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...

Then, he calls in his second hand man, Miles, to help out as he starts to tack on Pedro's new shoes...it takes a lot of tools to get this job done, so Miles is a big help!

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

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.

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.

Happy Baby-Making!

Psalm 127:3-5 ESV
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.

Kids say the sweetest things...

It's 3am.

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

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

Rest In Peace Sadie-Dog....

We had to bury a good friend for Gpa Craig this morning...dadgummit.

Coming up for Air!

Taking a moment for a long, deep breath of calming fresh air before I slip back into obscurity for a few more days.....It's been a bit since my last post, and for good reasons too!



First and foremost, I'M BACK TO SCHOOL! This is the first week of my first class with the University of Phoenix BSIT program....and at the current rate, I am headed for a January, 2012 graduation date with a degree in Multimedia and Visual Communications...of course, that's if I don't double up on anything, which I plan on doing...my personal goal is to wrap this degree up well before the end of 2011! I've gotten the flow of the online resources, course structure, and participation requirements now...thinkin' I may just be able to do this thang!


Secondly, my family has arrived back safe and sound from a funtastic camping trip...the stories and pictures are plentiful....I'll be uploading a more extensive post when I get a little more time to pull it all together!


Finally, there is one more thing that's been taking up a lot of time and energy as of late, but you'll have to wait on that one....it's a hum-dinger....check in around the end of next week and you may be in for a surprise! I sure hope you will be, anyways!


Happy Trails!
Leah

An Unwelcome Alarm....

.....oh to be woke up, on a day you were free to sleep in, by the awful, wretched, vile sound of your pesky cat trying to puke up the world's largest hairball on your pillow....right there by my ever-luvin' head! Yeah, it's repulsive...only 1 good thing came of it....he learned to fly.

Happy Trails,
Leah

Please, introduce yourself!

JR and the Little Brat took off this weekend for the annual Roehl family camping trip to the Michigamme Reservoir...you can see lots of great pics of last years trip HERE! It's a whoopin' good time and all the family looks forward to it each year....Heck, the Little Brat jumped out of bed fresh as morning dew and wide awake at 4am to get dressed for the drive to the airport! Sadly, this year I was left behind...it's not all doom and gloom though, and there is very good reason why I could not go...I hope to share that good reason with you in 2 weeks time...hang in there! It's a doozy!


Anyways, I am not going to be spending a lot of time on the computer over the next week, so I though this would be a good time to ask YOU for a favor...I'd love to hear from all my friends and family that check in throughout the day and week....please, if you stop by, introduce yourself, and where you are from! Feel free to share your favorite camping story too! It will surely help me feel like I'm out with the rest of my brood instead of hanging out back here like a singleton...


I look forward to hearing from you! Here's one of my favorite pics from last years camping trip to put you in the mood...mmmm, I can almost taste the marshmallows!




Happy Trails,

Leah

Prima Randi-rina...

Randi dreams of leotards, pink slippers, and twirling tootoos...so, it was a no-brainer to sign up the little dreamer for her first ballet class this summer! She is in a 3-4 year old class at the Fredericksburg Ballet Center and is having a blast!

She starts off each class with some warm-ups....although I don't think this pose is an official ballerina movement, it helps the Little Brat get her head in the game...

Then, they line up and get down to business...they are learning a sweet little song about a ballerina music box...they are even going to do a small recital at the end of her 6 week class...can't wait! The girls are so precious!

Her teacher broke out a special surprise at last weeks practice for the girls....TOOTOOS! What a treat! It really made the girls brighten up their moves!

I just can't get enough of the silliness little girls can come up with...they sure do have a lot of fun...it's hard to get the Little Brat back in the car to go home...I think she'd live here and dance all day if it were up to her...good times, good times...believe it or not, they are all actually performing the same movement in this picture....as you can see, they each have their own 'style' ...I'm thinkin' it's a good thing they have 6 weeks to practice (this was practice #2)...

Happy Dancing!

Leah