Whats going on with us

First, after some not so fun things happening at our house in Onalaska we moved to Chehalis. Awesome landlord, cute house with 6 acres!  

 Front of the house facing the road

 The view from the master bedroom balcony

 Living room

 Kitchen

 Kitchen

 Side of house. You can see our french doors and balcony off the master bedroom

The field across from our house

So besides the move, I am going to school full time at Centralia College. I am studying for my LPN. Jake is now the Coffee Lead at his store and working on his Coffee Master. He is waiting for a Shift Supervisor position to open up so he can move up. The kids are in an amazing Christian day care! I love having them come home talking about Bible stories! We still have the horses. Shakirah and Mystic anyway. CW (the big appy) went to a new home last month.
We are really enjoying being closer to town with still a country feel to it! We get to see a red tail hawk that hunts in the pasture across the street. That and there is an indoor riding arena at the end of the road I have access to!
I am training Shakirah for a 25 mile endurance ride in May. I am looking at doing the Mt. Adams Endurance Ride in Trout Lake, WA and hopefully the Renegade Rendezvous in Whenatchee in June. I am very excited. I am getting more and more horses in for training which is really nice, I am staying busy and getting to know a lot of people in the process. I also get to ride a lot of different horses in the process, which I have always enjoyed doing.

Last night we had a scare when Shakirah choked. This is bad for horses because they don't have the same abilities to clear their throat as we do. That and you can't give the horse the Heimlich. So instead of going to wednesday night services we were standing outside with a hose in her mouth trying to flush everything out. Had the vet out this morning and she had cleared most of it, and he did the rest. The danger of choke is not losing the ability to breathe, but the ability to eat or drink. If you don't catch it your horse can become very sick. She can eat and everything now, just has to be on penicillin for the next 3 days to make sure she doesn't get an infection. Talk about a scare. I am totally calm when its any other horse, but its my horse? All brains go out the window and I panic. Ugh....  

Trying to be positive

I have been reading blogs, facebook statuses and hearing people lately and alls I hear are complaints! I read blog where its nothing but whining about how their life isnt going to plan, and how they are just sure that things are going to go wrong.

PLEASE people. Be content. Enjoy the snow while it is here for the beauty that it gives. Enjoy the time it allows you to spend with your family. If you aren't happy with your living situation DO something to change it! Be grateful for what you have, and don't whine about what you don't. Every single person in the world wishes they had something that they don't. Remember that THINGS don't make us happy.

Some of the happiest people I know have second hand cars, second hand furniture and not so many nice things. But they are happy with WHAT they have. Instead of putting yourself into debt trying to keep up with the jones', why don't you not spend as much, get something nice, but cheaper and ENJOY life.

This is something I have worked hard to understand and accomplish. Is to be thankful for what I have. Do I have new cars? No. But they were bought and paid with cash. Is our furniture new? No, but its comfortable and if the kids spill something on it, oh well. We don't own our house because we are still in transition and once I buy I plan to stay there my whole life, so why buy now when we can't afford what I really want? Instead I'll rent and be content where I am in life. If I never get to buy a home, thats ok. I would rather spend time with my family.

So as I said lets all work on being content with what we have, be grateful when we get something new and really work on not being so whiny all the time :)

Thoughts

You know I really dont understand how some people can sit there and judge others repeatedly while at the same time making note that they don't like being judged and dont like being expected to be perfect. Can you say hypocritical?! If you don't want people to think your perfect and don't want to be judged, why don't YOU start by not judging others!!!!

I know its a rant but a certain someone I know has made their life by judging me. They deny fervently, but it happens over and over again. And then they go off on how they don't like to be judged.

Blows my mind.....

10 reasons why you should 4x4 on horse back

10 reasons why you should 4x4 on horse back

1. You wont EVER run out of gas. There is refueling stations every 3 feet (or less) on the trail
2. You wont ever high center, this 4x4 can JUMP with out a ramp
3. Mud bogging? As long as its below your horses belly go for it!
4. Water crossing arent normally a problem. Most horses can be convinced to cross, and when it gets too deep, SWIM!
5. We can go up trails other 4x4's cant as we have the ultimate traction
6. Rock crawler? No problem, and no special modifications needed!
7. Brush hogging? No problem. Horse will crash though anything and those hidden stumps wont flip you
8. Want to do cookies? You can do that too, with no danger of crashing (ok a little danger when your horse decides that snowball at the edge of the road is going to eat it)
9. Get tired of riding? You can get off and walk, and your little 4x4 will follow you!
10. Nothing is better than seeing wildlife out on the trail while your with your best buddies!

What did you get for Christmas?

One thing I noticed this year... im getting old.... I got 4 gifts I was REALLY excited about. One was from Meri. She got me a cantle bag! I am very excited about it and I LOVE it!

It was awesome because Meri was SO afraid I wouldnt like it... so to easy your fears again I am VERY happy!

Then I got a silverware set (I almost jumped for joy on that one)

3. A set of stainless Steel mixing bowls!

and 4. I got an 11 piece Cuisinart Stainless Steel cookware set! 

I was jumping for joy over the kitchen stuff... yes I am officially old 

Plans for holidays

This year it seems that Christmas kind of snuck up on us. Of course this week is going to draaaggg out now right? I spent the past few days baking. Lots of baking. I think Jake enjoys it because he gets to eat the ones that dont turn out!

So anyways Jake and I have already given each other our presents. Jake got a new electric razor (the norelco one) and he got some lingerie (he LOVED that part of his present). Jake gave me a treadmill. I am VERY happy with that. Poor guy wanted to get me horse stuff, but I am WAY to picky at times. I love my husband he tries so hard!

We waited until last night to wrap presents, and this morning the kids came out and about had a heart attack. They thought it was Christmas and it was time to open presents! The anticipation is going to kill them :)

So far our plans for Christmas eve are still up in the air, we have to wait and see what Jakes parents are planning. We invited them down, but there was some confusion between them and Melissa and Ryan on childcare :). Then we are driving down to longview and are spending the night with my parents. Christmas morning we get up and open presents from them and then head up to Grandpas for the BIG opening. Jake has to work at 3pm on Christmas but Im glad he has Christmas morning off (I think his boss was afraid they would lose him if they did make him work Christmas morning). 

The big news is Celina is getting a Guinea Pig for Christmas this year. It was between that and a pony but I wasnt able to find a pony that suited. I love the fact that I know enough that I CAN get her a pony and teach her how to correctly care for it and ride. But for now, its a Guinea Pig.

We are looking for a place that will handle more horses that is closer to Centralia as I am taking in training horses and right now our horses have to be down the road at a neighbors place as we cant have more than 3 horses here, and I have two in training. So yeah. I dont want to move from here as we have amazing neighbors and I love it. But we will see what God has in mind! Anyways love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Tree Photo...With my goober children!