A quick note!

Steph's biopsy came back okey - benign!  Whoopee!!!  So now the doctor will watch to see if the nodule or growth grows.  They took nine samples and she was pretty tired after the biopsy was done.  She was to have given a horse riding lesson to a young girl that she canceled out of - she thought she'd feel better than she did.   She has been on medication and that seems to be helping so she isn't so tired.  Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!  

It's getting chilly here in Minnesota!!!!  I've had to dig out my lightweight winter jacket!  Can't complain tho - we've had a very warm fall.   More later.   

Ranch Rodeo Pics

Nicole and Stephani resting for a few minutes!

Indian Pony

These cowboys waiting their turn for the Ranch Rodeo -
teams of 3 and 4 for Rope n Drag Relay - Sort n Holding calves.

I noticed that Nicole and Steph had stopped to visit!

These pictures had been taken with my new camera.  Now I will be reading the book to learn how to use the camera better.

20th Annual SD Horse Fair

Stephani and Cullen did very well at the horse fair.  Her stud, Skippen Sir Johnny (goes back to the famous Skipper W) did great.  She also had one of her off spring there, a 4 year old filly, Belle that won the Versatility Contest.  Skip placed 4th.  This was the first year that off spring were added to the Stallion Versatility Contest.

Steph and Skip

Nicole and Steph in their booth that Cullen built.  Steph is a good mentor for Nicole.  Neighbor Cal, made the big horse shoe out of the shoes that Steph used last year.  It has two rows of barbed wire weaved through the shoes.  Cal also made her the picture frames.  He is so talented!

Skip and 4 year old daughter Belle.  Steph has been helping Nicole with her training and Nicole has been working with Belle for a year now. 

Cullen and Steve taking care of the booth!  There was a lot of people stopping to check on Skip, and Steph has some people real interested in getting their mares bred to Skip.   The smaller pictures around the out side of the horseshoe are pictures of some of Skips babies. 

Skips pedigree

The chair they won that was part of the Grand Champion prize.  Their name and horse name was added after the show.

Nicole also got money as part of the Grand Champion Prize and she bought herself a pair of buffalo hide chinks.  Chinks are the leather coverings that are shorter in length than chaps.  In the pictures above, Nicole has on Cullens chinks.

I stayed at the motel with the girls, and Steve and Cullen went home every night to do chores.  Long days at the barn, and I'm now glad to be home again.  It was hard to sit around all day.  My little camera bit the dust, so in between things that Steph was riding in, Cullen took me to Best Buy and I got a new camera.  Upgraded to a Canon PowerShot SX20IS.  So have some learning to do. My old camera just locked up!  Had to remove the battery to get it to shut off, and unlock from the program it was on.  Finally, that didn't even work!  Always happens when you want to use it for something important. 

To Steph's We Go!

We're on our way to Stephani and Cullen's.    It will be a busy weekend, as we will be in Sioux Falls all weekend at the horse expo. Steph is showing her stud "Skip" and has a booth.  Hopefully she will make many contacts for stud service for this spring and summer.
This is the first year for her and Cullen to market her stud at this expo, so we'll see how things go. 

Here Steve and Steph are visiting while I was taking pictures of her horses last fall.  I feel kind of bad, because it's been so long since we've been to her place.  Steph and Cullen were home for Christmas, when everyone was home, so this visit with them will be good.
I'm sure her yard is still muddy, as southern MN had more snow then we did this winter.  In fact, it is suppose to snow again tomorrow! 

I used this picture on my blog header last fall for awhile.  I was trying to find a picture of "Skip", but couldn't, so will have to take some on this trip.  I know I have a big picture that she had a photographer take, and she used it for some ads, but I can't find it!!!!  Skip is a quarterhorse, colored sorrel with flaxen mane and tail.  Really a beautiful animal.  He has sired some nice babies, and they are all so beautiful.

Leah and Amanda have a colt, "Smoke", sired by Skip.  He is a very light palamino, but most of Skips babies are sorrel with flaxen mane and tail like himself.  Leah is now riding Smoke, and now that spring is upon us, she'll be anxious to start riding him again.
We plan on leaving about 10 am, and it will take us about 5.5 hrs to get there - maybe 6 if we stop for lunch.   Steph is riding Skip about 6 pm, and has a program with Skip and some of his babies that she's sold.  She says they are riding to "Man From Snowy River" music.  That is our family favorite in both music and movie!    Steph will be singing the national anthem every day at noon.   I think this expo is probably  a "bigger" thing than I'm prepared for.  Steph and I will be staying at a motel in Sioux Falls, while the guys will be traveling the 40 miles ea way morning and night, (they get to do the chores at home!). 

Steph and Cullen don't have interenet connection/landline phone or cable tv, etc. at their farm, so she isn't aware of all this blogging that the rest of us are doing.  Actually, I'm not so sure she'd make time for it.  Both working and then all their chores, etc. etc.  I know that she and Cullen are bone tired at the end of each day.  Can't wait to see them tomorrow - and I'll get a full report to you all when I get home!  Have a great weekend!

Little Church in the Country

We attended a wedding last fall where daughter Stephani and husband Cullen were both in the wedding. The church was a little country church in southern Minnesota that doesn't have weekly services, but is still used for weddings and such by the families that take care of the church and cemetery. The brides family had grandparents and great grandparents that were early members of this little Lutheran church. Her great-grandfather helped to build this church.

The flag on my blog header is a 48 State flag. It hangs on the South wall of the church. This 48 Star flag was used from 1912 through 1959. The flag that Steph and Cullen are standing by, is on the north wall across from the 48 Star flag, and the stars show the number of members from this church that were gone to WWI, and the horizontal stars indicate the number of members that did not return. I can only imagine how hard it was for those families of this small community to have sent their loved ones to war; and not to ever see them again. Their bodies are probably some of the many soldiers (over 104,000 in both WWI and WWII) that are buried on foreign soil. With the flags still hanging there, you know how important it was for those that went to church there. With the flags hanging where all could see - they were reminded each time they were there of the fathers, brothers or uncles that were gone to war. There were no telephones to call home weekly. They were lucky to be able to send a letter occasionally. None of the modern conveniences we have today.

This little church has the origianl lantern fixtures hanging from the ceiling. The old carpet on the floor has that smell of "dusty old". The front of the santuary is original. All so beautiful. These early settlers did a wonderful job of building this little church. There is a balcony in the back, with a couple of rows of seats.
Would they have used that for a choir or maybe just overflow. I don't think the church would hold over 100 people. The old pump organ still works-but I'm not sure how many people today could play it. I'm sure the old organ really "sang" when it was played.