3 G Girls

3 G Girls, originally uploaded by torri_g.

The girls rode in their first J-6 riding event this past Saturday, and oh what a great day it was! Being Mom I could not have been more proud of my girls than what I was Saturday, and not just because they brought home a ton of ribbons. Their support of each other over the course of the day, their support of the other competitors, and just watching how much they have grown in ability over the course of the last year. WOW is about all I have for that.
The flip side of it was the photographer in me was in pure joy overload with all of the beautiful horses to photograph. Over the course of this week I will post favorite pictures of each of my girls and share how each on of them did, and of course post some of my just favorite pictures of other horses and riders.

The cookie angels

IMG_0930, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Well leading up to Christmas I was taken down and out by yet another bug that made its way into the house. Fever, body ache, feeling like I had been run over by a couple of trucks, left me with very little energy or ability to get anything done. Who was going to get the last of the cookies baked? Who was going to get them put onto trays? Who was going to get them delivered Christmas Eve? Well, my three girls of course who have now been named the Cookie Angels. The finished the baking, they put together the trays and got them all delivered. So the tradition of baking tons to give away was saved! Mom cheered from the couch under the ton of blankets because the fever chills were just to much for her. I was saddened though because of the the Cookie Angels also fell to the horrible mean bug Christmas Eve.

Today is first day that I have felt semi human in a couple of days, and just wanted to tell my Cookie Angels thank you so much for saving the cookie tradition this year!

Sibling Sunday

IMG_0600, originally uploaded by torri_g.

I once upon a time used to be able to snap pictures of the girls together for this post, but it seems that those days are very long gone. Any time I'm hit with the thought that I would like a picture of them, by the time I get my camera one to all of them have left. It is a busy life with them all anymore and it just seems to be getting even busier. Oh well, it is what is supposed to be after all so let's do some updates about things going on with the girls.

Cheyenne was off this past week for fall break and the end of the first quarter has happened. Which mean just one more quarter of her being at Buena. Due to her unhappiness with class sizes this year, and my overall just not happy with the school, we have talked and decided that it is time for the run there to come to an end. With the start of the new semester in January she will be heading to new start at Tombstone. In the mean time there is a list of DECA activities and other that will be added I'm sure in the next couple of weeks. She had a great birthday Friday though and I'm sure that I'm about to start hearing the count down of 6 months till she can get her learner's permit. Outside of school stuff there are her riding lessons which she is just oh so very good at and in her spare time aside from that telling me hourly that she is just oh so very bored.

Stephanie is still in the busy routine of work, school, work, school, riding lessons, work, work. Although she has found that having her own car is a great freedom that she truly enjoys having. She has found that she now has the ability to spend some of her sparse free time with friends, which is something that she didn't have before.

Paige's routine is picking up here slowly now that she will be primary trainer of Kisses 4 days a week, plus her classes. Yesterday I got a call from our neighbor about hiring Paige to travel with her for a horse competition in Phoenix as a groomer. It is a two day event and with it is the youth expo which Paige would have the ability to attend during her down time. It will be an all expenses paid deal for her, and sometime here this morning she will need to give an answer as to whether or not she wants to do it. I'm pretty much fingers crossed that it will be a yes because I think it will be a great opportunity for her to network with some people. Heck just to be given the opportunity is great.

I think that is about it for this weeks update about the girls. I hope that everyone has had a great weekend so far and that today is one that brings lots of smiles and laughter.

Sibling Sunday

arbys, originally uploaded by torri_g.

There should be a picture of the three G girls, but getting pictures of them all is pretty much an impossible task anymore. At any given time only one of them may be in the house for a picture. It is okay with me though because it gives me reason to use this picture that Stephanie took over the summer while we were out for "Girls" dinner while Todd was on one of his many TDY's.

So let's start this with stuff Steph a.k.a Binky Sue:
August brought the start of college classes yet again and full time plus is the name of the game for Steph. Let's not forget the working just about full time balanced on top of full time classes, throw in horseback riding lessons, and that all equals no real free time for her and me with the never ending driving during the day. Good news for this year she has been able to drive herself once Mom is done needing the car. Even better news is that Friday Steph went and started process towards possibly buying a car of her own! Mom and Dad had to take her money down in yesterday for her because you know she is always working...but hopefully before the end of this next week she will have a 2003 Suzuki Vitara of her very own. Fingers crossed so hard they hurt!

Paige a.k.a. Sweetpea also started college classes in August. Two art classes which she does see to love. She likes them even better when the "grown up's" of the class are just quiet and working on projects. She doesn't understand why anyone would take art if they really don't like it and finds some of her classmates to be annoying. Her search for a job has turned up nothing as of yet, but coming up in October she is going to be getting a real work out because of learning how to train a new horse with her riding teacher. Her love for horseback riding lessons is still being filled with weekly lessons and in general she is just very happy with how things are going.

Cheyenne a.k.a. Little Bug has had a very busy couple of months with school. She has had weekends filled with DECA activities, babysitting jobs, horseback riding lessons, home work, and stress of how full classrooms at the high school are. She has asked that I see about transferring her over to Tombstone High because she is feeling that because of the 40+ kids per class for her that her grades are starting to slip due to not being able to hear, and frustration levels of teachers is causing a lot of them to shut down and give up. So yes come tomorrow I will make phone calls and see just how horrible it would be to make a move to a different school.

I know it is kind of short and to the point with all of the girls, but they are all doing well for the most part, and just busy. I hope that everyone has had a great weekend and enjoy a Sunday spent with those you love.

The G Boys and Girls

The G Gang, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Several years ago while we were home visiting family we lined the little G gang up for a photo in Oma's front yard. If I am remembering correctly at that time there were 7 of them. A couple of them were very difficult to keep in the shot because they were little and didn't want to stay still or be touched by older siblings who were trying to keep them in place. That original group has grown up, 4 have been added (if I am remembering right Panda wasn't in that picture yet was he Connie?) and I find it funny that the two holding the twins were the one's having to be held themselves for the last photo. We did have one missing though because she had to stay in Arizona for work, but I'm going to see if I can do some photo magic and photo shop her into the picture.
It is amazing when all once little ones tower over you! They are a wonderful group of young ladies and gents and just for good measure we still have a couple of those very little ones in the group to enjoy.

I hope that everyone has a great Sunday spent with those you love, because those are the moments that make your heart smile.

Sunday

IMG_9936, originally uploaded by torri_g.

I have managed to yet again take a couple of weeks without posting anything. I think the idea of trying to post daily is for now just not something that is going to happen, I was really hoping for that though.
Summer vacation for the girls has turned out to be just about as busy as the school year was this year. Stephanie is working just about 40 hours a week and is on Monday going to attempt her drivers test one more time. Fingers are crossed for Monday because that will mean come fall term she can just take the car for those night classes...to bad the rest of the day hours are going to keep me in the car till we get her a car of her own.

Paige this week became a part time student and I couldn't have been more proud of her. She will be taking art classes this fall and she has been on an excited high about it all since Thursday. She also put in a couple of applications for some jobs and is hoping that soon she will hear.

Cheyenne has been busy working the Summer Cruise at the high school this past week and will work it again this coming week. Hard to believe that we are only about a week away from back to school registration time. She still needs to get her summer reading book for her AP class but finding time to sneak into a book store is proving to be a bit problematic. I'm hopeful though that this week will be the time that I can get her there and knock that one off of the never ending long list of things to get done.

In the area of us buying the house and land...well the paperwork has moved into processing phase and I think the only one's moving quickly with getting requested paperwork into them is us. The appraisal was ordered a week ago and everyone is waiting to hear a date for that one. There is a need for an address for the property which it doesn't seem to have one because it has never had a house built on it, just a huge garage for storage of cars and other toys. Plus add to that the fact that the one who needs to get that info was on vacation since before the 4th of July! This week it was nice to hear the sound of SSVEC out on the property starting their work of digging for running lines for the pole, transformer and pedestal. I have also heard the current owner of the property who just happens to be our contractor out there clearing trees, brush and digging holes for septic. I realized that I love the sound of this construction because it is for something that is going to be ours.

I really don't have anything else for this one. I hope that everyone is well and enjoying summer. I'm no longer going to make promises to be back daily, but I will try to post when I have a free minute or two.

When the horse puts you in time out!

IMG00584, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Paige and Cheyenne had riding lessons this morning and I am completely blown away by their progress! Chey with only three lessons has just about caught up with her sisters, and Paige stepped it up a couple extra notches today too. Bob...who is the lesson horse...did have to let Paige know one time that she wasn't as in control as she thought she was. Instructor had Paige drop the reigns and do nothing but use leg to control Bob and the first couple of tries led right back to the same area of the arena...the GATE! See Bob by this point in time would have loved for the lessons to be over and since Paige wasn't using enough leg he picked his own direction and what he wanted to see done. The exercise was great for Paige though because she finally got the legs going and made Bob do what she wanted him to do.
Both girls were introduced to show maneuvers today and I can say that parking the horse on the bridge looked very difficult but both girls got it done. Paige was happy about being able to get to take Bob up to a cantor today with no lead line today, which was a huge deal for her.

Tomorrow Ms. Steph gets to go for her lesson and I can't wait to see the look on her face with how much her sisters stepped up the game today for lessons.

Riding lessons

Riding lessons, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Today was the girls first day of riding lessons! They have a great teacher and Sweetpea and Binky Sue were thrilled to get started. Little Bug will be starting just a little later because her Mom is a big mean Mom. I'm happy that we didn't have anyone falling off of the horse today, but we did have one fall while trying to get on the horse. Watching one try to put the saddle on the horse was very funny and I'm not sure the horse will ever really trust her to get that saddle on without lots of help. We have next lessons set for this week and very much looking forward to it.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Saturday and that there is lots of laughter for you today.