After Margaret and I had such a fun time at the fall hunter pace, we opted to go again this spring! This time, while I rode Rejoice again, Margaret rode her horse Jester and had a friend ride Ladyhawke. All Kennebec Morgans!! Jester and Rejoice have the same dam and Jester and Lady share the same sire. Unfortunately instead of a lovely late spring day, we had one of the first intensely hot and humid days of the year. It was definitely a bummer, but the ride was mostly in the shade of the woods and we had a great time! most of the fences were 3' coops but we found a small log and this hay to jump haha Until we didn't. 😑 We brought along a third friend who rode Margaret's older mare, Ladyhawke. She's a good rider but hasn't known Ladyhawke for very long and didn't realize how much of a cranky boss mare she could be at times. She kicked Jester right in the front leg just about halfway through the ride, and while the cut itself ended up not being a big deal in the
Whew!! The new year has certainly kicked my butt, hence the ten day absence from the blog. Not only has it been bitter, bitter cold here (you know it is cold when the day's high temp is -5...), but we have had our fair share of craziness already. We went from having to get the furnace repaired on New Year's Day, nearly running out of oil because the suppliers cannot keep up with the demand needed to keep homes warm (tank is plenty full now, thank goodness!), to having my truck tire randomly almost fall off (all is fixed now), to both children getting the stomach flu. We found out that when the two year old gets the flu (his first of his life), he has febrile seizures, soooooo that was a fun (NOT) ambulance ride and overnight stay in the hospital. He had two seizures in one day, and honestly it was the most terrifying day of my entire life. We had a snow day last Thursday (the first day of his illness), and I have not yet been back to work. Needless to say, I am mentally and physically exhausted.
So. I would say 2018 has arrived. Things can only get better from here, right?
Right!! :-)
So this is just a catch up post. I thought I would be doing a 2017 Year End Award post, but we missed a banquet on January 6, as we were in the hospital with the little guy. Hopefully I can pick up the awards soon and then I will do an entire write up.
I bought some super cute decals (in green and in white) from Gray & Co Designs before Christmas, and I have been slowly putting them onto ALL THE THINGS. This is my laptop cover and I love it more every time I look at it!
I don't remember if I already posted this photo, and I am too lazy to go check, so here are all the decals. I really bought them to put on new brushes and was only going to get one sheet of small circle mongrams, but she had a great deal, so now I have eight sheets worth hahaha. And of course, now I want to stick them everywhere. I am trying to keep calm and pace myself on applying them haha. Now that it is not -1000 degrees, I will put some on Ellie's new brushes I was gifted in the blog Secret Santa from Amanda!
If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen this #bestnine photo grid already. But I thought it was cute enough to share here too! I started my Instagram account in July of 2017, but clearly it should be renamed the Ellie Show hahaha. #AllEllieAllTheTime
So that is about it around here. Just hanging with sick kids this week and hoping we can get back to a normal(ish) schedule soon. Looking like an ice storm on Saturday, but maybe MAYBE I can actually ride on Sunday and Monday?? That would be heaven!
So. I would say 2018 has arrived. Things can only get better from here, right?
Right!! :-)
So this is just a catch up post. I thought I would be doing a 2017 Year End Award post, but we missed a banquet on January 6, as we were in the hospital with the little guy. Hopefully I can pick up the awards soon and then I will do an entire write up.
I bought some super cute decals (in green and in white) from Gray & Co Designs before Christmas, and I have been slowly putting them onto ALL THE THINGS. This is my laptop cover and I love it more every time I look at it!
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| monogram all the things |
I also put in a Black Friday order to Amy at Dark Jewel Designs and it has arrived! I told her not to rush, as I definitely did not need them for Christmas. They arrived just before the new year and I LOVE THEM! Now Ellie has a browband to perfectly match her ITBF Kennebec fly bonnet (left) and a new dressage browband to match her fly bonnet and my Annie's coat.
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| matchy matchy |
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| Cold times LOL |
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| This makes me laugh. When my husband makes a list, but the two year old has shit to do, too. |
And some sad, sad dressage news. Since 2011, I have used an app on my iPhone called Equitests for both USEA and USDF dressage tests. The eventing tests do not have an update and I have tried contacting the company three times (they only have an email for contact). Their site looks pretty much unused at this point, so I doubt they are around any longer.
In the past, updates have been available when the new tests come out. I'd just pay the $9.99 or whatever for the upgrade and all was well. It was totally worth it. I LOVE using my phone to memorize my tests and to double check before I get on at a show. I liked this one because it showed diagrams and geometry for each movement plus the test itself, so I did not need to try to draw anything myself.
But it seems to be gone!! No new USEA tests!! And while the USDF tests are still good for one more year, in 2019 they will be out of date as well! The horror! I don't want to go back to using a folded photocopy of the test in my boot haha. I generally had to replace it every month or so because it would get yucky and sweaty. Uggg I want my technology back! :-(
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| I am seriously considering creating my own app. How hard can it be, right? LOL |
Wow- your year started with a bang! I am glad that you children on the mend. It is very scary when a young child gets really ill.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the stickers. Now I want to do it too. And don't get me started on those matching bonnets/browbands...
Yeah, it has been insane! But we can only get better from here. I really hope the little guy doesn't have any seizures again. I am told it is a 67% chance he won't. *crossing all appendages*
DeleteYou definitely need some decals! I love them! And Carmen definitely needs a bonnet/browband combo!! ;-)
That is a lot of decals! Those bonnets are very cute
ReplyDeleteI know! I was only going to order one sheet of each color, then she told me about a buy three get one free (and all the fun things she could create other than just a monogram), and obviously buying EIGHT sheets is totally normal, right?! LOL I'm hopeless!! ;-)
DeleteThere are a few other apps with dressage tests. I don't know if any of them have been updated with the new USEA tests, but they might not be as defunct as that app and might eventually do so. Did that app do anything other than just display the test? Did it have diagrams or something?
ReplyDeleteThe Equitests are so freaking awesome because besides being able to look at the score sheets/test instructions, you can actually watch a little horse do the test (view from above) and it shows the geometry. You can also sketch it yourself and record/listen to a test reading, but I never used those features. For a visual learner like me, the little visual horse doing the test is PERFECT and helps so much.
DeleteI think we have the same Annie's coat so the temptation to copy your bonnet/browband is strong 😂 I bought mine at Rolex and haven't actually worn it yet!
ReplyDeleteThe seizures sounds terrifying, so glad he he feeling better.
YES. YOU MUST HAVE THE MATCHING BONNET AND BROWBAND!!!! Just tell them to send you the same thing Elizabeth Sanborn ordered LOL!! We can be twins!! I admit, the first time I found your blog, I was like ohhhh yeah, we are teal blue twins LOL. I have to suppress the urge to constantly ask you "where did you get THAT?" about like ummm everything teal. ;-)
DeleteAnd thank you. I am SO glad the little one is better too! Seizures are the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. I never want to deal with that again!!
Hahaha you are always welcome to ask where I got stuff, I love sharing my teal obsession 😉 as long as you don't mind if I do it back! 😂
DeleteOk, good deal. Now I expect to see a pic of you with the coat, bonnet, and browband at a show this summer! ;-)
Deleteholy cow now that is a roller coaster you have been on SHEESH! I am so glad the kids are okay (how scary the seizing OMG) and your furnace is working. And you should TOTALLy do the app. I have friends who have done apps before (Not me I am too limited but you should try it). Love the bonnets and browbands and decals too! and LOL at the hubby's list. Stay warm and spring is coming. It was almost 50 today and supposed to be 60 tomorrow then back to 20s this weekend but I can feel it!! Only a few more months then I will be bitching about how hot it is out :)
ReplyDeleteTotally crazy but we made it through! And it was 50 degrees yesterday and today! YAY! But then temps plummet and we will have an ice storm tomorrow, so oh well hahaha. I will NEVER bitch about being hot! I am SOLAR powered! ;-) Bring on summer!
DeleteI would totally use an app like that!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope everyone is on the mend. Febrile seizures are scary. 2018 sure let you know it wasn’t playing.
ReplyDelete