January 2010!

  This page has been long overdue for an update! Since my last update in May, so much and so little has happened. 2009 was a year of routine family, farm, sports and school stuff. And we like it that way! We had no spider bites, no surgeries, no big illnesses, no catastrophies. Life has been sweet and mellow and for that I am very thankful. I am updating this time in the form of a photo album- big on pictures and small on commentary!

November trip to Orlando for Alex's 4th birthday....with my parents and my sister Amy and her family! Nickelodean hotel, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and Universal Studios Islands of Adventure        - a VERY good time!

One of the highlights of this year was the delivery of 'Grace' on loan by our dear friends Ralph and Teresa Webb. For those that don't know, Gracie is a lovely black and white Spotted Saddle horse mare that Bryant delivered prematurely via C-section 8 years ago for the Webbs. She had a rough start as an orphan, at the same time I was early pregnant with Bart. She was an internet sensation on one of the popular Gaited Horses chat groups. This tough little filly taught me a little bit about motherly love and dealing with cancer, and I wrote a story about her that was published in Chicken Soup For The Horse Lover's Soul Part 2. Ralph is letting me borrow her as my personal trail horse this year. I'm hoping to breed her in the spring for my own Gracie foal to keep! She is a super riding horse and I am really enjoying having her here.

Our first grape harvest- 100+ pounds of Cynthiana- minimal harvest after several weeks of battle with the birds for our grapes! Next year will be better!

We had lots of fun visitors the second half of this year. Friends joke that our farm is a great B&B.! Keith from NC came for his second or third trip to "High Life Farm" and we hit downtown Nashville. Phil from VA came with his daughter Natalie for a really fun visit during the Celebration in August. We were also honored to host our old friend Michellie and her husband Michael for their lovely private wedding in a great little chapel in Normandy. Laura and her family came at a great time in October and we did fun fall stuff with the boys. Chris blessed our kitchen with his electrical expertise!

We were active this year with our church (and sister church) youth group. We hosted a "Day at the Farm" one warm August day. Fishing, pony riding, eating, exploring and a great sunset hayride! We held a Trunk or Treat at the church on Halloween and were amazed at the turn-out! All 4 of us had parts in the annual Christmas play at our sister church and I have to admit that Bart and Alex were better actors than Bryant and I!

Bart's 2009 schedule was full! Karate, baseball, science club, football, cub scouts, youth group, school, farm! Alex was also ambitious for a 3 & 4 year old with baseball, karate and 3-day-a-week preschool. Both boys earned their dragon stripes in karate recently and will test for their yellow belts later this month.

Click here to see Alex break a board in karate!

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Below: The boys boot-scooting to bluegrass at a monthly Flat Creek Community Center potluck dinner and music jam. The 2009 TN Friesian keuring in Morristown with our mare Karrman who earned her studbook status!

Pumpkin carving, a November picnic on the farm, Bryant's first buck of the season: 

Thanksgiving! A wonderful day with my cousins Bobby, Amanda and Darby along with my folks and our friend Cindy. Bryant's first attempt at frying a turkey was successful and delicious! This year's post-meal hayride did not last long- too cold and windy!

As mentioned above, Alex's fourth birthday mid November was a great trip to Orlando. Bart's 7th birthday mid December was a fun-packed (and I mean packed!) day at Chuck E Cheese with 15 boys and their brave parents! MeeMaw-'safety grandmother' - gave Bart a pogo stick and stilts!

  Christmas season was very merry! We spent Christmas week-end in North Carolina with both of our families.

...and now it is another decade. It wasn't so long ago that living in the year 2010 seemed so far away! Life for us has changed so much since the hectic pace of owning a veterinary hospital. I have gone from' frazzled business manager' and 'veterinarian' to 'content Mom' and 'farmer'. Bryant still works 3-5 days a week but comes home and spends time with his family and farm instead of worrying about pet emergencies, business concerns and medical records. My health remains good and I am still 'cancer-free'. We have cut down on breeding horses and our next goal is to finish getting set up to raise cattle. We have a gorgeous little red merle miniature Australian Shepherd puppy on reserve and are excited about bringing her home when she is weaned in February. (This will be our first house dog- we're not sure how Skippy John Jones and Dinky Doo will feel about this....!) Our goal this year is to be more environmentally conscience, more civically minded, and healthy! I hope that each of you has goals that are reached and exceeded a year from now. Thank you for staying in touch!

                                                            Wendy   1/2/2010