Moo Patrol

What was this guy thinking???

U2 Concert, 10/14/09

Mom & Daddy came in around lunch so Mom could go to the concert with us and Daddy could take care of Gracie for us...we left as soon as Gracie was picked up from school so that we wouldn't get caught in all of the traffic and we could stop and grab a bite to eat -

here we are...arrival in the parking lot - scary self-portrait!

the crew is setting up...

...you get to see all kinds...

the roof is open at Reliant Stadium and it looks like this spaceship-looking contraption on the stage is gonna just fly right off into the night at any moment...

definitely getting more crowded...

How'd you like to have this job???

they're just dangling there in the air, operating their cameras...

Adam on guitar

Bono, of course

The Edge

all three

see...spaceship ready for liftoff!

mug shots

The energy here was amazing!

Larry on drums

I can't choose between the two, but I know that I've been to the two best concerts ever in my life this year - this one and the Brad Paisley concert in the Woodlands in September. They had such energy...such a sense of community...I think we're all missing that right now. We're all moving so fast, constantly busy, but events like these make you feel like you're an important part of life's bigger picture. These events somehow brought peace. They were AWESOME!

Enjoy!

OK, OK!

Sorry, you two...yes, we finished the wall the same day as I put up the preview, but since then, there's been a U2 concert, a visit to Orange with Gracie in tow to help Mom with a garage sale and a mini vacation for Jack and I to the Smokies attached to a visit to one of my best friends in high school surprise 40th birthday party in Columbus, GA...we got in at 4 Sunday and Jack and I both returned to work and all of our chores yesterday morning at 5:45 am. I don't think we've taken a breath yet...but those are all of the things in store for you in the coming days right here, so stay tuned...

I got up early to say these few words, take the picture and make this post, so you better feel special! I am so tired! And, Letha, will you guys be home for our annual Halloween date?

Whacha think?

For just the wall behind the TV (not the two where the wall vases are), I thought, "chocolate brown". I don't know why - just one night a few months ago, we were watching a movie and it just clicked. Then, I received an email from one of the home magazines I get that Glidden was giving away a free quart of paint to however many people and I guess I came in as one of the first because my free paint came in and there you see it...whacha think? I think I like it...and, yes, as I go up higher, I'll be sure to straighten by iron art above the TV (I can hear you, Becky - even when you live far away - it's kinda like having an elf in your ear) - "doesn't it look a little up on the right side?" Alright, alright - I'm adjusting - :)

Gracie's First Field Trip

Jack took off from work and he and I were just a couple of many chaperones - all three Kindergarten classes went and it was really fun and once we all had lunch together it was early release - couldn't have been a better Friday! It had rained the two days previous, so we were a bit worried that it would be yucky to enjoy, but most of the sight-seeing was by tram, so it wasn't so bad at all...

...although now I have the sniffles and generally feel like a truck has run over me, so maybe hangin' out with so many kiddos wasn't the best idea smack in the middle of the seasons changing, but I do think it was the most fun!

Going back to bed...check ya later, alligator...

Saddle-Up Saturday, 9/19/09, & other stuff

It has been a while since I've done a "Saddle-Up" and before I got too far behind again, I thought (at 10:30 PM mind you) that I might need to share before I forgot everything...

look at that straight back...she's continuing to improve...

This is Shelby - she is one of ours and is spending some time with Miss Kacey trying to get some training under her belt - if she does well, one of the older students is already interested in buying her. Although I hate to sell any of "my babies", at least I know she would have a great home - we'll see...

She is three and like all of my horses, I think she is spectacularly beautiful -

here, she is watching Pal and Grace doing their ditch work...

As so many of you know, growing up, I always wanted a horse - now, I've more than made up for all of my longings, but you have no idea how it makes me feel to see her so happy riding - it just makes my heart dance!

She is so poised, so confident, so "in the moment" -

...and she thinks Mrs. Robin is pretty funny, too...

Taking a small break from the riding lesson, this is Gracie with Fynley - she is doing great as you can see! She has a ton of spunk and, believe it or not, my 5 year old wears out long before my 2 week old does! :)

OK, now back to the lesson - she makes her momma proud! :)

I think that's it...oh, no...one more thing...Today, I went to Gracie's school to help her class tie-dye t-shirts...that was big fun! I might forever have purpley-blue, sunshiney yellow, pinky tuscadero hands, but we sure did have a good time - :)

Now, we're off to see what trouble we can get into, so we can have more reports for you later - Have a good weekend!

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

I know, I know! What a great picture to open up with, right? But, you guys always want the whole story, so here it is...in all its glory!

When I went to feed on 9/14, Greta was acting funny, standing by herself...she came to the feed trough, but wasn't there more than a couple of minutes and she started moving down the fence line, rubbing her heiney the whole way - she was in labor!

Everybody moved with her...for these guys to not want to eat - something's up! Look at little Delaney right there in the middle - even she knows something big is about to happen - after barely a week, she won't be the baby of the herd anymore...

When I left, Greta had chased everyone away and was in the very back of the pasture by herself...I've just got my camera zoomed in so you can see her hiding...

The next morning, I was introduced by the whole family to Fynley. Cloudy, to the right, has been the only other baby we've had that has been almost all red, so I was so excited when I saw her! Cloudy is more of an orangey red, whereas Fyn is more of an auburn color - you can see Delaney standing behind her...she's even more tiny than her! Fyn has the gumby legs like they all do when they are first born, but they will straighten with time...

Dallas was feeling a little outnumbered by all the women I think...he went and hid in the bushes...

Greta's giving Fyn a bath - looks like it feels good -

she's looking mighty sleepy...

yep...

We gave Greta 24 hours to see if she would let her nurse...and nope. The other two moms didn't take her either, which really surprised me...so, here we go again...we brought her home. Lexie loves her although we don't let them be together too often. Fyn's too fragile right now, but when she gets a little stronger, it looks like Lexie will finally have a friend of her own kind...

Got milk???

Mmm, mmm...deeeelicious!

Put Your Helmet On...

...strap yourself in...we're going on a time machine! Remember when I said there was a Part II to our Hill Country Vacation? - yes, that would be back in July... The Fiesta Texas pictures? Better late than never...Here we go...

Whoa...that's a bit too far...

...still too far...

...getting closer...

Yay! Fiesta Texas... That's me & Grace with Bugs...

The water park wasn't open yet, so we decided to sneak in a ride or two until then...the Roadrunner Express (yes, a roller coaster) was the first thing that we came upon that she was tall enough to ride and she wanted to ride... BAD. We told her that it would go very fast and there would be some "dips"...yeah, dips. The kinda dips that would make Mommy want to lose the Filet-O-Fish that she had just eaten at McDonalds minutes before... but, she was still game and who were we to refuse? This was the part of the trip all for her...

Well, it's a long story, but we were separated by a couple of seats because two teenage boys jumped in where I was supposed to be...the ride was over ...you can just get a glimpse of her poor little face trying to find her Mommy...

...it scared her, but I just kept telling her how brave she had been and how she was going to be able to tell all of her friends that he had ridden a roller coaster ...and things got better...that's the ride over my head...yep, she did that!

awwww....

...and then the water park opened and after we changed clothes and got a locker, well, they were ready to close...just kidding, but it felt like it took that long...we're on the lazy river here...

oops...that's not Gentleman Jack...

playing on the pirate ship...

...then in the wave pool...

some underwater shots...

she really does look like a mermaid...and that's a good thing because that's what she has chosen to be for Halloween... :)

We had a great time, but we all went back to the hotel and totally crashed...we slept for three hours and went to a late dinner at Maggiano's Italian...a great end to our last day of vacation!