Twin Crossroads

Its been a while....

2010-01-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

Well I guess I should first start off with, it has been way to long. Leigh and I both apologize for taking such a long break with our blog. Sometimes we don’t really know what to write about and others we just get busy. We have full time jobs, plus another website and of course this blog. So it is hard to keep up with everything sometimes but we are going to try harder! So lets catch everyone up on what we have been doing!

Last year we finished off the barrel season really well. Our friend Colleen came in for a while and we ventured up to Circle G arena in OH, and had a wonderful time. Leigh and Dually did really well, with picking up two checks. I took Roanie, but he came up sore, and I didn’t want to push him, so I just hung out and enjoyed the weekend. We had a wonderful time.

I lost my precious Dodge last fall, which was very hard to go through. However, I have since gotten a new Australian Shepherd named Rusty! I rescued him for the Aussie Rescue and he is just a real sweetie! He is a red merle and has fit right into our household!

We also went to Vegas in December for the National Finals Rodeo. That was an absolute blast, and I hope we can go back next year. We were there promoting our other website, http://www.ontherodeoroad.com/, it was a great opprotunity!

We have also built on to our barn, and now have 4 stalls, which has been great, since we have had some bad weather this winter.

So on to 2010! This year we have many great plans and lots of goals and are pumped about the year. We are working hard to get our horses and ourselves fit for this season. Many great things to come and we will keep you updated on our progress. We hope to start hauling the horses in February to get ready for the new season.

Here are some pics to catch you up on what our lives have been about!

What a Summer!!

2009-09-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well it has certainly been a while!!! Anne and have had the most incredible summer of hauling our horses and barrel racing. We have loved every second of it! This past Tuesday marked the beginning of Fall and as much as I love the Fall season, I will truely miss this summer! Lets see...what has been going on?? Well, since the last entry, Roanie has settled in very well. Anne and him are already the best of friends and they are working on getting things together in the arena. Since he is the new horsey on the block at TwinBay Farm he is the low horse on the totem pole. That spot was originally Drifter's but now Drifter has Roanie to pick on. Rebo is still head honcho with Dually following in right behind him. Drifter is NOT a fan of Roanie's but they have finally gotten to a point where they can play nice. :) Anne and I have hauled to the Shepardsville Buckle Series twice since our last entry and that is always fun. Our bestest bud Colleen has come in for a 3 week visit and we have loved getting to ride and compete with her. She went with us to the buckle series and then we all ran barrels at the IBRA Hodge Show this past weekend. It was such a GREAT day for barrel racing. Our friend Amanda ran her mare too and we just had so much fun catching up and hanging out. Our mom and her boyfriend Bob came and it was just great to have them there!! Of course Hilori came too, she never misses a barrel race, and we love having her there!

The past week has brought a LOT of rain to the Bluegrass area and I can honestly say that we are very SICK of it. This coming weekend we have a lot of fun stuff planned with friends coming over, lots of cooking, some beer drinking and possibly some barrel racing if the rain holds off. Next weekend we are hauling to Ohio for a 3 day barrel race with Colleen and Mark and we can't wait!! Then Keeneland opens for the Fall race meet the next weekend and after that we have a barrel race in Indiana. Sooooooo, things are still just as hectic as ever as we move in to the Fall. I hope everyone has had a fantastic summer and gets to enjoy the brisk coolnees and the colorful leaves of the fall season.

The New Man In My Life…

2009-08-12T08:09:00.001-07:00

Meet.. Heza Chexy Docs Hick! He is my new barrel horse, and couldn’t be happier with him. He arrived on Sunday from Colorado and he has every quality I look for in a horse. Debbie, the woman that owned him, did a wonderful job on his training! He has cattle experience, has been heeled off of many times, and has been on the barrels for a while and is high loping the pattern! I am ready for our career as partners to start!! Check back for updates on how Roanie and I are getting a long and how Leigh and Dually are doing as well!

My gosh... how long has it been??

2009-08-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

Well once again, it has been awhile! This summer has just be CRAZY! Leigh and I have been running around so much it is hard to keep up with our blog, but we are going to try to get better. We have been going to a lot of barrel races and just really enjoying our time with our horses! We went to the Richmond show a few weeks ago, and that was a lot of fun. Leigh and Dually improved on their time in that pen, and our good buddy Amanda got a check, so it was a good day all the way around. It was Drifters first exhibition at a lope and he handled it like a champ and I was real proud of him.

We also ventured down to Shepherdsville 2 weeks ago, for their Tuesday night buckle series, and that was a lot of fun. It is a little further drive than we thought, but we really enjoyed it, because it is an outdoor pen and that was nice. We didn’t get there in time for Drifter to exhibition, but it was a great experience for him, just getting in the pen and warm up with everyone, he did real well. Leigh and Amanda both entered, and they both did great! Leigh won the 3D in the women’s class. We were both real proud of Dually since he didn’t get in the pen first, and he went in and ran a real nice pattern, in his first big outdoor pen. Amanda’s horse did real well too! They both decided to stay and enter the open! I knew they would, they were both having so much fun! It was a great night! We got home late, but well worth it.

We also went back to Shepherdsville this past weekend, for their big show. There were A LOT of people there, and it was a LONG day. The show was supposed to start at 2:00 and didn’t start until almost 4:00. Leigh and Amanda both entered the Adult class, and they didn’t even get to saddle their horses, to get ready until around 12:30 in the morning. They didn’t run until around1:30 and of course it started POURING at that point! So they both made their runs in the rain! We were all drenched, and then they called the show after that class, because of the weather. Which was totally fine, because we were leaving anyway. Leigh got a check, so it was nice she got to run. We didn’t walk in our front door until 4:00 in the morning. It was a LONG day, but we had a blast with all of our friends. We met some new people and just so enjoyed being with all of our friends.

We have some exciting things coming up in the next few weeks, so check back……

*The pic is Leigh and I, at the Richmond show.

Checking in again...

2009-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Leigh and I have been busy as usual, but have also been having a blast!! This summer has been wonderful so far! Leigh and I have been riding a lot and keeping our horses in great shape. We have tried to make 2 shows a month and so far, have been doing really well at that. Leigh pulled her first check on Dually 2 weeks ago, at Hodge arena! She won the 3D! It was a wonderful day. Our great friend Hilori was there to share it with us!! We really enjoy having her a long with us. Our friend Amanda was also at the show and she did great by placing 3rd in the 3D, which was wonderful. I loped Drifter thru for the first time and he handled it very well. I was pleased with how he performed and he is improving every week.

This past weekend, we had company in from out of town and enjoyed our weekend entertaining. We had beers on the deck on Friday night and Saturday, we were very disappointed with the rain!! However we made the best of it and still had a wonderful meal. We had corn in the husk on the grill, pork chops on the grill, green beans and Hilor’s amazing potato salad!! We also had pecan pie and ice cream for dessert but we were all to stuffed to have any. Even though the rain put a damper on our evening, we still had a wonderful time.

We have a show this weekend, and then Quarter Horse Racing the next weekend. The state fair is also coming up and Leigh may enter Dually. Lots of exciting things going on!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!

Leigh and Dually’s run to win the 3D

We are still around...

2009-06-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in entries....like we said before...we have been mowing! Seriously, things have been busy here as always. We have been riding the horses and hauling to Masterson. The last show that Anne and I went to was at Richmond and that was before we went to Colorado. Both boys did great. When we got back we heard that the arena we normally practice in had been quarantined for Strangles so that put a bit of a damper on our practice. Drifter is just learning barrels so he definitley needs the practice. Dually is pretty set as far as the pattern is concerned but he does need to be on the barrels some as well so we haven't hauled to any shows since Colorado. We have been going to Masterson and doing conditioning work as well as continue to sharpen them both up on flexion and making sure they both remain supple. Tomorrow we will head back to the arena and then hopefully hit a barrel race next weekend. Other than riding we have gotten to spend quite a bit of time with our family and friends. We celebrated our nephew's birthday on June 6th and it was so great for the family to be together. We had company come in this past weekend and we have a busy week this week with friends coming over to hang on the deck and catch up. Always something going on out at the farm. Summer is definitely here and we are busy as ever, of course we love it!! Okay, we will check back in soon!

Here is a video of me and Dually loping the pattern at Richmond:

Colorado Trip

2009-05-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Well Leigh and I are back from our trip to Colorado and we had an amazing time, as always! Our trip was jam packed with all kinds of fun stuff, mostly revolving around horses, but is there any better vacation? Wednesday we got into Denver early and Colleen picked us up and we started our trip to Yuma, but we had a few stops along the way. The main stop was the Greeley Hat Works, so that Leigh and I could finally get a nice cowboy hat, that fits our pea sized heads! We both got what we wanted, I went with the French tan color and Leigh decided on Silver Mist! They both look great, and I couldn’t have been happier with the customer service. Trent Johnson does an amazing job and is very professional and a great hatter!

On Thursday, we woke up to the WIND BLOWING! This seems to be a regular occurrence when we go to Yuma! Mark and Colleen seem to act as if we bring the wind when we come, which isn’t the case! Hahah! So we hung around the house on Thursday and got some stuff done, and just enjoyed being together. That afternoon, we loaded up 4 of their horses, and headed to a local jackpot that evening. It was just a way for Colleen to get her horses in an outdoor pen before her big race this weekend. Leigh and I exercised her other horses on the track around the arena and then watched her SMOKE the pattern! Her and Fancy did a great job, as did her horse George! It was a great night and we met some great people, and the wind stopped blowing when we got there.

Friday, the wind was still blowing so we decided to take some of the mares to the indoor and get some riding time. We took 2 of her young ones, Harper and Chanel, and they did amazing! Leigh rode Harper (the horse is named after Leigh, hehe) and they were a great match. She hasn’t been ridden much, but she was a superstar! I rode Fancy, and she is just an amazing mare. She is Colleens finished mare, that she trained and she has done an amazing job with her. I got to take her through the barrels and it was awesome!

Saturday, the wind finally died down enough for us to ride at their place, and Leigh rode Harper again and I exercised Fancy and took her through the pattern a few times. It was nice for me to be on a finished horse. I seem to always be training on one, so it was nice to just get t ride! Leigh got to help Harper along, and just did really well with her! That evening Colleen and Mark had some rodeo friends laying over, and we had a wonderful time meeting them and drinking beer and just talking! It was a great way to end our wonderful vacation!

As always we hated to leave! Mark and Colleen are so dear to us, but we know we will see them again soon. Thanks guys, for a great trip! (the pic is of the sunrise the morning we left)

Checking In....

2009-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

We have been SOOOOOOOOOO busy!! I know that is no excuse to not keep up with the blog, BUT between our full time jobs, our other website, the farm, hauling the horses on the weekends, riding AND MOWING (I swear, we spend more time doing that than anything else!!) we have been swamped!

So, what has been going on...hmmmmm, all of the above! We have been riding the horses alot and getting them ready for the barrel racing season. We went to Morehead two weekends ago for an IBRA show and it was rainy and nasty. The boys did good, it was there first "real outing" this year to a show and after their nerves and ours settled, they did good. Dually and Drifter had a few bobbles but nothing some phone calls to our friends and some more practice in the practice pen couldn't help. We traveled to Richmond this past weekend to another IBRA show and the boys did GREAT! 100% improvement from the week before. We both couldn't have been happier. Our friend Hilori traveled to both shows with us and she is so amazing. She does great at keeping me in check (I can get neurotic at times) and she always videos and offers advice and encouragment. She rocks!! Thanks Hilori! Let's see, other than that we have been....hmm....oh yeah...mowing! We mow a LOT! I am not REALLY complaining because at least we aren't in a drought and the pastures are so green, the boys are loving it. Tomorrow we leave for our annual trip to Colorado to hang out with our best buds Colleen and Mark! We can't wait to get out there and talk, talk, talk, talk barrel racing. hahaha We always have a blast when we go out west.

So, I hope everyone has enjoyed this gorgeous Kentucky spring and has alot of wonderful things planned this summer. We will be sure and touch base with some cool pics when we get back from Colorado!

Leigh and Dually Running Home!

Anne and Drifter headed to 3rd

Beautiful Weather..

2009-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Leigh and I have been loving this wonderful weather! Spring is just so beautiful, and everything at the farm is blooming, and the grass is growing and everything is so green. Of course we are having a cold snap today and tomorrow, but the weekend was just beautiful! Leigh and I spent Friday night, with wonderful friends. We went to our friend Stephanie’s to celebrate her new job, and had a great time with, Nikki, Keith, and Anna Marie. It is always so nice to get together and just laugh and catch up in a cozy setting like Stephanie’s apartment.

Saturday Leigh and I had a lot of stuff to get done, but we hopped out of bed and started our day. We went and got hay, and then grain, and came back and unloaded everything, and then hooked up the truck and the trailer and grabbed Dually and Drifter and headed to Masterson. It was just such a gorgeous day, and both the boys were feeling really good, so we had a great ride. Nothing better than loping a horse through a beautiful green pasture! It is great for the soul.

That evening our great friend Hilori came over, and we relaxed on the deck and had a few beers, and enjoyed the weather. Sunday Leigh and I went to see our amazing Mother. She always helps us do our taxes, so we got that done and had a great lunch, and so loved being with Mom. That evening, we had to get some work done for Ontherodeoroad.com and some sponsorship stuff done as well. We had a wonderful weekend that was very productive! Couldn’t ask for any better!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Here is a pic of one of the pretty trees blooming on the farm!

Spring Time in Kentucky..

2009-03-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Drifter is ready for spring too!

Hey everybody!

Anne and I have been busy as ever. We have been riding like crazy, hauling to barrel practice, hanging out with friends and enjoying this awesome weather. Spring time in Kentucky is a season that is on an entirely different level. It is almost like over night everything becomes GREEN, things start blooming, the leaves come out and the birds are singing in the mornings. It is GREAT! I love the time change because when Anne and I get off work we can ride, go to practice, work in the flower beds, grill out.....we still have a day. That is one thing I hate about the winter, when I come home from work it is dark. I HATE THAT! Oh, I hate the ice and snow too! I am a tank top and holy jeans kind of girl, not parkas, ski boots and gloves! Soooooooooo, I hope everyone is getting out and having fun. The spring bring lots of fun things, barrel races and rodeos and of course Keeneland!!!

Have a good one!

I also wanted to remind everyone to check out our other site, http://www.ontherodeoroad.com/

Traci Pratt Barrel Clinic....

2009-03-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well this was the weekend that Leigh and I have been waiting for since January!!! On Friday, Leigh and I bounced out of bed ready to go! We had been preparing for the barrel clinic all week, packing the trailer, doing laundry and getting the horses ready, but things usually come down to the last minute. We had to run some errands, and get hay, for the rest of the week, for when we returned, and give the horses baths, to make sure they looked stunning when they arrived at Wild Rose Farm.

Leigh and I loaded up the trailer and headed out that afternoon for Elizabethtown. It is always fun going to new arenas and getting to take the horses, and we were both very excited. We arrived at Wild Rose Farm, early evening, and unloaded Dually and Drifter, and let them get used to their new surroundings. We got their stalls all set up and they settled in for the night. This farm is used primarily for boarding horses, and lessons, so, there were lots of people running around, but the horses did great, and were really more concerned with eating. So Leigh and I said goodnight, and headed to the hotel, we knew Saturday would be atleast 8 hours in the saddle, so we wanted to get as much rest as we could.

We got to the arena around 7:00 that morning and fed the horses, and met the other people in the clinic! Everyone was so nice and so friendly and we were both very excited! We got Dually and Drifter all saddled up and started out on our first day of the clinic! Traci Pratt is wonderful! She makes everyone feel so at ease and just ready to get down to business. We all went through the barrel pattern once that first day and covered, all sorts of new exercises for Ultimate Body Control and the horses did so GREAT! We were both just so proud of them, and they seem to be really enjoying the exercises. We were so lucky to get some one on one time with Traci and she is a wonderful instructor. She has really helped Drifter to begin bending, the way he should, and moving laterally, which is just AWESOME! He was doing okay on these things, but her techniques have made it much easier, and he is just gliding a long with flying colors. Traci took to Dually immediately, and was very impressed with his ability. Dually is a little more advanced than Drifter, so she really put Dually to the test as far as his lateral flexion. He actually was superior in the class, he just excels at all of it, and it makes both of us so happy, especially Leigh. After all the health issues, she has gone thru with Dually it was wonderful to see him soar in this clinic.

We were so lucky to get to know Traci this weekend. She is just an amazing woman! She is by far one of the best horsemen I have been around in a long time. She understands horses in a way that most people will never get, and it is so refreshing to be around someone that is willing to share their knowledge! Leigh and I were way past exhausted come Saturday night, after being in the saddle all day, but it was so well worth it!

Sunday, we got out to the arena and got the horses ready for part 2 of the clinic, which was putting together the Ultimate Body Control exercises on the barrel pattern! The best part about this day was Traci got on all of our horses and took them through the pattern. It is so nice to see someone else work your horse. She actually chose Dually to ride first, because she had been wanting to get on him all weekend. He went through the pattern perfect, he was a superstar! He did everything perfect and just shined!! Huge moment for Leigh, and all of her hard work! She also rode Drifter, and he was doing all of the exercises on the pattern really well. Just a few more things to work on, and he will be ready to go. I was so glad she rode him, so I could watch him and he looked great, and I was very, very proud of him.
There were so many wonderful people at this clinic. We made friends with all of them, and I cant wait to see them at some of the local races. There were people at the clinic from Cleveland to Nashville.

Leigh and I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend, and we will always, always, always recommend Traci Pratt and her amazing ability to anyone! She really is a just amazing! She mentioned to Leigh and I, that we need to come down to TX and visit her at some point, and I thought to myself “you have no idea what you are getting yourself into, we may never leave” hahah!

Awww what a great weekend!!!

I am apologizing in advance for the lack of pics, it was a busy weekend, but here are two!

Leigh and Dually and Drifter once we arrived at the clinic!

Me and Drifter, getting ready to load up!

Our Weekend...

2009-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

Leigh and I had a 3 day weekend, and it was wonderful. Friday, we went up to Cincy to spend the day with our amazing friends Gina and Brent at their office, Gateway Chiropractic Center. We both got all checked out and adjusted, and it was our first time but it was great! Their office just screams meditation and calming, and we love spending time with them. One of the highlights of our day, was getting to spend time with their amazing little boy Ridge. He is the BEST BABY and we just carted him around with us all day, and he loved it. He never got upset, and just smiles all the time, and is beautiful! We got home late that night, because we hated to leave. We never get to spend enough time with our wonderful friends, but feel so fortunate just to have them in our lives.

Saturday we spent the day in Lexington running around. We had a great lunch at Joseph Beth with our friend Karen. We really enjoyed catching up with her. Then we made our trip to liquor barn, were Leigh and I splurged and got Wexford and Guinness!! We had our friend Melissa over that night to watch the Sex and The City movie, since she hasn’t seen it, and it was a great night to just curl up and drink beer and watch a great movie.

Sunday we spent the day with the horses. They have had enough time off, and it was so nice and sunny outside, we cleaned the barn, stripped and bedded all the stalls, and rode. They all did great! We were both very proud of all of them. It was as if, they have enjoyed their vacation enough! Time to get back to work. We hope the weather isn’t to bad on Wednesday, so we can haul to Hodge arena, for open barrel practice. That is the plan atleast!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

This and That....

2009-02-01T14:04:00.001-08:00

This past week has been hectic yet a bit boring. The snow and ice had Anne and I stuck in the house for a couple of days and even though we love our place, after a bit we both need to get out. We spent this weekend running errands and cleaning the house, reading, writing, working and relaxing. Friday night we didn't do anything but cook supper and watch some TV. Yesterday we got up early, I cleaned my bathroom while Anne cleaned the den and the kitchen. Then we headed to town and did some shopping. We both bought some new jeans and some sweaters. We also each got a summer top and it makes me so excited about summer. I wish it was 80 degrees right now! Today we went in to Lexington and visited Wild Oats. We got lots of yummy organic food for the week and now we are back at home.The weather has put a damper on the horse riding plus our horse trailer is at the shop getting LED lights put in.Hopefully the trailer will be back this week and we can start hauling the boys this coming weekend. Sooo, I am off to read and marinate some farm raised salmon for dinner. I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Snow and Ice Covers TwinBay....

2009-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Well the last two days Anne and I have been "iced in" here at the farm. It started Monday night and it hasn't stopped since then. We have both said earlier how much we hate the cold weather. I dont mind a bit of snow but I hate ice and the farm is literally covered in ice. Now, it has been snowing for about an hour, so we have snow, then ice, now more snow. I know I said earlier this week, LET IT SNOW...I am now taking that back. BRING ON SPRING. The horses enjoyed the snow, but they hate the ice. They have been tucked in their stalls alot these last couple of days. Enjoy the pics.

Our Weekend...

2009-01-25T17:03:00.001-08:00

Leigh and I have had a few hectic and busy weekends lately, so we wanted to take this weekend to just be… and do the things we wanted to do. We were lucky enough, that we got to do just that!! Friday night we spent time with our wonderful friend Hilori and we always enjoy spending time with her. Saturday morning, Leigh and I got up and took care of our horses, and ventured to Lexington for a morning with friends. We went to Stephanies apartment and curled up with wonderful coffee, awesome Spaldings donuts (I know, not on the diet, but so worth it) and beautiful friends. Emily joined us and we had such a great time. We watched the CMT countdown, we sang, we talked about summer, we discussed goals, we talked about politics, but most of all we LAUGHED. I cant think of a better way to spend a winter morning, than laughing with friends over hot coffee. Leigh took her crocheting with her, and worked on that all morning, while we were there, and she is almost done with the scarf she is working on. It is going to be so nice, and it looks great, for the first time back crocheting in about 20 years.

We had to run many errands that afternoon, while in Lexington, but we got home right before dark to take care of the horses, and then enjoyed a night in. We got up this morning and did our usual errands, to go and get grain, hay, and shavings to get everything set up for the week. Then we enjoyed our day, reading, relaxing and watching it snow. Leigh caught up on some National Geographic magazines she hadn’t read, and I finished the book I have been working on and moved on to a new one I got yesterday.

It has been a perfect weekend for us to reset and get ready for the work week. It was nice to have a weekend to just be.. and get to catch up with friends!!!

(the pic is the sunrise at the farm, a few weeks ago)

9 years later...

2009-01-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend Anne and I got to do something that should have taken place 9 years ago.I was very fortunate to actually run in to one of my father's close friends a while back. This man was a very close friend of my father and had shared in an experience 9 years ago that would turn out to bring Anne and I a lot of grief. See, this man was part of a small group of my father's friends that spread his ashes after his passing. Anne and I were not aware that his ashes had been spread till at least 6 weeks after it took place. We were not invited or told that any of this had taken place. Neither was my father's mother. Can' you imagine? I can't begin to tell you the devastation this brought to both of us. When I learned of this, I can honestly tell you that I was heartbroken as was my sister. I hope that no one ever has to experience some of the things that Anne and I have experienced in our life, however we have both learned you just have to move on, but this was one act that we have had a really hard time moving on from. After this man and I talked it was very apparent that there was a LOT of miscommunication in what I had been told by people that were supposed to be my family. So sad. So very, very sad. It is hard to even imagine how people that are supposed to LOVE you can never even think of your feelings,and partake in a very selfish act. I will never understand it. So................this weekend, Anne and I were invited to learn the true story, the actual FACTS that took place almost 9 years ago. Anne and I will forever be grateful to this person that gave us pictures of our father that we had no idea even existed and shared with us what TRULY happened the day that my father was actually laid to rest. It was a very calming experience and one that I will always treasure. It was wonderful to be with people that truly did love my father. So after this experience and after all the feelings that we have felt for 9 years, here is the lesson that is learned folks. There are people in this world that truly have no clue what it means to LOVE someone and to want the best for people. In the past I would be angry and mad and wouldn't be able to let it go, and there will still be times like that, because you never forget, however knowing that I know this isn't about them, because they in my mind don't know what it means to think of others, I am thankful for the people that do. I am now just sad, sad that their actions let the most important person down, and that was my father. My father was the one that was let down the most. That saddens me. So what I have learned from this process as cliche as it may sound...treat people how you want to be treated. Remember that your words and your actions may truly change someones life for the better or for the worst. Actions that took place 9 years ago brought so much grief to Anne and I, actions that weren't necessary, but selfish, however the actions that took place this weekend brought us such joy and restored in us the goodness in people, and has also built a lasting friendship, one that we are both very thankful to have. There are many wonderful people in this world, and my father had many surrounding him, that we are fortunate to have in our lives. We love you dad!!

Some adventures, some thoughts, and some cold weather..

2009-01-15T11:13:00.000-08:00

2009 has rocked so far! Anne and I have spent lots of time working out and hanging with our friends as well as reading and cooking. We spent last weekend with our friends Amy and Chuck. I told Amy earlier this week that she is good for my soul. I know Anne and I both feel so blessed to have them both in our lives. They are both such super postive people that just radiate happiness. Even when life throws them some curve balls they still keep their chin up! I love being around them and when I leave their company I always feel rejuvenated and happy. That is how friends should be! We also got to see our friend Brooke. Brooke lives in Bowling Green and is a childhood friend of Amy's. I got to meet Brooke when we all met up at Murray State. It was so great to see her and catch up. She is still as lively and gorgeous as ever! It was a great weekend! I am currently doing a lot of reading, which is one of the things I like about this time of year. I am reading "Awakening the Buddha Within" By Lama Surya Das, "Marley and Me" by John Grogan and "40 Years Gatherin" by Spike Van Cleve. They are all great books and all very different. I hate the winter and the cold weather but I am glad that it does give us the time to sit down, slow down, read, breathe and center our lives a bit.

Anne and I have both been working out everyday. Chuck actually turned us on to the workout program P90X and we are on our 10th day. Chuck completed this workout last year and is doing it again. He looks GREAT!! We have really enjoyed it and I can already tell I am getting stronger. I am pumped to check my results after 30,60 and 90 days!

Anne and I also signed up for a barrel racing clinic in March. We are so stoked about that! I can't wait to kick off the season and we can't think of a better way to do it! Oh, and we planned our trip for Colorado. We are pumped about getting out there and hanging out with Mark, Colleen, Chase and Caitlyn. Colleen and Mark have a slew of horses right now, so I can imagine they are going to keep Anne and I pretty busy. They are also good for the soul!

I guess that is about all that is going on here around TwinBay. The weather has been very cold these last couple of days and I can tell you that I am sick of busting ice at the barn. One of the water tanks had about 3 inches of ice on it this morning. It took me a while to get that busted up. By the time I was done and walked back to the house, my entire jacket had already froze. I am sorry, but that is just TOO DAMN COLD! The older I get the more I long to live somewhere that has warm weather year round.

I hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying this chilly January. I gotta tell ya, I can't wait till spring!!!

We look happy in these pics, but we are sick of it!!

Having fun!!!

2009-01-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well so far 2009 is off to a great start! Leigh and I decided to put a title on our year, and it is all about HAVING FUN! We are committed to making this year one of the best yet. Last year was a good year, but we got busy and distracted with things, and this year we are concentrating on just having fun and enjoying life. We have some great trips planned this year, and if all works out, we hope to get to experience all of them. We love our yearly trip to CO, to see our wonderful friends Mark and Colleen and we hope to get to go again this year. We are also planning a beach vacation, either to NC, or somewhere more south. Leigh has some great trips planned for work this year, and will be in Las Vegas during the NFR in December, and I hope to get to fly out and enjoy that as well. We have lots of weekend trips planned too; we hope to get to Murray, Ashville, and of course a weekend in Nashville at some point.

We are already starting to get our horses back in shape and are ready for a great year on the road with them!! This is their year, and we cant wait to get back in the arena!!!

Leigh and I are heading off to Bowling Green this weekend, to see our awesome friends Amy and Chuck! Chuck is the one that introduced Leigh and I to P90x, the workout program, and Leigh and I started it on Monday and Chuck is also on round two as well, so we are each other’s little support group.

Leigh and I have been very lucky to have reconnected with some old friends lately. They have really brought joy into our lives, and we are so excited about spending time with them in 09!

Here is a pic from the Appalachian Trail, we hope to get back on it at some point this year!

Out With the Old, In with the New

2009-01-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we have posted, so I thought I would catch everyone up. We had a wonderful holiday season. Christmas Eve, Leigh and I baked cookies for our neighbors, and enjoyed our day with our mother. She arrived around noon, and we had such a wonderful day with her. We watched movies, and made sausage balls, and just laughed and enjoyed our time together. Christmas morning, we got up and took care of the horses and started cooking. Unfortunately, our brother Robbie, his wife Sarah and there precious little boy, Thomas Wyatt were all sick so they didn’t get to attend Christmas this year. We made the best of it, and cooked a great meal. We had ham, cheese garlic grits, mashed potatoes, barley casserole, green beans, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, and rolls! It was an amazing meal. To top it off, we had my mothers homemade Jam Cake for dessert, along with many other goodies. Our friend Hilori joined us for lunch, and my mothers boyfriend Bob came as well. We all enjoyed our Christmas together.

Leigh and I gave ourselves a Christmas gift of having a water line put in at the barn!! It was finished this week, and it was the best gift EVER!! I cant explain how nice it is to have water at the barn, and not have to carry water buckets! It has been so nice, and makes our time at the barn much easier.

For New Years Eve, Leigh and I went to our friends Whitney and Cavans. We have spent many NYE’s together in the past, and always have a wonderful time. They cooked an amazing seafood spread and we just ate, and drank, and enjoyed our time together. It was a great way to bring in the new year!!

The new year is always a time of reflection and I don’t believe in resolutions, but I think it is a wonderful time to set goals! We have many goals set for this year and we are both so excited to see them accomplished!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here are some pics from our New Year.

WOW....its been a while!

2008-12-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-11-19T17:20:00.001-08:00

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......

2008-11-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-11-02T16:24:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2008-10-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

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

Kick ass fiddle player, Brady Black

Me and my bestfriend Ed

A weekend with the horses.....

2008-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-10-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-10-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

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..

2008-10-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Drifter

Dually

Rebo

Fall Weather..

2008-09-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-09-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-08-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

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???

2008-08-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!

2008-07-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-07-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-07-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-06-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

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.

Masterson Station Park, Sushi and SATC….

2008-06-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

Leigh and I had an exciting weekend. We got up early Saturday morning to beat the heat and loaded up all three of the horses and went to Masterson Station Park and had a wonderful time. The horses did so good, and it was so nice to get them off the farm and ride in an open area. Rebo, our seasoned man, was perfect as usual, and Dually and Drifter did very well. They seem to really enjoy being in a new place. It was a wonderful morning!

That evening, Leigh, Paul, Josh and I, met Robbie and Sarah at Tomo for sushi. I could eat sushi everyday and it was a great treat, then the girls all ordered a cosmo because we were going to see Sex and The City! The movie was great and I have to give Josh credit, he isn’t a fan, but sat through it anyway (I am pretty sure I have to see Indiana Jones as a trade off). I think we all enjoyed it.

This week Leigh and I have lots going on and I couldn’t be more excited! The Bluegrass Festival starts on Wednesday night and we are going to have such a wonderful time with everyone. Everyone already set up their tents, and Leigh and I will be going out tomorrow night to hang out, but we cant stay, since we have to work. But we will be out there on Friday and Saturday night, with quick trips back to the house to check on the dogs. We are lucky that we live so close to the Horse Park. There is nothing better than spending time with wonderful friends, beautiful music and a campfire! Bring on the festival!!

Where I am from.....

2008-05-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

I am from hand sewn country quilts, sun tea making on the front porch and willow trees swaying in the backyard.

I am from a southern style plantation house, hardwood floor country store and a little farmhouse on Craintown Rd.

I am from honeysuckle and roses and the blackberry bushes on a narrow path

I am from long conversations and stubborn opinions, from tough cowboys and amazingly strong women.

I am from laughter and warmth.

I am from a wood burning stove and a box fan.

I am from strong Presbyterians and Methodists that believed in the good of people.

I'm from the horse capital of the world, tobacco patches and rolls of bailed hay, cheese grits and spoon bread.

I am from a grandfather that smoked a pipe and a humanitarian grandmother, a cowboy father and hardworking beautiful mother.

I am from a place that little girls dream of. A place where horses and little girls could run free together.

It is finally done.....

2008-05-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Driveway is finished, truck and trailer are home! We are ready to ROLL!!

Checking in...

2008-05-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Leigh and Amy

A three day weekend is coming up and Anne and I couldn't BE more excited!! This has been a busy week so far. We started excavating at the farm. We are building a truck and trailer drive, it will be a full circle driveway around the barn. We can't wait till it is done! This way when we come in from rodeo's and barrel races at 2:00 in the morning in the pouring down rain there will be no worries that the truck or trailer will get stuck. The rig will have its very own driveway and very own parking spot. Also this week my horse Dually came up with a small hole in his sole (not an abscess) and I have been packing his foot. This has been a major pain and I have called my farrier to see how long this is going to have to go on. He is not lame on it so I am not overly concerned but it is still something that needs to be monitored. This weekend is going to rock!! We are headed to Bowling Green to spend Friday night with some of our best friends Amy and Chuck! We can't freaking wait to see them. They are the most wonderful people and we always have lots of fun catching up. Amy, Anne and I met in college and have been very close ever since. Lots of good memories are tied up in that friendship. Then the rest of the weekend Anne and I will mow and ride our ponies. Hopefully if the driveway is done this weekend we will be at Masterson Station riding the horses early Monday morning. We hope everybody has a great Memorial Day weekend!

What we have been up to....

2008-05-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Anne and I have been so busy lately that we haven't had a chance to update our blog. With the nice weather and some rain free days we have been mowing, mowing, planting flowers, riding horses and of course more mowing. Keeping the farm looking pretty and manageable takes a lot of time, but we aren't complaining. It is work that we both really enjoy doing. Is there times that I wish I was riding my horse instead of the John Deere? Of course! But mowing takes priority when there may only be one day of the week that is pretty and the rest rainy. Unfortunately that means riding gets pushed back and that does aggravate me but mowing comes first.

This past week Anne and I worked on our deck. I ordered a new canopy for our big umbrella, we bought a lot of flowers to plant, and spent most of the week planting them. This weekend was great! My mom has been promising to come and help us work on the farm some. She got to the house Saturday morning and we had a great lunch and then we got to work. I mowed the entire front yard (that takes about an hour and a half) and Anne and Mom worked in flower beds and trimmed some trees. The place looks so much better. It was just a fantastic day!! Yesterday Bob came to get her and they left to go have breakfast and Anne and enjoyed being home all day. It was miserable outside so we did laundry and cooked all day.

Later that evening we went down to the barn to get the boys and bring them in. They were shaking because of the chill of the rain. Hmm, I think they are all little drama kings, but whatever. Anne and I got them all fed and tucked in their stalls. They were very happy to be in. Then we had dinner, worked on some new exciting things TwinBay Farm is pursing and got ready for the work week! I hope everybody had a great Mothers Day weekend!!

Barrel Clinic, Family Meals, and horses, horses, horses!

2008-05-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Charlie and Twin Bluff

Well I cant begin to describe how much fun we had in CO! It was the vacation of a lifetime. There is nothing better than spending quality time, with wonderful friends, adorable twins, and beautiful horses. We arrived on Wednesday after a great flight, and headed to Yuma. When we got to their place, after a couple of stops, it was early afternoon. We took a tour of the house, and then immediately went out to the barn. Colleen and Mark have a very nice group of horses. We also got to see Peggy the very pregnant mare, who had decided to wait until the "twins" got there to foal!! She was about to pop and I kept telling Colleen "I hope it is a colt and has lots of chrome on it (Chrome is white, for those that don't know)." The chances of her having a foal with a lot of chrome are pretty slim, but that is the type of horse I like and have always wanted. As you can see from the pic, I got exactly what I wanted. Maybe he will come and live with me, when he turns 2!! I think Colleen and Mark are going to try to name him Twin Bluff, which I just adore.

That evening Chase and Caitlyn, Marks twins came out, they are 12 and just amazing. We had a wonderful time getting to know them. They stayed at the farm with us every night, and it was just an absolute pleasure getting to be around them. In a day and age, when kids are rowdy and have no respect for adults, these kids showed that it is still possible for children to be well behaved and respectful. They help with all the horses chores, and help clean the house, and are both so sweet.

The next day, Mark and Colleen let us sleep in for a bit! We finally made it out to the barn, and got everyone saddled and headed out to their arena. We took 5 horses out there and just had a wonderful time. We worked on the barrel pattern. Colleen is a great teacher and she had just been to a Brandi Halls clinic, so it was nice to go over those exercises. We were so lucky because Mark, who NEVER takes off work, took off while we were there, so we got to hang out with him as well. After riding all morning, we retired to the house for lunch. Then we went over to the ranch that Colleen and Mark look over. It is 4000 acres and very nice. We went through the feedlot and looked at all the ranch geldings. That evening we went in to town (30 miles) to watch the twins play in a band concert at the school. They both did a great job.

The next day, we went to an indoor arena and worked the horses. We worked the horses on the barrel pattern, then the owners of the arena came up, Craig and Katy, and they roped with Mark and Chase. It was a great day!

Saturday, we got up with all intentions of riding and it was SNOWING! That is CO for you, it was in the 70's on Thursday and snowing on Saturday, so we had a lazy day inside. We watched barrel training videos all day and really enjoyed it.

That night, we had a wonderful meal with great conversation. It was a great ending to our trip. Mark, Colleen, Chase and Caitlyn made us feel right at home, and we can't wait to go back soon!

The flight home, was not near as enjoyable as the flight out. It was HORRIBLE turbulence the entire 2 hours, so that was shitty, but we had such a wonderful trip, it was worth it, that is for sure.

Leigh and I have been catching up on stuff since we got home, we got the place mowed last night and I cleaned the entire barn and tack room. It is nice to be back home where the grass is green and the weather is good, but we cant wait to go back out west!

Good for the Soul....

2008-04-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Two banana peanut butter smoothies and a great book.

Anne and I have been doing a lot of reading lately. Reading is so good for my soul. It can instantly send me to a different place. I love my life and wouldn't change a thing, but sometimes forgetting everything that you are dealing with and engulfing yourself in a fictional character or learning about a new subject is...well...good for the soul. I have been reading "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. This book was part of my Valentines Day gift from Paul. It is a really good read so far. The first paragraph of the book says to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." It goes on to say that for a while it used to be that food was all that you COULD eat but now there are other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. WOW! This is so true. I watched a documentry earlier this week on the raw food movement and one of the nutrionist on the program said "Once you leave the produce section of the grocery store you have just left the food section of the store." That really hit home to me. I am glad that Anne and I have made a conscious effort to eat healthy. Trust me, I still enjoy my Doritoes or fries as much as the next person but I try to enjoy them in a LOT smaller portions and less frequently. I also appreciate how hard it is, changing any habit is not easy, especially an eating habit.

Anne is currenlty reading "Eat, Pray and Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I read this book months ago and HIGHLY recommend it. I thought this book was beautifully written. It left me with a sense of ownership of my decisions and my pathway in life. The calming feeling that I felt when reading this memoir is something that everyone should experience.

On another note Anne and I are working out like crazy and loving every minute of it. Our exercise of choice at the moment is running. Lots of people hate to run but it was always around us when we were growing up. My mom and dad both were runners. I look forward to my daily runs. I step off my treadmill with the sweat dripping off my nose and feel so calm. Running to me is a form of meditation. I can get on my treadmill and work through any thought or feeling. Like a good book, running is good for the soul.

So as this beautiful spring season arrives, I wish all of you find something that is good for your soul.

Vaca with Tri Gang...

2008-04-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

70.3 IRONMAN KANSAS!! Leigh and I are so happy because we get to go with Ken and Mary on another adventure. We will be leaving on June 13th, to drive to Lawrence, Kansas, to support Ken and Mary on June 15th while they compete in a half Ironman. Leigh and I have had so many great experiences with Ken and Mary. The 4 of us competed in The Mooseman Triathlon in 2006, and it would not have even been possible had these two not been with us. They are wonderful motivators and by far amazing to go on a trip with. The one thing you can always expect with Ken and Mary is the unexpected! We had many unexpected things happen while in New Hampshire and it couldnt have been a more exiciting trip! Our time in Maine with them was absolutely priceless, those memories I will always cherish.

Leigh and I also had the pleasure of doing a marathon relay with Ken and Mary in September of 2005. Our good friends Amy and Chuck competed in the race with us as well, and completed our 6 member team. The 4 of us left to come back to Lexington on that Monday after the race and had decided we would be back in town around 3:00. We arrived in Lexington at 12:30 that night. We always love the spontaneous fun we have when we are with the two of them. The only thing we have to remember is "GET TO THE RACE ON TIME"

Leigh and I have way to much going on right now, to try to train for a half ironman, so we found a road race in that same area, to run that Saturday morning. So we all get to do something athletic while we are there. But it is going to be so much fun, just getting on the road with the two of them, and cheering them on during this race. I know it will be an AWESOME TRIP!

Wonderful weekend....

2008-04-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderful weekend! I havent left the house once!!!! The weather has been great and Leigh and I have used this weekend to get some much needed work done. We got out website completed, if you have a moment please go and check it out. We are not sure if this is the final website, but it will work for now.

http://www.twinbayfarm.com/

Leigh and I spent the day today, getting some work things organized which was great. Then we headed down to the barn, and spent the afternoon with the horses. The weather was just wonderful today and the horses were feeling sassy!! I rode Drifter and he did great, he is really coming along. Leigh rode Rebo and he was a pro as usual. He looks amazing this year. The vet was out last week to give them all their yearly vaccinations and he couldnt believe Rebo is 21, he looks like he is in his teens!! Leigh also gave Dually a really great massage which he very much appreciated.

I hope everyone got to get out this weekend and enjoy this wonderful weather!!

20 DAYS TILL COLORADO!!!!!!

2008-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

In twenty days Anne and I will be leaving for Colorado to go see our best friend Colleen. I can’t freaking WAIT!!!! We planned this trip back in January and I can’t believe it is already here. We are going to be staying with Colleen and her fiancé Mark and we finally are gonna get to meet Marks children. I have heard such great things about them, I feel as if I already know them. Mark and Colleen have planned some great things for us to do while we are out there. What excites me the most is just hanging out with them and riding their horses and just enjoying Colorado. Anne and I haven’t been to Colorado in over three years so it will be great to be back. Actually Anne and I flew to Colorado the very DAY that Colleen moved there so it will be great to go back and see where she lives now and meet all her horses that we talk about every day. We will finally get to meet Lilly, Fancy, Jack, Sammy, Hallie Chanelle and of course all the other ones. Going on vacation is always fun but going to visit friends means a bit more I think. Anne, Colleen and I have known each other since we were kids. We just have a great little history. We know her parents, Colleen knows ours, I know all her past horseys and she knows ours. We spent weeks together as kids at Horse Camp, as we got older we have still maintained our friendship through our horses. There is just something very comfortable about a friend that has been in your life for over 20 years. So, to say the least Anne and I are totally pumped bout bumming around Colorado with Colleen and Mark for a couple of days and talking horses NON STOP!!

CET Test Cases....

2008-03-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

This has been such a great week so far and it is only Wednesday! I wanted to take a quick moment and report on my test cases. They are all out in the field growing. I couldn’t be happier with how this product has worked and the farm is just as happy with the progress. I also have the farm giving a water conditioner to incoming cattle, which is all natural as well, and it has been AMAZING! They are very, very, thrilled with it and my sales on this product has really taken off. I honestly cant keep it in stock which is always a wonderful thing! I love to see the product HELP people and even though, I continue to make money, the benefit of seeing their herd health improve is wonderful as well.

I am lucky enough to be meeting one of the co-owners of Cutting Edge Technology tonight for dinner. He drove down here to speak with me and introduce himself. I am really looking forward to talking with him over dinner. Leigh will be attending as well, she handles my advertising and she will speak to him concerning my plans for advertising in 2008.

I am very happy with how these products are taking off and how well they are working. I have been fortunate to get some amazing clients in the past 2 months!!

On another note, the weather is great today and I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy it!

There will be more updates in the future.

As Seasons Change...

2008-03-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well we are all ready for spring, and it is right around the corner. Such great things happen in spring, the grass grows, flowers bloom, and the world chirps. Plus there is all the wonderful outdoor activities that come with it. Keeneland will be here in a couple of weeks, late night beers on a local patio, and riding after work as well. I always feel like this is sort of when the year starts, when we can all actually get outside and enjoy it. I am so excited for spring this year, I feel like it is a preview for how wonderful the summer will be. I thrive on the days being longer and feeling like when I get off work, I have an entire day ahead of me.

Leigh and I were down at the barn last night, feeding the horses and brushing them while they ate, and their winter coats, were just pouring off of them. It is so nice to see them shed and get ready for the spring season. For me that is always a sign spring is so near. The horses all feel great and are so ready for nicer days. I feel that this spring and summer is going to be an amazing one. Leigh and I have so many great things planned this year. We will be going to Colorado at the end of April to see our great friends Mark and Colleen. It will be so nice to see them, and we are going to get to participate in a local branding while we are there! I have a feeling it will be a wonderful trip, as there is nothing better than catching up with old friends.

Leigh and I both have some new possibilities on the horizon that keep us both so excited. My feed adventure is really taking off and I have some ads coming out in some local equine magazines real soon, which I cant wait to see. It is funny, because Leigh and I look back on past weeks, past months and past years, and even though so much has changed, some for the good, some for the bad, we always have great things in the works, and couldn’t be more fortunate for that.

I hope everyone is excited about this coming summer and we look forward to having all of our wonderful friends over for a cold beer on our patio, and some new friends as well.

A Snowy Weekend.....

2008-03-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been great. Earlier in the week I was on the phone with my mother and she told me that we were supposed to get a winter storm this weekend. I took that with a grain of salt because (no offense Bill Meck) the weather people are rarely right. Yet on Friday afternoon my offices let out early and Anne and I met at Tractor Supply to load up on feed for the horses just in case we got snowed in. Friday night we went down to the barn to get the horses all settled in their stalls. There was probably about about an inch of snow blanketing the farm at that point and it was starting to get pretty cold. Anne was holding my horse Dually when he was startled by something. Anne and I both looked up and there was our little friend, the red fox. He walked all the way over to the fence and sat down to watch us. He was absolutely beautiful. He was so red against the white snow and his tail was so fluffy, it was the same size as him. Dually knickered at him as so say "Hello my little friend." It was so neat! After we got them fed, Anne and I came in and I put a lasanga in the oven and we cleaned the entire house. I have never been a huge fan of snow or cold weather but there was something very comforting about it this weekend. Just knowing that we may be snowed in and that we weren't EXPECTED to go anywhere or do anything was very nice.

Saturday morning we woke up to about five inches of snow. The farm was gorgeous. We fed the horses and left them tucked in to their warm stalls and then we made waffles for breakfast. I ran on the treadmill and Anne did laundry and read her new Larry McMurty book. That night Paul ventured over and brought the movie In to the Wild. I saw this movie in the theater but Paul didn't get to go with me so we watched it last night. In to the Wild is one of my favorite books. My brother insisted that I read it years ago and I can honestly say that it did change my life a bit. So Paul and I snuggled up on the couch and watched it. It is such a beautiful film.

This morning we all got up and Paul headed to Starbucks while Anne and I headed to the barn to turn the boys out. All three of them were so excited to play in the snow. They ran and played and had such a great time. Anne and I headed to the grocery to buy some groceries for the week. When we got home Anne made her famous cheese dip and we have munched on it all day while lounging around the house, just reading and relaxing. PLUS, we turned our clocks forward today which is so exciting. It is just a matter of time that Anne and I will be riding until 9:00 at night, and drinking beer on the deck with our friends!! I can't wait!!!!

The above pic is of Difter making snow horses this morning, not to be confused with snow angels!

Patience is a hard lesson to learn...

2008-03-05T07:11:00.000-08:00

It seems in the past week or so that my patience has been tested several times. Patience has always been hard for me to grasp but I think as I have gotten older that I have gotten much better at it. When I was younger I had no patience, but of course I relay that to the fact that I had people around me that liked to test my patience! Now, like I said, I am much better at it but I do still have my moments. I had a moment this past week and my family had a great time talking about it for a couple of days. We like to refer to them as “Johnny Walkup” moments because when I behave this way it is JUST like my father. I loved my father dearly but he was great at throwing a fit and getting pissed off and I too inherited this great quality from him. Lucky me!!

It was last week when I was trying to move the truck and trailer and two trees around our driveway were in the way. After trying to maneuver the rig for about 15 minutes, I lost it and cussed and screamed for about two minutes. Anne just stood there and then after my little fit she started dying laughing, which prompted me too as well. She said “Oh my God, you look just like dad” hahahahhaaa It was one of those moments that we are still laughing about. I only have about two a year now, last year I had one about the garden hose. Hahahah, Isn’t that stupid? So in honor of that moronic event last week, we decided to start teaching Anne’s young horse patience this week. Just as it is hard for me to learn, it is hard for Drifter too.

We tied them all up to the fence last night and just let them stand for about 45 minutes. My horses acted great but they have more experience in standing still and quiet. Drifter tried to paw his way to China at first but after about 20 minutes he got tired and stood like a champ. He was a very good boy last night. He will get the hang of it soon and know that he needs to calm down and just stand quietly. It takes time, let’s just hope it doesn’t take him 30 years like it has me!
________________________________

Christmas in February.....

2008-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well it was just a stroke of luck that Leigh and I found this trailer. We have been looking for about a year now, and have found trailers in every area of the US besides KY! On Thursday I happened to find this trailer online and I probably looked at it 100 times, and that is not an exageration. So we hopped in the truck Saturday morning, and went over the hills and through the woods to BOONEVILLE! It was an exciting trip, and we both were trying really hard not to get our hopes up, because we didnt want to be disappointed. We arrived in Booneville around 10:30 and took one look at it, and knew immediatly it was perfect for us. It is nothing fancy but it fits our needs to a "T". It is a 3 horse slant and we have three horses, it is all the trailer we need and we couldnt be happier with it. We headed out of Booneville and we were both so excited, we could hardly sit still. It was a good test for pulling with the truck. It was very hilly where we were and the truck handled it like a dream!!!

We also got internet at the house this weekend! It is totally Christmas in February!!

The weekend.....

2008-02-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

This weekend totally rocked! Most of our weekends do, that is why we look forward to them so much. Anne and I raced home after work on Friday to get our horses all cozy in their stalls, fed and happy. Then we zipped up the street to Giovanni’s. Yep, you read that right….Anne and I went and got a Giovannis pizza and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!! I have a small addiction to this place. I think they have the best pizza EVER! We decided to splurge for our Friday night and it was worth it.

We were so excited about our night because earlier that week our Marlene McRae Barrel Racing DVD’s had arrived and we still had three to watch. So Friday night consisted of eating pizza, and studying barrel racing DVD’s till 12:30 in the morning. It was awesome! Saturday morning we got up and ran some errands that morning. Then we came home, played with the horses and got ready for the evening. That night Anne went to Josh’s to celebrate their Vday and Paul came over to the house so we could celebrate. He brought wine and some great gifts for me and he also cooked an amazing dinner. He made Brazilian salmon with a pineapple and mango relish, with wild rice, and a salad with fresh mozzarella. It was soooooooooooooooooooo good. It is Wednesday and I am still thinking about it! We had a great night!

Sunday morning Paul and I watched CBS Sunday Morning (we do this every Sunday, it is our little tradition) and we had coffee from Starbucks. Anne got back mid morning, we went grocery shopping for all our healthy goodies for the week and that was our weekend! We are having fruit smoothies this week because I am a bit burned out on the green ones. The fruit ones are great. It is frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries and pomegranate juice. YUMMY!! Hope everyone is having a good week!!

Cutting Edge Technology...

2008-02-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am working for a feed additive company out of Red Oak, IA. I started this adventure in early January, and so far it has been wonderful! Cutting Edge Technology is a new feed additive that works from the inside out on all animals. I am involved in the beef and equine areas of this business and have really enjoyed my experiences so far. The additive itself works to clean the gut and build the blood. My boss and our farm manager have both been excited about the product and they have agreed to feed it, and we started feeding it this week. The cattle pictured above, is what I like to refer to as my “test cases”. They are the first ones here in KY to start this program, and so far things are going great. It is about being “all natural” and helping to get away from the many antibiotics the cattle industry uses. Which are very expensive, and this will help to cut down cost! Of course there are no miracle feeds and no miracle drugs, cattle will most likely fight sickness in some way or another. However if we can work together to make it easier on them, by boosting their immune systems and still see gains, by doing this in an all natural way, we would be crazy not to try it.

Leigh and I have also been feeding the equine product to our horses, and they are doing great. They look healthier already. What makes these products so wonderful is they work from the inside the small intestine. First they strip the mucus off the villi and allow the nutrients from your established feeding program to work. Once the villi is clean the minerals can now get through the villi into the blood stream, which helps to build the blood. It really is a very scientific process, but makes complete sense.

So far this has been such a wonderful opportunity for me, and I am enjoying it immensely! It has allowed me to talk to beef producers, I deal with on a daily basis and learn more about their operation, and help them enhance their feed program. I will continue to keep everyone up to date on my “test cases” as they continue to grow throughout the summer!

There will be many more post about Cutting Edge Technology in the future!

The Weekend...

2008-02-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Leigh freezing her ass off while loading hay.

This weekend was awesome. Of course it went by too quickly as they all do but it was a very enjoyable and productive two days. Friday night Anne and I did something that I am sure would not interest anyone else. We watched old country music videos for about two hours. Music has always been a huge part of our lives. I don’t remember a time when I was in the truck with my dad that music wasn’t playing. He loved old country music as does our mother. I remember dancing in the kitchen with my mom and Anne to the Nitty Gritty Dirt band and Hank Williams Jr. So Friday night we both grabbed a beer and reminisced over some good old music. It was great.

Saturday morning we “hit the ground running” at around 8:00. We put oil in the truck, went to TSC and got feed and 10 bags of shavings. Next stop was for hay where Anne and I loaded 15 bales in the back of the truck. Then we headed back to the farm to unload all of our stuff. It was a gorgeous day outside! I couldn’t believe that we were running around the barn all afternoon in just a sweatshirt. We spent the entire afternoon at the barn which was so nice. We cleaned all the horses up, picked out their manes and tails. They were all so dirty from all the rain and mud. They all acted like superstars. It was a wonderful afternoon.

That night, Paul, me, Josh and Anne met up with Whit and Cavan for dinner. It was great to see them and catch up. Yesterday Anne and I spent the day with Robbie, Sarah and Thomas Wyatt. We met up at Wild Oats and it was an awesome afternoon. Later on that day Anne and I curled up in our den and watched the documentary “What it Takes.” I have been wanting to see it for about a year and I was so excited. It is about four Ironman triathletes and it ROCKED! I loved every second of it. Last night we made a homemade pizza with whole wheat crust and artichokes and green olives. It was scrumptious. What a GREAT weekend. It was very productive but relaxing too. I love weekends like that! I just wish they were longer than two days.

Working Out...

2008-01-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Leigh and Anne at Moose Village, night before Triathlon, trying on swim caps and being goofy.

One reason Leigh and I started this blog was to keep account of how much we are growing and to see how much we have changed. We are trying to make this year, our fit year, and to really do a lifestyle change! I can say that Leigh and I have really stuck to eating healthy, we splurge every now and then, because I feel that you have to. We have come to realize that we cant put restrictions on ourselves. If we do, then we both tend to think that having a beer or some pizza is sneaky and then we over indulge. So we tell ourselves there is nothing we CANT have and we usually make the smart choice!! We started this journey right after Thanksgiving and we are still on it! I must say, it has been wonderful! Leigh and are really enjoying getting back into running and strength training and have actually worked hard at getting up in the mornings and working out. So far we are doing pretty good at it, but the best part is, even if we miss a morning workout we make up for in the evenings. We have really stuck with that, and I think we both feel so much better.

Leigh and I are fortunate to be okay with eating healthy, we have never really battled the food part, but have battled the "lets go out and have fun" part, which used to include drinking beer till late at night and smoking ciggs!! Aww, our 20's!!! However we have really programmed our minds to think of getting up early, watching the sun come up, running, or doing pilates is much more fun, than being hungover all day! It took us a while, but we are getting there. We are planning a trip out west, and I am just as excited about running out there and that is a HUGE change for me!

I do want to say, that there are two people that we are VERY proud of, for taking the initiative to get healthy! They are really doing so well and have even bought an elliptical! I wont name, names, but they know who they are, and they both read our blog!! Love you both!!

Cheers Everyone!

Two Foxes at TwinBay Farm

2008-01-25T05:35:00.000-08:00

Drifter

One evening this summer, Anne, Paul and I were hanging out at the house when we noticed something out by the creek. It was two beautiful foxes. They both came down the hill, across the creek and in to the paddock closest to the house. The horses didn’t even pay any attention to them which made me think “huh, maybe they have met before.” As Paul, Anne and I strained our eyes to see these two gorgeous animals they then decided to just keep walking towards the house. They walked almost up to the back yard and then they proceeded to play with each other. One was much larger than the other one but both were red foxes and were so cool.

I was so excited that I grabbed the camera to take pictures. I wish I could post those pics but they didn’t turn out. After the foxes played for a while the neatest thing happened. Anne’s horse Drifter walked in to the paddock and walked right past them to get something to drink. Then he turned and as he was walking past them again, both the foxes stopped playing and looked at him and then looked at each other as to say “you ready?” and they both walked with Drifter back through the gate, across the creek and up through the trees to the back of the farm. It was so cool to watch. It looked as if the three of them had been friends forever. It was like Fox and the Hound but with Fox and the Horse. Have a great weekend everybody!!

Morning....

2008-01-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

Leigh and I were talking last night about feeling ready for work in the mornings and I began to wonder if that ever happens. I have tried my entire life to become a morning person, now I will admit, I haven’t tried real hard at this, I mean I have high aspirations and that is about as far as I have gotten. However hearing people talk about getting up in the morning, having coffee, reading the paper, and watching the sun come up, has always fascinated me, and the part I find the most fascinating is they do this BEFORE WORK! HOW DO YOU DO IT PEOPLE? It has to be the most peaceful time of the day, the time when the world is still and you feel that you are getting a piece of the day, that only the privileged get. Well dammit, I want to be privileged!

I started thinking last night, about being a morning person and how eventually I will be one. Well, then I quickly remembered, I AM 30, when do I think this might happen, when I retire? I have always found it easier to get up early when it is nice and warm outside. It is inviting, it is saying “get out of bed, throw on your flip flops and enjoy the day”. UUGGH, when it is cold outside, I hate to get out of bed. It is cold outside of my bed, it doesn’t feel cozy in the kitchen, and I cant go out on the deck and drink my smoothie and wait for the sun to warm my heart. I hate the cold! But you know what; I have to get over it! I have to get up and enjoy the day, people keep talking about, and I am sure there is something to it.

SOOOO I got up at 5:30 this morning. Yes, you read that right, 5:30!! All I can say is, it was wonderful. I totally enjoyed it, I wasn’t rushed, and I got to enjoy the morning. I also got a lot done. Of course I got Leigh up as well, and she was happy I did, because we both got our workouts in, turned the horses out earlier and got to watch the news and have a great smoothie. I am not saying I will be up at 5:30 every morning, my track record says I wont, but I am going to try harder to get up and enjoy the mornings, it is the most peaceful part of the day, right?

Random Thoughts

2008-01-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

No plans at this age, and no plans now!

My last blog entry talked about making plans. Anne and I like to sit in our den on Sunday nights awaiting the work week and talk about our “plans.” Sometimes it is just plans for the week. Those plans usually consist of riding our horses, working out and figuring out what night Josh and Paul will come over. Other times it is more long term, like planning trips for the summer or for the next year, but that is about as far as the plan making ever goes. I never make plans longer than a year. It is not that I sat down with myself at 21 and said “Self, I don’t think it is a good idea to make plans too far in advance.” It is just something that I have never really focused on. I was never the kid in middle school that automatically knew what they were going to “be” when they grew up. I am sure you remember that kid. Hell you may even be that kid. You know the one you went to school with that when they are 8 years old they said they were going to be neurosurgeon and now they are a neurosurgeon. Yeah, I always hated that kid. I never thought ahead. Hell, I am 30 and I STILL don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Neither one of us has ever sat down and said “When I am 35 I plan to be married, have two kids, have my own farm and five more horses.” We just don’t work that way. I know lots of people that do and I am completely amazed by them. It seems that their entire life is on some sort of cosmic schedule. I just sit back and watch them work. It is fascinating. There have been times when I wished I could be more that way but Iknow that I can’t. Anne had lunch today with a very dear friend of ours. She told Anne that is was good to have plans and goals but people are always evolving and changing and so will your plans. She said you can’t allow your plans for your life to define who you are. You can’t live your life around your plans, because things happen and those “plans or goals” may never come true. I thought that was very profound. There have been so many events and circumstances that have happened in my life that would have messed up so many “plans” if I had made them. So I am so glad that we just live day to day and not worry about making plans because I have NO IDEA what the future holds. What I do know is that all of my friends, family and animals seem to be healthy and happy so THAT makes THIS stormy nasty day a good day.

Maine

2008-01-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

Anne and I were talking this past weekend about this upcoming summer. Once Christmas has come and gone we both are ready for long days and hot weather. We like to start planning our summers early and have some sort of an idea on what will be on the agenda. Of course there are several things that we do every year, we always rent the cabin at LBL, we always meet everybody at the NAILE and we are going to try and make the North Carolina trip an annual event as well. Yet, we also try to always do at least one trip we have never done before. Last year it was the North Carolina trip. Two years ago it was our New Hampshire and Maine trip. That was the year that Anne and I decided to train for a triathlon with two of our good friends Mary and Ken. Both Mary and Ken are very inspirational people so when they suggested it we jumped on the “triathlon bandwagon.” Please know that during the days of training for the Mooseman Triathlon in New Hampshire I cussed this decision and I am sure cussed Mary and Ken a time or two. In the end it was an amazing experience, one that Anne and I both hope to duplicate soon. Completing the Mooseman triathlon was incredible but what intrigued us both was how much we fell in love with Maine. I had no idea that this southern girl could fall so hard for the Northeast, but I did. Maine is absolutely breathtaking. Usually when I go on a vacation after 3-4 days I am ready to come home and see my horses and dogs and get back in the groove of things. After being in Maine for 3 days I was ready to send for my horses and dogs, get a job at the local café and buy a cottage in Bar Harbor and never leave. The landscape is unexplainable, it is something you have to experience for yourself. The people are so kind and the food, well….come on…it is lobster every night…need I say more? So….Anne and I hope to get back to this magical place this summer, even though this won’t be a “new adventure” it will be different because we won’t be doing a triathlon while we are up there (at least I don’t think we will). If you ever get a chance, please take it! When you cross over in to the Maine the signs says “Welcome to Maine, the way life should be” I think that says it all.

Old Pictures and New Memories..

2008-01-02T11:25:00.000-08:00

It is amazing how a picture can be captured then forgotten about, and you move on with life. When you see that picture again, it jerks you back to that memory, which can be an amazing feeling. Over the holidays, Leigh and I found 4 rolls of film we hadn’t developed, neither of us had any clue what was on the film.

The film was a wonderful reminder of how dear 07 was to us, and how many great journeys we had.

The first roll was of a weekend that neither of us will forget. Many pics from a wonderful weekend we spent in North Carolina. The pictures were great, and it was an amazing reminder of what a wonderful weekend that was. I cant wait to do it all over again in 08, and this time we are going to stay in the yurts.

Another roll was our wonderful weekend at LBL with our Murray Crew. It was so great to see all of our friends that weekend. The pictures were great, and that is another adventure I don’t want to miss this year.

One roll was black and white film Leigh took probably 2 years ago. This roll totally came by surprise, since we had both forgotten about it, and the pics were beautiful, and shocking all at the same time. They were of me and Ringo. Ringo passed away on March 13th, and it was just startling to see him so full of life, however the pics are great, and I cant wait to get them framed!

The next roll, showed another loss we had this year, Leigh’s precious dog Suzie. It was hard to see those pics as well, but they will be surely cherished, and we will keep them framed. She was a wonderful dog, and can never be replaced.

So those 4 rolls of film, brought up many emotions. We had some amazing times in 07 and some hard times as well, as most people do. But above all of it, we are totally lucky to have the things we have and feel blessed everyday.

We have wonderful family, amazing friends, 2 great guys in our life and many animals we love!

The pic is from Christmas morning, Leigh and I turning out the horses. Even though we lost two family animals this year, we gained 2 more horses and a new puppy dog.

READY FOR 2008!

Christmas time on the farm...

2007-12-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Candy making during Christmas is becoming a tradition.

Oh, we are only three days away from Christmas and I can't wait!!! I love this holiday so much. This will be our second Christmas on the farm and we already have our own traditions. I think traditions are so important. I remember as a kid that my grandmother always had her little traditions. Every Christmas she would always get out her Christmas cookie cutters and make up the dough and Anne and I would cut out cookies all day long. Grandmother would then get them out of the oven and we would go to town with crystal sugar and icing. That is such an amazing memory. She also always had these little coffee cups that had Santa on them. I recently found those coffee cups a couple of months ago. I will have them sitting out this year. She also ALWAYS made oyster casserole and barley casserole. We will have both of those dishes for this Christmas as well. Even though my grandmother will not physically be with us this year, the traditions she instilled in Anne and I will. Anne and I have also made our own traditions for the holiday season. My mom always joins us on Christmas Eve and we laugh, listen to music, reminisce and cook up in to the night. On Christmas morning, all three of us will wake and will diligently work like little soldiers that know exactly what their jobs are. Anne will make the coffee while mom helps me get the turkey ready. Once the turkey is in the oven, all three of us will bundle up, grab the dogs and head to the barn all the way talking about how lucky we all are. Once the horses are fed and happy, we will return to the house to sit in the den and drink coffee while eating croissants with strawberry preserves and talking, talking, talking. I love this tradition. I so look forward to it. It is one of those traditions that makes you feel like everything is right in the world. After we have showers the three of us will cook all morning and get everything ready. Around noon the rest of the family will arrive. My mom's boyfriend Bob, my brother Robbie, his wife Sarah and my ADORABLE nephew Thomas Wyatt. This will be Thomas Wyatt's first Christmas. How exciting!! Soon Thomas Wyatt will be joining in with the Christmas traditions that we have all grown to love along the way. Some are old, some are fairly new and I am sure as he grows older he will have some new traditions for all of us to enjoy. Merry Christmas EVERYONE!! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and you get to enjoy it with the people you love.

Sunrise at TwinBay Farm...

2007-12-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful morning. Anne and I awoke this morning to a text message from our friend Dottie. Dottie is notorious for sending jokes through text messaging and apparently she felt the need to send one this morning at 5:50 am. Ha! After that Anne and I both just went ahead and got up and got the morning started.

We got down to the barn this morning around 6:40. It was pitch black but the horses were up stirring in their stalls and waiting for their breakfast. We grained all three of them and then put their hay out in the field so they can munch on that when we turned them out. While the boys ate, Anne and I sat down at the barn and watched the sun come up. We see the sunrise every morning when we are down at the barn but this morning we actually SAW IT. It was breath taking.

As Anne and I walked the horses out to their paddock we talked about how lucky we are to have our own place and not have to board our horses anymore. It is just wonderful to get up in the mornings and walk out our back door and see our barn and the horses. WOW! What a great morning! I hope everyone else’s morning started off just as good!

Temptation........

2007-12-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

We all deal with temptation in life, in one form or another. Whether it is the temptation of a cigarette, a drink, a Pizza Hut Pizza, or many other things, temptation is all around us. When you change your eating lifestyle, you encounter temptations a long the way. Leigh and I have been eating mostly fruit, veggies and some fish for almost 4 weeks now, and we both feel AMAZING! It actually consumes our conversations.

Last night, we both sat and thought about what we would eat for a long time. We haven’t splurged since we started this journey and haven’t really wanted to, just because we enjoy what we eat and we do feel so good. We started tossing ideas for dinner around… avocado sandwich on hemp bread, black beans and avocado with tomato, big salad, Chinese food, pizza hut pizza, French fries, sub sandwich. I am sure you are noticing the turn for the worse.

We both thought, “hell why not, we have been so good”, so that was that, we were going to splurge, we were going to go buy something from a fast food place, and we were excited about it! Plus getting a phone call from someone (I wont name names), that happened to be on their way to McDonalds, didn’t help!!

Our biggest concern was getting food, and being back in time to watch The Biggest Loser, that was very important, because Leigh and I love that show!!

So shoes and jackets on, keys in hand, headed for the door, we both looked at each other and said, “what are we doing?” We actually talked ourselves out of it. We stayed home and had black beans and tomatoes. It tasted great and was very fresh, and we saved ourselves from the temptation of fast food!!

So we are still on track and feeling great! We did hear that 2 family members are going to be joining us on this journey! Leigh and I are very excited about that, and we cant wait for all of us to support each other.

Weekend Adventures...

2007-12-10T06:52:00.001-08:00

This weekend was a wonderful weekend, with lots of exciting things going on. First things first, Leigh and I are still sticking with the health routine. We bought a blender on Friday night (I know, us not having a blender, odd isn’t it), to make smoothies, and so far have really enjoyed them! Except for one MAJOR mishap on Saturday morning, when Leigh took the pitcher off of the base of the blender wrong and green smoothie went everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE! I so wish, I had pictures of Leigh covered in green smoothie!!!

Saturday afternoon, we went to a wedding here in Georgetown. It was a lovely ceremony and it was great to see Sara and Darron tie the knot! It was also great to see Josh play the mandolin during the ceremony! He did a wonderful job. One of the best things about the day, was getting to see many friends, we don’t get to see very often! It seemed that everyone was there and it was great to get to hang out with them and catch up on their lives.

Sunday, Josh and I met Leigh at Wild Oats. I just love that place. We loaded up on lots of green lettuce for smoothies and salads, and we are set for the week. Our cart looked like we had stolen a garden, but that is such a refreshing feeling, to see all of that healthy food and know that we are putting that in our bodies.

Another great point to this weekend was getting to see my brother, my wonderful sister in law, and our adorable nephew Thomas Wyatt. We just all happened to be at Joseph Beth at the same time, and decided to enjoy a cup of coffee with them. I always enjoy being with Robbie and Sarah, they are so fun, and upbeat, and just bring a certain joy to any conversation. At a time when everyone is running crazy for the holidays, it is so nice to sit down with family and be quickly reminded what is important in life. It isn’t gifts, and spending money on your friends and family, it is the warmth that you experience when you are surrounded with people you love.

As the Seasons Change...

2007-12-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Well it is about this time of year where I really start to complain about the weather. I always think I am ready and prepared for the cold. For the first day I really seem to be and then by the second day I am over it. Being in Florida for four days I was quickly reminded that I am a warm weather fan and greatly miss it once it is gone. When I arrived home a couple of days ago it was very cold here in the Bluegrass and it put me in a sour mood, which is actually pretty hard to do.

Although last night when I got home and Anne and I went down to the barn to bring in our horses I realized that there are moments involving cold weather that I do love. I love it when it is cold enough to see the horses breath as they exhale. I love how the horses prance around and toss their heads because no matter how I feel, the cold weather makes them feel great. I love that once we get them in their stalls and give them their feed that they seem so content and happy. Believe it or not I love breaking ice in their water buckets because it makes me feel needed. Rebo, Dually, and Drifter completely depend on Anne and I. Cold weather, rainy weather, humid weather or hot weather….that is a wonderful feeling.

Leigh returns from Florida..

2007-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I made it back from Florida Tuesday night. My wonderful sister picked me up at the airport. I was there for the American Association of Equine Practitioners. It was a very successful trip but very tiring at the same time. This was my first traveling venture since the new “lifestyle.” I knew when I left that it was going to be difficult. Part of my job is wining and dining my clients and that means lots of food at awesome restaurants. Looking back on it now, I did really, really well. I decided that every breakfast would be fresh fruit and that every lunch would be a fresh spring salad. I stayed at the Gaylord Palm and they do have excellent food. I had client meetings for every meal and I always left it up to the client as to where they wanted to eat.

Every morning I had breakfast at the Villa De Flora and every lunch I had at the Key West boat. I have never been so excited to leave a place in my life. I was so sick of both of those restaurants!! On Tuesday I told my coworker that if my lunch date for that day wanted to go back to that damn boat I would just skip lunch. Don’t get me wrong, the hotel is great but after a point you just get really sick of it. Although at dinner we had some wonderful meals. On Sunday night we ate at Christini’s. It is an amazing restaurant. The atmosphere and the food were outstanding. All the waiters were in tuxedos, they escorted you to the bathroom and gave you a long stem red rose when you left. It was a pretty cool place. I got the sea bass over risotto. It was incredible. Monday night we had dinner at the famous Emrils. It lived up to every expectation I had. It was amazing.

So over all I think I did pretty good. I didn’t seem to get as tired as I normally do when I am out traveling and I ate a LOT better than I have in the past when I am on a business trip. I did mess up on one thing. I forgot to take my probiotics while I was gone. So yesterday I started back with those and they made me pretty sick. I had a lot of cramping in my stomach. Oh well, that is good, it is doing its job. Now that I am back in KY I will start working out again. Tonight I will be back on the treadmill.

Going Green

2007-12-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Well Leigh and I have been sticking with our plan and eating very healthy. Actually I have eaten almost all raw for the past week, except for one night, when my lovely boyfriend cooked me veggies and rice. Leigh and I have been on the treadmill everyday and stretching too, and we both feel great. Friday night we both ran, and really enjoyed it. We both joked about how crazy it is, that on a Friday night, we are at home on the treadmill, when we would normally be out with a beer in hand! AHHH Change is good!

So Saturday, I got to go to a good grocery store, Wild Oats! I so wish they would build one in Georgetown. I spent an hour in there just looking around. Normally I am rushed for time, but Saturday, I had all the time in the world. I had just dropped Leigh off at the airport, for a buisness trip to Florida. I bought lots of greens, and I have been loving my salads! Dandelion, Spinach, Butter Lettuce, all very yummy, not to mention the wonderful fruit I got. I love the star fruit, it is so refreshing. In the past week, I have really enjoyed eating this way, and yes, there are times when I crave something like mexican food (especially now, since I just placed a to go order for my boss), but once I have my salad or fruit, I enjoy the taste of the freshness so much that the craving immediatly goes away.

After my voyage to Wild Oats, I went over to Disc Jockey to get a cool cd to run to! Of course crazy me, found radio hits from the 90's!! HAHA! Totally old songs, and mostly R&B, and I actually laughed as I was running listening to this. OOH, the memories it brings back from highschool, that is another blog all together!

Josh and I did go and see "Dan in Real Life" and I do recommend it. I thought it was very well done, and there is a certain simplicity to it.

Turning 30

2007-11-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

Well we finally turned 30! I think we were both very ready for it, as we both knew this would be a huge turning point in our lives. The turning point for us, is about emotional and physical change. Lets face it, we had some fun in our 20's!! Lots of fun, and we wouldnt go back and change any of it, but now we are ready to embark on a new journey! We are moving forward and LOVING IT!

Time to get HEALTHY! Leigh and I both have been doing a lot of reading, not some much on, getting in shape, but getting healthy! I feel in my mind there are two huge differences between, being healthy and being in shape. I feel that getting healthy starts on the inside and it starts with what you PUT in your body. Leigh and I are both reading the China Study right now. Have you read it? If so send us a comment and let us know what you think. We both love to learn and love to read, and we have many other books in line after this one to read as well, concerning nutrition.

Sooo, with that being said, here is a pic from what we purchased from the grocery store last night! We have been eating mostly fruits and veggies all week, and I must say, I FEEL GREAT, and so does Leigh! Not sure how long this will last and we are both trying new things on this journey, but so far it has been lots of fun.

We are also adding cardio back into our lives. I used to hate it, even after doing two triathlons, I still couldnt stand the running. Leigh always enjoyed it and hated the bike! Yes, we are indentical twins, but not exactly alike. However I finally have my mind right. I am loving the running so far. It is my time to just hammer away on the treadmill and forget about my day. Leigh does pilates while I run, and then we switch. We have both been pretty sore this week, which is a sign it is working, right? I forgot how much I missed being sore. I remember when Leigh and I were training for our second triathlon, how much our coaches would push us on the bike, and how sore we would be the next day. I have really missed that, but we are on the right track, we are changing all of that, and so far it has been GREAT!

And so it begins.....

2007-09-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hello to ALL! First a little about Leigh and I. We live on a small farm in Georgetown Kentucky, where we have our three horses and two dogs. We have always been very active and love to experience new things, but as 30 nears, we are ready to make some changes. We are ready to get healthy and get fit, and work hard. Our horses and our bodies are our number one priority. So please check in from time to time, to see what the crazy twins are into now!