Heading to Oregon!

We will be heading to Oregon in a few hours and then the fun begins. We have a small place off the grid to spend the next couple of weeks while we look at property, spend time with my new horse 'Doc' and check out the area. Hubby think that this is the area he wants us to settle in so we want to check out the area as a family for more than a couple of days.

We will be out of touch for a couple of days while we are there and every few days I will hit the wi-fi cafe and check in on email, damily and friends. Not to mention the numerous forums.

I think overall the Clan here will be happy to have some time without the little one underfoot. It is hard on them having an adult household and suddenly having a 10 year old living underfoot. LOL. It has been interesting for them to say the least. But the freedom of their normal household routine will be a welcome return I am sure. And we, as a family, will enjoy having our family time alone again. It has been fine being here and I am always happy being here but I think everyone needs a small break. LOL. The boys will enjoy having 12 acres to play on also.

So, more in a few days after we get down there and get situated. It is going to be interesting dealing without internet handy. It is amazing how reliant upon some things we become. :)

A new week begins....

Monday is here and we are readying our stuff and selves to head to Oregon until just before Christmas. Cheyenne and I are looking forward to being able to be with hubby as well as check out the property he has located and would like to purchase. So our schedule will be filled wiht looking at property, meeting realtors, talking to VA and mortgage brokers, meeting my new horse and getting to knonw him and spending time together as a family.

I am going to scout the area for local gyms or a place to get equipment. We decided that if we purchase this place we would like to turn the garage into a gym area for ourselves so we can workout whenever we want and not have to hassle with the drive, weather, and time of day.

It has been great seeing hubby so excited about something, so I cannot wait to see this property and walk it myself. He does not normally get excited about stuff like that but he has been exclaiming how perfect it is and how it is just what he wants. Plenty of room for my horse and others he would like to purchase (8 fenced acres), a koi pond for me to which he is cure I would turn into a small japanese garden area, a pond for the horses, a small guest cottage that I can spend my free time renovating, plenty of room for the hot tub, a garage to turn into a gym and a cozy 2 bdr 1.5 bath house. So, I shall spill the beans once I have seen it and I shall take pictures as well. :)

So off until later in the week. We are leaving Washington on Tuesday and will be in Cave Junction Oregon by sunset. YAY!

December 7th...a day to remember!

It is officially my best friend's birthday. Happy Birthday Phoenix! I am so blessed to have her in my life, for so many reasons but most of all because she is intelligent, beautiful, caring and has the heart and soul of an angel and yet, she can be as tough as nails when it is needed. Most certainly a strong woman. She is enjoying her retirement from the military immensely but I catch her worry about 'her soldiers' every now and again as well. As a 1st Sgt and Sgt Major, her career existed in daily dealing with and working with the soldiers in her command. She was superior, mother, nursemaid, counselor, confidant, friend and foe to each and every one of them. She felt their loss in the deepest part of her heart and very being. There are not any like her within in the military, there might be a few that come close to stacking up, but none like her for sure.

December 7th is also the 65th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. To think back on where this world has come and gone since that day in 1941, is astounding to say the least. It is on days like this that I think about our men and women in the armed services that are so far from home and constantly in harm's way. The holidays are approaching for us and we will spend them with family and friends, safe and warm...they however will be far from home with only their fellow soldiers, they will be cold and in harm's way...in a place where they are anything but safe. Hopefully everyone will stop and take a few moments and remember that fact and say a little prayer for them.

Hubby is nearly home, he should be arriving in the next half hour from Oregon and we have much to discuss to prepare for us all going back down to Oregon on Monday. But I am so looking forward to the next couple of weeks with him and having him with us in the evenings.

I am looking forward to hubby returning next weekend but even more so looking forward to going with him to Oregon for the following two weeks. It will be a nice change. I miss him when he is not home. I am also looking forward to finally getting a chance to meet "Doc", my new horse and to be able to ride some.

Workouts have been so-so, I did get out and do lunges and squats outside but I have really not been able to workout the way I have wanted to. Everyone's schedules around here makes transportation a nightmare somedays and I miss my workout partner. But, all will be fine. Besides, this is the holiday season and I refuse to get worried about my workouts right now, I do not plan to compete until 2008 so I have all year. YAY!

I am looking forward to the secret Santa project with the BuffMothers and have almost finished my Christmas Cards for the ladies as well. This year is going to be so fun. The Secret Santa will be as much fun as getting BuffMother's birthday surprise together for her earlier this year. That was indeed a secret Santa of another sort. hehehehehe

Got a little crazy today!

I decided to get outside in the nice 38 degree weather and do lunges and no weight squats. So I did lunges all over the property, and stopped counting at 100 of them. Then I did squats and plie squats with no weight, merely flexion. My legs are screaming too so I did good! I think I will soak in the hot tub for a bit and then decide on what to cook for dinner. I am thinking a movie sounds in order too. Hmmmm what to watch?

A wonderful Saturday morning!

It is a brisk 34 degrees, ice everywhere and looks like the beginning of a beautiful day. Hubby is still sleeping as is the princess, so I am enjoying my morning coffee in peaceful silence.

Agenda for the day, locate my heavy sweaters as it is supposed to snow tomorrow, find several things in the boxes in the garage, get our insurance application completed and signed by hubby and just chill out with hubby as much as possible.

YAY! For relaxing wonderful day like this!

Thanksgiving ... what a day!

Thanksgiving day was filled with friends, family and FOOD! We had so much food it was impossible to make a dent in it with one meal. We baked a turkey, a pot roast, green bean casserole, Broccoli cheese casserole, a pecan pumpkin dish, a squash dish, a cold pasta salad, mashed potatoes, vegetarian gravy, turkey gravy, herb stuffing, cornbread stuffing and the desserts were countless. We had 12 people here and it was a great day.

Steven came up from Portland, Oregon and spent the night and day with us. His wufe, Summer, was back home in Missouri so we invited him to join us. Jaime, Jim and DJ came over and spent the day as well. The normal clan was there, our family of three, Sherry, Lecion, Aaron and Chris and a couple of folks stopping by just to say hello and grab some munchies too. We all watched a movie, the kids played on the PlayStation and everyone ate and ate. There were naps in the afternoon between courses and tons of laughter.

Hubby and I have not really had a chance to sit and talk but we have plans to do just that this evening once everything quiets down again. Cheyenne and I may go to Oregon with him for a couple of weeks rather than be up here without him. Meanwhile, hubby has found a beatiful piece of property in Oregon that he wants to look closer at and possible make an offer on. So, we could be moving down to Oregon. Another good reason for Chy and I to go down, to check out the area and make sure it where we would like to be.

So onward and upward, plans to make and trips to take. :)

The week in summation....

This week has been eventful, unfortunately not all events were pleasant.

The energy around the house leading up to Thanksgiving has been odd to say the least. Hubby has been in Oregon for the past week and that always makes me out of sorts when he is not around. One of the cat's injured his paw and tracked blood in the kitchen and took some time to locate the source of the blood. The cat was none to pleased to have me wiping the wound and cleaning it. Thankfully Sherry was handy to hold him while I worked on him.
Cheyenne's little pet and friend, Kittsipimi passed away and it was difficult watching her trying to take care of him as he was going. She was patient and trying to feed him high protein food with a syringe as well as making sure he got down water. She talked to him all night and held him so she was with him when he passed. I was very proud of her in the way she handled the situation and him. She picked a lovely spot on the property near a beautiful tree and buried him there. Her project this weekend is to make a paving stone with his name and etc. on it to place over his grave. It makes me very proud of the young lady she is becoming when she shows such maturity and compassion in instances of this nature. She understood that for him being 3 years old was equivalent to a human being 90 years old...so she could spend quality time with him and understand his passing.

Meanwhile, the workouts have been so-so as the weather has been very rainy, windy and cold. Not the type of weather you want to get out in and get heated up. But, this is winter and I have plenty of time to get with the program and make my goal of the Emerald Cup in 2008. So I am not worrying too much over it right now.

Husband has located a wonderful piece of property in Cave Junction, Oregon, that we are going to take a look at. It is perfect for our needs and provides everything that 'Doc' (my new horse) could need. A nice barn area with hay storage, paddock and turn out area and a great fenced pasture area for him. So, we will be checking into the property and such in the next week.

Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving cooking begins today and carries on through the night. :)

The weekend in my news....

Ah the husband came in on Thursday night and it was amazing how much I missed him over the past 12 days...we had to sit and chat for an hour or so and get caught up on the happenings.

I needed to hear about his trip and he needed to tell me about a surprise he has found for me. Which of course led to another discussion. He knows I have a fondness for American Saddlebreds and he happened upon one that is absolutely wonderful. He is an 18 yr old gelding named 'Doc'. Doc has been in three movies and his a five-gaited, all business type horse. He is a bit over 16H and a very sound very good boy. So after discussing Doc, it appears that he is going to become my Christmas and Anniversary gift. LOL. I cannot wait to post pics of him as soon as we get some taken. The only was to describe him is a tri-colored fade. He is a Dark Red Bay that fades down into a black at the fetlocks. One front fetlock is white. I was pleasantly surprised that my husband remembered that I loved dressage as well as western riding...I did not think he has paid much attention to my disclosure of my love for Dressage. As some people refer to it "fancing stepping"... Apparently Doc just loves being a horse...he loves being under saddle and will do whatever you want to ask of him which is totally cool. Husband did tell me he is not the "lovey" type of horse but he does prefer females. So I think with some well-earned personal attention and affection, he will be more 'lovey'. I am indeed a happy wife and also a very lucky one.

The weekend so far....

Training is going well just not as much progress as I would like. But that is to be expected with everything going on right now.

Hubby is still down in Oregon with Matt, I am here with Cheyenne and her injured rat, and I am in need of some 'Me' time.

I spent last night sitting up all night with the rat and then spent most of the day at the vet's trying to get the little guy patched up. So many complications like his age, repiratory infection still there and now this wound. What a mystery it has been trying to figure out how he got it...the vet had no better idea that we do.

But we have meds, stuff to keep the wound clean and we must just take extra care with him. As we found out today, when he turns three years old in a couple months, he will be equivalent to a 90 year old human male. So bearing that in mind, this little guy has the right to a bit of care. The vet was very impressed with how sweet Kittsipimi is...he kept giving her kisses and trying to run to Cheyenne when she was messing with the wound. She was also quite impressed with the good care he receives and the bond between he and Cheyenne. So, she found a little warm spot in her heart for hiim right away.

Things are going well on all fronts, just not settled yet. I have to call my son this weekend and see how things are going for him in NC and with his son and the custody issues. So, the beat goes on as they say.

More later....