Thanksgiving 2010

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday celebrated with friends and family on both sides of the Tyrrell Jrs! The week kicked off with extra-cold weather which made me cancel the last of the riding lessons that hadn't already been cancelled due to the holiday weekend. As a result, my horses and I got a much-needed week-long break from teaching. I spent my down-time catching up with family, including my sister who was visiting from out-of-state.

We spent Thanksgiving at my mom's, then journeyed across the street to a Thanksgiving party that my childhood best friend's family was holding. I got to catch up with several people from my childhood, then we traveled to the Davi pad for more family get-together time.

Cousin Miranda and Lilah get their pilgrim-groove on:

Lilah liked the turkey! Yum, yum!

The master chef and Paco!

Nick carved the turkey while Michelle looked on. Starting a new tradition perhaps?

Unfortunately my sister had to leave town a day early to beat out the arrival of a new snow storm, but as a result we got all ready for Christmas by the time Thanksgiving weekend ended. (The lights look much better in person, and it was nice to have Nick's help this year with the lights!)

We took Lilah to a Christmas tree farm, thinking perhaps we would get a real tree this year. I've been wanting a real tree ever since we bought a fake one. But our fake one looks just as great as a real tree and is low cost and easy maintenance. Once at the tree farm, Nick and I decided not to pay the high price of a real tree (it would have been over $75) so we left the farm telling Lilah that Daddy would come back later for it. Later I took Lilah grocery-shopping while Nick pulled the fake tree out of the attic and set it up in the living room. She doesn't know the difference. And neither do our house guests who usually ask if it's a real tree or not!

Sorry we lied to you Lilah. We were lying about the Santa thing too.

The beautiful tree Lilah picked out. It's probably still standing there....

The Lost Camp Tamarack Pictures!!

It is hard to believe it's been over a year since we've moved home from camp, and it's been a year and a half since camp ended. The 2009 horse staff and I all still talk -- we have an on-going email thread catching each other up in our lives. Recently one non-horse staff member sent me some pictures she had taken but never shown me before.

This pic was my birthday dinner, when everyone went out to Mexican food and the horse staff gave me this helmet (love!):


A Tattler night, the theme was Candy-land and I was the .... Lollipop Pricness! I love L's hair in this pic, plus Nick's in the background!


And another Tattler night, the theme this time was Cavemen. Jiri came very nicely dressed and told everyone to wait until he evolved! Oh, Jiri!!



Lilah peaks over my head (with sticks in my hair) during the dinner meal:

That same night with horse staff members and Carol:

At the 4th of July party in Madras:

Still no word on if Camp will be open this year again....

Little Dog (the addition??)

About two weeks ago, I walked with a girlfriend and our kids to a local elementary school where they were holding a "read and play." Along the way, I noticed a little black and white dog following us. It was very adamant about following us into the school, even after I kicked it (not literally) back outside. To make a long story short, the dog came home with Lilah and I that afternoon. Since then, I've left my information with the humane society, posted several ads on Craigslists, searched surrounding neighborhoods for missing dog flyers, scanned it twice by two different vets for microchips, even called the local Boston Terrier breeder to see if she knew of any missing Boston Terriers. To all the efforts made we have come up empty-handed. It seems impossible no one is missing this sweet little dog, but yet no one has come forward.

Meanwhile, the little dog (even with some bad behavior) has blended right into our family. We had been talking about another dog, and we're still not sure this is the right dog for us, but she definately seems to have adopted us. One of her redeeming qualities she that she is amazingly patient and tolerant of Lilah.

Her real owners have until December 19th (30 days from when I found her) to claim her, although I doubt that will happen. Nick and I would then have to make the decision on whether or not to keep her. There are some training issues to work through, but she's intelligent enough. She is now house-broken and sits on command!She doesn't bark very often, but she does snore and pass gas frequently!

The vet thinks she's about a year old and she is believed to be a purebreed Boston Terrier. Nick and I have been reading up a lot on this breed as of late....

Beautiful Fall

After Summer, Fall is my favorite season. The crisp air, the wonderful smell of leaves... We've been having a great Autumn this year with lots of beautiful weather. Our neighborhood is great for walking around in and checking out all the colorful leaves.

We recently did a family trip around the 'hood. Lilah donned her rainboots to splash in the puddles, then learned the hard way about wet feet and wet clothes. She's also really getting into gathering up the leaves!

Happy Autumn!

Kate's First Show

Last Sunday I took Kate to her first show. Kate is my project horse, and while she has many positive attributes, she IS a training challenge. She's got a bossy mare attitude you can see a mile away, PLUS with her age she's going through the rebellious teenage years. I think she's going to be an amazing horse someday, but heaven help me get through the next couple of years with her!

Nevertheless, she did do amazing for her first show. (Minus cow-kicking my assistant at one point)


She was so laid-back about being posed in photo set-up that Lilah got to sit on her:


The show had four judges for each class. I went into three western pleasure classes (hence the cowgirl outfit) and got ribbon placings in two out of the three.


I also had an amazing turn-out of people to come watch. Originally I was just going to sneak over to the show by myself, then decided to ask for an assistant's help, then told the owner of the barn, a couple students, Kate's former owner, ect... and next thing I knew I had a grouping of about 15 people cheering me on. I feel like a special girl!

(Left to Right) Mckenzie, me, Lilah, Annie, Jessica, and Blake

I showed Kate under "Kiss Me Kate." Her registered name is Oklahoma's Max Factor. I think I need a show name for her!

I'd like to get her to more shows soon!

Halloween 2010

This year's halloween was a lot like the Christmas season -- long and drawn out. We celebrated several different times with different activities, starting with Foundation Riding Academy's first annual Halloween Horse Show. I had 17 riders show, followed by games on horseback, and then a costume parade. Sweet P. dressed as "Hippie Halloween" and won Judge's Favorite, and Barry went as a "unicorn with a fairy rider." He won best All-Around. I was busy running the show so unfortunately I didn't get any real pictures.

Like her two cousins, Lilah choose this year to be a kitty-cat. This is her getting ready to go to "school" (daycare) a few days before Halloween:



We attended two different pumpkin patches this year and carved our pumpkins as a family:

Lilah did not like the "goo" (pumpkin innards), so this is how she spent the carving time:

We had a nice dinner at my sister's house the night before Halloween and then attended a "Harvest Party" at the school she works at. Lilah rocked the potato-sack races, and enjoyed the inflatable bounce house:

10/30/10

On Halloween, Nana and Paco came over. Nana took me on a legendary Costco run (my hopefully annual-only stock up on house supplies and food) and then we were joined by the Willis family for dinner at our house.

Then it was onto trick or treating with Nana amd even Addie's grandma in tow too!

Addie and Lilah:

Vancouverites definately like to go overboard for any and all holidays. This is a house in our neighborhood:

It was much more impressive in person. We took Lilah just so she could see it all! :)

After everyone had gone home and Lilah was to bed, Nick and I did our yearly tradition of watching a scary movie. It's the one time of year where we'll watch one!

I'm glad Halloween is done and over with now. It seems now that we have Lilah (and the other kids at Foundation Riding Academy) that our lives get busy celebrating the holidays. Now it's onto Thanksgiving, and then my favorite -- CHRISTMAS!!

Pizza at Paco's

The other night we drove to the grandparents with pizza in hand. After a yummy pizza dinner, we enjoyed some quality family time. Lilah got her bangs cut (Thanks Nana!) and she showed Nana and Paco her new card game:

Look at Me!!

Look who's big enough to use the bathroom sink without a stool!! (sniffle, sniffle)