WOW....its been a while!

I am sorry for how long it has been since we have posted but it has been a bit busy around here. I am just going to sum up the next couple of weeks. I forgot to mention that we attended the North American Livestock Show back in November. Anne and I have attended this show for 27 years. We started going with our father when we were little girls and we have kept up with the tradition. This year our friend Hilori went with us. She has never been before so it was nice to share it with her. We went to the tradeshow and then we actually went to the rodeo that night. Anne and I haven't went to the rodeo for years. Our friend Jill met us for the rodeo and some drinks and we all had a great time.

We had a great Thanksgiving. My brother had to work Thanksgiving afternoon so we decided to do a Thanksgiving breakfast. My mom made a wonderful meal with homemade biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, grits and Anne made pumpkin pie. It was great to be with the family (we missed Sarah and TW) and catch up. The rest of the weekend we spent time catching up with old friends that were in town and playing with the horses.



The next weekend I flew to San Diego for the AAEP Convention. This is show that I go to every year for work. We work our butts off but it was a fun time. This is my fourth time being in San Diego and I always enjoy that city. The weather was beautiful and after the show Leslie (a coworker) and myself got to actually go to the San Diego Zoo. It was amazing and we had a lot of fun taking pictures and hanging out. That night three of us flew home on the redeye and arrived back in Lexington at 9:00 the next morning. We were all exhausted. It was a fun trip though.


This past weekend Anne and I decorated our house with one big christmas tree and three little ones. We went to the grocery store and got all the stuff we need to start baking Christmas cookies and bread. We have finally gotten in to the Christmas spirit!




Here are some pics from the Zoo...

Today we are 31.....

Happy Birthday to US!!! (November 20th)

Our mother did a great entry on her blog about the day Anne and I were born (Moms Blog). So we thought it was fitting to thank our parents on this day since they brought us in to this world.

So Mom, thank you for putting up with us for 31 years. You are a great mother, listener, role model and bestfriend and we feel so blessed to have you in our life. To our father that is no longer with us, there is not a day that goes by that we do not think of you. Your life greatly shaped ours, and our memories of you will continue to warm our hearts and guide us in to the future. Thank you Mom and Dad for being such kickass parents!

Uuuggghhh cold weather......

Leigh and I always dread cold weather and when we heard it was supposed to drop off colder this weekend, we were rightfully dreading it. However part of me, just wants to get it over with. I am ready for it to get cold so it can get warm again!! We had a great time on Friday night. Our friend Hilori came over for some beers and to catch up and we had a great time.

Saturday we went into Lexington to have coffee with our sister Kim and had a WONDERFUL time. It was so great to see her, and we also got to see her husband Chris and their precious daughter Ella. It was great to catch up and have coffee and just be together.

Sunday we got up and fed and then cleaned out the trailer and decided to go to Masterson, despite the cold, wind blowing day! We bundled up and loaded up all three boys, even though Rebo was undecided if he wanted to go or not, but with a little grain, he realized he didn’t want to be left at home.

We had a wonderful ride, Hilori met us there, and she rode Rebo and then she and Leigh switched and she got to ride Dually. All three of the horses did really well, and we did short work in the arena and some conditioning work as well. We took one of the barrels with us, so we could work the horses on some barrel exercises. It was a great day, but COLD, but we all suffered through! It has been a great weekend.

Drifter warm in his new blanket

What a Fantastic Weekend.....

Leigh and I were very busy this weekend, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Friday night, we cleaned out the trailer, and made sure we had everything ready for the Central Kentucky Riding for Handicap trail ride, Saturday morning. Then we enjoyed a great supper at home and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Saturday morning we got up early, and went down and hooked up the trailer and loaded up the boys. We got to the horse park right around 9:00, and everyone was already there. It was so great to see everyone and we were lucky enough to park next to Melanie and Whitney so that worked out perfectly. We got the boys unloaded and saddled up, and headed off for a nice ride. We met up with Mark, Shelley, Emma and set out on about a 3 hour ride. Hilori rode Rebo, so he got to go as well, which was wonderful. I think they both really enjoyed the day. We rode all through the corn fields at the Bartons and then through the cross country course at the Horse Park. It was a beautiful day, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather, and better horses, they all handled the day like seasoned pros.

Paul came over on Saturday night and we all enjoyed a beer on the deck, then watched a movie. Sunday, Leigh and I got up early and set out to do some conditioning work with Dually and Drifter at masterson. It was another gorgeous day and the horses did great, and we got about 4 miles in which was awesome. There were a lot of people out at Masterson enjoying the day and we were very proud of how our horses did.

We had a great weekend, and we hope everyone enjoyed the wonderful weather!!

Nashville and Randy Rogers!!!!

This past week has been a fun week for us. Thursday I took clients to Keeneland for a day at the races and Anne went out there that afternoon to watch a friend's horse race. The horse (Radar Man) ended up winning his race. It was such a great day! On Saturday Anne and I got up early to get all our chores done so we could hit the road to Nashville. What a fantastic time we had!! We met one of our college buddies, Ed down there and it was great to see him. We went to McFadden's downtown and had some drinks and some appetizers and caught up. Then we headed to the Randy Rogers concert at the Exit/In. WOW!! The Randy Rogers band is so awesome! Anne and I have been fans for quite sometime and they proved to be incredible in concert. Their fiddle player is amazing. He can totally rock a fiddle!! I am so glad we went and it was a nice quick trip to one of our favorite towns and we got to hang out with one of our favorite people. On our way home we stopped at our mothers and she made us a great late lunch. It was great to see our mom, we talk everyday but we don't get to see her very much. Anne and I both took a nap (late night the night before, we were TIRED!!) and headed home. So now we are home, all the critters are fed and happy and we are getting ready for the work week. This upcoming weekend is the CKRH trail ride, we are excited about that. This is the organization that our friends Whitney and Cavan volunteer. We have some friends that are going to meet up with at the ride so it should be lots of fun. I hope every one had a great weekend!!

Anne, Ed and her GUINNESS!!

Randy Rogers

Randy Rogers

Kick ass fiddle player, Brady Black

Me and my bestfriend Ed

A weekend with the horses.....

Leigh and I pretty much spent our weekend with the horses. We went to Masterson both Saturday and Sunday, and enjoyed a long ride each day. There were many people at Masterson riding as well, and it was a gorgeous weekend to be out with the boys. We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and enjoyed this great fall weather!

What a weekend....

Leigh and I had a busy weekend, but a good one. We were lucky enough to take off half a day on Friday and spend it at Keeneland! What a beautiful day it was. Whitney and Hilori joined us and we had a great time. We ran into John, Johnny D, Bob, and Greg, and it was great to catch up with old friends. It seems that we don’t see them unless we are at the meet or the sales, but that is okay, it is always a good time.

Taken on the way home from Keeneland

Saturday morning, Leigh and I went and got a load of hay and feed, and then rushed back to the house because Mom and Bob were coming over to install the BEAUTIFUL bookcases that Bob had built us. They are amazing. I am so happy with how they look, and Bob is just so talented!! Paul came over to help with the installation, which was great! It didn’t take them to long to get them in and we all just stared at them for the longest time. He couldn’t have matched the stain any better!!! Thank you again Bob!!

Sunday morning, we got up and fed, and then got the horses ready to go to Masterson. It was such a gorgeous day, we couldn’t wait to get out there. Hilori met us, and she rode Rebo. This was Dually’s first outing, since everything has been going on with him, and he was perfectly sound and did great. Drifter did really well too. We had a great leisure ride around the park and just enjoyed the day and being out with the horses.

Rebo playing in the water tank

We hope everyone had a great weekend as well!!

The Wife over at Gizzards and Calf Fries was so generous to give Leigh and I this sweet award. We dont know her very well, but so enjoy reading her blog. She seems so much like a girl that Leigh and I would hang out with.

To translate the gift from Portuguese to English, it means:

"This blog invests and believes, the proximity" (meaning, that blogging makes us 'close' -being close through proxy)

"They all are charmed with the blogs, where in the majority of its aims are to show the marvels and to do friendship; there are persons who are not interested when we give them a prize, and then they help to cut these bows; do we want that they are cut, or that they propagate?Then let's try to give more attention to them! So with this prize we must deliver it to 8 bloggers that in turn must make the same thing and put this text."

I dont know 8 bloggers! HAHA So I am going to give it to the ones I do know!

1. Awesome AnnaMarie

2. Sweet, Sweet Nikki

3. Our Wonderful Mother

4. Miss Beautiful Dottie

5. Wonderful Whitney

Baby Ridge..

Leigh and I got to go and see wonderful Baby Ridge last weekend. It was so great to meet this little fellow. He is so precious and just amazing!! We had a wonderful visit with Gina and Brent. They are doing great as well, and have jumped right into parenthood. They are team and they work so well together. They are family,and it is always great to see family.

The Boys....

Drifter




Dually



Rebo

Fall Weather..

Is there really anything better? I just love it! Yesterday I took the day off to get some stuff done around the farm that needed tending to. The plumber came out that morning to work on our kitchen sink, it has been having some issues with not draining properly so we got that all fixed. YIPPEE! I am so glad! Then my vet came out that afternoon and we worked with Dually for over an hour. Dually has been lame for around 3 weeks and I have been worried that it was going to be navicaluar or something as equally serious. So the vet blocked both his front feet and we could see a major difference. Since that confirms it is in his feet we went ahead and xrayed both front feet. Dually was such a superstar, he did everything the vet asked him to do. He is the sweetest horse and just loves to please. The xrays showed that it isnt navicular, so I am thrilled about that. Even Dr. Mason said that he seemed so much more relaxed than last year. I think Dually and I are finally to the point of trusting each other. It is so nice to reach that point with a horse. He is so great, I just love him to death and I am so happy that we are going to get him fixed up. So now that Dr. Mason and I have a game plan I am hopeful that he will be back to his old self very soon and maybe we can hit some late winter shows together!

I hope everybody is taking the time to enjoy this beautiful weather. Breathing in good fall air is good for the soul!

Hello Again!!

Sorry it has been so long since our last post, but like we said before, things have been busy here at TwinBay!
Last weekend Paul and I spent an amazing weekend at PawPaws Landing. PawPaws Landing is a great cabin around Natural Bridge and The Gorge. Joanne, the owner, gives hospitality and entirely different meaning. The cabin was gorgeous!! It was decorated beautifully. I have stayed in some five star hotels in LA, Del Mar and Florida and this was just as nice. There were six wild turkeys that came to visit each day and wild deer everywhere. It was the perfect place to relax and unwind. We had a wonderful time.
While I was gone, Anne held down the fort at TwinBay. We had all the fences painted and the barn. We are both so pleased with how it looks. Next up we are adding some color to the barn with a TwinBay sign and some landscaping next spring. The horses have all been doing well. Dually is having some soreness issues but with a great vet and some chiropractic work, awesome supplements, a magnetic blanket and linament rub downs every night, he is coming along. Anne is doing well with Drifter. He is really turning in to a nice broke horse. All the animals are thoroughly enjoying this beautiful weather. It has been so great for Anne and I to just come home and go straight to the barn. Before it was so hot we would have to wait till about 8:00.
The Keeneland sales are going on right now and we went out one night and got to have a couple of drinks with some great friends. The September sale is always a good time. One of the greatest things that has happened in the past week or so is that my mom's boyfriend Bob is working on a huge built in entertainment center for our den. He installed the bottom cabinets on Sunday and it looks GREAT! We are both so excited to get the rest of it in the house! He does such a fantastic job! Hmm, what else.....I dont know how many of you read my brother Robbie's blog but he just bought an amazing digital camera that he loves. I commented on his blog that if he left it sitting out while I was around that I may steal it. He promplty commented back that I would draw back a bloody stump if I touched his camera. So......he talked me in to buying my own! It will be here later this week. When it gets here Robbie is going to give me some lessons on how to use this high powered camera. YIPPPE! So look for more pictures to be gracing this blog.I hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous fall season. Have a great week!

Oh and here is a pic of Dogdge hanging out in the trailer, he is ready to go!!

A Night Alone....

I don’t normally get many nights alone, since Leigh and I live together, which is okay, because we love each other’s company. However last night Leigh had a business trip to Columbus, OH, and then on to Cleveland and will be back this evening, so I had the night to myself.

It is an odd feeling to come home and it be quiet, but there is a certain peace to it. It has always amazed me, when I am alone, I get much more motivated, and I have no idea why that is. It seems that since I have a chance to do whatever I want to do I could veg out on the couch and no one care, but that never seems to happen. Just as the norm, I ran home last night, and fed the dogs, and sent out a few emails for TwinBay and made 2 business calls and then got busy with my evening.


I went downstairs, and got my 3 mile run in, which I have really been enjoying, I have finally gotten back on schedule with working out, and it has been a saving grace. It is a time for me, where I can let my mind stop thinking about work and everyday responsibilities and let it wonder to wonderful thoughts. I think about owing a huge farm in TX with 30 horses, and a nice indoor arena, and how awesome that would be!


After I finished my workout, I cooled off with a huge glass of water on the deck and could see the horses staring at me, and I knew they were ready to eat. Rebo never misses a beat, as soon as you step foot on the deck he knows and is at the gate in a flash! So I went on down to the barn, cleaned all the stalls, got fresh water, fed, and brought the boys in, and tucked them all in their fresh stalls for the night. It was so nice out, not to hot, and it was just a very peaceful night.

I came back in and decided on supper, which I knew I needed some protein since my workout, so had a nice dinner of eggs, fresh tomatoes, and black beans. It was awesome! Then I looked at the clock and it was only 8:30!! Wow, I had time to relax and read and watch tv, which of course I didn’t do, I got on the computer and did some more work. I did make myself put everything away at 10:00 and enjoy relaxing for an hour or so before I called it a night. it was a great evening, and I really enjoyed getting all of my stuff done.

Oh, the pic is from earlier in the week! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Updates, Updates, Updates...

It has a been a while which I apologize for that, Leigh and I have been super busy, soooo……I thought I would give everyone some much needed updates on what has been going on with the us.

Leigh and I have both been very busy, but have been enjoying life as usual! We had our first meeting for one or our long time clients of TwinBay, and it went very well. We are very happy about that, and are ready to get the ball rolling with more sponsorships in the future.

Leigh and I took a trip down to Elizabethtown last weekend to a tack store and I bought a saddle. I love it and it fits me perfect, the best part is, it is slightly used, so I don’t have to break it in. It fits Drifter perfectly and I am very happy with my purchase.

We have gotten to hang out with many of our friends lately! Jill came up Friday night, and it was wonderful as always, to see her. She is doing great! Hilori has been out a few times lately and hung out on the deck, so has Whitney. Amy and Chuck will visiting soon and we look forward to catching up with them.

The horses are all doing good, and coming along nicely. Dually has been a little sore, but Leigh is progressing with that slowly and keeping him happy. Drifter and Rebo are both doing well and enjoying their workouts.

We spent Sunday at our mother’s house, which we always enjoy so much. She made homemade pancakes, which were absolutely amazing!! Then she made a healthy, healthy salad for lunch, so that we couldn’t get to far off of our eating schedule.

With fall around the corner, work is going to be getting much busier for Leigh and I both. Leigh starts traveling again soon, and we will be shipping lots of cattle at work, which will result in longer days. Usually Leigh and I both dread this time of year, but we are both looking forward to the challenge.

Leigh and Paul will be going away for the weekend in a few weeks, which I know they are both looking forward to. While they are away, I am going to go up to Cincy to see my best friend Gina, her wonderful husband Brent, and their precious new boy, Ridge.

Until next time.....

Great Weekend....

Dually at Barrel practice, relaxing after his workout.

Thursday night our great friends Mark and Colleen rolled in to town from Colorado. They we coming in to pick up a new barrel horse and we got to visit. Friday night they came out and we had drinks on the deck and caught up. It was so nice to see them. They are such great people and we just love visiting with them both. Saturday Anne and I did some farm and house work. Later that afternoon we rode Dually and Drifter. They both did really well. We hooked up the truck and trailer and got ready for Sunday. Then Paul came over and we went and had sushi at Sappora in Georgetown. It just opened up and it was great! Their sushi is just as good as Tomo’s in Lexington. Then Paul and I came back to the house and watched a movie. Sunday we got up and had breakfast (Paul went and got Krispy Kremes!!) and then relaxed for a bit.

Then Anne and I went down to the barn and loaded the boys and headed to barrel practice in Versailles. Mark, Colleen, and her grandparents met us up there. We hacked around for about 45 minutes. I took Dually through the pattern at a lope about 8-10 times and he did really well. He was being a bit lazy and now I know that my main focus right now is to get him really conditioned and “wake him up” a bit. As Colleen pointed out “this is a competition!” haha. Drifter did very well. Of course he is greener than Dually but he really is coming along nicely. Anne worked him for about an hour and a half. Then we sprayed them off, loaded up and headed home. We got the boys all fed and tucked in their stalls. Colleen just sent us a text and said they were headed back west. We hate to see them go but are so glad that we got to spend some time with them while they were here. It was a fantastic weekend!

A quick trip out of town...

Well on Sunday, I had a meeting planned for TwinBay Farm and had to go to St. Louis and then on to Iowa, and back on Monday. I knew it was going to be an exhausting trip, but it was something that needed to be done, so I got up early Sunday morning to catch my flight in Louisville. I had a real calm feeling about this trip, even though a few things had already gone wrong before I left, I just felt happy about it. The drive to Louisville, at 4 in the morning was so peaceful. No traffic, and great music, it was a great way to start off my adventure.

I arrived in St. Louis that morning and even though things ended up not going as planned and I didn’t make it to Iowa, and stayed in Southern Illinois, I still accomplished what needed to be done, but it just took place over the phone, instead of in person. So I had to reroute my trip home, since I had planned to fly out of Kansas City. Unfortunately, due to bad weather up north, all flights from St. Louis to Louisville were booked! So I said screw it and decided I would just drive home on Monday.

It all worked out well, I got to hang out with a client, who is a great person and we had a good time. It was so odd for me to be back in Southern Illinois since I had lived there over 10 years ago when I was in college, it was like I was having flashbacks. On Monday morning, I got up and got my rental car, and headed back to KY. It was the most refreshing trip back! I was in my little Dodge rental that would fly and it was a gorgeous day. I did however run into a bad wreck on the interstate and had to sit for about an hour and a half and I really had to piss! Not a good situation to be in, however after about an hour, I realized there was a HUGE tour bus right up from me, and everyone was out of their cars walking around. So I decided to go and see who owned this monstrosity and see if I could use their awesome bathroom. Just so happened it was George Thorogoods tour bus! For those that don’t know who that is, he sings the song “Bad to the Bone” which happened to be one of my father’s favorites songs! It just so happened traffic broke as I was getting permission to get on this amazing bus, so I didn’t get to see it, or use the bathroom, but that was okay, I got back to my cute rental and headed home.

I got home around 8:00, and it was a long day, but I really never noticed. It was so refreshing to be running around doing my thing, and using this time to test my independence and just enjoy the chance to “wing it” and have fun all the while.

Can you get a lawnmower stuck???

I can!!! I was mowing last night, and trying to get an area that is a little tricky around our new gravel driveway. Well let me rephrase that, I was trying to mow an area that I should have gotten out the weedeater and taken care of. Soooo...as I was attempting to mow this area, I got the mower stuck. It couldnt get traction the way it was, so the only choice was to push it out of this situation. I tried for about 10 minutes, then decided to go to the house and get Leigh, because I was sure that the two of us could get it out. Well we tried and tried, and tried, and nothing, it was really stuck good. I was getting a little pissed at this point because I just wanted to get the mowing done and had lots to still finish. Soooo............




I went and got the big truck, and pulled the SOB out!


Total redneck moment at TwinBay Farm! I am actually glad we dont have pictures.

A Wonderful Weekend...

This weekend was specatcular. Friday evening Anne and I came home to our new fence being put up. YAY!! I love seeing progress, hopefully by Monday evening it will be finished. Friday night our dear friend Jen came over for drinks on the deck and a catch up session. It was so nice to just relax and be in great company on such a gorgeous night. Saturday morning Anne and I jumped out of bed and went to feed our ponies. Then we hit the road to Frankfort to spend a lovely day with our mom. Not only do we have the best mother in the world, she also happens to be the best cook in the world. As soon as we walked through the door we could smell freshly baked sour dough bread, fried potatoes and salmon. We sat down to a wonderful lunch and catch up sesson with our mom. It was the perfect afternoon.

Later that night, Paul came over and we had dinner at O'Charley's and watched a documentry called "The Devils Playground" which was great! Today Anne and I met Robbie, Sarah and Thomas Wyatt at the vietnemese resturaunt Phe Bo. It was such a great and healthy meal! I am so glad that my family is as much in to a healthy lifestyle as Anne and I are (even though we do splurge, fried potatoes are not very healthy!!). It is refreshing to be around people that want to eat healthy. After lunch, Anne, Robbie, Thomas Wyatt and myself went to Best Buy and the mall. Anne and I bought a Breville Juicer. It is a great machine!! After that we went to Whole Foods and bought a bunch of organic fruit and vegetables for the juicer and for meals this week. Once we got back home we took care of the horses and then went for a 3 mile walk. Anne made some juice when we got home, cucumber, spinach and green apple. It was great! I hope everybody had a good weekend!

A Great Night at Masterson....

Tonight Leigh and I loaded up and met Hilori at Masterson for a quick outing with the horses. We had a great time. The horses worked great and we were very happy with their performance. Tonight we didnt work on the barrel pattern, it was for conditioning only. I was trying out a new bit on Drifter and he seemed to really like it, so I am very happy with my purchase.

Stay tuned for more updates.

CONGRATS!!!!!

Leigh and I just wanted to take a moment and send out a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Gina and Brent on the birth of their adorable baby boy Ridge!!! We love you both very much, and Gina we are so proud of you, and so glad to hear your home birth went so well! Love you all!! Kisses to Ridge.

Barrel Practice.....

On Wednesday after work Leigh and I ran home and loaded up the boys and headed to Versailles to our first barrel practice. We took all three boys and they seemed just as excited as we were. We arrived at Hodge Arena around 7:15 and unloaded. To our surprise we were the only souls there!! We had the entire outdoor and indoor arena to ourselves. We got everyone unloaded and saddled up, Leigh and I worked Dually and Drifter first while Rebo stood tied to the trailer.






It was so nice to get to warm up in an arena!! Dually was a pro, he never spooked at anything, kept his mind right and never got excited. Leigh warmed him up real good, trotted the pattern a few times, and then he loped through like a complete champ! He is ready to go! He looked phenomenal and held his form through the entire pattern. He is really coming along nicely.

Drifter has never seen the barrel pattern or been to many arenas but he did a great job. He warmed up nicely, was a little skittish, he wasn’t real sure of his surroundings, but he quickly settled down. After a few trot throughs, I decided to see if he could lope through the barrels! He did really well for his first time out. We continued to work on the barrels and I know now what he needs more work on. It was a great night for Drifter.

Leigh got Mr. Rebo out, the MAN, of the farm, and he has been through this many times. However he gets real excited and only wants to run the pattern and with the footing in the arena we didn’t feel that was a great plan for him. Lets just say, asking Rebo to go through the pattern slowly was quite comical, he of course does know everything!!

All in all it was a wonderful experience. We left the arena around 9:15 and got back home around 10:00. It was a great night for all the horses, Leigh and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Stay tuned for updates from weekly barrel practice!!!

Our weekend update....

Our weekend was full of wonderful adventures. Friday night, Leigh and I stayed in and decided to make a veggie pizza. It was so yummy! It was covered in great toppings, onions, artichokes, green olives, green peppers and cheese. It was a wonderful ending to the hectic work week.
On Saturday morning Leigh and I got up around 7:00 and decided to take advantage of the cooler weather. We wanted to take all three boys, so we called our great friend Hilori and she was totally pumped about riding our amazing Rebo.

When we arrived at Masterson we had lots of company. The Bluegrass State Games were going on and there were many saddlebreds flitting around, but we had an amazing time. I think it was the first time Drifter had ever laid eyes on a saddlebred, but all the horses did great. We worked in the dressage ring for a bit and then cooled them off by walking the entire park. It was a great morning of riding.

Saturday evening we met Whitney and Cavan, Hilori, Josh, and Anna at the Red Mile for Quarter Horse Racing. It is a tradition with us, we go every year, and it is always a blast!!! Silly me didn’t get any pictures, because I was having to much fun! However, I did purchase a raffle ticket for the QH they raffle off, as did Anna and Paul. Three chances in one group!! However we didn’t win, which was a blessing because that is the last thing we need.

Sunday Leigh and I worked around the farm, and got our mowing done and ready for the work week. Hope everyone else had a great weekend as well!!

Fresh from the market...

Anne and I have really been concentrating on our health these last two weeks. We always try to eat pretty healthy but we get off track sometimes just like everybody else. Our big cheat nights are Friday night. That is our "girls night." After Anne and I finish our chores we love to chow down on some very bad unhealthy processed food while watching DVD's in our den and enjoying the beginning of the weekend. It is something we look forward to every week. Instead of eating Fat Katz Hawaiian Pizza and Breyers Vanilla ice cream we are trying to be healthier on our weekends. We have been eating a lot of fish (tilapia, salmon and sushi) and lots of fresh veggies and fruits. We are staying away from processed foods all together. It really isn't that hard to do and the difference you feel is wonderful. I have also been reading a book called 8 Weeks to Optimal Health by Dr. Weill. My friend AnnaMarie turned me on to it and I have really enjoyed it. It is about adding something healthy to your diet/life each week for 8 weeks. I love that it isn't just about your physical health but about your mental, emotional and spiritual health as well. He is a huge advocate of mediation, yoga and walking. I have been trying to practice what this book preaches for the past two weeks and it has been great!! So this is an update from our end. Other than working on our physical, mental and emotional health we have also been riding 4 days a week and the horses are doing great. Of course the horses do help Anne and I with all avenues of our health!! I hope everyone is doing well. This weekend is Quarter Horse racing and I am so excited. I can't wait to go see some amazing horses while enjoying TWO big hotdogs from the Red Mile. See, no one is perfect and trust me, I am never giving up hotdogs!!! ha

It is DEFINITELY Summer...

Well summer is finally here! Sorry we haven't blogged in a while but life has been busy! The summer time is defintely upon us and for the Walkups that means mowing, riding, and hanging with good friends. For the past month we have been working extensively with our horses and getting them in good shape. We hope to be exhibitioning the two young ones with in a couple of weeks and then we will be ready for North American come November. We have been hauling to Masterson riding and of course riding at home and the boys are doing great! We have also gotten to hang with some great friends since we posted. Hilori came out to the house last week to drink a couple of beers on the deck and catch up. We had a great time with her! Over the holiday weekend we had the Allen's out for dinner and it was wonderful to talk with them and make more plans for the summer and fall. Of course the rest of the summer will be just as busy as the last couple of weeks. This week Anne and I will be riding, attending Jr. League with some friends (and the guys) and this weekend we will all make our annual trip to see the Amish to buy some wonderful goodies and later that night we will see the Allens again! In the next week or so Quarter Horse racing will be here which is always a "must" in our schedule for the summer. So, things are busy on this end as I am sure they are with everybody else. I hope everyone is enjoying this summer and getting out doing things. We hope to see you all soon!!

The Bluegrass Festival....

WHAT A BLAST!!!!! We had a wonderful time at the BG Festival! It was a portrait of wonderful music, amazing people, cold beer, and great conversation. Leigh and I had to go back and forth from camp and the house, but we had a splendid time. Wednesday night we got out there around 8:00 and got to meet AnnaMaries bestfriend, Carrie. What an amazing woman! We all immediately clicked and talked most of the evening. We also got to see the WONDERFUL Ms. Dottie!! My goodness, is there a more genuine soul than Ms. Dottie? I would have to say NO! She is a breath of fresh air and it was a great feeling to know we get to see her for another week! Timothy was also at camp, he had flown in from Chicago and even though we met him briefly last year, it was nice to know we were actually going to get hang out with him this year. Leigh and I didnt camp that night, but we did stay until around 12:00.

Thursday we got to camp around 8:30 and we decided to stay that night, which was such a nice feeling, to know that when we got tired we just got to crawl in tents and fall asleep, all the while listening to the odd conversations still taking place at camp. Thursday night was much more low key than Wednesday night, I would say, the word hangover would definitely come to mind, but we still had a great time.

Friday was WET, but fun! It rained and stormed until around midnight, but we all weathered through. We sat in the wonderful kitchen that hung in there through the storm. It had only one mishap, but everyone sprung to action and fixed it and we were right back under it, eating BOILED PEANUTS!!! Yep, you read that right, Ms. Dottie made boiled peanuts and they were PERFECT!!! After the weather finally broke, Josh, made a great fire (thanks honey), and we all sat around and recounted on the evening.

Saturday was the final night of festival and we had an eventful time! We got to camp, each grabbed a beer and AnnaMarie got out her guitar and it was so soothing and relaxing. It was as if everything at camp was so perfect. I must say the best song the group did was "Asshole"!! When Bret launched into the solo, it couldnt have been more perfect!! We actually got to hear it twice,and I could have heard it 20 times more, it was a hilarious song for the group. Most of us ventured up to the main stage and sat out on a blanket, with our drinks and listed to the world known "Seldom Scene" close out the night! They were so good, and it was a perfect ending to a wonderful 4 days. We all returned to camp and enjoyed our last night of great friendship around the campfire.

I want to give a quick thanks to Roy and Anna for including us in this family tradition! It is an experience I will always hold dear to my heart and will look back on with great fondness.