The Spotsylvania Christmas Parade is...

...is a family tradition!

Every year we start preparation WEEKS before the big day...my local 4H group has ridden in the Equestrian Division annually, and it takes a lot of time to get all the decorations planned out and created for both our riders and our float kids....this year is very different tho...I handed over the reins for our 4H Group to one of our most senior families this past summer....for the first time in years, all we had to do was show up and watch! What a wonderful experience THAT was!

Little Brat, Middle Brat and I headed out in the freezing temps to downtown Spotsylvania....after finding a good parking spot, we walked down the Parade route to the Courthouse Cafe', where we sipped on some hot cocoa until the Parade was ready to start...at 2pm, we grabbed a couple hot cocoa's to-go and crossed the street for a front row view of all the cool Parade entries....

Here they come! WOOOHOO! Kicking off the show was the color guard and MIA/POW representatives....they were SHARP!

Then the JROTC marched by smartly...

We call this group the Karate Kids....they were ready to rock!

These girls twirling flags were spectacular....

This was one of my favorite displays...ALL the local High School bands combined to play together in the parade...I think there were 4 or 5 in all! I t was grand, and although they nearly ran us over, they were our favorite entry!

What? No, I can't explain this one either......

And what parade is complete without an Elvis appearance?

This baton twirler wins TWO grand prizes for her talent...HOTTEST and COLDEST chick of the Day! Those are flames on them there baton ends! And she is wearing little more than underwear in freezing temps!!! Oh my! And did I mention the snow flurries?!?!? Someone get her a robe! A Fireproof robe, that is...

One thing about Spotsylvania is that we have a lot of pride....that includes pride in our waste management services....yes, that is a trash truck IN the parade....and the sign behind it? It says: "The Cherished Sounds of Christmas Morning"...really!

Here comes my ole' 4H club now, The Jolly Ranchers! Hi girls!

Here's there float....they are rocking out!

And here come their fearless riders! The parents walk between the horses and the crowd to keep the horses and riders safe, as well as the spectators, in the event they are spooked....

The llamas finish out the animals on display...SO CUTE!

Santa brings completion to the parade festivities...all-in-all it lasted about an hour...can't wait to come back and do it again next year!

Tyler scoops up LB and off we go to the warmth awaiting us in the truck....just wish we had parked a little closer!!!!

Happy Trails,

Leah

*sorry about the text/pic spacing on this post....it got whacked somehow, and would take too long for me to can and start over, so we'll just look past it this time...k? Thanks!*

Enjoy the view!

I can be a very resourceful person when I need to be....especially where the safety of our friends and family is concerned....I have been mulling over a means to get our road frontage cleared, without commiting a great deal of $ that we just don't have. You see, we are afflicted with a scary driveway...it sits atop a blind hill, and no amount of signage has slowed down the local traffic to make it safer for us to exit our driveway and onto the road....the feat makes for a very tense 10 seconds filled with terrifying thoughts of what monster (aka. Sammy Speed Monkey) lurked just out of view....Well, we are on our way to safer days now....thanks to the local classifieds....I found an ad for a company willing to come clear your land for free, granted you have the lumber they are looking for....I called, they came out, and they like a small patch of trees in our front hay field....I agreed to let them take the whole lot, in exchange for clearing some of our road frontage...they agreed, and we were on our way to bluer skies and happier days!

Here is a shot of our 'tree island' in the front hay field as they got to work....

Here is a shot after the trees were down, and the stumps and brush were piled and ready to burn.....oh my, MORE to burn....will it EVER end????

Here are some of the logs they gathered off 'tree island'...about 6 semi-trailers total!


And here they are getting started on our road frontage....isn't it scary? Look at those mean tree's mocking me...."I'm mean as can be! You can't see past me!", they taunt....Take them down, take them ALL down!!!



Here's as far as they got....we can finally see down towards the KOA entrance....I would like to finish the remaining 100 feet to the property line, but this was a good start to make it safer in the short term....Look, there's a car!

One thousand ONE, One thousand TWO......One thousand EIGHT! There it is again!

And TEN seconds later it has safely passed......

Yessirree Bob (or Bill, or Joe if you choose), I am feeling more aware of my surroundings and safer my the minute! Thanks Mr. Contractor-Guy-who-put-an-ad-in-the-local-classifieds-to-cut-peoples-trees-for-free!!!! They are also known as Triple H Contracting and charge $1500/acre to clear land if you have lumber that isn't worth their time to cut for free....we had a lot of that too...

Happy Trails!

Leah

One of my favorite things....

From time to time we stumble upon special little things that make our life more wonderful and complete.....before these special little things come into our lives, we are just plowing thru life, oblivious to their wonders and beauty.....and once we have found a special little thing, our lives are never the same again....


Case in point: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint!



I absolutely favor this lip gloss above any other that I've ever used before it! If you have not had the fortune of experiencing this minty, glossy bliss, let me try to describe it to you....Have you ever felt the tingle of a thousand tiny icycles on your lips? No? OK then, how about Carmex...have you ever used Carmex and enjoyed that refreshing splash of cool on your lips after you apply it? Yes? Great...moving on then....think back to your favorite lip gloss to date. The shine, texture, applicator....got it in your head? It wasn't too shiny, right? Or too thick? And of course the applicator never leaked or melted into a creamy, waxy, goopy mess! Good, we agree so far! Now, what to do about that, well, less than pleasant stink that can develop in our mouths over the course of the day....you know what I'm talking about....'morning breath', 'after lunch yuck mouth', call it what you want, what do you usually do for it? Pop a mint? A peppermint, perhaps?


Now, combine that cool, tingly, crispiness, with a medium consistency glossy niceness (tinted in the color of your choice, but not TOO much color), with a no mess no fuss applicator (squeeze out JUST the right amount and the rest stays IN), with a fresh minty tastiness for you or your lucky smooching recipient (it is infused with real no kidding peppermint oil) and you have C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint!


I carry one in my purse, keep one in my truck, have an extra at work and one more in my bathroom! I can't possibly live without these yummy gifts of goodness and lippy perfection! Try it and let me know what you think! I am all about spreading the love...and this is about as close as you can get too love in a bottle :)


Happy Trails,
Leah & "Violet Mint"

Tis' the Season!

Well, we are officially beyond the Thanksgiving Holiday, and headed head long into the Christmas Season! Our tree is up and lit and our Christmas lights illuminate the barn.

Here's a short clip of us all enjoying the spirit of this jolly time!

A Class Act in Spotsylvania...

A letter to the editor of the freelance star proves there are still great role models out there for our children to learn from....this lesson of taking personal responsibility is timeless. Kudos to Mr. Wolfe and all he does for the children he is entrusted with each day.....I pray my own Little Brat is blessed with such honorable leadership when she heads off to school!

Happy Trails,
Leah

BANJO ALERT!

I let the goats out of their pen Saturday morning, like I do every weekend. It gives them a chance to munch on some fresh greenery and spend some time with their best pal, Blue Dog...they romped and played all day Saturday, like normal....late Saturday night, I heard Blue Dog barking...at that hour, that would normally indicate one of two things...a horse or horses are loose, or company has arrived (expected or unexpected).

I got up and verified no horses were out, and that we had no company, and went back to bed....you see, from time to time Blue Dog will just bark....I've woke up to him standing at the fence, barking at Treasure on the the other side....for no other reason than to annoy him, and everyone trying to sleep at that time....that is a rare occurrence though, so I tend to take his late night barking seriously enough to check it out...even if he cries wolf from time to time.

When I went out to feed this morning, Fiddle greeted me, along with Blue and Boomer....I found it odd Banjo was not among them, but chalked it up to the rain and him probably being too comfy to venture out with the rest of the gang...my gut told me different though....Banjo LOVES his Fiddle...and although Fiddle could probably do well in life without him, he would cease to exist without her around...he loves her THAT much...so I looked around, and called for him...to no avail....and promptly set my mind to 'denial' and went about the day....I was hoping for the best.

When I went out to feed tonight, Fiddle was still alone. I penned her up and did an extensive search of the property. I searched every building, every pasture, the hay fields, under the cars and tractor....I combed over the entire property and found no sign of Banjo anywhere....I checked over Fiddle and Blue for any scratches, cuts or other signs of conflict....nothing....I am going to patrol the woods around our property tomorrow, in the light....I am preparing for the worst.

Worried,

Leah

UPDATE: (12/2) Our neighbourhood has been canvassed, and still no sight of Banjo....please keep your positive thoughts coming! It is possible he just wandered off and got lost....maybe he'll show up once he gets his bearings and finds his way back home. He is wearing a collar with our phone number on it too...

Thanksgiving Update & Pics!

We're HOME! 3 planes to Cali + 3 planes back = 1 exhausted family!

What a GREAT time we had visiting family and friends though. Our trip started with a not too hurried exit from our casa...We were on time and ready for this change of scenery! Unfortunately, halfway to the airport, I realized I had forgotten my digital camera AND video camera!!! Talk about disappointing....I was distressed, and forced to relinquish dreams of capturing this annual event on any form of presentable media. The only other option we had was my phone....the camera built into my phone, that is! sigh....sorry folks, the following pictures are the result of my absent mindedness! Hope they don't make your eyes cross and hair stand on end! I did photoshop them to the best of my ability to help purty the little boogers up just a tad...still...I am hoping some of our family and friends will send some better pics soon!

One of Little Brat's favorite things is the bus ride to the airplane...she was so excited about it that I could not even get her attention for this pic!


Of course, Little Brat can do things "ALL BY HERSELF" now....she hands off her ticket to the airline steward and is on her way!


What I did not capture on camera was the security fiasco we endured...about halfway through our cross country trek, LB got a bit over-tired, and that means extra-hyper....she attempted to swing from those stretchy pole-to-pole thingies that keep the lines separated...I got her off those before they all came tumbling down and got her focused on getting her shoes off for the x-ray.....she SEEMED occupied with that task, so I turned my head for a moment to take off my own shoes and next thing I know security is hurrying towards us saying "no, no,no!"...."wow", I thought to myself...."people sure are unruly today!"....only to realize .2 seconds later she was actually aiming her distress at MY Little Brat....LB had managed to take off her shoes quicker then a fox in a hen house and make a b-line for some giant spraying contraption beside us...I still do not know what it was...but it sprayed her...and I gathered from security's tone that was NOT an acceptable thing for her to have done.....so, I gather her up and place her behind me...this way, I go thru the metal detector....then LB....then Daddy....well, in all the spray gadget drama, I forgot to remove the orange juice from my purse...we had gotten off a flight with the OJ, and actually had to leave security and then re-enter security just to get on our next ride...sooooooo, security pulls me aside to question me about the liquid....immediately, LB goes shooting through the metal detector....daddy has to call her back, but now he is flagged as a result of her 'diversionary tactics' and also pulled aside for closer checkout....Where does that leave LB? The stinker that started this whole mess? Playing with security, of course....having a grand ole' time at our expense....long story short, we survived, and made it to our next flight....

Once boarded, I found it ironic that the first thing she pulled out of her seat pocket was the safety procedures booklet...she reviewed the instructions thoroughly....describing to me the pics of the airplane in the water and on fire....she didn't buy the water pic though...she knows airplanes are not supposed to be in water....for the fire pic, I was amused as she she explained "You gotta call 911 if there is a fire"...she must have learned that in school!


LB and her sidekick Bixbee got all buckled up for takeoff.....or as LB puts it "BLASTOFF!"...



We arrived in Redding and made tracks to my good friend Kate's place....there, we had dinner with her super cute family! Kate got some great pics of all our brats romping around, so I hope to get a few to post after the Holiday weekend!

We had an opportunity to visit my sister and her family as well...we met her fiance' for the first time, and also her baby boy, Cayden! What a fantastic little man! I was totally taken with all that baby pudge, and had to exhibit extreme self control not to bite, squeeze, and/or pinch at it the entire visit! Just LOOK at those cheeks! BEGGING for a squeezin'!

Here's a pic of baby Cayden with mommy and daddy...

And here is Randi somewhat sharing HIS toys with him....lol....yes, there was a tad bit of jealousy on LB's part for all the attention baby Cayden was getting....especially since Mommy couldn't keep her hands off him! SOMEONE doesn't like to share Mommy too well! Like a good girl though, she can turn on the charm when the camera is on her...


G-G-Ma and G-G-Pa's was our home base for the visit....we shopped and cooked Thanksgiving dinner with Aunt Sandy. My cousin Sarah got in a lot of great play time with LB too....here they are drawing on the driveway with some chalk....no complaints from the neighbors.....yet!



Uncle Casey showed up, and LB took to him like fly's on manure....it must be his resemblance to Gpa Craig, cuz she ran right into his arms when he arrived!

Uncle Travis was also there, and something about him made Randi get all limp and silly.....LOL...every time he picked her up she did THIS...what does that mean???

G-ma Kathy was there to divy out the spoiling between her grand-baby's....yes, LB had to share her too....this was a tough trip for the LB...lots of lessons in SHARING were had!


Last, but not least, G-GMa and G-G-Pa hosted this crazy, rambunctious and unruly crew....I'm not sure how they survived it all, but they were still conscious and breathing when we departed...I checked...they'll need the next year to recover from this visit, I'm sure!


So, with our hearts full of love and appreciation for the family and friends in our lives, we boarded on our plane back to cold and rainy Virginia....we are already looking forward to doing it again next year...except maybe fewer layovers next time around :)


Happy Trails!
The Roehl's

PS...G-Ma Kathy's dog had puppies a few weeks before we arrived....they are Toy Fox Terrier/Miniature Pinscher mixes....as cute as can be! LB was absolutely FIXATED on this little girl in particular....we agreed that if G-Ma did not sell her before Christmans, that Santa may be delivering it to her! Trying out names already....I like "Teeny Turner"...or "Delta Dawn"...or maybe "Cowgirl"....hmmmmmm

Cali, here we come!

We are getting our happy bottoms up in the wee dark hours of the morn tomorrow to begin our cross country trek to California! We try to get back to see my side of the family once a year, and what better time than when everyone gathers for the Thanksgiving Holiday!? My mom, grandparents, aunt, uncle, brothers, sister and brand new baby nephew will be there! I can't wait to see them! It's going to be a quick trip for us...fly out Tue, grocery shopping Wed, hanging out with our peeps Thur, and return to the homestead Friday....I'll have lots of pics to post upon our return, so stay tuned!

Safe travels to you and yours if you are joining us on the road this Holiday....

Happy Trails,

Leah

Thanks to you....

and all you do....this is a great time of year to show how much we appreciate those that have made an impact on our lives....a time to recognize that our experiences with each and every one of you has made us more aware of our own impact on those around us....

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, & our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life. . . . . . .whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Happy Trails,

Leah

Mythbuster....

DAY #1: DAY #2: MYTH: I am stronger headed than a horse...

TRUTH: I am NOT. See picture for proof. One of those eyes is not like the other!

Happy Trails,

Leah