...don't worry, we won't tell anyone how old you are.
Lotsa love!
The Family
August 16, 2009
Just another day on the farm...
As I walked about the farm today, I thought I'd capture some shots here and there of what goes on each weekend...we have lots to do!
Here, the Oldest Brat hops in Gpa Craigs Razor-mobile and gives the arena's a good dragging...this task is WAY more fun since he brought the Razor...the big ole' JD tractor just isn't as fast or as cool!
Here, the Oldest Brat hops in Gpa Craigs Razor-mobile and gives the arena's a good dragging...this task is WAY more fun since he brought the Razor...the big ole' JD tractor just isn't as fast or as cool!
Fiddle is doing great...her babies, Little Joe and Bandit, were adopted by a wonderful man in the neighboring county...they are his heard sires now and living the good life! Amanda Lynn was adopted to be the best friend of an orphan pygmy...I'm told they are raising Cain together...now Fiddle gets to kick back and get all the goat luvin' all to herself!
Ginger is growing up FAST...she absolutely LOVES the water...she's wet in this pic after a dip in the water troughs with the Little Brat...
Jake is the King of the Stables...here he is keeping guard over the paddocks...not to be confused with 'sleeping on the job'!
Every few days new round bales go out for the horses to munch on....
..and Snuffy ALWAYS runs for joy when he sees them coming! I think he looks like one of those Roman war horses all done up with his fly sheet and mask on....
Potter, Woodie, and Juanita hang in the shade by their pasture gate....displaying the most pitiful faces they can must in the hopes you will get them out and give them treats....nice try ponies, not today!
Bo-Bo got a boo-boo....he managed to hook his nostril over something and shred it pretty good...he got some stitches and staples last week to put it back together....our vet, Dr. Mike, did an outstanding job...the scab is pretty gnarly, otherwise you can hardly tell what happened! Boys, always into trouble...
Speaking of water babies, here's mine...it's the perfect time for a dip after we clean out and refill the water troughs....I have to admit, I did this ALL the time as a young punk...and if I were that small again, I would have been in there with her...it is HOT HOT HOT around these parts!
That's our weekend, in a nutshell...JR and the Middle Brat also snuck in some time to repair a few fence rails...they had it completely under control, so the girls and I went grocery shopping...
Happy Trails!
Leah
August 15, 2009
It's THAT time of the month again....
...Farrier time! Our farrier, Wes, comes out out every 5 weeks (rain or shine) to fancy up our ponies feet...trimming, shoeing, he's our man! Well, he's half our man....technically, we have another farrier out every 8 weeks for our ponies that take a bit longer to grow their hooves out...it's true, Woodie can't go a day over 5 weeks without a massive hoof break-down...while Bo and Potter are good at 8 weeks! Not to mention Clementine, who Wes treats to a hooficure every other visit, or every 10 weeks....that's just the nature of horse management....they each have individual needs!
I got some shots of Wes working on the handsome Pedro today....Pedro got new shoes in front, and a trim in back...here is Pedro and his owner, Vickie.
Here, Wes gets down to work pulling old shoes and trimming back growth...he checks for level before he puts his new shoes back on again...
Wes does a lot of big name show barns, so we feel pretty special to be on his 'list'....he does a fabulous job! On a side note, Wes and his Mrs are expecting their first child! I wonder if we'll have a second generation farrier on our hands....
Happy Trails,
Leah
August 10, 2009
Oh progesterone, how I loathe thee!
Here I sit....it's 4am...the back pain, swelling, bloating, mood swings and nausea are more than I care to manage right now....I am scouring the Internet for mental relief...searching for others that can validate what I am feeling in the hopes I am not alone in this battle with my body....Alas, I am not....THIS WEBSITE chronicles how many women are going through the same thing as they navigate through the IVF process and also must endure this sentence of progesterone therapy. It's doesn't relieve my physical discomfort, but it does ease my mind.
August 06, 2009
Breaking News!
...I'll cut to the chase...The long awaited results are in, and it's official...WE'RE PREGNANT!
Some of you may remember, shortly after Randi Mae was born, that JR underwent a vasectomy. It wasn't a secret that, at the time, we considered our breeding years behind us...however, time has a way of working on a person...and after the Little Brat passed her two year mark, we starting thinking...and pondering...and perplexing....and wondering if it was possible that another punk in the house might not be such a bad idea...After all, the Little Brat does love having her older siblings around, and seems to really be missing that connection when they are gone.
So, what to do now that we could not have another by 'natural' means? It was certainly a pickle of a predicament we had not anticipated....after much consideration, we opted for In-Vitro Fertilization. We actually started this process, and attended out first consultation more than a year ago. What we learned is that it's not cheap! Still, the rate of success and timeline for results were far better than going the slightly more affordable route of a Vasovasectomy (Vasectomy Reversal). So we've been marching along...one procedure at a time, as we were financially capable...Finally, we settled on August being our 'let's get it on' date....then, we were informed the lab is actually closed that month, so we changed our plans for July. Flexibility is a requirement in this process....
The last month has not been all roses...JR's biopsy was not pain or worry free, nor were the retrieval and transfer procedures I recently endured. Nothing worth having comes easy though, and we have our eyes on the prize! That's enough cliche's to last me a month....bottom line is, we did it! Not without the help of some really wonderful Doctors, Nurses, and of course lots and lots and lots of medication....here's a shot of my med drawer at home...I've given myself more shots than I ever received in my life prior to this!...I am bruised and worn and yet I could not be happier, or more appreciative, that we were given this 'second-chance'.
Alas, the tests this week were positive for pregnancy, and now all we have to do is wait for the joy of our labor to arrive early next spring. The only question still looming is: One or Two? There's a good chance it will be two...I may be a glutton, but the idea is VERY attractive to me! We'll just have to wait and see!
Here's a shot of the two blasto-punks we're waiting to meet! I think the one on the right looks a little like me ;)
Finally, I'd like to offer warm thoughts to all the women and couples out there experiencing fertility issues...we've encountered some really sad stories along our journey about lives incomplete and turned upside down as they battle with nature to have a baby. We are very fortunate to have only had to face a man-made issue, and that the technology for wishy-washy people like us exists so we can effectively change the past. There are many out there that don't have it so easy. Warm thought and prayers headed their way on their success and fulfillment.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Some of you may remember, shortly after Randi Mae was born, that JR underwent a vasectomy. It wasn't a secret that, at the time, we considered our breeding years behind us...however, time has a way of working on a person...and after the Little Brat passed her two year mark, we starting thinking...and pondering...and perplexing....and wondering if it was possible that another punk in the house might not be such a bad idea...After all, the Little Brat does love having her older siblings around, and seems to really be missing that connection when they are gone.
So, what to do now that we could not have another by 'natural' means? It was certainly a pickle of a predicament we had not anticipated....after much consideration, we opted for In-Vitro Fertilization. We actually started this process, and attended out first consultation more than a year ago. What we learned is that it's not cheap! Still, the rate of success and timeline for results were far better than going the slightly more affordable route of a Vasovasectomy (Vasectomy Reversal). So we've been marching along...one procedure at a time, as we were financially capable...Finally, we settled on August being our 'let's get it on' date....then, we were informed the lab is actually closed that month, so we changed our plans for July. Flexibility is a requirement in this process....
The last month has not been all roses...JR's biopsy was not pain or worry free, nor were the retrieval and transfer procedures I recently endured. Nothing worth having comes easy though, and we have our eyes on the prize! That's enough cliche's to last me a month....bottom line is, we did it! Not without the help of some really wonderful Doctors, Nurses, and of course lots and lots and lots of medication....here's a shot of my med drawer at home...I've given myself more shots than I ever received in my life prior to this!...I am bruised and worn and yet I could not be happier, or more appreciative, that we were given this 'second-chance'.
Alas, the tests this week were positive for pregnancy, and now all we have to do is wait for the joy of our labor to arrive early next spring. The only question still looming is: One or Two? There's a good chance it will be two...I may be a glutton, but the idea is VERY attractive to me! We'll just have to wait and see!
Here's a shot of the two blasto-punks we're waiting to meet! I think the one on the right looks a little like me ;)
Finally, I'd like to offer warm thoughts to all the women and couples out there experiencing fertility issues...we've encountered some really sad stories along our journey about lives incomplete and turned upside down as they battle with nature to have a baby. We are very fortunate to have only had to face a man-made issue, and that the technology for wishy-washy people like us exists so we can effectively change the past. There are many out there that don't have it so easy. Warm thought and prayers headed their way on their success and fulfillment.Happy Baby-Making!
Psalm 127:3-5 ESVBehold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
August 03, 2009
Kids say the sweetest things...
Precious Little Brat, from her bed, in about the sweetest tone I've ever heard.....not scared, not mad, just inquisitive: "Mommy", pause, "Mommy", pause, "Mommy?"
I can't ignore her any longer...I get up and walk into her room..I wonder if she's even awake, or if she could just be talking in her sleep..."Yes, love bug?"
Precious Little Brat: "Mommy, I'm lonely. Will you lay with me?"
I've never heard her use that term before, "lonely"....she's really got a way of pulling on those heart strings, ya know? So, I crawled in to bed with her and we snuggled up for the rest of the night...she's the best.
I wonder if anyone else has experienced this role reversal...where you find yourself cuddling up to your kids at night instead of vice versa...I could get used to it...her cuddles are hard to turn down!
Happy Trails,
Leah
August 01, 2009
Fancy Training Update! STOPS!
Gma Kathy, the Little Brat and I made our monthly trip up to see Fancy-pants today...if you like to sit in gridlock for hours on end, you would have enjoyed the trip immensely!! Suffice it to say it was a looooooooong haul....we got on the road a little later than usual so as to give Gpa Craig some extra hugs after we laid his best good dog to rest this morning...JuliEn (I finally figured out how to spell his name right and proper!) was understanding and had Fancy ready for us later in the day when we arrived...next month, we plan on leaving at the bum-crack of dawn like normal though...that traffic was something special!
It seems there were some pretty nasty storms up there in Damascus last night, so the outdoor arena was out of the question...I apologize for the less than stellar photography and dark video...the indoor arena always challenges my already borderline awful photography skills...if that's what you would call them....so, if you want to take a look at some great outdoor footage of our last trip to visit fancy, click HERE! You can click on the embedded links in each post all the way to when we dropped her off and watch her progress along with me!
Julien promised we'd finally get to see some stops this month...he's such a pesky perfectionist...in a good way :) He doesn't want us to jump ahead to quickly, and is letting her set the pace and all, but come on already! Spinning = Cool, Slide Stops - WAY Cool! OMG, I sound like such a doofis...oh well, it's how I feel...and I'm just being real.
Gma Kathy took a spin today and did a wonderful job with the little lady, if I might say so myself...
But if you want to see what all the fuss is about, here's a small snipit of her current course of study...slide stops...the goal is to have her round her back, collect and bend at her poll...driving her hind end up under herself while pulling herself along with her front end...it's a pretty physical maneuver...some are more natural at it than others...it's a bit more of a challenge for our little lady....she has a bit of a self confidence issue....hey, she's young, and she's a girl...we've all been there! So she is leaning on Julien pretty good right now to carry her through the slide....you'll see her grab hold of the bit at the end and brace herself on the reins...this is NOT ideal, but it's a start....she is showing the beginnings of using her haunches well, and rounding her back...she definitely needs some more time and practice...and alas, that is exactly what Julien is there for...to bring her though this awkward, silly, self-conscious stage and right into pleasant young beauty....all good things in time....Enjoy!
Happy Trails,
Leah
It seems there were some pretty nasty storms up there in Damascus last night, so the outdoor arena was out of the question...I apologize for the less than stellar photography and dark video...the indoor arena always challenges my already borderline awful photography skills...if that's what you would call them....so, if you want to take a look at some great outdoor footage of our last trip to visit fancy, click HERE! You can click on the embedded links in each post all the way to when we dropped her off and watch her progress along with me!
Julien promised we'd finally get to see some stops this month...he's such a pesky perfectionist...in a good way :) He doesn't want us to jump ahead to quickly, and is letting her set the pace and all, but come on already! Spinning = Cool, Slide Stops - WAY Cool! OMG, I sound like such a doofis...oh well, it's how I feel...and I'm just being real.
Gma Kathy took a spin today and did a wonderful job with the little lady, if I might say so myself...
But if you want to see what all the fuss is about, here's a small snipit of her current course of study...slide stops...the goal is to have her round her back, collect and bend at her poll...driving her hind end up under herself while pulling herself along with her front end...it's a pretty physical maneuver...some are more natural at it than others...it's a bit more of a challenge for our little lady....she has a bit of a self confidence issue....hey, she's young, and she's a girl...we've all been there! So she is leaning on Julien pretty good right now to carry her through the slide....you'll see her grab hold of the bit at the end and brace herself on the reins...this is NOT ideal, but it's a start....she is showing the beginnings of using her haunches well, and rounding her back...she definitely needs some more time and practice...and alas, that is exactly what Julien is there for...to bring her though this awkward, silly, self-conscious stage and right into pleasant young beauty....all good things in time....Enjoy!
Happy Trails,
Leah
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