~ Life in a snow globe ~

Ever felt like someone from the outside was looking in?

Today is one of those Montucky wintry day

 where you feel as if you live in a snow globe...

...you just give up shoveling.

You know it's going to dump aaaaaaallll day.

There is a beautiful quiet that the falling snow brings

But not for long..

 the thundering hoofs of the good ol' boys come right at you.

Days like this gives me more time for this.

Inside

 Almost finished with the Knit Swirl cardi.

 Cardi? - you ask,

more like a blanket!

...so close.

..and more time for this...

more time to plan my flower garden...wishing I had covered my roses this year.

craaaaap.

...and more time to enjoy the scenery and these beautiful wintry days

When it snows, you have two choices:  shovel or make snow angels. 

 ~Author Unknown

He has my heart

This is Julian

 and he is teaching me how to rip my hair out.

 

Parenting teens

 and

learning to let go

is

easy and blisfull.

Not so much.

Why does no one tell you how hard it is?

I question that.

You find volumes of parenting books

from baby to middle school

at the library

 but then it just all seems to drop into the deep dark abyss of the unknown

 zip.

No field guide for teens.

 

The oldest and the youngest

it's as if it was yesterday Julian was that little...

The minute I layed eyes on him
was indescribable
pure love

 From sitting on my lap reading books

 singing his heart out in the back seat the old Volvo

to " Raffi "

Loving his woobie

 playing with legos

hide and seek

and

 super hero

He is finding his way...

 fast paced

 loud

high energy

friends

texting

soccer

music

iPod

skiing

and lets not forget...chicks.

Summer swim lessons in this pool.

Now a lifeguard

here he is teaching the youngest to swim...

Words can not express how proud I am of him

 how much he has changed my life

how wonderful, yet challenging it is to be his parent

and the unconditional love I have for him.

He has such a sense of humor

he so knows how to crack me up!

His dedication

talent

and passion for soccer

- it's crazy amazing to watch him play.

 I realize how easy the "toddler" days were
 Dealing with a tantrum in isle 5 at Grand Union supermarket
 (scooping him up and leaving the store)
 seemed like a breeze

 Today it is much of same
 just more at a
 Voltron Force

One minute

I'm amazing

 the next minute

I'm annoying

This kid drives me crazy!

But that all seems to cancel out out
when he gives me hug and says he loves me...

unprompted
and
for no apparent reason.

Within minutes it is all forgotten like nothing happend.
Bizarre.

Loves his brother

 best of friends

worst of friends

Jules...

I am whipped.

You are wonderfully amazing

fabulous

growing up at warped speed

 and

exhausting

...and you might need a snickers bar by now.

All I can do is be there for you.

 You have my love

 and my heart.

 ....but then again, you already knew that.

 I love you

you will always be my super hero

***

It kills you to see them grow up. 

 But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. 

 ~Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams

Horse'n around

Well, as you might of guessed

 Fiona and I are now a team.

An amazing week of fulfilling a life long dream of having a horse.

A dream

 I cry in her mane when I hug her I am so incredibly grateful and overcome with joy

 in awe that I finally have a horse.

Falling in love with her was so easy.

A day old on these images

Born June 13th 5 years ago here in the Flathead valley

 her mother is almost white Quarter horse

 and her father a Frisian

Alex ut de Finnen

takes my breath away...

Here

 Which makes Fiona almost black with some chocolate coloring.

She is about 15 hands and has that lovely thick draft horse neck and feathers behind her hoofs,

 long mane

 a beatiful mover

 a big heart with a very sweet dispostion.

 Having my property cross fenced as soon as the thaw hits so I can bring her home.

For now she is at a barn down the street with an arena.

Daily visits with grooming

 beginning lunging .

 Neighing and apples.

 and lots of hugs.

She has not been handled much so we have start from the beginning...

it will probably be a few months before I can get on her back... taking it slow getting to know each other.

Going the natural horsemanship route using 

 Monty Roberts and Buck Brennaman method of starting a horse.

It's beautiful sunny day and I am off to the barn

 to see my sunshine

Fiona.

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. 
~Winston Churchill

Twist & Twine yarn give away!

I am over HERE today

so

Run, jump, skip or hop

over to my friend

Lisa's blog.

EARTH MAMA

 I am sponsoring her and there is a

giveaway

 of a beautiful

Twist & Twine fingering yarn

in spring colors

 that could be yours...

Sweeeeet!

Stay tuned...

This

 is what I found on our kitchen blackboard on Valentines day.

From the day I met Pierre..it has been crystal clear that I was about to marry 

PePe le pew.

 “Where are you, my little object of art? I am here to collect you.”
  ― PePe Le Pew, The Stink of Love: Pepe Le Pew's Guide to L'Amour

 

 

      Tomorrow there will be something really special on Freerangechick

Stay tuned.

 

Happy Friday!

This will change my life forever...

Sitting here patiently waiting...no, 
excitedly.

  as if I were 12.

The hours and minutes creep by so slow.

 I look at the kitchen clock

1:29

 2 more hours.

Pulled out my old riding pants from when I was 15- they fit like a glove.

 No small feat after 4 children...wheeeew!

( I actually had 2 pairs...I didn't know)

 My tack box has not been opened for years.

 I found all my grooming brushes

bridles

 lunge lines

chaps

 hat

all shipped from Norway.

 Reading like crazy at night to brush up on my skills.

 I have clean and oiled both my saddles

1 English

1 all around

 needed a girth and stir ups with leathers...

It all started with my grandfather and his

 bookshelf...
the beautiful horse books he had.

His love he had for Lipizzaner's

the pictures of him in the Swedish cavalry.
The stories he told.

Sweet smelling tack he kept so clean and neat in the barn.

Every summer at my grandparents house I would have horses.

 I was Pippi.

 Riding barback in my wooden clogs

 singing on the top of my lungs galloping thru the fields

My grand father would give me old left over paint and fence posts
which he let me paint in bold colors and make jumps.

How lucky was I?

In my late 20's I took up dressage again this time in US where I had moved

I had an amazing trainer that wanted me to consider competing.

gulp.

Something else was waiting for me.

Mother hood

 I was pregnant with

Julian.

 For the next 17 years I would not ride.

 
As it turns out

 I am sitting here today

 waiting for a man to come to our property to show me his horse.

 I have to remember to breathe...

it's a Frisian sport horse.

 She is young

 5 yrs

He lost his wife in a car wreck several years ago

 she had this horse specially bred for dressage and never got the chance.

He held on for emotional reasons...

Maybe it will be my day to

 give this horse a good home

 a good life

I can't sit still

my heart is dancing.

Smiling from ear to ear.

There is a saying;

 "The teacher will appear when the student is ready"

The timing is right.

 I just know it.

It's

3:29

where are my clogs?

I am ready.

My life is about to change forever....

Fiona and I

 are off to a vet check.

Wish me luck!

Rise and Shine!

It's another beautiful frosty morning

 in the Flathead Valley!

In the distance.. the hum of a tractor

Snow plows and snow blowers busily at work

The neighbors horses neighing ready for some morning hay

The dogs are out

 barking and playing in the snow.

Inspired

 took my camera for a walk

... it's been ages

Been so busy with dad

 and trying to adjust

The kids in school

 ~ bittersweet ~

so quiet around here...

At times I feel... like this old bird

Looking forward to spring

promised myself I wouldn't have a garden this year

 but it looks as if there will be yet another

" Garden of Weed 'n "

Breathing in that fresh cool mountain air.

Sun is coming up over the Rockies

...and I know it will be a good day

Wishing you all a lovely week.

How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains! 

~John Muir

Spinning again...

Baby steps.

Oh how I have missed spinning....

A few new listings in Magnolia Handspun shop

HERE

Happy Friday!

Skiing in Glacier Park

Saturday morning we loaded up the kids and the skis

We get socked in pretty bad in the valley during winter

so it was a nice surprise to see the clouds breaking up and the sunshine.

Coming around the bend the view gets only better.

 We skied to Fish Creek

 a favorite swimming spot in summer.

Pretty interesting to see it with all the snow and ice.

but oh so beautiful

"Foghorn" skied like a champ

a real trooper.

Kept daddy entertained the whole way.

Lots of snow

Majestic views

That to me only get better and closer to my heart every year

Happy trails

We ate a delicious lunch by the lake and enjoyed the view and the sun.

Camper heading home in full stride

Past "tide down" old barns

Down hill

Nothing like smiles all around

I feel so unbelievable fortunate to live here
and enjoy the wilderness
with my family

Auguste eventually wiped out

time to go home.

Best Saturday ever!