SPEED!!!!

Now you'd think with a title like that this post would be about motocross but noooooooo.  Equestrian Girl and Stanley tacked up for the Speed and Action games at the show last weekend along with their friend Morgan Girl and her Morgan gelding, Connor.

Flag Race

They got the flag - now GO Stanley, GO!

Rounding the outside barrel and flying like the wind!

Slow down - we don't want to miss the bucket!

It's in!  Now GO, GO!

Yeeehaw!!!

Morgan Girl and Connor flying in for a big finish!

Barrel Racing/Coverleaf

Rounding the last barrel...

Stanley is kicking up the dust and moving out FAST!

And another big finish!!

A true Western Pleasure Horse, Connor isn't so sure about going this fast but he turned it up as high as he could and flew like the wind!

While Equestrian Girl and Stanley did better than anyone would have expected, they DID rock in the Pleasure classes winning 1st place in 4 out of 6 classes for the 13 and under age group High Point Award.  Mom also didn't do too shabby with 1st place in 2 of my 3 classes and also winning the High Point Award!  For our hard work we both won director's chairs.  This one is mine in green.  EG's is blue and already set up in her room.

Cousins

The cousins don't get to spend nearly enough time together...they've grown and changed so much over the past year - it's really amazing that they used to look like this:

And now like this.

When they were little they'd take baths together on vacation!!

Now they just act silly on the couch.

They used to TRY to take naps together and tuck each other in.

Now they are pre-teens.

The always shared a love of animals.

And they still love each other.

They used to wear their hair in braids and pigtails and wear cute dresses.

Now they wear graphic t-shirts and it's all about looking cool.

They used to ride turtles together at the zoo.

Now they don't.

Silly String for Silly Cousins

It amazing how much fun can be had with 3 cans of Silly String from the dollar store...

And Equestrian Girl gets off a good shot at the back of Wolf Girl's head!

In a sneak attack she catches Motocross Boy in the back of the head too.

But Motocross Boy had a target and Wolf Girl was IT!

Not to be out done, Wolf Girl set her sights on Equestrian Girl but came up a little short.

Brother and Sister faced off in a duel as their cans sputtered out of string...

Cleaning up isn't nearly as fun.

Family Time

My parents are here for their annual trip to Michigan or "home" as it used to be for most of their lives.  We had our first big family dinner on Monday and my sister and Dad were playing with my camera taking pics of everyone.

Motocross Boy

Wolf Girl

Equestrian Girl

David and Carrie

Scott

David

Me

Carrie

Mom and Dad

4th of July Fireworks

I'm not exactly sure what happened with our fireworks over the lake this year.  They started out AMAZING - like the grand finale in most fireworks displays.  And apparently it WAS the grand finale because after that, it was just the random firework here and there until they ran out.  As disappointing as it was, I did get some pretty cool pictures. This was my first time ever photographing fireworks and I was pretty pleased.

Kids and Water

Motocross Boy LOVES to fish.  He doesn't get to do it nearly often enough and doing it on a day when the lake was totally rockin' and rollin' with boats probably wasn't the best day to go.

Equestrian Girl prefers to swim.

When you are almost 13 and haven't had your growth spurt yet, you shouldn't walk next to your younger sister who has had hers.

Equestrian Girl was in the water for hours.  They look like they are praying.  Maybe there were.  It was Sunday after all.

But then she goes and kicks back in a float and drinks beer.  NO!  It was only Mt. Dew and wasn't even hers.

She did make some new friends though.  They've been texting like crazy ever since that day.

These girls became friends too.  Aren't they cute????  I know they belonged to friends of our neighbor but I don't know their names.

Then as dark came on, Motocross Boy decided the end of the dock with a new buddy was THE place to sit to watch the fireworks.