Milla's Amazing Race

 It has been a mad dash of events for Milla this week.  She was thoroughly exhausted by the end (so was I!),but I think she would say it was all worth it.

Thursday - The awards ceremony

3pm: Milla arrives home from school, grabs a snack, changes and we head out for her horse lesson up at Saturday's venue in NW Denver (we live in SE).
4 pm: we see her stable's trailer just arriving with their horses at the same time we arrive.  They begin unloading horses and Milla helps get 'Paige' ready for a ride. (the horses will stay here at the show location through the weekend)
4:30 pm: She finally gets into the arena for a quick practice
5:00 pm: We rush out, but hit rush hour traffic... get home at 5:45 and Milla jumps in the shower.
6:05 pm: Dinner
6:10 pm: Milla grabs her plate to scarf down in the car and we leave for her HS awards ceremony.

*She got a little medal and award for being nominated by 2 of her teachers (science and english) as being an exceptional talent in those classes*

SLEEP...a little

Friday - The Prom

after school and seminary,
4pm: Lady from our ward arrived for hair and makeup!  Rin enjoyed chatting with the stylist as she worked.  I could hear the 3 of them laughing and conversing for the 1 1/2 hours it took to pretty up.  So grateful there are people that know how to do such things!
5:30pm: left to take Milla over her friend Maddie's house were prom festivities were to begin!
After pictures and dinner, Milla's date, Ethan Hunt, drove them over to the Wildlife Experience in Parker (south of us), the venue for the dance.
11 pm: She arrived home happy and exhausted.  (Luckily neither Milla nor her date are late, late night people so she could get some sleep before Saturday...)

The group!  Milla and Ethan on the left.  Thankfully his mother passed these pics along to me.

The couple shot!  She's growing up!

Saturday - The Colorado Classic Horse Show

8:15 am: Out the door for the horse show.  Milla's first 'academy' show competing with riders from other stables.  Jods (the long pants they wear for American Saddlebreed riding), collared shirt, tie, tiebar, vest, leather gloves and boots.

9:00 am: The riders aren't allowed to help prep the horses this morning!  They stay in the makeshift 'lobby' as others come to do their special buns and cement down their wispies, clean their boots and apply their numbers

10:00 Shows on!  Parents go to the stands!  This is a pretty small show including American Saddlebreed, some western (no jumping or barrel racing), and some english that I really don't know about!  There was a 'record 65 people watching in the stands'.  The venue was so large, though, as you can see from the pictures, we had our choice of seats. ;)

Milla performed in one morning 'class' and in the evening champion 'class' on equitation.  Her type of riding is all about presentation.  I learned from the southern grandmother of one of the rider's that this Saddlebreed was developed in the American South back in the age of plantations.  They needed a horse hardy enough to make all the rounds through the fields to check on things as well as calm and presentable enough to pull the family carriage.  So one has to maintain posture, balance and form: hands up, back in the saddle, posting (controlled bounce with horses gait) properly, heels out and down.  And probably a bunch of other things...

Terribly fuzzy, but here is Milla looking beautiful and on her correct diagonal (posting up when horses leg on the rail side is up)

Milla's first entrance into the ring.  This show arena in connected to a practice arena.  They start a trot in the practice arena and then continue in this trot into the show arena as their name is called.  She competed against 4 other riders in each of her classes.

So fun to watch Milla ride!  She showed confidence and grace!  As she did her first circle in the morning, her coaches kept calling out to her about something.  I couldn't figure out what was going on!  Turns out the horse was doing some other gait, similar to the trot he was SUPPOSED to be doing, that she wasn't familiar with.  She looped once before reallizing what was going on.  Even though her equitation was beautiful, this landed her in 5th place.  She was thrilled with the pink 5th place ribbon, none the less, I mean, it was pink after all, and still got to progress to the 'championship finals' in the evening as there were only 5 kids in her class.  We went home for a brief rest in the afternoon.  Keeping her spirits up, we returned in the evening with the whole family.  Paige was getting in the spirit of things and was responding well to Milla as she came out for her final 'class'.  I thought she rode beautifully, but I always do, so when they called out her name as Championship Winner of her class, I couldn't believe it!  We were all whooping and hollering as we cheered for her and went down to the edge of the ring to congratulate her as she did her victory lap.  Pretty cool.

And her Blue/Yellow/Red Championship ribbon and Pink 5th place ribbon go together just fine.

Nursing: Step 1

So I'm half way through week 3 of my 4 week CNA class and really enjoying it.  Mon/Tues/Weds of next week are clinicals!  24 hours of shadowing CNA's at a long term care/memory care facility in Englewood.  I'm fairly excited about it, even considering the fact that it is 40 minutes away and I have to be there at 6am. ;)  At least I'll beat rush hour!

I'll be taking the state board exam/practicals the weekend after I get back from Puerto Rico.  That solves my dilemma of how to keep myself preoccupied on the long flight back from the islands! (study, more study...)  Once I pass (staying optimistic here), I'll be licensed to look for a new job!  Not planning to until August but it will be good to be ready to go.  And enjoy my kids for the summer!

Well, at least I thought I would have a break just to play with the kids....but the Bishop had different plans.  New calling this Sunday...you know that big one that is like having another part time job?....which I feel right about and at peace with, but I will admit that I have had a few cries since finding out.  No rest for the weary.  May slightly affect Nursing: Steps 2 and 3, but it will all come about as it needs to, so I'm just going with it. *BIG SMILE*  

I can't really complain.  I have a beautiful family, that besides a few gray hairs, is a constant support to me, we have better health than literally ANY other family I know (except maybe Shannon's?  But then she shows me up on everything), I have a loving husband, and don't have financial stressors that plague so many, and I have a faith that gives me peace.  No doubt this calling will end up being one more blessing as the opportunity to serve usually is!

Last Thursday was 'Bring your child to Work Day'.  Catherine thought my 'work' would be more fun than Papa's so she came with me. ;)
And it was!  After the 2 hour lecture, I got to use my gait belt to transfer her to the wheelchair, get her positioned with the bedpan, and assist her with feeding.  Then she pretty much just played with the wheelchair popping wheelies and such to finish out the day...

Goldfish Challenge!

What to do when you see Goldfish crackers on sale for 99 cents?

Thomas says, 'Buy all 21 kinds of them!!'.

So actually we had to scour 3 stores to find 21 varieties.  Missing 2 or 3, but we decided we would survive.  Poor Thomas and Catherine could hardly standing seeing them all lined up on the fridge, waiting for family home evening to come...

I have never seen my kids so focused... Harder than you might think to differentiate 21 flavors.

THE WINNER: PAPA- with 15 correct.
2nd PLACE: MAMA- with 11.5 (1/2 pts given for a few close flavors like chedder/xtreme chedder)

Parents rock ;)

Not to ruin your weekend drag racing plans...

After years of constant frustration with flat wheelbarrow tires, I say to Sean, "Sean.  Here is a million dollar idea for you.  Solid foam tires for wheelbarrows so they don't go flat!  Why don't they make that!"

(well, it turns out that they do...)

I want to know what idiot tried using a wheelbarrow wheel on the highway and then sued the tire making company when it blew out at 55 mph, bringing about the necessity for this warning.  Really?  I had to laugh

Birthday 3

So this is actually part two of my birthday.  Time kind of got away from me... 

Brandon's daily surprises leading up to birthday were, as always, awesome.

Birthday itself was also. awesome. 

Woke up to a lovely cake decorated by my girls with loads of fresh flowers.  Ahhh. After some perfect present opening, we headed over to a trail that Brandon had found near to red rocks.  Although the hike was only 2-3 hours long, we did manage to trudge through some snow, climb to a great overlook to view downtown Denver, get lost (harder to see the trail when there is snow!) and circle the same 80 ft stretch a few times till we found our way, and find the ruins of a castle.  Good times!  Can't remember the name of the family that built this 'castle', but if memory serves, it was built near the turn of the 20th century by a (of course) very wealthy man,  He planned to make his property a place that US Presidents could vacation when they were out west.  With in a year of it's completion, however, his wife died and then (I think) about 7 years after that it was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground.  I guess he took that as a bad omen as after the fire he decided to leave town. 

I loved being out with the fam, though, and was pleased the sun decided to come as well. ;)

The castle.  The kids were actually all collapsed, exhausted, on a bench right before this, but were sweethearts to show some energy for the camera.

One of my sweet coworkers made me a personalized nursing card for my birthday, as well as some fajitas for lunch.  Mmm!
I'm enjoying my CNA class but do miss the company of Sandy, JoNell, and Brisa.

Birthdays 2

THOMAS

What an awesome kid.  I look forward every night to tucking this kid in.  After the scriptures, prayer, song routine, I can just lay by him and chat.  He's not generally a talker, but at night he has all sorts of things to say: thoughts, questions, musings, curiosities.  All good stuff.

My baby is 9!!

After morning presents and skylander cake, we had a hangout 'yes' day (that's from Alyssa's family ;). Played games, random treats and such.  Then as soon as Brandon got home from work we picked up Thomas' friend Charlie and headed over to the 'Family Fun Center'.  You always worry when they have to put 'Fun' in the title, right?  But we actually had a really good time.  One more friend joined us over there.  3 rounds of Laser Tag (which I pretty much stink at...but still enjoyed) and then many MORE rounds of bumper cars, and then obstacle course racing (and no, I never beat the 9-10 yr olds, but I totally rocked it against Brandon!).  I was tired.  And feeling more than my young 39 years.  A couple head first leaping dives over inflatable mountains takes it out of you.  Once I got the tuck and roll down, though, it went much better.  Then came rock climbing.  I 'let' all of the kids go first.  Really just needed to catch my breath.  I saw Catherine make it all the way to the *very high* top and knew I had to do it.  Two moves off of the ground and my hands were sweating like a pig and I knew I was in trouble.  Stay calm and don't look down. Stay calm and really don't look down.  Proud to say that I made it!  Woo-hoo!  So pleased with myself.  Got down and am like, 'Brandon! Let me see the picture of me at the top!' And he's like, 'oops'.  Sooo. No proof, but I never lie ;)

Nana gifted some magnifying glasses.  Forget looking at small things when fires can be made!

 

Fire!  Now we need something to burn.... Mama had a whole bag of past tax documents to part with.  Ahhhh.  Kept us nice and toasty.

(we did move to the fire pit for this one)

birthday- post 1

I love birthday week!

So far cheez-its and a family card game on my pillow and date night was to see Shen Yun, a classical Chinese Dance company.  Which was fabulous.  A little hokey, like old martial arts movies, but really impressive and fun at the same time.  And beautiful dancing.

and did I mention Cheez-its?