What's new with the Parents, Kids, Schnoodles and - oh my - HORSES

So, here's a wam-bam, superduper quick catch-up, if I can possibly keep it to a couple sentences per person without it sounding like one of those holiday letters (yay my youngest got all stars for whatever, and my oldest can yadayada):

Steve - Still happy to be riding the last leg of his newspaper life out as editor of his hometown paper and not shoveling you-know-what for a big corporate you-know-what. But, the days of writing books full-time at home are a-callin.' Can't wait for us to be in a position for that to happen.

Moi - Working a weekend shift. Weird. Love my Tues-Wed "mommy-Savannah days." Missing my weekends with all 4 of us. Miss my big chunks o' hubby time (I also have 50-min commute). We cram it in at night, though. And Steve can cook I have learned. I'm e-communications manager at a big equestrian organization (since last fall). I get to tweet at work and have Facebook open all day. I also edit and write a lot and send out a ton of e-blasts. And the office is surrounded by horses. HAPPY GIRL.

Adam - Almost 10. Comes home the other days and says "Mom I got my black belt!" Well where the heck have I been?! (except for riding his bike he's not super physical). "My black belt in recorder. Ohhhhh. Yep, he's still got the music in him. When he's not nose-deep in a book he's on his piano, strumming his guitar, or practicing for the next "belt." I keep waiting for the next instrument request and wondering where we are going to be able to fit a studio.

Savannah - Turned 4 in March. Sweet as sugar. 99 percent of the time she is the happiest bundle I have ever seen. I still marvel at her joy. The other 1 percent of the time = MELT. DOWN. And the list of the things she wants to and can do "ALL BY MYSELF!"  is ever growing.

Shelby/Scout - Crazy girls. I swear when we adopted the kids, and their training went out the window, they went nuts and stayed that way. But, both schnoodles are healthy (physically if not mentally).

Buck/Savannah (the horse) - Something knew every day. Savannah broke my ribs not long ago. For awhile I was scared to go near her. Ear pinning no matter what I did. Well picture this: the farrier the other day grinding away at her feet. Me holding her face and us resting, forehead to forehead. And me trying not to sob. In a strange way, I have moments with her now, that remind me of times I had with Adam. Hostile times, times of anger (that for both came from confusion from their past) and now, consistency and love bringing peace and calm.


Buck, who spent the past few years with Savannah before they were both abandoned, kind of watches us both, as if to say, "Finally."

So what else ..... I signed Steve and I up for a half-marathon this fall. Steve couldn't say no because the finish line is a baseball home plate. Well, and because I signed him up. It's called the Home Run 1/2 and he got an email saying he was signed up for it. He's secretly excited, though, I know it. Anything having to do with baseball, even running 13.1 miles.

I also realize that my hair is longer, the kids are way bigger, Will is a new addition, as are the horses, so the photos on this blog need major updating. I'll get to that. For now, meet our new equine friends.



Steph and Savannah with the horses, Buck and Savannah