Ok, first the rant & then the rave!!

In the above image are: Ashlee on Henry, DOn Wagonner the man who sold us Henry and helped us get to the futurity, me, my sister Kari, Annalise a trainer at our barn, Nancy Klaus, our tainer's wife and Rick Klaus, Ashlee's trainer!!


OMG it is snowing....I am so NOT ready for this. It is truly depressing...COLD, freezing cold, super windy and *gulp* SNOW....it is not staying around thank the good Lord, but OMG I hate the stuff...





Now for the rave, Nancy Klaus just emailed me a digital copy of Ashlee's Top 10 Futurity picture at the Quarter Horse Futurity on Henry, our new horse! It turned out great and I wanted to share it!!

Las Vegas and a New Tattoo!!

In Memory of my sister Sue, this is my new ankle tattoo!!

Eric was the tattoo artist who designed and did my tattoo-he was super nice and got me calmed down enough to actually do it!

Here is the tattoo shop, Starlight Tattoo in Mandalay Bay hotel

Brad and Ann, Brad works with Mike and he and his wife Ann went on the trip with us to Las Vegas to the Stone Expo to look at fabrication equipment and stone!!

We had a great time in Las Vegas with Brad and Ann, and Mike learned a ton about the fabrication business and equipment. While the guys were looking at the Expo, I got a tattoo in honor of my sister Sue's memory and then Ann got her tattoo all fixed up! We had so much fun and I was so glad Ann was there to help me and I was there for her!! We ate great food and saw a great show, Cirque du soleil's Mystere!! The tattoo place's slogan was "Not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!!

Susan's Memorial Tree

My dad, Ashlee & I decorated my sister Sue's memorial tree for Halloween, her fave holiday. We had some really yucky cold weather and I took down the windchimes that we had all put on it when it was dedicated in her memory. I didn't want them to be broken or ruined, but the tree was left so bare I decided to decorate it for Halloween and leave it up through Thanksgiving and then decorate it for Christmas in her memory of things she loved. I videotaped our work and the pretty fall colors which have sprung up!!

Fargo Trip to Visit NDSU and Family!

Ashlee & Catherine in front of a frat house on the NDSU campus!! No hanging out there for Ashlee!

Catherine, little Bill and Emily at the Brooks' hoome in Fargo!!

Ashlee, little Bill dancing and Big Bill and Roger at the Brooks'

Lots of fun at Emily and Bill's beautiful home in Fargo! Thanks so much for hosting us!

We had a blast in Fargo, ND!!

Catherine and I took Ashlee to see the NDSU campus and equestrian facility! We went all over in the ND cold and rain, visiting their Memorial Union Hall and bookstore to get matching NDSU sweatshirts and see the dining area and common areas for kids to hang out! Then we snuck into a dorm (CHurchill) to show Ash what "dorm life" was like, only to be met with an very old moldy smell and urine stink...Ash was bummed! Later when we went to stay at Mike's aunt and uncle Roger and Mary's, they said that was horrible old dorm and it was horrible when they were in college! I guess Bob, Tom and John (Mike's dad and brothers) all stayed there! It's a boys dorm and they put the fottball players there! They have new nice high rise dorms and new dining halls, so we just went to the wrong one! We walked all over, it is a really pretty campus!

We then hung out at the Hoffmann's and went to Old chicago for dinner and had delish pizza and visited with Roger and Mary's daughter Emily and her husband Bill and their son who is 4, little Bill!! We ran into Tom's other brother there and his wife, Dick and Janie on coincidence, so we all went to Emily's home afterwards, and had lemon tea and cheesecake and saw their new home and what they done to give it a face lift and their future plans. It was really nice!! We then went back to Roger and Mary's house, Mary hot tubbbed while we watched SNL!! It was a great evening! We also got Mary's recipe and instructions for making her homemade salsa, which I think we ate a whole jar and had on our eggs in the morning!! It was delicious, so she loaded us up with supplies before we left!! Here are some pics and video!! On is of the NDSU equine facility and the other is at Mike's cousin Emily and Bill's house where they have a disco ball installed in the living room and their little boy likes to dance with it on!! Bill also informed me he has 4 black lights and a strobe light!! Can you tell he is a former DJ??

Ashlee's Last Show of the Season

Ashlee's 1st trophy was in Open Halter!!

Ashlee & Clem won the Western Pleasure and Western Horsemanship classes

Ashlee & Clem looking great at the show!!

Ashlee with her 5 1st place trophies! WHat a great way to end the year!

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Pat were there to see Ashlee win her trophies!! Thanks for coming!

Ashlee had her last show of the season today at the Hollywood Riders Trophy Show, 1st place trophies if you win the class....so Ashlee won five of 6 possible trophies!! YAHOO! She and Clem did great and she had a handful of trophies to show for it!! Hopefully next year my sister Kari will be here and go with us!! We missed her this year!

Also Happy Birthday to my mom!! My sister took her out to dinner to McCormick & Schmick's for yummy seafood and then gifts and cake at home!! My mom was so happy to receive cards and calls from her sisters and our family...birthdays are really hard without Susie....we all miss her.