2011 in photo's.

Quick aside, my last accidental post was supposed to be finished out before being published.  Complete with a 2012 goal calendar.  Then I started filling in the year and got completely overwhelmed and realized how much thought I needed to put into it.  So the "2011 in photos" will precede the 2012 goals.  So here goes!

Dedicated winter riding.

I got myself a big 'ole truck!! 

Winter bareback ride.  Then I remembered why I don't do winter bareback rides.  Because I like my vagina!

Then the ice came and the horses got locked up for 2 weeks.

And the ice stayed. (gate to my pasture )

You can sum up the winter with the word, ICE!

I brought sexy back by starting 2011 50lbs lighter than 2010!!!!

Steady went western for a day.  Meh, it didn't last.  He may look quite cute western but I could do without.

Crisp yet sunny springtime rides.

Off topic of horses but I collected and boiled down 100 gallons of sap to make maple syrup.

The saddle torcher hunt.  County saddle, fail.

Steady came out of winter looking like death on legs :(

But he was loved and I started to do what ever I had to do to fix him.

Again off horses but my mama goat had triplets!  Baby goats are so cute..awww

April we competed at CAF in the Starter Derby.  BTW we got a 34 in dressage and had a perfect jumping round but were eliminated for taking a jump the wrong direction.  DOH!

We both were very green jumpers in April.

Went to the horse exhibit at the Field Museum.

Finally found a saddle that wasn't an awful fit.  Not perfect but not awful.

I had my very first ROLEX experience! Life changing!

Changed Steady to Progressive Nutrition feed.

My 6 year old competed her pony for the first time.

May, started to see a difference in Steady's coat and weight.

Volunteered for 3 days at the Indiana Eventing Association Three Day Event.

June, I wasted my money on injections.

My daughters competed at the 4-H fair.

EVENT CAMP!  EPIC in my life!

Put in another pasture.

July, Not looking so green anymore!!!

Many awesome trail rides with my even more awesome trail buddy, my 8 year old daughter.

Took Lily for a test ride and made the decision to bring her home and begin training her to event.

Competed at Octoberfest Beginner Novice Combined Test.  Scored 31- 29 in dressage if you don't count me going off course!!  Major milestone!  Ended with a 39 for a refusal and 2 rails but still walked away 4th out of 11!!!

Cleaned house at the jumper show!

Became a pony clubber!!

Audited Peter Atkins clinic.

Did some Miniature driving.

Shoveled a shit load of gravel.

Steady got some new diggs.

Winter we saw a tiny bit of snow but have mostly been swallowed up in mud!

Went from green beans, trotting in circles to bonafied green beans learning dressage.

This year seemed as if it started out on a bad note and things just were not going as I had hoped or planned.  But at some point things started turning around and before you know it, all that work that seemed like was getting us no where, all came together and just clicked.  I feel like at the beginning of the year everything was like a 1000 piece puzzle that was just dumped out on the table.  It looks like a mess and you work on it and work on it but even when you start to make some progress it still does not resemble anything remotely beautiful.  It is not until you put in the last piece that the picture is complete and you can see how all those little pieces worked together to make something beautiful.  It was tedious, disappointing, frustrating and annoying for 2/3's of 2011 but the last 1/3 made all of that more than worth while.  It made it all that much more gratifying and fulfilling.  There must be darkness to truly appreciate the light.