Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Holidays Are Here!


I had a really nice Thanksgiving weekend. It was full of family and ponies and good food.
I got to talk with family, eat, shop, sleep, and take a lot of pictures with the Nikon.


On a wet and dreary Thanksgiving morning, my mom brought her gelding Dusty in from the barn for a little ride.

Dusty had lots of kisses for my Papa.


I got to ride my auntie's smooth Missouri Fox Trotter gelding, King, for the first time.


I took a trip with my cousin Horse Dreams, the "man cub", and cousin Sares to see a tree lighting festival.



The man cub just wanted to run and play in the wet leaves with all the other children and not listen to the Christmas carolers, like us adults. I guess he doesn't understand the concept of "holiday spirit" yet.

Back home on Sunday, I got to see My Boy. I took him up to the arena to longe him, where he was absolutely wild and out of control.

Um, yea.


Afterward, Paint Girl (a.k.a. Arabian groom extraordinaire) showed me how to "body clip" his lower legs his fetlocks.


My Boy shows no sign of mud fever, but I thought I'd be preventative and get rid of that long hair that holds in the mud and moisture.

Paint Girl took her filly Chance up to the arena for the first time, and worked on some leading and backing.
We were wondering about Chance's size when she is full-grown......but I realized that in this picture, she looks huge!

It was a good, productive, yet relaxing weekend. I am finally listening to Christmas music and starting to feel the holiday spirit. It's taken longer to get here this year, for some reason. Now I've got to figure out a plan for holiday cards. I'm not sure I want to send them out this year....... are you going to send out cards? Do you send email cards or through the mail?

32 comments:

  1. What a wonderful weekend for you guys! The weather looks wet! Today it was 70 degrees here in the Bay ARea!

    I do send out Christmas cards, and I add a small personal note in them all! No mass produced letter either! Sometimes it is the only 'gift' I can give- of myself and my time.

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  2. love your header, so professional looking...just so very good! glad you all had a nice time together. the pic with your mom is especially nice. i send cards...am designing mine now...i use shutterfly. you have a lot of talent, i am surprised you haven't custom made your cards...i am sure they would look awesome!

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  3. Oh goodness, I just talked to my OH about sending Christmas cards out this year, or not. I decided to buy some and send to just family. I think we have this discussion every year!
    Glad you had a great time with the family! I always miss all the fun!
    Chance sure does look big in that picture! Sometimes she looks small to me, and sometimes she looks big! I am always comparing her to the Arabian weanlings at the barn!

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  4. Wonderful pictures, love the B&W on all of them. Man cub, how cute!!

    I think I will try to get the hair trimmed off my kid's legs tomorrow.. the mud thing is bad here too, as you know.. grumble, grumble grumble!!!

    Christmas Cards! My husband loves to send them..I want to keep them to a minimum!

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  5. Pony Girl - That photo of your Mom and Dusty walking in is the best! I hope you have that printed and framed. It is really, really good.

    Glad you got to see your boy over the holiday. He is so cute.

    We do send out a few cards. I wanted to have our pictures taken on the boys this Christmas. I thought Maizie and I could get on Pie double and Brian on Sovereign and have our friend Ginny take a snap for our cards. Maizie wants a photo of Noodle to be used, though, and I can't figure out how to get the cat on the horse too!!!

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  6. Nice actions on the pics... I have done a few cards - but have to say the great calendar mailout might have cured me of a big mailing this year. I like getting Christmas messages any way really, but do love getting colourful envelopes in the mail in December.
    :-)
    BB

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  7. Have you noticed someone spending an adnormally large amount of time on your blog lately?
    No you don't have a stalker...just a new follower.

    I got linked over here through Adventures of a Horse Crazed Mind...and I've gotta say, your blog is addictive!

    The stories you tell are like chicken soup for my horse starved soul - warms me right up. I love the photography, it really paints a picture of your world, and My Boy has captured my heart. I'm going to continue to read regularly!

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  8. your holiday weekend sounds absolutely wonderful! horses, family, and photography...it doesn't get much better than that! as for the cards...usually my mom and sisters and i make cards for each other, but i'll probably send some storebought ones to a few close friends and family.

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  9. Great pictures! Love them all. Will you make those yummy cookies again on your header!
    We did have a great weekend didn't we. It always ends to fast. HUGS!

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  10. I give cards to the people at the barns I work at but other than that I don't send cards.

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  11. I am thinking about sending out cards. Though I'm not sure I'll get them done since I'm here for a week, and then gone to vegas next week for the NFR and an ag conference. That only leaves me 2 wks before xmas.

    Glad you had a good thanksgiving! My blog moved, btw- http://thesouthdakotacowgirl.com

    Have a great week!

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  12. I always mean to send cards , but I rarely get them done in time to send out . e-cards are different ,not sure if I love them . going to try to send a few (snail mail this year)I really like the photos you take (have I mentioned that?) was the NIkon terribly spendy? I know it has more to do with the photographer than the camera , but I am trying to broaden my photographic horizons

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  13. I love your photos, as always. The little kiddo at the caroling just is adorable! Also your new header just warms my heart! I love it!

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  14. Sounds like you had a great weekend, filled with family and friends. I can think of nothing better. I love the photos. And your new header is stunning - really puts me in the holiday spirit!

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  15. I still send out Christmas cards. I really like the feel of a card in my hands and still get a kick out of getting fun things in the mail instead of just bills.

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  16. I wondered too how big Chance will get! What if she becomes enormous!!?? Hee hee, probably not. I also love the Christmas season and I certainly noticed those pink cookies on your banner right away. Yum, they sure look good. Your dad is so adorable with Dusty!!
    can't wait to see more of your Christmasy photos! I hope you post more!

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  17. You must live where I live...Drearyville! It sure shows in that pic of your mum.

    Lib is roughly 14.2, and I'd not be surprised if Chance went an inch or two taller since she's getting good groceries from day one :)

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  18. I just can't get inspired this year. Since Jaz isn't here, I don't really feel like doing the goofy holiday photo shoot. I put the wreath on the front door and that's it. Don't know if I'll get around to doing cards or not. And I haven't bought any gifts, not that we're doing much No money, honey. It's not that I lack spirit, just ambition :-)

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  19. Yea,...Christmas cards. I have every intention of getting them out this year! Lord please help me get on that! LOLO I've got such a busy month planned and it's going fast.
    PG, your post is beautiful! Love those cookies on the header and the ones of your family especially the one of your mom and Dusty. You really are talented.

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  20. I plan to do it every year and yet again I fail at the whole Christmas card thing. I just am not that organized. I think FB has made it easy to just send out your well wishes in one little post.

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  21. I can't wait till Miss Chance comes down to the desert with Auntie Rose to get her trail legs...in 2 to 3 years!!!
    Oh definately cards!!! Too many people I WANT to keep in contact with, if only a Xmas card once a year!!!!
    Was The king ever so smooth and well behaved for you???

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  22. Pretty pictures and glad you had a good Thanksgiving. I love the pictures on your banner; they look very festive and bright for the holidays. Yikes, Christmas is fast approaching. I am sending cards to a few friends. I used to always pick cards with a cardinal on them cuz I love birds and cardinals, but now that I have horses and driving my pony I picked a winter scene with a horse drawn sleigh. I wish I could find a Christmas card with cardinals perched on a horse drawn sleigh. That would be perfect.

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  23. Love the Christmassy header! I don't know how you manage to do all the things you do. Thanks for the card reminder. Totally not thinking. I just sent to people I'm closest to. But sometimes they don't get out until after Christmas.

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  24. {Once Upon an Equine}~ Have you ever looked at "Leanin' Tree" brand of cards? They are western and nature inspired, they might even have the scene you are looking for! :)

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  25. Great shots!
    I make a lot of my cards for special friends and family; also make e-cards to send to on-line friends. I need to get started too! LOL Wish we would get some snow so I can get snow pictures of the boys to make cards with. Maybe just pose Gilly with his new rhythm beads necklace, he's a classy guy now!

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  26. I had lots of fun lats week. I was tired though. It took me a bit to recover. I ignored my blog for a few days and did some decorating. I still have to do outside lights,here and at Nana's. Love your pictures and we'll have to make some plans next time you visit, I was trying to think what we could do cheaply to have the kids pass out if we go caroling. Do you have any ideas?

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  27. The black and white photos are stunning. Just love them!
    I usually send out a LOT of cards, but this year I am going to scale back my list. I have most of them addressed already, but my issue is the ones I need to put notes in. We have family and friends far away that I like to tuck a little handwritten (no Christmas newsletter here) not into, and that always seems to take a long time. We have a lot of cards to mail to Europe which takes longer. But one advantage is that we are Orthodox, our Christmas is January 7. So I can mail the cards "late" to the Orthodox people and it is still OK....

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  28. I have sent a holiday letter the last few years, but I think this year I will just send out a holiday card to family and close friends. Looking forward to the rest of December and the festivities!

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  29. what a lovely weekend! It sounds so peaceful

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  30. What a great weekend! I wish I could get some decorating done around here. I haven't done a single bit of shopping.....I am bad like that. I love all the black and white pictures!

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  31. My Boy looks 'off' in that photo somehow, as if he isn't feeling 100%. Is he sore somewhere?

    Looks like a wonderful holiday spent with your loved ones, PG. I think Man Cub portrays the holiday spirit perfectly. Running with abandon and joy seems like a great way to act during the holidays. :)

    Oh and I probably won't send cards this year. I didn't last year and it took the large stress of obligation away and I'm trying to stay with the theme of simplifying my life as much as possible.


    ~Lisa

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  32. {Lisa}~ Yep, you called it! He was tender hooved in general, but, the resting of that hind foot shows something was brewing. Hopefully a hoof abscess (as you read in my next post) as there is no other swelling or sign of injury. Ha ha, good point about the man cub! ;)

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