Sissy Poo!

I ♥ my sister! Just so all of you know. Just in case you didn't have a clue. Just cause I said so. She is one of my most favorite people evah...


She's my shoulder to cry on, my personal comedian, my partner in crime.



She's cute and cuddly and...well maybe she does beat up on me sometimes but shhh....don't tell her I said that. :)


We've lived together for so long that we finish each others sentences and say what the other is thinking. A common phrase around the house is "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"


I wouldn't trade her for nothin' and I'd give anything for her. :D


Love ya Kate! Be good!

The end of an era...

Well as most of you (I mean all 2 of you) know; for the past year and a half I have been teaching at Project RIDE. For those of you who don't know what Project RIDE is here is a short synopsis: Project RIDE is a horseback riding center dedicated to supporting horseback riding in a safe, educational and enjoyable manner for disabled persons.

I received my instructor certification in the fall of 2009. I have been an instructor there for the last year and a half. I have been teaching people with disabilities for a little over two years. It has been one of the most meaningful, terrifying, gratifying, difficult and outrageous times of my life. I have seen amazing triumphs and heartbreaking sorrow and I wouldn't trade my time at RIDE for anything in the world.
It has come time to say goodbye to this era of my life. While I am not, exactly, happy about it I am excited for what the future holds for me. I have always been blessed with good fortune in the "job" folder of my life and have always just fallen into whatever I am suppose to do next. Generally, in moving on, I feel like my turn is over and it is time for someone else to fill the shoes that have become so comfortable for me.

And, you know what they say about when you find a pleasant resting place...something about rising and moving on right?




So, I am rising and moving on to the grand world of retail shops.

Should be interesting...

pray for me...

I am going to miss all of my students my cuddly horses and all of the people that make Project RIDE the wonderful program that it is.
I will be forever grateful for the time that I spent there, the things I learned and the people I've had the privilege to know.

Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Cheesecake!

I'm making cheesecake tonight.

This cheesecake.


And, you can't stop me.

Sounds Like It's Time For A Project!

So the picture in my last post pretty much sums up what I've done since then. Well aside from work 11 hours a day 6 days a week. Yeah, I work a lot... I know. Half at the store and half at a place called Project R.I.D.E. There I teach children and adults with disabilities how to ride horses. The handsome stud on the right is my favorite guy Benny! I've been at it for almost a year now and it has been a blast. Although, you know that old saying that to much of a good thing can be a bad thing? Yeah, all I do is work and sleep. This setup has been very lucrative for me so far I am going a little stir crazy. So I decided today that I need a project! Now, I know what you're thinking...if you don't have time to do anything besides work and sleep how in the world are you going to find time to do a project? Well to you I say psssssssssht shut up. :) I'll find the time and whatever I decide to do will be so amazingly awesome you'll wish you were me! So now the task is to decide what type of project to do. I feel like making something besides food, so anyone out there who is still checking this let me know if you have any ideas!! Once I get started on it I will keep you updated.

Goals for the New Year

So, over time I expect that this blog will actually turn into something completely different than the actual reason it was started...consider this your warning, I guess.

It's almost a New Year and everyone is thinking about what new years resolutions to make and all of the wonderful things this New Year will bring. I on the other hand would like to take a look back on this year and all of the different things that have happened. First and probably the most notable I got my Therapeutic Horseback Riding Instructor Certification. It was a long time coming to as I started working on it in 2008. It was a wonderful opportunity for learning and growth. I was able to take horseback riding lessons as well as instruct while volunteering at my local therapeutic riding center. I learned a lot about teaching, riding and myself. From the correct way to mount a student to how to keep your cool during a crisis, it all came in through the different experiences I had while studying for the test. I now (happily) have gotten a job as an instructor at the same barn I started volunteering at. Next, I turned 26 this year, although that may be more time's doing than mine, but since I'm me I'll claim that one for the team. I remember when I thought 23 was old...let me tell you that coming up on 27 is like looking down the barrel of a gun. 27, really??, 27!! I'm really going to be 27 next year? Yikes! Don't get me wrong growing old does have its perks but dude, do you think we could do it without the numbers and just say, "I am one year older today, than I was on this day last year." From now on I will only be a year older than I was last year, which sounds a heck of a lot better than 27. Then, I beat my battle with sugar...and then sugar put me through the ringer and I have yet to recover. I seriously need to move somewhere that doesn't have access to sugar or artificial preservatives. That would solve all my problems. If you haven't yet guessed, yes, one of my goals in 2010 is to forgo the demonic treat forever. Sounds like a tall order I know but at this point it's really the only thing left. Milestone! I actually went and saw a doctor. Those of you know me can attest, I absolutely detest going to the doctor for any reason. Of course she told me something I already knew; but, it's the principle that counts. Right? These are the most memorable things for me, and this post has already run on much longer than intended. So for now, adieu! Gook luck with your goals for 2010 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Soldiers & Their Families

"Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves." --Lawrence, D.H.

There is a lot going on in this country right now. From the economic struggles to health care to wars in countries that most people couldn't find on a map. The media has been shanghaied by their own greed and petulant wishes. They are no longer reporting anything worth hearing. They have lost their ability to search for truth and are now entrenched in battles with each other about "who said what." I am grateful to the soldiers in the military and their families for keeping their priorities in check. The people of this country have been fighting for freedom since 1775 and more and more it feels as though we are loosing it piece by piece. I am grateful to the soldiers of this country who are fighting for freedom! Volunteers who are willing to protect one of the only things that we have left that is worth protecting. I am grateful to the men and women who serve and the husbands, wives and children that say goodbye to their loved ones not knowing whether they will see them again. It is amazing to me that there are people in this country who are willing to sacrifice everything they have to protect people that they do not even know; along with those people who could care less that the soldiers are fighting for them, to those who would gladly attack a vet because of his part in a war that they don't agree with. Those in the military deserve our respect, support and unwavering loyalty no matter the conflict. They fight for us, and we should honor them accordingly. THANK YOU! GOD BLESS!!

Are we not all Teachers?

Teaching is a noble calling. Although most of us tend to over look it, we are all teachers in one way or another. When we are children there are many people that teach us the things that will shape us into the adults that we eventually become. Parents are the very first teachers that we know. They are the ones who shape the future. I have learned many things from my parents; compassion, strength and the value of hard work are just some of the things that I learned before I ever set foot in a school building. I have often thought that we as a society fail to recognize that this world and the very nature of our lives creates endless opportunities to learn. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't go to school and get yourself a formal education because it was one of the best things I ever did. However, I would like people to look more closely at their lives and see what they are teaching others. Through your speech, actions and attitudes you are shaping your friends, co-workers and family members. If you are a parent of young children, old children or just have the hope of a family one day; I want you to look at your life, who you are and the lessons that have shaped you. Think about how and why you are who you are; and what you can do to instill the best lessons in your children and how to make sure that they learn from your mistakes before making the same ones themselves. I am grateful for all of the teachers that I have had and those that I will have in the future. Each of us has something specific that we can share to enrich and enhance the lives of those around us.