn't get out of my jammies until 11:30. I spent a big part of my day on Facebook, mostly consoling Shauna. She sent her 13 year old off to Japan today!! He is going for 2 weeks with a group from his school. What an adventure!! So tough as a mom to let your kids do stuff like that without you. My heart goes out to her.

Another big part of my day was sorting through old photos and looking back at scrapbooks. Kind of in a sentimental mood I guess. I was chatting with Annie earlier... she is expecting her first child... a daughter. I am so happy for her and Ben... seems like yesterday that was Jim and I waiting for Nat. Time is just flying by. Now my baby is 14. What a whirlwind it has been. I'm grateful for every minute.

Guess I should try to get something done with my day. Have to admit I have enjoyed the slow pace... I don't get much of a chance to do that lately. It feels good to just breathe and take it easy.

Frantic Friday

2009-03-06T11:41:00.001-08:00

Just spent the first part of my morning trying to fit all of the horse stuff in my car... yes, there is another horse show this weekend.... Blue Ribbon Dressage Show at DevonWood. Wishing I would have had Jim take my car so I could have had the truck. My brain is not in horse show mode at all. As I drove to my coffee date with Robanne, my eyes started swelling up and I was sneezing uncontrollably from the hay/horse smell of my car. Oh joy ;)

After a quick chocolate chai, I am back home preparing for the rest of my crazy day. Put some chicken in the crock pot so we can have dinner tonight (chicken quesadillas, perhaps?). Sam is driving down from Gig Harbor as I type this... will meet her for a quick lunch before I pick up Nat from school. She will run errands and I will take Nat to the barn. Nat and I need to quickly pack up hay and get Memo ready to get on the trailer. So glad that we remembered to pack Memo's feed yesterday...whew!

Then we are off to DevonWood... we will need to get Memo settled in. Have to tell you that packing for a horse is kind of like traveling with an infant. Remember ALL that stuff you had to bring??? OMG!! Only the horse stuff is dirty and stinky and huge.

Nat will need to ride Memo for awhile, then back home for us to meet up with Sam. Tonight will be dinner and tack cleaning, as well as getting all the stuff that we forgot ready for the horse show ;) I'm sure that there will be lots of that. LOL

Saturday Nat has really crummy ride times: 10:30AM and 3:30PM. Pretty much means that we will have to be at DevonWood all flippin' day. Nat will be doing her first-ever First Level dressage test. Hope that Miss Memo is excited about being dressage pony this weekend and behaves herself. Never know with her.

Sunday night we are celebrating Jim's birthday with the family and Sam. Still not sure what I will make for dinner... definitely some kind of chocolate cake. Thinking about pork loin with mango salsa?? We'll see how ambitious I get after the whole horse show thing!!

Off I go... wish me luck ;)

Happy Birthday, Jim!!

2009-03-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

March 5th is a very good day... Happy Birthday to my Jim!! Let there be cake and merriment!!

Happiest of birthdays to the love of my life. I hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are, Jim!! Here's to many more celebrations and fun times together! I love you with all of my heart and soul. xoxoxoxoxo

Proud Momma Alert

2009-02-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

Nat had a very, very, very good day yesterday. She even texted me from school (during lunch time) with the news. I love when she texts me from school during lunch ;)

She received the results of her EXPLORE test, which is a pre-ACT test that 8th graders take. She was 100 percentile for her school and 99 percentile for the entire country!!! And... she got perfect scores on both the English and Science portions!! Her reading and math scores were pretty darn good too :) Anyway...I'm pretty stoked for her. The funny thing is that she LOVES standardized tests!! I remember being all nervous and choking on them when I was her age... she'll have none of that.

There was also a section of questions that helps the kids figure out good matches for jobs in the future. Research scientist was right up there. And no... she is not going to be Marine Biologist anymore. That is so yesterday. She is going to be MICRO Biologist ;) Curing cancer kind of stuff. No more Auburn... maybe University of Georgia?? She is so funny!! We'll see what tomorrow brings!! She is obsessed with this website for searching colleges: http://www.collegeboard.com/

Today I'm having coffee with my friends Darcie and ReNae. Can't wait! Yesterday I had lunch with Shauna, Jo and Julie. Soooo fun!!! I'm quite the social butterfly lately ;) Anyone else up for a play date?? Please help me avoid doing laundry and cleaning my house!! xoxo

Home Sweet Home

2009-02-22T11:59:00.001-08:00

I'm enjoying a few hours alone at home. Loving it. I feel like I've been running all week. Crazy. I really just want to be home, but unfortunately I will be running off again soon. My life is not my own, but I guess I wouldn't change a thing :)

Natalie is gearing up for a USPC Quiz Rally next Saturday. So that means that I am gearing up too ;) We have been getting together to study weekly since the end of December. Really shoots the weekends, but hopefully it will pay off. At quiz rally, Natalie and her teammates will be quizzed ALL day on their horse management knowledge. There are several different sections to the day... they rotate through different phases such as classroom, barn, mega-room, stations, and a written test. Since Natalie has her C1 rating, the questions are really tough!! We did a mock rally yesterday... they were tested on their knowledge of lamenesses, parasites, types of horse shoes, bits, equipment... you name it. Natalie and two of her teammates are hoping to qualify for Western Championships in August. They have worked hard so I hope they do well.

Had some fun with friends this week... errands and coffee with Shauna on Thursday, lunch with Kimberly on Friday, dinner with Robanne on Friday, and more fun with Shauna last night (another errand and then a stop at Diane's house!). I am so grateful for my friends. They mean the world to me.

After our last quiz study session this afternoon, we will head to Wilsonville to celebrate Ethan's birthday. Nat and Jim are at the barn right now. Jim is such a good horsey dad :) I love when he takes the weekend shift at the barn :) It is a much-needed break for me.

Have had a great time with Facebook this week!! A bunch of my college friends found me! It has been so great to reconnect with them.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!!

Long Time, No Blog

2009-02-17T10:13:00.001-08:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger. Blame it on Facebook, and a busy weekend. Sorry.

Friday was pony club at DevonWood. Janice taught and the girls did jumper rounds. Lots of fun.

Saturday, I woke up and made heart-shaped pancakes for Jim and Nat. Nat had a clinic at the barn in the morning, then we hauled to DevonWood to school for Sunday's show. That night, we met my family at Chevy's to celebrate my dad's birthday.

Sunday, Nat had the show at DevonWood. It was a little jumping/dressage equitation show. It was kind of a test-run show, very small. I hope they continue to do them. Nat's first two rounds were great. The last one was pretty rough. Felt so bad for her. Memo is a tough ride, but I know she loves her. It will just take more time and I know they will figure things out for good.

Monday, we had a non-horse day!! Woo hoo! We slept in REALLY late! Heaven! We went out for lunch, and then saw Coraline in 3D. Really a unique, creative movie. I thought it was pretty cool.

Today it is back to the grind. I'm spending quality time at the VW dealership. My car is getting its 100K service. Hard to believe I have that many miles on it... I guess that is what happens when you live in your car ;)

Please continue to keep Shauna in your prayers. Check out her blog for the latest on her fight.

February Birthday Shout-Outs!

2009-02-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Happiest of birthdays to my Dad, Darcie, Drew and Ethan! They are all February babies :)

Today is my dad's birthday. We will probably all get together on Monday to celebrate. Love ya, Dad!

Tonight I'm celebrating with Darcie at the Cheesecake Factory. Cheers, Darcie!

Sent a care package out to Drew in Colorado for the 27th! Happy 21, Drew!!! Woo hoo!!

Ethan's birthday is the 23rd. Hope your day rocks, little man!!

Sorry so short and sweet!! Love to you all!! xoxo

Sunday Update

2009-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

So I've added some tags at the bottom of the page so you can now easily find my blog posts that have recipes, menu ideas, or simply related to food. If only I would have been smart enough to add these as I went along. Oh well, live and learn.

Sadly, I did not sign up for the CSA (community supported agriculture) for the upcoming year. Too hard to give up such a chunk of change this time of year. Their price went up too :( I will miss it, but have decided to make the effort and stop at the farm stores on the way to/from the barn or get to the Farmer's Market to get my produce this summer. We are so blessed to have such access to incredible home-grown fruits and veggies. I *heart* Oregon :)

Jim and Nat are at the barn. Memo will get a good ride, then Nat will work at the barn. We will tag-team and I will pick up Nat at the barn and take her to Pony Club quiz study at 2:00. Then it is back to the barn to finish up chores.

Nat is off to a great start in school for the new semester. She LOVES her new math teacher, and is enjoying her new electives of Book Arts and Ceramics 2. They are currently doing forecasting for next year's classes and she found out that that she has made it into Advanced Vocal Ensemble! Way to go, Nat! She also got her report card and received straight A's with the exception of a B in Theatre 2. The theatre teacher usually only gives A's to those who are in the school plays. Oh well. We were really excited that she got an A in Music Theory!! That was one tough class and she worked so hard!!

Rumor has it that they are doing a JUMPING schooling show at DevonWood next weekend!! DevonWood is a really fancy dressage place so it will be great if we get to jump there! There was a schooling show on Saturday that some of Nat's friends participated in. She went up there as a volunteer, running test score sheets from the judge/scribe to the office. Quite a few of the CMPC girls volunteered... we are always so appreciative to DevonWood for letting us hold our mounted meetings and Rally at their facility. They rock!!

I have begun a new project: Extreme Home Makeover, Bathroom Edition. I'm redecorating both the master and Nat's bathrooms. Painting will have to wait until it is warmer, but I made some really good progress yesterday. Found some great art on Etsy!! Some horse art for Nat, and some nature art for ours. I'm going for a spa feeling in our bath. Peaceful and serene.

Guess I better get back to laundry mania. So much to get caught up on around here after being sick!!

Thursday Thoughts

2009-02-05T09:49:00.000-08:00

How on earth is it February already?? Not sure what happened to make this past week go so fast.

Nat gets to ride Memo today for the first time in a week. Hope that goes well. Her foot still hurts but it is much better.

I've been fighting off a nasty bug... headache, earache, sore throat, swollen glands, coughing. Pretty sure I had a fever. Ick. No fun. Hopefully I'm near the end of it now.

Looking forward to having coffee with Robanne tomorrow. Congrats to her daughter, Hayley, who just passed her driver's test!! How'd she get to be 16 and driving???

Congrats to my cousin Michelle and her husband Alan... they welcomed a baby girl to the world. Can't wait to meet you, sweet Erica Kay :)

My highly-motivated daughter has decided that she wants to go to Auburn University... the only college out there with a PhD in marine biology AND an NCAA equestrian team. Evidently, they offer a Presidential scholarship that covers all of her expenses. All she needs is above 3.75 GPA and a 33-36 on the ACT or 1440-1600 on the SAT. No prob. If anyone can do it, it's my Nat :)

Okay, enough random thoughts for today. I need another cup of tea. xoxo

How'd That Happen?

2009-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Natalie was walking into the office and she complained that her ankle "gave out" on her. She limped around a little bit, but didn't say much more.

At riding on Monday, it was really starting to bother her but it did not really slow her down much. Elise had her riding with really short "jockey" stirrups to work on something or other. Being the non-horse person that I am, I really don't remember why. It didn't look fun or easy though ;) She complained a little bit afterward, but not that much.

At her lesson with Janice on Tuesday, it was really starting to hurt. It was keeping her from doing the things she needed to do for the lesson. Hmmm. We pulled her boot off after her lesson and Janice wrapped it with "vet wrap" used on horses. It was a little swollen and bruised.

So this week, she has been wrapping her foot with vet wrap, icing it, and hobbling around with a limp. Last night, she hardly slept a wink. The pain was really throbbing and there were shooting pains up her leg! Not good.

So being the cautious mom that I am, I took her to the doc today. She felt around and thought that the pain and tenderness warranted doing an x-ray. Off we went to radiology. No breaks or fractures. Just a bad sprain. She will have to continue to wrap and ice it. The doctor also recommended some exercises she can do. But the bad news...

NO RIDING FOR A WEEK!!

How on earth will Nat survive that??!! ;) This from the girl who rides 5-6 days per week. Not looking forward to seeing the withdrawals that come from that!! Hopefully she will get to practice her lunging skills. She will be a happy camper when her ankle is healed and she is back in the saddle. If it doesn't heal, she might be looking at some physical therapy down the road.

Still not sure why or how this happened. There was not really a single action that seemed to make it happen. Very odd. The doctor mentioned something about a repetitive motion type injury. Might have just pushed the ankle to its limits riding lately? Anyway, hope it heals quickly. Hate to keep the girl from her horse :)

25 Random Things

2009-01-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my friend Ali on Facebook to do a list of 25 Random Things about myself. I thought I would post them here too, with a few edits that are blog-friendly:

1. I am making "No-Knead Bread" right now. Yes, I'm a food nerd.
2. I really love being a wife and mom.
3. I am still madly in love with my husband. He still makes me weak in the knees :)
4. I have been doing allergy shots for almost 2 years, only 3 more to go! I am allergic to lots of different pollens and cats, and have allergy-induced asthma. Not a good combo when you live in a barn.
5. I think that chocolate is a major food group.
6. I have lived in quite a few states: Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Oregon feels like home.
7. I hate cancer with a passion.
8. If I didn't like cheese so much, I would be a skinny chick.
9. Sometimes I hate being nice. It bites me in the butt way too often.
10. I know every word to every song on the first Norah Jones CD. You should hear me sing in the car when I am by myself ;) Or maybe not!
11. I have to clean my house when having company over or leaving on an airplane. I swear that is the only way it ever gets clean! Hate cleaning!
12. Chai tea lattes are a comfort food for me.
13. I collect cookbooks from everywhere I go. I read them like novels.
14. I usually make dinner every night of the week and love it!
15. In my next life, I want to be a chef with my own cooking show. That or a Gran Prix race car driver ;)
16. I would love to retire to a beautiful log cabin on a lake and make quilts. And go on motorcycle rides with Jim. Heaven.
17. I print out way too many recipes from the internet. I have piles of them everywhere!!
18. I sometimes wish I was a horse person for Natalie's sake. Just don't have it in me though. Missing that horse gene. I love tagging along and watching though.
19. I would jump on a plane tomorrow to go somewhere new even though I hate flying. I really want to go to Holland and Italy. Or to the South Pacific. Or back to Paris. So many places, so little money or time ;)
20. I get giddy over a really good meal at a fancy restaurant!
21. I am letting my hair turn gray... no more color for me. I earned every single gray hair so why not show them off ;)
22. I would give anything to have a clutter-free house! I would love to be more organized.
23. I wish that I would have earned my teaching degree along with my English degree. Being a teacher or sub would have been a good mom job for me.
24. I love that I have raised a wonderful, independent, smart daughter. She is my greatest achievement. That is enough for me.
25. I used to be more of a social butterfly, but now I am happiest at home with my family preferably in my "Life is Good" jammies. Natalie says that I am "anti-social".

TGIF!

2009-01-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

It is a good Friday :) Natalie is especially happy because today is her last day of the first semester! She had some pretty tough classes this semester and pulled through them like a champ. She is looking forward to starting the new semester with a few new electives and some teacher changes. Half way through being an 8th grader! Unreal how time flies.

I started my day at the dentist. Had a crown that fell out last night. Luckily, our dentist is our neighbor so he put my crown back on even though his office was closed for the day. He was there anyway since some work was being done on their computers. What a relief!

We will head to the barn after school. Hoping the weather holds out so Nat and Memo can be outside again today! How cool that they were able to ride outside yesterday in JANUARY!! Makes up for all the crummy weather we have had.

It has been a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon week around here. Seems as if we have watched about two episodes a night lately. Netflix can hardly keep up with us :) It has been a fun series to watch as a family. Not for young kiddos lately... luckily Nat is teenager now ;)

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Washington to meet Sam for lunch and shopping. We are each driving halfway to meet for the day. It has been way too long since we have been able to see one another. I'm looking forward to finally exchanging our Christmas presents, having Mexican food and margaritas, and doing a little bit of antiquing or shopping together.

They are talking snow for Sunday!! Not exactly looking forward to that again. We have a full day of pony club stuff planned so I hope it is no big deal.

I have sure been missing my Ginger bun. We all have. What a good little bunny she was, and such a part of our family and routine.

Enough rambling. Happy Weekend everyone!! xoxo

Happy Birthday Dear Shauna!!!

2009-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my dear friend!!!

Dear Shauna,

Happiest of birthdays!! Here's wishing you the best year ever in 2009! I hope it is a year to remember, and chock full of happiness, health and love. Thanks for all of the fun times... can't wait for many more together. So glad to walk next to you on this crazy journey called life. I don't want to miss a minute. You are a true friend and mean the world to me. Thanks for always being there with your beautiful smile, your kind heart, and your zest for life. I am so grateful to have you as my friend.

Love you,

A Pony Club Kind of Weekend

2009-01-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

On Friday right after school, I drove 3 horse-crazy teenage girls down to Corvallis for something called an "ABC Retreat". "ABC" stands for upper level ratings in the United States Pony Club. The retreat was strictly a classroom setting for horse management knowledge. Memo did not get to come along to play ;)

On Friday afternoon, we were given a tour of the Oregon State University School of Veterinary Medicine. They had recently completed extensive renovations and it is really a state-of-the-art facility. They have one of the few animal CT scans in the country (at a university). Our tour guide was very perky and knowledgeable. I was able to show Natalie where Memo was on our visit there last year for her colic. It had changed quite a bit.

That night we had a pizza party and mixer with the other pony clubbers and moms. It was nice to put names with faces. The rest of the night was spent hanging out in our very nice hotel room.

We were up bright and early on Saturday. Not an easy feat with teenagers in tow ;) Breakfast at 8:00 and classes starting at 9:00AM. The classes were very in depth and not for the non-horse person (namely, me!):

Infectious Diseases and Immunizations (taught by a vet)
Saddle Fitting (taught by our regional supervisor)
Turn-out for Horse and Rider (PC and Eventing) (taught by a one-star eventer and PC'er)
Dressage on the Levels (Training Pyramid) (taught by a USDF bronze-medal dressage instructor)
The Mental Game: Prep for Ratings & Competition (taught by a retired clinical psychologist)
Soil & Pasture Management (taught by an OSU extension faculty member)
When Good Nutrition Goes Bad (taught by an A-rated PC'er and researcher for a feed company)

Three classes in the morning, a lunch break, then four classes in the afternoon. Did I mention that there were no windows in the classroom?? Sigh. I did manage to find the codes for the free wifi for the conference center so luckily I could play on the internet (facebook!!) until my battery died on the laptop :) I'm pretty sure I was the only non-horse person there... even the other moms were really into it. I tried really hard, but just not my thing. Luckily, the girls really learned a lot!!

On Sunday morning, we were given a tour of the Oregon State Horse Barn and learned all about the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. After the tour, we snuck to Starbucks!! I'm such a bad influence!! The girls were a few minutes late to their classes, but didn't seem to mind :) The rest of the morning was a variety of roundtable discussions on such topics as:

The future of Pony Club
Opportunities available from USPC
Your personal PC experience
Beyond the Ratings: fun ideas for club activities

Natalie really seemed to get into this. She is always full of ideas and likes to communicate with others. One of the moms came over to me afterwards and asked how old Nat is. She said how impressed she was with Nat. That she has it all together. Stuff like that always makes me feel good as a mom :) Hopefully I did something right all these years. As always, I am a proud momma.

All of the meals were provided so that was nice. The facilities and teachers were first-rate. A really well done retreat.

I sure did miss Jim. It was so nice to get home.

A quick birthday shout-out to my nephew, Colby! Today is his sixth birthday. Happy Birthday, Colby! May your birthday be full of fun and lots of Pokemon cards! xoxox Auntie Paris

Recipe Request

2009-01-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

I'm almost ashamed to post this recipe... they are so good and seem like they must be so time consuming... but they are not. They are SO EASY!! And SO YUMMY!!

Chocolate Caramel Bars

1 14-oz. package caramels (unwrapped)

2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided use

1 package chocolate cake mix

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook caramels and 1/3 cup of the milk in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until caramels are melted. Set aside.

Combine cake mix, butter and remaining milk. Stir by hand until mixture holds together. Press half of the dough into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Crumble and press remaining dough over top. Return to oven and bake 15-18 minutes. Cool slightly and refrigerate 30 minutes to set caramel layer.

Enjoy!

Bunny Heaven

2009-01-09T08:57:00.001-08:00

My dear, sweet bun is gone. She died in my arms just after 10:00PM last night. We could tell that she was in distress... her breathing was very labored and heavy when we were feeding and giving her meds (which she did not want to have). I dropped everything and held her all night. The end was very hard, but I'm so glad that she was not alone.

To see some pictures and reflect back on our life with Ginger, see my blog post from October. She was truly someone special, and I am so grateful for her.

I will miss you so much little bun. Thanks for all the cuddles and kisses. We were so blessed to have you as part of our family. I hope bunny heaven is full of green grass, sunny skies, and all of the celery leaves, bananas, dried cranberries and cornflakes that you can eat. I love you, Ginger.

Quick Update

2009-01-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Ginger bunny is still alive and kickin'. She keeps hanging in there somehow. She is very weak and skinny! I took her back to the vet last night. He thinks she has a uterine infection so we have put her on antibiotics. We have to continue to syringe feed her too. It will take a lot of work and effort to bring her back, but we are hopeful. Jim is NOT liking giving her the antibiotic shots but I am so grateful that he will do it. I know that I just couldn't do it. It is hard enough just holding her and feeling her flinch.

Last night she actually drank a very tiny amount of water and ate a bite of hay on her own. That brought a few cheers around the house!! She is back to being very cuddly so I am loving that.

I was able to sneak away to have dinner with Darcie last night... a belated birthday celebration. It was so fun to relax and catch up with her. What a great friend!

We are still getting buckets of rain here. Lots of flooding around the area, even I-5 is closed to and from Seattle. It is really messing with plans for our girls beach weekend. I don't think we can even get to Pacific Beach! Highway 101 is also closed due to flooding and landslides. I am so bummed as I was really looking forward to spending time with Shauna, Sam and Loni. I hope there is miraculous drying out before Friday.

I am writing this in the VW service waiting area. Time for new brake pads. Wanted my car to be in tip-top shape before our trip. I will be back here next week for my scheduled service. Sometimes I feel like I live here!! I love my old car though, and need it to last for awhile. I have a horse so no new car for me ;)

Boy, has it been a tough week to get back on a schedule! We are all moving pretty slowly in the morning. I feel like I cannot get enough sleep! I'm sure that the stress of dealing with Ginger's health issues is not helping us.

Keep your fingers crossed that the roads are better soon. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Ginger

2009-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

My Ginger bunny is not feeling very well. She has hardly touched her food, hay and water since Thursday. Occasionally, she will eat some celery leaves, a piece of apple or banana, or a dried cranberry. She came out of her cage on Thursday and Friday, but did not want us to hold or touch her. She even bit Jim and me when we tried to pet her!! So not like her. This weekend, she would not even come out of her cage.

I'm pretty worried about her. Just dropped her off at the vet's office. They were too booked for an appointment, but since it was an emergency they let me drop her off and will monitor her and fit her in for treatment throughout the day.

My heart is breaking for her. I don't want her to be in any pain. I hope they can help her. We have decided that we can't and won't go to extraordinary measures to save her... she is an old bunny. And we just had that huge vet bill for Memo. Sigh.

Ginger is such a part of our family. She is especially my little buddy. I love cuddling with her on the sofa. I love when she has to climb up and look right in my face, with her little whiskers tickling me. I love when she is so relaxed, and completely sacked out on my lap. I love when she gives me lots of kisses. She is a good bun, and has been such a great pet. I really hope she will be okay.

Happy New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T14:01:00.001-08:00

2009... bring it on. I cannot wait to start a different year. Not that 2008 was horrible. It could have been so much worse. "What does not kill you, makes you stronger"... right?! There were many fabulous times and many not so great times. Lots of worries along with lots of laughter. Here's to the less worries part in 2009.

Tonight we are going to have our annual NYE get-together with the Thomas family in Newberg. I cannot wait to see them!! It has been far too long. We can always count on the Thomas' for good conversation, food and wine :) They rock. And they got a Wii for Christmas... that is always a hoot!

Last night was so awesome. Nat spent the night with Grandpa and Grandma in Silverton. Jim and I went out for a belated birthday celebration of our own. We saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What an incredible flick! I adored it. I cried my way through it because that is what I do best... but I loved it so much. After the movie, we went to a restaurant called Tina's in Dundee (right in the heart of the Oregon wine country). Our friend Lori had given us a gift certificate there. It was such a cozy little place, and the food was very well-prepared, local and fresh. It was just the perfect night. I love spending time with Jim so much... I really am the luckiest girl ever to have a husband like him. How cool is it to still be madly in love after 18+ years of marriage :)

This morning, I got my allergy shots. Ugh. Don't have to go for another three weeks! Woo hoo! I'm getting back to my maintenance dosage again, slowly but surely. Then I headed down south to pick up Nat. We hit a few sales at the outlet mall (very few) and then headed home. Jim and Nat just left for the barn to see the Memo girl. I should be cleaning up my kitchen and doing laundry but here I sit blogging away. Guess I know what I will be doing next. I will also whip up a dessert to bring to dinner tonight.

I will have to do a separate post with all of my resolutions for 2009. It will probably be a long list... starting with finding a new part time job. I have decided that I really need to do that, and work at my business on the weekends and evenings. I guess I will be out there looking for a job along with thousands of others who are out of work so wish me luck ;) If you know of any good leads, let me know. I really hope to find something I can do while Nat is at school. A tall order, I'm sure.

Happy New Year to you all. Be safe tonight!! xoxoxo

Merry Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T21:39:00.001-08:00

We had an early Christmas Eve celebration at my sister's house in Wilsonville this afternoon. Because of the weather, we met early so everyone could be home before dark. No fun driving on ice and snow. It was a nice, relaxing day. We all made a bunch of yummy appetizers to snack on, opened gifts, then played a game of Holiday Charades. Lots of fun.

Made it home... no problem with the roads. Jim's truck is a good snow vehicle. Nat is watching It's a Wonderful Life on tv. I wrapped a few last minute gifts. Just got a call from Elise and it sounds like we should be able to get to the barn tomorrow! I'm sure that is about the best Christmas gift for Nat... to see her Memo girl after so many days.

It will definitely be a white Christmas tomorrow, despite the rain we got today.... the most snow ever in Portland on Christmas :) It is still a winter wonderland out there. When I looked out the window a few minutes ago, it was snowing again! The flakes are really heavy and wet and not sticking.

Tomorrow we will open our gifts here at home and have a nice breakfast. Jim and Nat will head to the barn for awhile, and then we will go down to Silverton to have dinner with my family. My dad is making his famous prime rib :)

I'm just loving all of the wonderful Christmas cards... thank you all so much!! Delivery has been spotty around here... we have had quite a few days of no mail service (including today). UPS and Fed Ex are really on our naughty list as well... we are missing some packages. Really ticks me off, but what can you do??

I am so grateful for all of my family and friends. Happiest of holidays to you all. Here's to the best year yet in 2009. I'm really hopeful that it will be a good one :) Christmas hugs to you all!

Cookie-Makin' Fool

2008-12-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

What to do during a big snow storm?? Why, bake cookies of course!! And lots of 'em!

Here are our new favorites:

Chocolate Thumbprints with Chocolate Vanilla Ganache. OMG are they delicious!! Crunchy and sugary on the outside, soft in the inside. And the ganache... what a treat!! To die for. I had extra ganache so we were dipping the cookies in that before eating them ;)

I used this recipe but changed the ganache a bit. I used a teaspoon of real vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean. Instead of using the food processor, I chopped up the chocolate and put it in a glass bowl. I dumped the warm cream mixture on top and let the chocolate soften a bit. Then I whisked it until smooth, adding the butter to it. Make sure you let the ganache set a bit before adding to the cookies so it won't be runny and messy.

On top of all of the snow we got yesterday is a thick layer of ice. Just a mess out there so it looks like another day at home. The entire Portland area is just shut down. Don't think I will be baking much though... I'm down to two eggs!! Darn!!

I also deep cleaned my (s)crap room/studio yesterday. What a mess it was. Seems like it is the room where everything gets piled up. I went through boxes of stuff that had been there since we moved in. It looks pretty darn good right now. Still more to do. Maybe I will do that this afternoon.

Nat is missing Memo something terrible. Feel so bad we cannot get up there. She was supposed to work at the barn this afternoon too. Windsong is on the top of Chehalem Mountain with a very steep driveway. They always get a ton of snow and ice. Thank goodness Janice and her family live up there so they are able to take care of everything. Not easy for them in this weather. I sure do feel bad for them.

Hope everyone stays warm and cozy today!!

Cabin Fever *w/update

2008-12-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

Remember that post on Saturday... where I was wishing for snow and wanting a FEW days at home. Boy did we get a few days at home. School has been cancelled ever since and I have only left the house a few times. The first couple days were nice and now...

I AM GOING STIR CRAZY!!!

It is really getting old at this point. Poor Nat has not been to the barn since Saturday. I don't have chains for my car so there is no way I am going to attempt the Windsong hill. Forget about buying chains... everywhere is sold out. I've baked enough cookies and candies to feed a small army. Wrapped a few gifts. Did laundry (and even put it away!). Watched lots of movies and old Buffy the Vampire episodes. I even cleaned my house... a little bit. I still could do more cleaning but yuck.

ENOUGH ALREADY! And guess what? It is snowing. AGAIN.

I need to finish my Christmas shopping. I need to get allergy shots. I need to go have coffee with my friends and deliver their gifts. My girl needs to ride her horse. My girl also needs to get to school to deliver her friend/teacher gifts... not to mention get an education before having another 2 weeks off. Sigh.

Did I mention that this is GETTING OLD??

And get this... it snowed in Las Vegas??? LOTS of snow! What the heck??

Update: Okay, no more whining! I'm so glad to be home again after being out and about today. I was able to get allergy shots, run errands and even get Nat to the barn! Whew!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-16T12:41:00.001-08:00

We got quite the snow storm here in Oregon on Sunday. Usually when we get snow, it melts within hours. Not this time... we got an arctic blast of cold air along with it. There is still lots of snow on the ground and it is really, really cold!! In the 20's right now! We are supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow, as well as over the weekend. Crazy!

Jim took some pics of our neighborhood. I really love the rose pic :)

I ventured out this morning for my post-op appointment. The main roads are okay but the neighborhoods, side roads and parking lots are ice rinks! Everything went fine at my appointment. Healing nicely. Had to hit the post office with the rest of the world to send out an order. Insane!

We are not going to the barn today. Guess we need chains to get up the hill. Elise will take care of Memo for us. What a lifesaver. We are starting to get cabin fever so I hope we can get up there to see the Memo girl soon.

Stay warm!!

Good Mail Day

2008-12-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

Not only did we get a fresh batch of Christmas cards from friends and family, Natalie received two really cool letters from the United States Equestrian Federation!

She and Memo have won two Region 4 Championships for 2008:

Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Region 4 Champion, Arabian Specialty Horse

Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year, Region 4 Champion, Arabian Hunter Jumper

She will be getting some awards in January, and their photos will be in Equestrian magazine in March! Very exciting news at the Dukes house!! We are so proud of Nat and Memo!!

In other news, I'm feeling better every day. In major catch-up mode!! So much to do around here. I've been buried in laundry, housework and the holidays. Today I spent the majority of time in the kitchen making lots of goodies: candy cane hearts, fudge, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Chocolate Caramel Bars and Peppermint Chocolate cookies. Whew!

We are hoping for the snowflakes to start falling any minute here in Oregon... keep your fingers crossed. Another day or two at home would be a dream come true for me ;) Not looking forward to the Arctic blast of cold air to go with it. Hope our warm-weather-loving pony survives okay.

Off to hang up some Christmas lights around the house...

Blogging + Percocet

2008-12-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Could be an interesting combination.

Had a minor day surgery on Thurs. Wasn't even going to blog about it. Thought it would be no big deal. I was kinda wrong.

Went to the day surgery center at our clinic's branch in Portland. What a great, professional bunch of people. Every nurse checked in on me every time they walked by my bed. They were thorough and caring. The anesthesiologist (sp?) was great. My doc was great. They all took good care of me. Jim took the day off of work to be with me. He was amazing too.

It took me awhile to come out of the anesthesia. I think we got home about 4:30. Took longer than I thought it would. Was in a lot more pain that I expected. I have been taking percocet as well as 3 motrin fairly regularly since I got home. The first evening/night was the worst.

Every day since has gotten better. I'm moving slowly. Still have pain. Lots of bloating and cramping. Sore throat from the breathing tube. The meds knock me out so I'm sleeping a lot. Haven't really eaten much. Maybe a good time to start that diet.

Jim and Nat have been the best. I am so lucky. Everyone has been so thoughtful with cards, emails, phone calls, texts and even flowers from Shauna. Elise has been taking care of Memo and picked up Nat from school on Thurs. I'm so blessed.

The surgery was something that I have wanted/needed to do for some time, and due to our insurance changing the first of the year, thought I should go ahead and get it done. Details are tmi!! No need to worry. I'm just fine.

Jim and Nat are at the barn getting a much needed break from waiting on me. I'm buried in a nest of pillows and blankets on the sofa with the laptop. Just woke up from a nap.

I might be a little late with Christmas cards and such this year. The decorations might not be up in time. Eventually I will be back to my old self and get everything done.

Thanks again to all of you for your well-wishes. Love you all.

Bah Humbug

2008-11-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

Can't even believe that tomorrow is December. I'm in major denial. I want this long Thanksgiving weekend to last just a bit longer. I can't seem to get in the Christmas spirit at all. I'm going through the motions but my heart is not there. Picked up my Christmas cards, wrote my letter, have been making and buying a few gifts... can't seem to find the joy or fun in it. I could care less about putting up lights, decorations or a tree. Bah humbug.

I need to snap out of it!! Any ideas?

Thankful

2008-11-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

I am thankful:

For my dear husband and daughter. They mean the world to me.
For my family and friends. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
That Memo is feeling better and almost back to her old self.
For the peppermint mocha in my hand. The first of the season. Yum.
That I did not have to get shots today. Still too congested.
That I have a day off from the barn. Nat has an orthodontist appointment.
For the stuffing I will eat tomorrow. My favorite :)
That Shauna is getting a break from chemo. Alleluia!
That I am finally getting a few orders. Not the deluge from last year, but I will take anything I can get with this sucky economy.
For the sunshine today, even though it is cold. Lifts my spirit.
For the 5-day weekend we have ahead. Sleeping in will be the best part.

I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for you all. Even though times are tough, always remember the little things that make life so precious.

On the Mend

2008-11-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

Memo seems to be doing better... she seems much perkier and is eating, drinking and pooping (tmi!!). She will have a long road to recovery... no work for awhile, special diet, meds, etc. Seems we are through the worst of it. I am almost afraid to type that out though! What a week it was! Sigh.

Tonight Natalie finally gets to see the new Twilight movie with a friend. Jim and I will go see the newest James Bond movie at the same time. It will be nice to escape for awhile. We all really need that!

Hope everyone has a good week! More later!

He's Famous

2008-11-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

You can see my sweetie twice in this video.

This summer, Jim did a dual-sport ride up in Shelton, Washington which is on the Olympic Peninsula. He is the guy styling on the black and gold BMW and the white and gray riding gear. Looking quite handsome if I do say so. He is towards the beginning in a water crossing and at the end saying that he had a great time.

Waiting to hear how Memo faired the night. Elise and Janice offered to take the night shift again. Bless them. I got home about 8:30ish last night. Memo shows glimpses of feeling better, and then does something that makes us worry again. Breaks my heart.

I am heading out to McMinnville (hour drive?) to get a special supplement for Memo, and then I will be back to the barn to meet the vet. I hope it is not another cold, long day at the barn. My asthma is really bothering me... my chest feels really tight and full. My nose is running and my eyes are red and puffy. Allergies suck.

Keeping fingers crossed that we get a quiet, uneventful weekend.

Some Good News...

2008-11-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

... from Shauna. So glad to hear that her CT Scan was good. Alleluia!

Memo is "stable" but not much better. Looks like the vet will be out again today.

I am not getting shots today after all. Too much exposure to allergens this week at the barn. Feeling very crummy and on the verge of having asthma issues. Too big of a risk of having anaphalaxis so I can wait a week. So relieved. That is the last thing I need to deal with right now.

Will keep you posted on the Memo girl as much as I can. Thanks for all of the phone calls, texts and emails. Means the world to me.

I will leave you with a pic. Can't wait to see this smile again:

UPDATE: Some of the blood work is concerning the vet. Said if we wouldn't have done the fluids yesterday we would have lost her. Starting her on some antibiotics now. Just got Nat from school, stopped home to dress warmly and get a snack, and now heading to the barn again.

Memo Update

2008-11-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Just spent another cold night at the barn. Memo is not doing well. The vet was with her all day and administered 40 liters of fluids, and she will be back in the morning. Janice and Elise offered to do the night shift of checking on her every 4 hours. They are life savers. Please keep Memo in your prayers and thoughts... Nat too. She is a wreck. Maybe you should throw Jim and I in that prayer too. Thanks.

The Not-So-Perfect Birthday

2008-11-19T07:51:00.001-08:00

We had such lofty plans for yesterday... riding lesson after school, come home and make Nat's favorite dinner (chicken scampi), eat creme brulee for dessert, maybe watch the new WallE movie she would get for a gift.

Nah. Didn't happen.

We made it to the barn. Nat did her lesson.... which was pretty much in slow-motion. For those of you who know and love Memo, slow-motion is not really in her repertoire. She prefers fast forward, not mellow and despondent. After her lesson, we took her temp and it was elevated. Her gums were a yucky shade of yellow instead of bubble gum pink. Not good.

She just hasn't been herself since Sunday night when I had the pleasure of walking her around for 3 hours (Nat had homework). It has been obvious that she did not feel well, but really didn't have the symptoms of her normal colicing.

After dragging my feet for as long as possible, I finally had to call our vet. She arrived about an hour later and took care of the Memo girl. It seems she had a small intestine colic, not the "normal" large intestine colic. Not going into the gory details, but she was "tubed" and the vet also did some blood work. Hopefully she will be just fine.

Jim joined us at the barn after work. He is such a good dad. At about 9:00PM, we finally left the barn and headed into town for a late dinner. Made it home about 10ish, Nat opened her gifts without much fanfare and jumped in the shower. No candles on the creme brulee. Maybe tonight. If only we could have had an extra hour or two of sleep this morning... we were really dragging.

If only 14 could have been a little more joyous for Nat. It broke my heart to see her in tears at the barn... so worried about her horse. She loves Memo so much. If only the check for the vet bill could have gone towards new boots that she needs so much or for upcoming holiday gifts. Horse ownership is such a big sacrifice for us all. I hope and pray that it is all really worth it... but when I see Nat wrap her arms around Memo it sure does seem like it.

My Birthday Girl

2008-11-16T10:49:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is a big day around here. My baby girl will be 14! How did that happen?! Thought it would be fun to visit birthdays past:

Here is 2000. Nat's 6th birthday.

Here is Nat as a big 7 year old, with chocolate cake all over her adorable face:

Love this pic of 9-year-old Nat with Carley, Alex and Taylor:

In 2004, she hit double digits:

2006. So grown up with her stylin' glasses and short hair:

2007 was a biggie! Nat was an official teenager and horse owner:

So proud of the young lady that Natalie has turned out to be. She is wise beyond her years, but still has such a young, fun-loving spirit. I am so proud of how hard she works in school and on her horse. I am so proud of how she treats her friends. I am so proud of her independence, her self-confidence, her grace, her perseverance, and her outlook on life. I am so proud to be her mom.

Happy birthday, my dear Natalie Jayne. I love you with all of my heart.

Long Time, No Blog

2008-11-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy, busy. I really feel like a taxi driver most days. Seems like I am running all the time. Today I am off to the post office, to get shots, to have lunch with a friend, to pick up Nat from school and then to the barn. Whew. Tonight Nat has a couple of Pony Club friends coming over to work on organizing this weekend's educational meeting. Somehow we have to fit homework and dinner into all of this.

Natalie had yesterday off for Veteran's Day. She enjoyed the morning hanging out here at home, while I went to coffee at my friend Teri's house. Her new home is so lovely, and it was great to visit with her, Kimberly and Shauna. Nat and I spent the afternoon running a few errands and then at a riding lesson.

We are getting quite the storm here... lots of heavy rain and wind. Would give anything to be able to stay at home with a hot cup of tea to ride it out. No such luck.

Off I go... Happy Wednesday everyone.

Thursday Update

2008-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

Seems like I don't have anything exciting to blog about... just slogging through our week. Lots of barn time, doctor's and dentist appointments, and other normal happenings this very rainy week.

I did get a play date with Shauna on Tuesday. A college friend of hers was in town and I got to play along. What a fun time we had! We hit Moonstruck for a chocolate chai, Noah's for a bagel, went for a walk, and then to Pho Van for lunch. Sheila is a pilot and has those great benefits of jumping on a flight whenever she has time. Boy do I miss those benefits from my days as an airline employee.

Tomorrow is my monthly coffee date with Robanne :) More yummy chocolate chai in my future.

I haven't posted much about cooking lately. I'm still cooking... we haven't eaten out much... but I feel pretty uninspired. Lots of Trader Joe's stuff saving the day. Tonight I will make Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch. Last night was beef & bean flautas... I guess I also made those from scratch. I'm really missing my CSA :(

I'm thinking that we have a fairly quiet weekend ahead. Nat will need to get to the barn, and she and her friends are going to see the musical at school. Can't wait to sleep in! I've been dragging this week and can't seem to get enough sleep. I did get a chance to exercise a few days and thought that would help but not so much.

Have to say that I am so excited about the election. Here's to HOPE and CHANGE! Yes we can!

Get Out the Vote!

2008-11-04T08:23:00.001-08:00

Please do not forget to vote today!!

And for some thought-provoking reading... check this out!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T09:31:00.001-07:00

Nat snagged a 35 pound pumpkin at the patch this year! That is our rule... you have to be able to carry it! My goodness, she is so grown up these days. She carved it last night... with a pi symbol ... pumpkin pi... get it? Such the math geek ;)

Today we slept in... another in-service day for the teachers. I will take Nat to the barn so she can have some quality time there. Tonight she has a party with school friends. Jim and I are on our own to hand out candy.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Jim's college friend Jason today. He lost his wife to a heart attack on Wednesday. They have three boys between the ages of 8 and 12. It is just so tragic and wrong.

Please treasure each and every day and make the most of it. You just never know. I have made a vow to walk again as much as I can (Jim and I walked last night), and I am on a mission to get rid of clutter in my house and life. I just can't keep putting things off.

Happy Halloween to you all!!

I Can See Clearly Now...

2008-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

I finally went to the eye doctor and got new glasses!! Actually, I got 3 pairs of glasses!!

These are my new distance glasses. I should be able to see a lot better when I am driving now... especially at night.

I hate pics of myself but I do like the glasses. They are red! More of a cranberry color, I guess. The temples have a vine-like pattern. I'm also digging that they cover up the circles under my eyes! Mostly ;)

I also had new lenses put in my old reading glasses. Hopefully the new RX will help me to not get headaches when I read.

And the third pair are prescription sunglasses. I have never had polarized lenses before on sunglasses. They are amazing!!

The eye place I went to is so cool! It is in Sherwood and called Eye Impressions. It has an espresso bar too... called Eye Love Coffee! How cool is that??!! The gals in there are super-friendly and they have a great selection of frames. I highly recommend them!

I just got home from the dentist. Exciting. Not. This afternoon we are hoping to sneak to the pumpkin patch... didn't get that done last weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed that Jim can sneak home a bit early and go with us.

Our beautiful fall weather seems to be coming to an end. Today is cold and foggy. The sun is supposed to come out later on this afternoon though. The rain is supposed to be here just in time to go trick-or-treating on Friday night :( Ugh.

Sunday Ramblings

2008-10-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

Had too much wine with dinner... feels so good unwind after such a crazy but fabulous weekend! This could end up being a very interesting post ;)

Had the BEST time with my dear friend Shannon and her husband Alan on Friday and Saturday. She is just one of the most fun people ever, and I am so blessed to have her in my life. On Friday, we had lunch together and then went to the Rose Garden and Japanese Gardens (if you have never been in the fall it is a MUST see!!). They also came over for dinner on Friday night... great conversation and lots of laughs! So fun to revisit the good old days of college and sorority life!

On Saturday, we went to Portland's famous Saturday Market (so great for people watching and eclectic handmade crafts). Had a fab lunch at Besaw's Cafe in NW Portland, then headed out to the Columbia River Gorge. Once again, the most spectacular fall foliage you can imagine. Stunning! We had such a fun day, and it was so sad to say good-bye to them.

Today, we had lunch with some more old friends! Our dear neighbors from when we lived in Minnesota, the Myhre's, are staying with my parents for a week. They came up to the barn with us to meet Memo, then I drove them downtown Portland so they could see some sights. It was so wonderful to get caught up with them again. If only I could see their daughters, Lisa and Stacey, too! Definitely need to plan a trip to Minnesota again :) Bumming that I forgot my camera!!

I'm in denial that tomorrow is Monday. Hopefully we can find some clothes to wear... I need to do laundry desperately!!

Thanks so much for your concern for Memo. She is doing great, and was back to her sassy self today :) Such the drama queen she is!!

I will leave you with a pic of my little ninja.... this is Nat's choice for her Halloween costume this year. She will be off with her friends this Halloween night, leaving us to hand out treats on our own. I will try to see if I have a pic of Jim with his Halloween costume that he picked up at Saturday Market. He will surely scare off the kiddos... lol.

Good day that ended badly... (w/update)

2008-10-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Nat had the day off of school for conferences. We started our day by sleeping in! Doesn't get much better than that. After lazing around this morning, we ran some errands and then headed to the barn. Nat and Memo had a lovely ride outside... gotta love the perfect fall day in the outdoor arena.

While Nat was riding, I got the BEST phone call!! My dear friend Shannon from Chicago called saying that she was in Seattle! Just hearing her voice lifted me up. She and her husband had to make a quick business trip to Seattle. The cool part is that they are driving to Portland tonight!! We will get to see them tomorrow and Saturday before they fly off to vacation in California.

I have known Shannon since my freshman year of college. We spent hours together in the computer lab. So glad that I had her to suffer through Computers 101 together! I convinced her to rush my sorority and we have been friends ever since. A few years ago when I had to attend a convention in Chicago for work, we made it into a family vacation too. Jim, Nat and I had the best time touring Chicago with Shannon and Alan! Natalie saw fire flies for the first time ever at Shannon's house! She is one of those friends, even though you haven't seen her for years, it is like you saw her yesterday! I can't wait to see her again, and get caught up on her life.

Conferences went great. We were the only ones to sign up for a conference this evening so we had extra time with her home room teacher. He is a great guy and is genuinely concerned about Natalie's well-being at school. It was a very productive meeting.

And now for the bad part... as I was finishing up making a very late dinner, we got the dreaded evening call from the barn. Memo is acting all colicy tonight :( Jim and Nat scarfed down their meal and headed to the barn. Luckily, Nat does not have school tomorrow in case it is a late night. I hope she can come out of it okay without calling the vet. We definitely do NOT need another vet bill right now. Ugh. What a way to ruin a perfectly nice day. I'm on call to take the next shift if it gets too late. Ugh again.

Pretty please be okay, Memo. Pretty please.

Update:

Nat and Jim got home about 10:30. Not too late. They gave Memo some banamine and walked her around. Elise helped them too, and mixed up a really wet mash to feed her. By the time they left, she had been eating and pooping and didn't seem to be in pain. When she colics, she is in obvious pain and will not eat or poop. She also likes to lie down and you cannot hear any "gut sounds". It is really scary! The walking around usually gets things moving. The banamine gives pain relief (I believe). The mash is wet and oily to get things moving. If things don't improve with all of this, we usually have to call the vet. She has had to "tube" Memo a couple of times before... it involves a plastic tube running down her nostril to her digestive system with a water and mineral oil mixture to get her system moving. When that does not work, it can mean surgery. I hope we never have to do that!! We once had to haul her to OSU vet hospital but the trailer ride seemed to help her!! And there you have it, my version of a colic. I'm sure Miss Pony Club Natalie could give you a more accurate description ;)

Deja Vu

2008-10-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in the waiting room at the VW dealership. Wait a minute... wasn't I just here? Why, yes, I was. And I wrote them a darn big check too. Ugh.

Hopefully this will be an easy fix though. I have a headlight out. Jim tried to replace the bulb this weekend, but that was not the solution. Nothing is ever easy. Ever.

At least I have a comfy chair and free wifi. Whew. And it is postponing my trip to the allergist to get shots. That is a positive.

Our weekend was pony club mania. I survived the meeting in Eugene... but just barely. Had another meeting on Sunday but that went really well. It ran long though, so no time for our fall pics. Maybe next weekend... if the weather cooperates.

This morning is cold and foggy. I'd much rather be home with a hot cup of tea.

We are off to the barn after school for another lesson. Memo was in a MOOD yesterday! Haven't seen her like that for a long time. She was a PAIN and kept trying to rear up. Scares the crap out of me when she does that. Hopefully today will be better. Elise ended up getting on her to give her an attitude adjustment. It took awhile, but she finally started to cooperate. I wonder if the cold, windy, rainy weather put her in a mood? Hmmm.

Nat has a short week of school... off on Thursday and Friday for conferences. I cannot wait to have some down time, and I'm sure she is looking forward to that as well. We have been going way too hard lately.

Tomorrow I am going to have lunch with Jim at Intel. We are meeting with the benefits folks about our health insurance, etc. Time for open enrollment and we want to check our options and double check some stuff.

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend, Kimberly, at the cafe at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts. Such a good place to eat... everything is homemade and yummy! So good to get caught up with Kim... it had been way too long. She always makes me laugh :)

Guess I will take advantage of my waiting room time and surf the net! Have to admit it is nice to have time to kill. That doesn't happen very often.

On the Menu

2008-10-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here was/is my menu for the week:

Monday:

Burgers

Mac & Cheese

apples/pears

Tuesday:

Chicken Pitas

Greek Salad

Hummus

Wednesday:

Asian Noodle Soup

Spring Rolls

Thursday:

Homemade pizza

salad

Friday:

Tortilla soup

quesadillas

watermelon

Will wing it for the weekend. Loving the cooler weather so I can work soups into my menu plans. I could live on soup!

I did my grocery shopping at Winco (one of those bag your own kind of places) this week. So much cheaper than my usual Haggen (spoiled rotten yuppie suburban store). Still not so crazy about some of their meat and produce so I think I will still hit Costco and Haggen for those. BUMMED that I will not have my CSA box anymore. Totally pouting about that. I'm really on a mission to cut my grocery costs. I am pretty good about making things from scratch but I can do better. Wish me luck! I'm such a food snob!

Lots going on this weekend, of course. Friday night is a dance at school. Nat is bringing her horsey friend Sarah (not a boy, hurray!!) along so she can meet all of her school friends and see ACMA. Saturday I am going to Eugene for a regional Pony Club meeting with my friend Lori. Sunday is a PC unmounted meeting about cleaning tack the right way. Nat is helping to teach. We also want to sneak out and take some fall pics. That has turned into an annual tradition and the trees are so pretty right now. Unfortunately, I do not have my new glasses yet! I really wanted those to cover up the dark circles under my eyes ;) Oh well.

Speaking of glasses, I'm getting stronger reading glasses. I'm also getting distance glasses! My eyes are definitely getting worse, but she said they were not bad for a 41 year old. What is that supposed to mean?! Feeling so old these days! Ugh!

Off to do some work and clean my house!! Got a request for a catalog from Georgia yesterday. Kinda cool.

See ya!

Smokin' Hot Deal

2008-10-14T12:13:00.001-07:00

Just heard about this on Slashfood.com!! You have to check it out. Don't forget to type in the word "EIGHTY" when checking out in the promotion code box. The deals are going fast so go NOW! You can get up to an 80% discount on restaurants in your area. I believe it expires tomorrow at 1pm. Unreal!! So excited!!

Last CSA Box :(

2008-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

This week we will have onions, pinto beans (dried), Jonagold apples, beets, carrots, sugar pie pumpkins, ornamental corn and gourds. Our last box. Sigh. Will miss it so much.

Nat wants to dry the pumpkin seeds. The Pioneer Woman made these yummy pepitas. Not sure her pumpkin butter would be a hit around here though.

One of Jim's co-workers gave us a big bag of fresh tomatoes yesterday. They are like candy to me! Just love them! So nice of her!

I guess I will attempt to make chili with the pinto beans, but I can honestly say that I have never used dried beans! It will be a new experience for me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jonagold apples are one of my faves. So yummy! Might need to go up to the local apple farm and get a bunch more to make caramel apples. Shauna, Teri, Kimberly and I had a big caramel- apple-making day a couple years ago. We dipped them in homemade caramel, then in chocolate. To make them extra fancy, we drizzled them with white chocolate. Just sinful!

I'm off to run a bunch of errands, and to get allergy shots. Oh joy. Catch you later!!

More Birthday Girls

2008-10-11T11:59:00.001-07:00

We have two birthdays to celebrate in our family this weekend.

My mother-in-law, Hettie, has her birthday tomorrow. Wish we could be in Las Vegas to help her celebrate! It was so great to spend time with her in Idaho.

Monday is my sister Heidi's 40th birthday. We will be celebrating tomorrow at a German restaurant in Mt. Angel.

Happiest of birthdays to you both, Hettie and Heidi!

The Good Stuff

2008-10-09T16:15:00.001-07:00

After kind of a tough week, I thought it would be fun to reflect on the good stuff that has happened lately.

I had so much fun with my scrapbooking friends when they came to Oregon from all over the country. I was so thrilled to show them some of my favorite places... especially the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. I am so grateful for their friendship.

Last weekend, my friend Sam and her daughter, Tawnee, came down from Gig Harbor for a visit. It was so nice to hang out with them. On Sunday, I got to have coffee with my bestest (yeah, I know it is not a word but I like it ;) buddies... love you Sam and Shauna!! Having you both together just made my day!!

My girl has had the worst cold. She is a trooper and went back to school today. Luckily, she has tomorrow off. Hopefully she will get some much-needed R&R and feel better soon. This year, they put her school portrait on a CD so I thought I would share it with you. What a stylin' kid, eh?

I had two coffee dates this week... Wednesday I met with Robanne and today with Darcie. It was so good to get caught up with them... I treasure their friendships :)

Nat and I are cozy here at home for the rest of the day. I am sipping on a cup of decaf green tea, listening to the wind blow and the rain fall. Autumn is definitely here in Oregon. Love it!

Should be a fun weekend. Nat is meeting some school friends at the mall in the morning/early afternoon tomorrow. She has pony club up at DevonWood in the evening. Saturday is a sleepover birthday party for her friend Logan (and it could be date night for me and Jim!! Yahoo!). Sunday we will be celebrating my sister's 40th birthday... more on that later :)

Bummer of a Day

2008-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

It was pouring rain when we got up at 6:30AM and the day has gone downhill from there.

My kitchen sink is clogged up, and Jim tried to fix it this morning before leaving for work but no go.

I had to get allergy shots, and they surprised me with a flu shot as well. Goody. Turns out, I was supposed to be going every week for shots but they forgot to tell me. I was supposed to do that after my last anaphalaxis. Oops.

I stopped by the grocery store to get a few things, and when I got home I got a call from Natalie. She has been fighting off a cold and it was just too bad to stay at school. She is so miserable, poor girl. So she is home now, just took some cold meds and will climb in bed. No riding lesson for her today. Guess I will be making chicken soup for dinner.

I'm pretty wiped out from my shots, so maybe I will try to catch a nap this afternoon too. Yeah, right. Like that ever happens ;) I just might though!

Oh, and I am still in mourning over the bill to get my car fixed yesterday... $1800!! Great timing, eh? Ugh.

When it rains, it pours. Here's to some sunshine and a brighter day tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Ginger!

2008-10-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday to my dear sweet Ginger bun. Okay, I know I told some of you that she was 9. I was wrong. I had a senior moment ;) She is still really dang old for a bunny.

Both girl and bun are pretty small here, eh?

Bun has always loved me best :)

Nat did 4H with Ginger for a few years, until bun developed a cataract. Plus her darn ears like to stand straight up and not go down all floppy-like. Not suitable conformation for a Holland Lop. She is special... but we love her :) Nat even won a costume contest with Ginger at the Washington County Fair one year... they were both cowgirls and even had their pic in The Oregonian. You haven't seen "cute" until you've seen Ginger in a cowgirl hat. Nat looked pretty darn cute herself :)

Love this pic of her in the backyard.
These days she prefers sprawling out under the computer desk in the office. Nice and cozy and warm down there.

But most of all, she loves cuddling in her mommy's arms. I kinda like that too :)

A birthday shout-out to my sis-in-law Alison too! Hope you are having fun on your cruise!! Happiest of birthdays to Ali and Ginger!!

Well no wonder she bucked...

2008-10-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

So Memo was evaluated by our vet yesterday. It is always a good idea after a horse experiences trauma (lesson learned after Memo and Nat fell at Inavale) to have them looked at by a vet. That little incident when the horse and rider crashed into Elise and Memo at Nationals did her no favors. She could tell exactly where the impact happened, and how Memo twisted and turned so she would not fall on Elise. She was really out of whack! Poor girl.

The vet said what a good horse we have, to have performed so well for Nat after that happened. So proud of our Memo girl. She is such an athlete... to keep going through the pain. Wow! She also said how it helped that Memo was in such good shape... all the hours in the saddle really made a difference.

Memo and Nat are quite the team. They always overcome so many obstacles together, and they truly love each other. Hopefully Memo will be much happier now after her treatment. Nat will go out and spoil her with treats, do some stretching, and give her some horsey tylenol for a couple of days. Then they will be back to work... what they both love best :)

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Just do it...

2008-10-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is important. Vote. Your country depends on it.

Crazy Morning Already

2008-10-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Jim was up at 4:30AM to get ready for his 6:00AM flight to Santa Clara for work. Elise has been borrowing my car (long story) so she came and took Jim to the airport. Very nice of her. Would have been hard for him to take his motorcycle... especially now that it is raining.

After Jim left, I kept having dreams that I was already up! So weird! Luckily the alarm went off and I came to my senses. Got Nat going for school and we were off... to sit in traffic! There was a traffic light out on our route... cars backed up forever! Just barely got Nat to school in time... literally with 2 or 3 minutes to spare. Hate that!

Poor Nat is still frantically trying to get caught up after missing a week of school. Tonight she has a 3-5 page research paper to do for science. From start to finish. Elise will have to ride Memo today, I guess.

Jim will be home tonight. I will pick him up from the airport around 5:15. What a long day for him. Love that Intel has the shuttle right out the Hillsboro airport though. Makes life so much easier than flying out of PDX.

We are looking forward to a fairly quiet weekend. Sam and Tawnee will come down from Gig Harbor on Saturday morning. I told her that we were planning on sleeping in, and that Nat has lots of homework. She was fine with just vegging around the house for the weekend so that is good.

I'm having a second cup of tea... hoping that helps to wake me up so I can get going with my day. Still so much to do around here. I'm still unpacking! Ugh... will it ever end??!! I got distracted with some work stuff... had an order, did a catalog for people who do not like to order on the internet, and got one last ad done for the holidays. Now I am looking forward to LOTS of holiday orders :) Pretty please!!

Can't wait to have coffee with my bud, Robanne, tomorrow. Then we will head to the barn after school to see Memo. She is getting evaluated by our vet to make sure that little crash didn't mess up her last chiropractic treatment (oh please...no more vet bills... keeping fingers crossed!!).

Tea is done... off to continue my crazy day. Toodles!!

CSA: Week 16

2008-10-01T07:57:00.001-07:00

Just a couple more deliveries to go. Will miss it so much :(

This week we received onions, potatoes, acorn squash, tomatoes, Gala apples, peppers and carrots. The carrots are gorgeous with long green leaves. Will have to save some of those for Memo. I LOVE acorn squash, cooked with some butter and brown sugar on top. The apples look just perfect... it will be a struggle to decide to eat them plain or make an apple crisp. I swear, there is just nothing better than a garden-fresh tomato. I haven't made baked tomatoes yet this season... I cut them in half and add some bread crumbs, Italian seasoning or fresh basil, and some parmesan to the top. So delicious. I'm a big fan of tomato/basil bruschetta too!

This week so far we have had:

Tacos/rice/beans

Philly steak sandwiches/crash potatoes/nectarines

Tonight is chili/cornbread/salad. Will probably just wing it the rest of the week.

Still dealing with the aftermath of our trip. I think the washer and dryer have been going 24/7 and I'm still not done with laundry. Ugh. Today we will get all of Memo's stuff back to the barn and Nat will do a quick ride. We gave Memo a couple days of vacation to recover from the long trailer ride. I still have a bunch of "piles" sitting around that need my attention too. I really just want to crawl back in bed. Pretty darn tired still. We all worked so hard!!

Natalie worked on homework for probably 7 hours yesterday, trying to get caught up. Feel so bad for her. She still has a 3-5 page research paper for science due by Friday that she hasn't even started. Lots of late nights ahead this week, I'm afraid. She said that it was all worth it though :)

Nationals in Pictures

2008-09-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

On the road trip to Idaho. Nat and Elise with their sippy cups of hot cocoa ;)

Hanging out in the stall relaxing from our long journey:

True Love:

Idaho Horse Park Arena:

All three girls hanging out eating lunch. Memo preferred her hay to Sonic slushes and cheeseburgers. Although she was big on apple juice this trip!! When taking a horse to a new place, it is good to flavor their water so they drink plenty of it.

Taking a break for some fun mini golf at a cool place called Boondocks. We also rode the go-carts and played arcade games.
Going all zen at the Thai restaurant:
The gangsta braider. Nat is really getting good at this whole braiding thing. Maybe she can pay her way through college braiding horses :)

Last minute wiping off the boots before going in for a round. They look gorgeous!!

Meeting our sweet niece, Grace. She is going to be a horsey-girl, I just know it.

A photo session after all the classes were done.

What a cool place for a horse show. We'll be back in two years!! Can't wait!

I will post the link to the jumping pics when they are up. Jim wasn't allowed to have his big camera in the arena. They threatened a $1000 fine and being escorted off the premises for any lens over 2". What a crock. The photographer did get a few good shots so hopefully we will have those soon.

There's No Place Like Home

2008-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Whew. We made it!! What a relief. You should have seen Memo when she got off the trailer... she was neighing and nickering like crazy! So happy to be back to the barn she knows and loves, and so thrilled to see all of her old buddies. Once she got into her paddock, she rolled around on the ground, ate lots of grass and drank lots of water. What a good pony girl.

We had a good drive home. Had some issues with lights on the truck and trailer, so we decided to wait until dawn to head out. The girls crashed out in the backseat and got a few more hours of sleep. Jim was a great driver and took good care of us :) I tried to doze but didn't have much luck. I was very happy to find a Dutch Bros. Coffee in La Grande, OR! Hit the spot and helped cure my headache.

What a great trip we had. Nat had the "best time of her life". So thrilled she had a great time. She was so proud of her Memo girl... and she should be so proud of herself. That girl has so much talent and determination. Couldn't be any more proud of her. We are all going to start saving our pennies so we can go again in two years!

We have so many people to thank for this trip. So hard to know where to start. A huge thanks going out to the Winter family for letting us borrow their truck and trailer. Gave us so much peace of mind having Diana along for the trip there, and loved having that big diesel truck for going over the Blue Mountains.

Elise... what a great trainer, friend, and adopted daughter. She is a blessing in our lives and we love her to pieces. So much fun to have around and such a caring and helpful person. You rock, Elise!!

A huge thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Dukes, and to Uncle Jason, Aunt Marie and Gracie for driving all the way to Idaho from Las Vegas to be a part of Nat's cheering section. It meant the world to us all that they could be there. It was so fun to share in Gracie's first horse show... can't wait 'til she rides her first pony :)

Big hugs and thanks going out to Shauna for taking care of my sweet Ginger bunny. That just meant so much to me, as you know how much I love my dear bun. You are the busiest person I know and you still make time to help others. Thanks, Shauna.

And a HUGE thanks to all of you who made donations to Natalie, or gave her jobs to earn money for her trip. You are all so thoughtful and generous! I cannot even believe how blessed we are to have such amazing friends and family. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!!

Will try to post photos tomorrow. What an adventure we had! Just amazing! Thanks again to you all. We are so grateful to be home safe and sound, and to have had this experience together.

Time to Head Home

2008-09-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Memo had great classes today. Both of them were relaxed and calm for their Hunter Hack classes... except for one little buck right in front of the judge ;) Silly Memo. She is so spunky ;)

There were 15 and 16 entries in her classes. The bummer part since there were not 20 entries or over they only picked a Top 8 instead of a Top 10. Nat placed 9th... no ribbons again.

Her last class was the best. No issues on the flat work and the jumping round rocked. They looked so relaxed and happy. We really have no clue why they were not in the Top 8. Very disappointing.

No junior riders placed again today :( And guess who won all the classes today... the New Jersey dude :( Sheesh.

Natalie was really proud of her rounds today, and handled herself with so much grace. So stinkin' proud of her. She was really riding with the big boys (and girls!) this show. What a trooper. I really think she was robbed in her last round!!

Tonight we will be packing up the truck and trailer, and also going to the Mini Prix and Parade of Champions. We are all exhausted and in awe that it is over.

Elise is an amazing trainer and mentor for Natalie. It has been an honor to have her along this week as Nat's adopted big sister :)

Here's to no drama on the trip home. I'll check in again when we get home, and post some pics of the trip too.

Just know that in 2 years when Nationals come back to Idaho we will be there again! Nat will knock 'em out then :)

Arabian Working Hunter Results

2008-09-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our day started at 4:20AM. Ugh!! Too early!!

Jim took Nat and Elise to the barn so they could feed and braid Memo. I caught a few more minutes of sleep, and then we had showers and headed back to the barn by 6:30. Nat and Memo did their schooling round right about 7:00AM. They had one refusal at a jump with lots of purple flowers on it, but the rest of the round looked good. The jumps range from 2'6" to 2'9".

Nat and Memo had plenty of time to go back to the barn when they were done before the start of the classes. They were ready to go for the 8:30 start time, but when they returned to the arena the warm ups were still going! They were really, really behind schedule. They had to wait quite a long time to go. Memo was pretty annoyed. They went in right at the beginning once the classes started. And guess what... Memo still didn't like those purple flowers :( She refused again. The rest of the round was great though. Purple is just not her color I guess. Her second round went lots better, but still knocked a rail down. Otherwise, it was really nice.

The competition was pretty fierce. Lots of gorgeous horses and mostly adult riders. Unfortunately, Nat and Memo did not make the top 10 and were not called back for the flat class. Nat was pretty bummed out, but handled it gracefully. Not one junior rider was called back :(

There is a male rider (early 20's maybe?) here from New Jersey who is still considered "Amateur" even though he wins everything! He literally does! Open and amateur classes. And he also wins the reserve championships since he is always riding at least 2 different horses in each class. We have watched him win every single class in the Hunters!! All categories. And the annoying part, is that he won two of the championships today on a horse that looked lame to us. Whatever!! He has been national champion in some of the classes 5 years running. Time to move up the pros, mister!!

Nat is hoping that tomorrow goes better. She is new to the Hunter Hack world, but I know she will do great. Memo's half sister was in the Top 10 for Half-Arabian Hunter Hack this afternoon! So cool!

Jim's parents, brother, sister-in-law and our new niece made it in on Thursday night. So nice to have them here to help us cheer on Team Memo :)

We are cooling off in the room, the girls are getting showers, and tonight we will all go out for Italian and some good wine!! We don't have to be at the barn until 7:30 tomorrow. That will be nice :) Nat should ride either late morning or early afternoon. Then the fun begins... packing the truck and trailer up for the trip home on Sunday. That will be another early morning and long day. Can't even believe how this week has flown by.

Eventful Morning

2008-09-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

Elise had a schooling round early this morning. We left the room at 6:00AM! Memo was fed, tacked up and ready to go by 7:00.

Had some drama though. Elise had called her jump in the warm up ring. Another rider lost control of her horse and slammed into Elise and Memo. Elise was knocked off of Memo!! Luckily the footing was soft (and muddy!!). We knew something had happened when they walked into the arena... Elise was covered in mud. Memo was very shaken up and was a nervous wreck during her schooling round. By the end, Memo seemed calmer and didn't refuse the jumps.

Felt so bad for them. So glad that Elise is okay... Memo too. We will have to do some relaxing schooling out in the warm sun this afternoon to calm her down.

I had visions of that happening with Natalie with all of her show clothes on! Ugh. I'm so glad that I didn't see it happen or it would be replaying it in my head.

Tomorrow will be the big day... Nat's first rides. Hope they go well. Tonight Jim's family will be here. It will be wonderful to meet little Gracie, my new niece. We are excited to take her to her first horse show :)

Another Idaho Update

2008-09-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Things are good here. Nat and Memo have had great schooling the last couple days. Memo just loves being here.

We changed rooms and are so grateful. Lots more room. Nat is on a rollaway and Elise is on a hide-a-bed but so good that they each have their own beds. We have a little kitchen so we stopped off to get some groceries for breakfast. Nice to have some healthy food! We have been lucky to get some great meals so far but feel like we are over-eating. Luckily we walk a ton at the Horse Park.

The alarm is set for 5:30AM. Elise has a training round at 7:00AM. We are on Mountain time here so we are really off our schedule. We are hoping to come back to the room for naps when we are done :)

About to lose power on the laptop so I better sign off. Nighty night!!

We Made It!

2008-09-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

Had a very uneventful trip to Idaho. Whew... no drama ;)

Idaho Horse Park is a fabulous, huge venue. We are just taking it all in and doing LOTS of walking. Memo has settled in beautifully. She is drinking her water, eating lots of grain and hay, and is feeling quite cozy. She really loves to be a show pony.

Today they did some schooling (in the big event center!). Elise got on her first and worked out the sillies. Nat got on and did a great job. Must say that once again, Memo was the sane one when compared with other Arabians. There are some really CRAZY horses (and riders!) out there. I was absolutely appalled to see riders without helmets and one lady even had sneakers on!! WTH?? Cannot even tell you how many times I was holding my breath watching some of the riders jump. Just downright scary. Oh, well. Just makes Nat and Memo look all that better.

Our hotel room is uber-small. Kind of disappointed in that, but it is clean and quiet with a killer high powered shower so that is good I guess. It is in a good location, close to great restaurants and coffee shops.

We are off to goof off for awhile... maybe a movie or mini-golf. Margaritas and Mexican food are also on the agenda.

Just wanted to give you all a quick update. Will post again soon I hope!!

Idaho or Bust

2008-09-21T22:12:00.001-07:00

The truck and trailer are mostly packed. Just need to throw in a few bags, the hay, and the horse and we are off.

We are hoping for "wheels up" at 5:00AM!! It will be a short night, but hopefully will pay off by getting through Portland before rush hour and getting to Idaho at a decent time to get all settled.

Had a great weekend with all of my TCC scrapbooking friends. Lots of good conversation and laughs. What a great bunch of gals.

Too tired to write much more. Guess I should get to sleep!!

We will have the laptop along so will check in when I can.

On the home stretch...

2008-09-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

So glad that it is Friday! Nat's last day of school for awhile. She has been contacting each of her teachers to get make-up work. So far, only a few teachers have gotten things together for her. Kind of frustrating but I'm sure she will be fine.

We will be spending lots of time at the barn this weekend. Memo will need to be ridden and get a bath. Natalie and Elise will be packing up food and hay tomorrow. Sunday we will be packing up the truck and trailer. My list is a mile long... hope it all fits!! It is one thing to get our family packed up for a week, but adding a horse to the mix is crazy!

Natalie and her friend Zoe worked for hours last night on a project for Social Studies. They will have to get together again on Saturday night. I sure hope they are able to finish up before we leave.

Monday will be here before we know it. We are shooting to leave at 5:00AM to miss traffic through Portland.

Gotta run and start another crazy day.

Mid-Week Update

2008-09-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

It was a blast having Annie and Ben here!! A friend dropped them off at the barn on Monday on their way back from the beach. They were able to catch Nat's lesson and meet Memo, then we headed to our place. My parents, Heidi and her family joined us for dinner. We all pitched in to make a yummy Mexican dinner. When we were dishing up dessert and Annie was looking through the basket of different teas, she said "I need herbal tea since I am PREGNANT!!" How cool is that??!! We are so thrilled for them and know that they will be the BEST parents!! They spent the night at our house, and the next day it was fun visiting with them and then going out for Thai food for lunch. It is always so hard to say good-bye. We always miss them terribly. Guess we will have to plan a trip to Colorado for next spring/summer to meet the new baby!!

Nat and Memo have continued to work hard. This week she will have four lessons, as well as a Pony Club mounted meeting at DevonWood. Just can't believe we leave on Monday!! So much to do yet!! You should see my list... scary!

This weekend will be a treat since a bunch of my scrapbook friends will be coming into town from all over the country. We don't really have any scrapbooking planned, just time to hang out and play tourist. I hope to be able to fit in as much time as possible with them. I am taking a bunch of my scrapbook stuff to the garage sale at Life's A Scrapbook in Sherwood this weekend! Lots of good deals, folks! Shauna and Laura will have stuff there too.

Off to start my crazy day... hoping for some R&R in Idaho.

CSA this week

2008-09-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

This week we will have summer squash, cucumbers, hot peppers, eggplant, melon, fresh beans, apples and/or bartlett pears, and onions. I thought this was week 13, but they claim it is 14. Lost count somehow. Only 4 boxes left :(

Here is what I fixed for meals last week:

Spaghetti/salad/bread

Tacos/fruit

Fried Rice/Gyoza/fruit

Chicken Fingers/oven "fried" zucchini/fruit

Fajitas/chips and bean dip

Homemade Pizza

Cheeseburgers/oven fries/fruit

Lots-o-comfort food. Everything was homemade except for the spaghetti sauce and gyoza. They were from Trader Joe's. It was a crazy week, and didn't have much time for anything extravagant.

This week I will be using what I can out of the fridge and freezer, and of course from the CSA box. Don't want to spend a bunch on groceries right before we leave.

Off to get Nat and then to the barn!! Can't wait to see Annie and Ben tonight!!

This rocks!

2008-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Is this Tina Fey or Sarah Palin? I sure can't tell a difference!! LOL

Check it out!

So cool...

2008-09-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

Please watch the video on Cathy Z's blog.

It put a smile on my face!!

Happy Saturday! Go play!!

Date Night!

2008-09-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

Nat is spending the night at her friend Cassie's house. Their friend Madie will also be there. I'm sure it will be horsey, fun-filled night for them.

I'm finally getting around to making fajitas for dinner with the yummy CSA peppers and onions, and then Jim and I will catch a movie. We have tickets to see Burn After Reading. It looks kinda goofy but pretty darn funny. And it has George Clooney and Brad Pitt!! I'm a big Frances McDormand fan too. Looking forward to a fun and relaxing night.

This weekend will be lots of prep for our trip to Idaho, as well as cleaning the house for company. ANNIE is coming on Monday!! Woo Hoo!! She and Ben are home from Okinawa, and are currently looking for jobs in Colorado. Here's a blast from the past (2003!!):

Annie graduating from Pacific University:

Annie's wedding shower:

Annie and Ben's wedding (Annie's sister Rachel in the pic):

Annie is like a member of our family. We have missed her and Ben terribly!! So good to have them back in the states :)

Never Forget

2008-09-11T11:09:00.001-07:00

I remember this day 7 years ago as one of the worst. Still can't even fathom that it happened. My friend, Laura, wrote a very touching post that was such a powerful tribute. Thanks, Laura.

I pray that nothing like that ever happens in our country again.

Just got back from a walk and coffee with Shauna. Another gorgeous morning here. LOVE this time of year. And being with that girl just cheers me up. Thanks, Shauna!!

Yesterday, I had a "poor me" day. Not sure why, just in a bad mood I guess. I had to get allergy shots. Ick. I tried to do some very minimal "retail therapy" but not sure it really helped me out... just made me feel guilty. I hit Ross Dress for Less for a cheap fall purse and new sunglasses. I also hit the local Assistance League Thrift Shop and found some rockin' brand name sweaters. Love that place!! Luckily, I am doing much better today. The walk, hanging with Shauna, the sun, and a coffee drink from Borders have left me in a much better frame of mind ;)

Today we are off to the barn again... should be short and sweet though. Memo had a chiropractic treatment yesterday so she is on vacation for a few days. Nat needs to do special stretches with her as well as her give her some horsey motrin type stuff. She is also "horse-sitting" for a lady from the barn while she is on vacation. Nat is going to give Dundee an extra-special grooming, put sunscreen on his nose, and give him lots of love and treats. So nice of Julanne to support Nat's trip to Nationals by giving her this job :)

Thoughts and prayers going out to Laura's son as he has surgery today. I hope it goes well, and that Lucas has a speedy recovery.

Sooooooo happy that tomorrow is Friday. Bring it on!!

CSA: Week 12 Updated w/Pic

2008-09-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

This week we should have summer squash, cucumbers, sweet peppers, fresh beans, onions, tomatoes, muskmelon, and Gravenstein apples and/or Bartlett pears.

No potatoes. Sigh. Guess I will have to stop by the little produce farm store nearby that specializes in potatoes.

Haven't heard the term "muskmelon" for awhile. West Coasters usually call it "cantaloupe". A blast from my midwest past.

Will plan on making fajitas with the sweet peppers and onions. Always a hit.

Shauna and I have walked the last 2 mornings. Go us! Tomorrow she has a ct scan so we will have to wait until Thursday to go again. So glad to get this back in my routine. I had so much energy yesterday.

We are living at the barn lately. Elise is back from Canada, and they had a great lesson with her yesterday. Funny story... there is a donkey at the barn temporarily. Memo is in LOVE with the donkey!! I think she wants to be his mother. His name is Abe and he is adorable and really LOUD!! They were neighing and braying back and forth. Hilarious. Memo could hardly concentrate on the lesson... she kept looking over at Abe. Luckily, when she was finished she got the paddock next to him. Adorable. We will have to get some pics. I'll try to get some today at Nat's lesson. For good pics, you will have to wait for Jim to get back to the barn ;)

Menu Planning?

2008-09-07T11:13:00.001-07:00

Do any of you plan your menus for the week or just wing it? I seem to do a mix of the two.

I'd like to say that I scour the grocery store ads and plan my meals based on what is on sale. Not so much. Occasionally that happens, but that is not the norm.

I seem to have the same stuff that I stock in my freezer and pantry. I usually get my meat at Costco, as well as some other staples once a month. I shop at a grocery store or Trader Joe's at least once a week to get everything else. I count on my CSA box for veggies.

I keep a list of dishes that are part of my regular rotation. That helps to refresh my memory, especially when I get in a cooking rut. Every once in awhile, I just have to try a new recipe (or four!)!!

I thought I would start posting my menus. This week I will list the meals that I made this week. I didn't plan them, they just kind of happened.

Day 1:

Chicken Quesadillas

Rice and beans

Chips and Salsa

fruit

Day 2:

Cheeseburgers on the grill

Potato leek soup

fruit

Day 3:

Meatball Subs

Greek salad

fruit

Day 4:

Meatloaf

Oven fries

Green Beans

Day 5:

Chicken sausage & veggie kabobs

corn on the cob

homemade mac & cheese

Day 6:

BBQ ribs

Green Chili potatoes

sauteed veggies

strawberries

Day 7:

pork loin w/peach jam

rice

veggie/fruit

Let me know if you would like any of my recipes. I'm anxious to try the pork loin tonight... I got some really ripe peaches in my CSA box so made them into jam quickly or I would have lost them. I think the jam will be yummy as a glaze on the pork loin. Will make it on the grill.

Things are good here. Friday night, Natalie and I watched the Stand Up 2 Cancer program. Powerful stuff. Saturday Natalie and Hayley had a group jumping lesson with Janice. So nice to hang w/Robanne (twice in two days!). Last night we watched two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. LOVE that show. Today Nat is having a friend from school go along to the barn. They will work Memo, then give her a bath. Dad has barn duty today so I will be doing laundry and cleaning house. Fun... NOT. Nat is working on homework as I type this. Spent a fair amount of time on that yesterday too. The fun begins :)

Have a good week everyone! And thanks so much to all of you who have sent checks and given jobs to Nat. We leave for Nationals two weeks from tomorrow!! Wow!

CSA: Week 11

2008-09-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

This week we have sweet corn, summer squash, cucumbers, new potatoes, fresh beans, Melrose apples, tomatoes, cilantro, and a salsa kit.

Guess I will be making another batch of salsa!! Woo hoo! A girl cannot have too much salsa.

Just finished eating one of the apples for lunch. They are green and really sour. I think I will save the rest for making caramel apples or apple crisp. Definitely needs something sweet with them!!

I never did end up making potato salad last week. I made crash potatoes (AGAIN!!) and potato leek soup (AGAIN!!). Potatoes = goodness!!

I just finished a bunch of updates on my website. Added a gallery of sample brushes, as well as some pocket-size brushes I am now selling.

I also did a bunch of holiday ads for magazines. I will have ads in Horse Illustrated, Young Rider, California Riding Magazine and Horses Inc. I might have an ad in the local Flying Changes magazine too. Still working out the details. Please, Lord, bless my little business with a prosperous holiday shopping season!! Pretty please!

I am off to run errands. Need to hit Fred Meyer and Trader Joe's. Will pick up Nat after that, then we get to head home. I will go to my cancer support group tonight if all goes as planned. The next three days will be barn days. Nat is really working hard to get ready for Nationals.

And so far, so good w/school. Nat enjoyed her first day back. She was able to wear the official "first day of school outfit" today. I'll have to snap another pic ;)

One more thing... congrats to Nat's friend, Taylor! She had an amazing horse show last week... she won the Maclay medal, the OHJA Junior medal and placed really well in her other classes. WTG, Taylor!! These girls and their horses are on a roll... all their hard work is really paying off :) Nat and Taylor have been friends since they were babies... somehow they both ended up with the horse gene ;) Lucky us, eh, Darcie??

An Eerie Quiet Updated w/Pic

2008-09-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

Our house is silent. Nat is off to her first day of school--8th grade!! She didn't get to wear the official "first day of school outfit" that she had picked out since it was 45 degrees this morning! What the heck??!! She opted for jeans and sweater.

Jim rode his motorcycle to work, forgetting that it was a CSA pick-up day. He froze!! And he will be stuffing various vegetables into his panniers to come home.

I have a big long list of things to do today. Paying bills, making phone calls, going to the bank and post office. Fun stuff. Not to mention laundry and house cleaning and prepping dinner. I also have ads to work on and want to add a bunch of photos to my website. After school, we are off to the barn for a lesson. Will be firing up the crockpot again for dinners since we get home from the barn so late.

Here's hoping we are off to a good school year. I hope we can find our routine again, and find balance so life is not so crazy. A girl can dream...

Clean Sweep Sunday

2008-08-31T10:19:00.001-07:00

Today I am hoping to get the motivation and energy to start a "clean sweep" of every room in the house. I've been feeling so overwhelmed about the house lately, that I just don't do any of it! Just the bare minimum to get by.

As of today, I need to just snap out of it! I need to "get 'er done". Wish me luck!

We had a great time at the barbeque last night. Great conversation, good wine and yummy food. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends.

Nat and Jim are off to the barn to ride Memo. It is pretty chilly here this morning... feels like fall! In the 50's for heaven's sake. I'm glad to have a break from the barn until Tuesday.

Last night I made this cobbler to take to the potluck. It was a hit. And talk about an easy recipe!! Love recipes like this! I believe I posted the link to a different cobbler... which I actually prefer... but this one is much easier and travels to potlucks a lot easier. I used local marionberries in it. Yum.

Off to start my clean sweep... wish me luck ;)

Friday Update

2008-08-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on: Natalie has 4 days left of freedom. She says she is not looking forward to school, but I know she will be happy to see her friends on Tuesday. I really think she does not want to give up her extra free time and those early mornings are a killer. She loves her school though, so I'm sure she will be just fine :) Her electives will be fun this year... she has Spanish, Concert Choir, Theatre 2, Ceramics 2, Book Arts and Music Theory. She will have 4 of those each semester, in addition to her core classes (Spanish and Choir go all year).

We are off to the barn for another lesson this morning. Elise is off to Canada to Spruce Meadows next week so we need to do a make-up. Afterwards, Natalie is working at the barn for Janice to earn some money for Nationals. So nice of Janice to do that. She gets to work with her bud Sarah so they will make the most of it. She will also work for awhile on Saturday.

Tomorrow night we are looking forward to going to a barbeque with our horsey friends. Always a good time. Other than that, we should have a quiet weekend. Lots to do around here.

So many friends going through difficult times right now. Please know that we love you and that you are in our thoughts. Big hugs to you all.

TGIF!

CSA: Week 10

2008-08-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

This week we should have lettuce, fresh beans, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, sweet peppers, egg plant, new potatoes, and some kind of fruit. Yum. Can't get enough of the fresh tomatoes. Really don't know how I survive without them the rest of the year. The taste is just so much better.

Could live on the new potatoes too. This week I will make some kind of potato salad. We are not big into the mayo/mustard kind of salad, but prefer a vinaigrette base. Jim's mom has a great recipe for a Greek potato salad, and I cut one of out the newspaper awhile back for a Blue Cheese Rosemary potato salad. Will definitely make one of those.

Anxious to see what kind of fruit we get. Last week we got a honeydew melon. I'm the only one around here who will eat that. I thought it was great. Would be so great to get some peaches or blackberries though.

After I finish my tea and get a shower, we will head down to Woodburn to go to the outlet mall. Natalie has outgrown over half of her clothes and most of her shoes. Yikes! Her friend Madie will come along to help us do some school shopping. Will do just the bare minimum as we are saving our pennies for Idaho. A girl needs t-shirts, jeans and shoes though!! They have an Aero Postale outlet down there with really good deals. Wish us luck!

A Sunday Play Day

2008-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

We played hookie from the barn today and headed up to Mt. Hood. A very low-key, relaxing day... just what we needed.

We started out at Ski Bowl to ride the alpine slide. Jim had done this years ago for a work event, but Natalie and I had never been. I did one ride down, then stayed behind to try and get some pics while Nat and Jim did their second ride down. Love the pic of them on the ski lift! My photos of them going down the slide were too blurry :( Not the photographer in the family, for sure. Kicking myself for not doing video of their rides.

We had lunch at a brew pub in Government Camp. So yummy... especially the berry crisp!! Hey, Shauna, during lunch they had group rhythmic gymnastics on TV! Didn't know that they did groups!! Does Kaelin do that too? Kinda cool.

After lunch we drove over to Trillium Lake to our favorite photo spot... there is a bridge that overlooks the lake with Mt. Hood in the background. Shot a few pics, then drove back home. We thought about doing a hike, but it was starting to cloud up. Started to rain on the drive home, so I'm glad we passed on that. Next time. Need to get the canoe up there too.

Natalie took a nap on the way home. She has been going so hard lately. It was so good for her to get some rest.

We are watching the last night of the Olympics. Wow, will I ever miss them!! Talk about Must-See-TV. Loved every minute I have watched. So inspiring.

Have a great week!

It's Salsa Mania

2008-08-23T15:20:00.001-07:00

Just made a batch of Sam's Salsa as well as a Black Bean/Corn/Avocado Salsa. Thought you might like the recipes!!

Sam's Salsa

3 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz. cans) (for one of these, I sub a can of tomatoes that has added green chilies)

1 large red onion, diced small (I subbed a sweet onion since they are in season)

1 fistful of fresh cilantro leaves

2 jalapenos (1 with seeds/insides; 1 without)

garlic salt to taste

garlic to taste

salt to taste

1 tsp. sugar

In a blender, pour the juice out of the tomatoes. Add jalapenos and liquify. Add tomatoes and seasonings and blend on low. Add cilantro and continue to blend. Add onion last. Pour into jars and keep chilled.

I also add the juice of 1/2 a lime to this.

Black Bean/Corn/Avocado Salsa

1 ripe but firm avocado, 1/4" dice

2-3 T. fresh lime juice

1 large ripe red tomato, diced

1 ear sweet corn, shucked and cut off of cob

3 T. diced sweet onion

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

course salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill for up to 2 hours, covered.

We will be having these with enchiladas and margaritas for dinner. Muy bueno!

Nice Evening

2008-08-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

After Jim got home from work, we rushed down to my parents' for dinner. My cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Alan, are in town from Austin, TX. It was so great to see them. They had been vacationing out in Bend. Loved hearing their stories of hiking, biking and frisbee golf!

The coolest news is that they are expecting their first child!! Congrats, Michelle and Alan! So thrilled for them. I know they will be fabulous parents :)

Sure was fun to get caught up on their lives. My mom and dad fixed quite the spread for dinner. Homemade peach and blueberry pies for dessert. Awesome!

We are off to the barn this morning for a make-up lesson with Janice. And here is some other GREAT news ... we have NOTHING on the calendar for this weekend!! How incredibly cool is that??!! I'm beyond excited. Lots of sleeping in and goofing off in our future. Jim will go on a motorcycle ride. Nat and I want to hit Old Navy on Saturday for their $12 jeans sale. We needed a quiet weekend so badly!! I cannot wait!!

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

CSA: Week 9

2008-08-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got a kick-butt box: lettuce, bi-color sweet corn, Red Nordland new potatoes, fresh green beans, basil, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, and melon. They also sent along the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. What a treat. My sister had given me a bunch of colorful sunflowers, so this bouquet really fills up the vase. So nice. Makes me smile whenever I look at it.

Did something fairly drastic yesterday... colored my hair back to my "normal" color. It is a lot darker than it has been in years. I'm hoping the grow-out will match so I no longer have to color my hair. Just can't keep up with it anymore. Not sure how I will handle all the gray coming in, but oh well. Too many other places for my money these days (places = horse... LOL).

Today we are off to the barn. Nat was quite ticked to see the pouring rain this morning. Put her in a really bad mood. I was actually glad to see the rain... I will make a big pot of vegetable beef soup and blueberry muffins today. I know, such the nerd.

Tonight I am hoping to go to the cancer support group. It is so hard to get there, but so good for me.

Tomorrow is registration and picture day at school. Hard to believe. Nat is in denial, but we did manage to get her school supplies yesterday. I think the hardest parts for her are the early mornings and not having as much down time. We will survive though ;)

Team Memo

2008-08-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Natalie has set up a shop on Cafe Press as a fundraiser for Nationals. She designed a custom logo (Team Memo) that can be put on a variety of shirts and other products. A portion of each sale will go to her to put towards costs for Nationals. I will definitely need to order some shirts and sweatshirts so we look snazzy in Idaho :)

Today we are off to get our hair done, then to the barn to ride Memo. I have a few brush orders I will do this afternoon.

Last night I went to Parker's baseball game. It was so nice to hang out with Sam and her father-in-law. Parker was chosen to play on a team for Baseball Northwest. Quite an honor. He is a catcher and was a complete rock star. He also had an amazing hit.

Big hugs going out to Shauna, as she has experienced so many losses lately.

My head is still swimming with details that need to be taken care of for Nationals. Thanks so much for the congratulations and support you have already given Natalie! I am so grateful for you all.

Nationals, Here We Come!

2008-08-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Memo had quite the day on Saturday. They won a Regional Championship and three Reserve Championships (2nd place)! It was amazing. The championship round brought me to tears (tears of joy!). It was an equitation round which means that Natalie was judged on her riding, not just Memo. She was a rock star and rode her little heart out. They were working as a team and really made it happen. After all of the struggles and hard work, everything really came together at the perfect time!!

After much discussion and fretting, we have decided to take her to the Arabian Sport Horse National Championships next month in Nampa, Idaho. We have always wanted her to have the experience of a national competition and now she has the chance. She qualified in three classes for this show. Her winning equitation round qualified her for next year's Arabian Youth Nationals, but that is something we will have to worry about later if at all.

Of course, Natalie is over the moon!! I think Memo is pretty darn happy about the whole thing too. The stifling heat seemed to suit her!! She was relaxed and happy, and LOVED getting the award ribbons and rosettes around her neck!! Very befitting of a princess. She also was quite content in her stall standing in front of the fan that we brought for her! She would take a bite of hay, then go stand in front of the fan... back and forth. Too cute!! Quite the show pony!!

Natalie braided Memo for both days of the show. She did a great job! Elise did a wonderful job as her trainer... someone in the audience told me that she loved the interaction that Elise had with Natalie. Mom and Dad were pit crew, as well as Natalie's friend Cassie. We were sweaty and dirty and HAPPY!!

Some of you might be receiving a letter from Natalie soon... she is looking to do fundraising and small jobs to earn money towards the trip :)

I am thoroughly exhausted, but it was all worth it :)

Happy Birthday going out to my mom!! We had a little shindig here tonight to celebrate her birthday, and also a belated birthday for my brother-in-law Jim. Sam and Parker were here too, so it was an extra special evening. Hope you had a wonderful day, mom! You deserve it!

Quick Update

2008-08-15T19:53:00.001-07:00

Nat and Memo qualified for the Arabian Regional show tomorrow in 4 classes. Woo hoo!!

It was miserably hot today. Ugh. Memo seemed more mellow than usual though... but Nat melted away! They are both such troopers.

Ribbon count: 2 1sts; 4 2nds; 2 3rds; 1 6th.

Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon for her regional classes :) Hope it is cooler.