Life on the farm for just she and I...

A New Year Full of Possibilities

2012-01-28T16:48:00.005-05:00

2012 is officially here and in full swing! Rivermont Farm's first horse show of the season is planned for February 18th. We're looking forward to seeing everyone, and REALLY enjoying this beautiful, mild winter we've had so far! Let's hope it continues!

Rivermont Farm is offered for sale! If you are looking for a turnkey horse farm that is as close to heaven as you can get, check out our website: www.rivermontfarm.com and click on the "Farm For Sale" link. The farm has been reduced to $849,000. It's located between Rome, GA and Chattanooga, TN on 38 breathtaking acres, which overlook the Chattooga River as well as the mountains. The cost of living is very cheap here, as my property taxes were only around $650 this year. We have two barns, a huge competition sized arena, grass galore in 5 differed 4 board fencing paddocks, and then a 30 acre field with tons of grass. There is a gorgeous custom home that was built in 2008 which has all the extras you could ever want, with a fabulous floor plan. 4 bedrooms, 3 full bath, hardwood & ceramic floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and more! We are downsizing and relocating to Florida, that's why the farm is for sale. However, it has been a VERY difficult decision. Please see our website for more info.

Last Rivermont Show November 5th, 2011

2011-10-27T21:57:00.004-04:00

Fall foliage is at it's peak in northwest Georgia right now! The farm couldn't be more beautiful! The last Rivermont Farm horse show will be held on November 5th, 2011 with Carolyn Duncan judging. The farm is for sale, so this could possibly be the last show ever at Rivermont.

I returned to Ocala, FL recently and have found my dream horse farm, or two, down there! We do have some interest in Rivermont, but I just firmly believe if we are meant to sell the farm and head to sunny Ocala then it will all fall into place.

The babies are growing like a weed! Hope is gorgeous, although we lost her mom in July, but I have stepped in as her "mom". :) Couldn't love her more if she was my own! Naughty (the colt born that we used to call Kopy Kat) is growing like a weed as well. Both are super gorgeous babies!

Hope to see you on November 5th! www.rivermontfarm.com

Rivermont Farm is offered for sale!

2011-07-11T18:06:00.004-04:00

Are you by chance looking for the PERFECT horse farm to purchase? I have made the very painful, difficult decision to sell Rivermont Farm and relocate to Ocala, Florida. I can't give away all the details as to why I'm heading to Ocala just yet, but I will soon! Let's just say I have a new business venture underway, and Ocala is where I need to be. It's also what my dad and Gracie want, so with the whole family in agreement, off to Florida we will go! :)

Here are the specs on Rivermont, if you or someone you know is interested:

http://rivermontfarm.com/farmforsale.htm

I will keep my bloggers updated on what's going on! The horse shows are still booming here at Rivermont, business is doing well thankfully in a struggling economy, and I will certainly miss everyone who has supported my dream farm for the past 9 years. You just know though when it's time to move on in life and try something new. I just hope I find a buyer who will love "my baby" as much as I have. :)

Change is in the air

2011-05-06T22:57:00.003-04:00

Since my last post, Maggie foaled a gorgeous colt on April 6th. He is a near identical twin to Hope believe it or not! A bay with 4 stockings and a cool blaze! I am thrilled! He is the first colt ever born on my farm, out of 9 babies I've had in my career. He is all boy too! (little stinker!) He was born in my late, great Krystal Kat's stall...so his name is Kopy Kat, in honor of Krystal and in honor of the fact he looks like his sister!

In other news, I'm in the works on a new business venture. I am SO excited about this, I can't begin to tell you! Actually, I seriously can't begin to tell you because I'm told by the powers that be that I must keep a tight lid on this until we're ready for manufacturing. I know this product I'm designing is going to be something you'll all want one of, so stay tuned!

Change is in the air, I feel it stronger than ever.

I feel I must say a word or two about the devastating tornadoes that ripped through the south last week. We were so blessed as those storms went right around us here at Rivermont, but I'm well aware not everyone was quite so lucky. We are praying for those affected by this horrible event, as neighbors just north and south of us lost so much. I have even found debris in my yard that is believed to be from the tornadoes that did so much damage in Tuscaloosa. Amazing, powerful Mother Nature. Please remember to pray for those affected by these storms.

PHOTOS! Just above I have posted a current picture of Twister, the sire to these adorable foals! His registered name (APHA breeding stock) is Rivermont Hidengoseek. The photo above that is of Hope kicking up her heels and finally, our new addition, Kopy Kat with his mom Maggie.

Baby Hope...gosh I sure love that girl!

2011-03-18T22:21:00.003-04:00

Baby Hope is thriving well! She has such a delightful personality and loves people! Here are a couple of recent pictures. More to come, so check back often! Don't forget we have one more foal due any day now! Miss Maggie is expecting too! :)

Oh Happy Day!

2011-03-14T09:00:00.007-04:00

Life on the farm just got sweeter! Last night Gracie and I witnessed our first foal of the year come into the world, and what a blessing she is! I walked to the barn around 10:30 last night to check on my expecting mare, Karma. Upon arrival I noticed she was dripping in sweat and pacing. I looked at her milk bag, but no waxing or signs of milk. After watching poor Karma pace for another 5 minutes or so, I checked that milk bag again and low and behold...we were suddenly dripping milk!

I ran to the house and woke Gracie up. We anxiously awaiting the big event, and at around 11:00 pm on March 13, 2011, "Oh Happy Day" (who we will call "Hope") came into the world!

I have chosen the name "Oh Happy Day" because this filly is a granddaughter of the great Secretariat. If you remember in the movie, this great song played as he barreled down the home stretch to win the Triple Crown. It makes me tear up every single time I watch that movie! I will call her Hope, because after the past 3 agonizing years of what seemed like more bad than good, I looked at this little life last night and thought "There's always hope". How can you not feel that way when you see new life come into the world.

My affection for Secretariat comes from the partnership I had with my great jumper Kaiser Fritz. I found Fritz in someone's backyard when I was only 13 years old, and on a "gut" feeling I talked my dad into buying him for me. I found out he was a grandson of Secretariat and out of a Quarter Horse mare. Long story short, Fritz turned out to be one of the greatest jumpers I have (to this day) ever known. The horse could school a 5' course with room to spare. He would jump anything in his path. I showed Fritz at local and "A" shows til I was about 18. Fritz died of cancer on my farm in 2003. I have included a photo of us showing in 1991 in this blog.

Once Fritz passed away, I went on a hunt to find a sibling. After several years, I came across this mare, registered as "Hands on the Wagon" with the Jockey Club, and bought her sight unseen out of Texas. She and Fritz have the same sire, a Secretariat son named "Bandwagon", who is now deceased.

I am so delighted to have this gorgeous baby! I think it's amazing that I was with my friend Fritz as he was put to sleep many years ago, which was so horribly painful as it was the first horse in 26 years of owning horses that I had lost. He died of cancer, and it broke my heart. But just as I was there when Fritz left this earth, I had the privilege of being there when his niece came into the world. So amazing!

Hope's sire is my APHA stallion "Rivermont Hidengoseek", also known as "Twister". Yes, "Twister, the horse who plays ball". Twister is 3/4 Paint and 1/4 Thoroughbred. I owned his dam for years and got some incredible foals out of her that were jumping fools! Based on family tree, this filly should be very talented in the jumping department! :)

Enjoy the video of Hope coming into the world! It's not often we are able to catch this miracle on video! :)

A river of tears, and then a God wink!

2011-02-11T17:06:00.010-05:00

Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days of my life, and I've face some doozies in my day! I left home at 6:30am to purchase the much anticipate iPhone for Verizon. I had waited for this day for a long time, and was so excited to get my hands on that phone! As I backed out of my garage, I saw my old Jack Russell friend, Spud, walk out of the garage onto the snow covered grass to "do his business". It had snowed once again night before last, leaving abo ut an inch of that cold white stuff on the ground. As I watched Spud my dad asked if I was going to wait for him to go back in the garage and close the door, but I told him no...that I was in a hurry to get to Verizon. Spud would do his business, and I felt certain due to the cold and snow he would hurry back inside and curl up in his w arm little bed.

A few hours later we returned home with my iPhone in hand. Spud wasn't in his warm little bed though, however I didn't worry too much. He liked going to the hay barn and snuggling up in warm hay. I came in the house and sat down at the computer, where I began to figure out this crazy phone. All of sudden my dad began frantically beating the window by my desk. My desk overlooks the front porch of my house and a beautiful little gold fish pond I build with my own two hands last year. It's what I look at every day, most of the day as I work at my desk. Dad beat on the window yelling, and it suddenly sank in what he was saying. "Spud fell in the pond!". I jumped to my feet, ran out the front door, and there was my sweet baby of 16 years dead by the pond. He was blind in one eye as he was aging, and apparently while I was gone he must have stumbled off in that cold, icy water while "doing his business". My heart dropped right along with my entire body as I fell face down on the snowy concrete and just wailed, uncontrollably. All I could think of was how scared he must have been, how cold, how he must have been desperately looking for me to save him...and I wasn't there. I was shopping for a stupid phone.
I will never forgive myself.

I met Spud as a teen ager. My mom had purchased him for me as a 2 day old puppy in Fort Walton Beach, FL. I remember being so excited as I drove down that Thanksgiving to visit my new puppy. By that time he was only 3 weeks old. I begged the lady to let me go ahead and take him, which she did. I bottle fed him until he started eating solid food. Spud went to every ou t of town horse show with me. Slept in my bed for years. He even went on our beach vacations. He was there when Gracie was born and adored her. He was a huge part of my heart, and always will be. He was not a wild spastic Jack Russell. He was very laid back, and beautiful. He produced puppies that I shipped all over the country, so hopefully his legacy lives on forever.

Please pray for my family as we miss our boy. One cool thing God did for me though, as I cried all day yesterday I turned on my favorite preacher lady...Joyce Meyer. She preached on how Job and Joseph really had a hard time, but point being God blessed the second half of their lives more than the first. How God gave them "double for their trouble" and made the second half of their life better than the first. She said "I beg of you, those of you watching on tv, you must say I don't
care how I feel, I will NOT let this ruin the rest of my life, I'm releasing this to God and I'm going to trust him to do something with it!". Then, the next thing I saw on the TV screen was ME! Without even realizing it, this was the episode of the conference I had attended last April in Chattanooga. Now, if that wasn't God himself making a point directly to me, I don't know what was! God is so good. I paused the TIVO and took a picture of what I saw. Yep...surprised me too! What were the odds that the very episode of the conference I had attended LAST APRIL, would have finally aired yesterday. On a day I had cried out to God, and basically told God I hurt so bad for so many reasons...I was tired of going on. I believe this was like a hug from God...think of the odds that this would show along with that message at that moment. What a cool God wink! ;)

And it snowed...again. Seriously.

2011-02-04T22:26:00.005-05:00

The weather man called for rain last night. That's what I expected, so I was slightly surprised when Gracie called me as she was leaving school yesterday to inform me it was snowing...again. Seriously. Some of the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen in my life. Within a few hours we had 2" of snow, again.

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it began to rain after dark. This morning I woke up to white slush, pouring down rain and about 33 degrees. That made for a miserable day of feeding horses, and what seemed like cleaning stalls all day long. The horses were in the barn, warm and happy though!

In other news, Gracie is pictured modeling one of our new Rivermont Horse Show sweatshirts! :) Have a good weekend, friends!

Rivermont Farm Horse Show T-Shirts Now Available!

2011-02-03T16:15:00.003-05:00

Several people have asked for them...and we finally have them! Rivermont Horse Show t-shirts! They are available for purchase on my website at www.rivermontfarm.com for $20, or you may purchase them at any Rivermont horse show for only $15! They are available in adult and child sizes. They are 100% Pre-Shrunk cotton.

Hope everyone is staying warm...as I see snow flurries falling outside my window! Spring...where are you???

SNOW SNOW SNOW!

2011-01-10T22:28:00.004-05:00

I remember when I moved here in September of 2003 I assumed we'd see lots of snow in the winter. After all, this was considered the "North Georgia mountains", however it was 7 long years before we saw a single flurry. Last winter we had 2 decent snows. This year has changed all of that though! Of course on Christmas Day we were blessed with a good 5" of snow or so, and last night the skies opened up to another major snow event for us! We awoke to a good 7 or 8" of snow! It's so beautiful! Gracie and I spent the day sledding, making memories that will hopefully last a lifetime!

The last few months have been so painful and challenging for me once again. I won't go into details, but trust me when I say...I didn't think I'd make it. I'm trying so hard to keep my chin up and know that God only takes things away from you when He has something better. Still, it hurts.

Please remember me and my family in your prayers. I believe in the power of prayer, as we serve a God who loves us unconditionally! For those of you in the south, have fun playing in the snow! :)

Sponsorships and Advertising for 2011

2011-01-07T12:02:00.009-05:00

2011 is here already amazingly enough! The first Rivermont Farm horse show will be February 19th. I can't believe this will be our 7th year hosting horse shows! We are looking for sponsorships and advertisers for our prize list, so please consider supporting us so we may keep our cost down for 2011. Complete information, including a class list, is available on my website at www.rivermontfarm.com.

Email me at rivermontfarm@gmail.com with any questions. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years! We had a beautiful White Christmas in Georgia and spent Christmas and New Years with the ones we love the most, so we are blessed.

Thanks and Happy Horse Showing!

Goodbye to a dear old friend....

2010-10-20T15:49:00.004-04:00

October 8th, 2010, I lost one of my greats here on the farm. CBS Krystal Kat+ was only a 2 year old when I first met her, in the summer of 1986. I was Krystal's groom at Claire Boyd Stables, the show barn I worked at for over 10 years. Not too long after I purchased Krystal, broke her, trained her, I found myself in horse show paradise with this amazing mare. We were regulars on the "A" Circuit in the 1990's, winning many Top 5's at Region 12 and 14, but 1998 was "our year". We were Region 12 Champion in Hunter Pleasure, Region 12 Reserve Champion Green Working Hunter, Region 14 Top 5 Hunter Pleasure, and Top 10 at the U.S. National Championships in Hunter Pleasure in Louisville, KY.

After an amazing show career I began giving lessons on this angel. She was 16.1 hands but a giant puppy dog. Krystal taught so many riders how to ride, and was always so forgiving and loving. She taught my daughter to ride. I would put Gracie on her when Gracie was 2 years old and trust Krystal to take care of her.

October 8th was a good day. I was working for my boyfriend to help out since they were short handed at his shop, when my dad called to say Krystal was down and felt something was wrong. She was fine that morning when I fed her. I don't know why everything suddenly went wrong. Dad called the vet, did everything he should have done, but Krystal was just ready to go. We put her to sleep at 5:30 that afternoon, I weeping by her side. I've owned horses for over 25 years and never had a bad colic, so God has been good to me.

The vet thinks she may have had something worse going on inside, perhaps tumors. Krystal was almost 27 and had led such a dandy life. I will miss her so much, and will probably cry everytime I think about her. What a blessing she was. I own her half sister, Not Tu Shabby, who oddly enough has the same markings as Krystal, only she's black. I'm looking forward to getting this mare on the show circuit next year. I know my Krystal Kat will be smiling down on us from heaven! I told Krystal right before we put her to sleep to wait for me, that I would see her again one day, and I will...I know it.

A picture or two

2010-09-01T09:34:00.008-04:00

Here we have pictures of me showing my home grown mare, Not Tu Shabby. She won every class she was in! I was SOOOOO proud of her!

This is my buckskin gelding Dusty who is for sale. Please see more info about him at www.rivermontfarm.com and look on the sales list. Isn't he GORGEOUS?

Gary and I showing off my latest hair style! :)

What a difference a year makes...

2010-07-28T17:45:00.005-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while, frankly I've had a lot going on! Vacations, horse shows, and life in general have kept me busy. What a difference a year makes. Life is so good! Gracie has gone to camp at the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach this summer, as well as horse camp in South Carolina. She's growing like a weed and will be in 4th grade this year! I am now seeing a wonderful guy who adores Gracie and I both. God is good, and I've learned there is always hope. I said all along that God was doing some serious house cleaning in my life last year, and He was. He was removing anything He felt wasn't fruitful, and definitely gave me "double for my trouble". I wouldn't change a thing! Jesus is faithful, if you'll only put your trust in Him.

I showed my home grown mare, "Not Tu Shabby", at Conyers this past weekend and won every single class we entered but one, and that one we were 2nd! This was Laci's first show and she worked her heart out for me! The classes were between 14 and 20+ in each class too, so she had some awesome competition! I will post pictures asap. She is awesome, and I look forward to getting her on the "A" circuit in 2011. It's exciting to be showing again! Especially on a mare I helped bring into the world and broke myself.

My farm is booming better than ever, as is my personal life. Whatever storms in life you're going through, just remember to put your faith in Him and ask God to give you the strength to get through your trials. Not for Him to remove the trails, but to help you get through them. Those trials are put there for a reason. They teach us and help us to grow. I have been surrounded this year by some amazing, Christian friends who could only have been sent by God. All I can say, is I am thankful. :)

Champion at the RMI in Atlanta!

2010-05-11T20:47:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to spend Mother's Day weekend with some great people! I coached Addison Howe on her medium pony "Bedtime Story" at the RMI "A" show at Wills Park in Alpharetta, GA. This was Addy's first "A" show, and I gave her the whole speech about how not to expect a ribbon, the competition is top notch in Alpharetta, etc. That speech was not needed for this pair as they were Division Champion against some serious competition! :) Thank you to the Howe family for trusting me enough with Addy and Storm! I had a blast!

First Place at the Hunter Pace!

2010-04-24T16:29:00.003-04:00

This morning I somewhat cheerfully loaded up one of my horses and headed out to the Hunter Pace at Mercy Stables in Ringgold, GA. I say somewhat because it was storming here at Rivermont when I left. I was determined to do this Hunter Pace though! The pace was awesome! You rode at a canter most of the way, over hills, across creeks, over ditches and jumps! A true field hunting experience! (less the hunting though!) Maggie was a champ! However mid way through this 6 mile course a storm hit. Being that the one and only phobia I have is lightening, this was NOT a pleasant feeling for me at all! Maggie went into another gear for me at one point! Long story short, much to my excitement, we were FIRST PLACE in the Advanced Field Hunters Division!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!! Maggie wasn't nearly as impressed with her blue ribbon as she was her cupcake and slice of pizza I gave her afterwards! Apparently the horse loves pizza. Who knew?

Marisa Goode and the Mercy Stables group did an awesome job putting this pace together! I won a blue ribbon along with an embroidered polo shirt! Fun!

As storms continue to pound Georgia, I am home safely and about to take a nap! Maggie as well as all of her equine friends are tucked safely away in their stalls for the evening!

A horse show, Joyce Meyer Conference, 5K and a Hunter Pace!

2010-04-20T16:13:00.007-04:00

I've been so busy lately and haven't updated this blog in a while. The month of April started off with a bang as we held another horse show at Rivermont. God is so good as we're seeing a ton of new, friendly faces! The show was packed and everyone was so wonderful...and seemed to have an awesome time! Quality horses too! I wasn't sure how the show would do being the day before Easter, but it was one of our largest shows in a long time. See, I had made a deal with God. I wanted SO badly to attend the Joyce Meyer Conference the weekend following Easter, so I told Him to please understand why I was holding a show Easter weekend! Apparently He understood because the turnout was awesome, weather was perfect and we had a great time! We had crowds from Cumming & Alpharetta, GA. Chattanooga, Gadsden, Rome, Chickamauga, Ringgold and a new group from near Huntsville, AL.

The Joyce Meyer Conference was the most AMAZING experience ever! I attended all 4 sessions with Katie White and Kassey O'Kelley. On Saturday morning my friend Marty Marrs went with us, oh and Gracie got to go to two sessions as well! I asked Gracie what she thought of Joyce (remember, Gracie is 8)and she said "Mom, I LOVED it!". I loved watching her clap enthusiastically as Joyce would say something so profound as if her little 8 year old mind really understood! Knowing Gracie, I'm betting she knew exactly what Joyce was saying! We ran down front row for the praise and worship (Martin Smith along with the Parachute Band), then had front row seats for Joyce. My soul felt completely renewed after this! God spoke to me clear as a bell at one point, and to the point it brought tears to my eyes! I have learned that no matter what, He is all you need. Period. God is good, all the time. :)

Then on April 17th Marty and I ran my second 5K at the Chickamauga Battlefield. I ran my legs off for the full 3.1 miles, never walking once. We ran it in about 29 minutes, which beat my time of 33 minutes at the last race. I came in 12th in my age group, so I was happy with that! I thought I would fall out towards the end, but kept saying out loud "The joy of the Lord is my strength!". Must have worked! :)

This Saturday will be the hunter pace at Mercy Stables. I am riding my lovely mare Maggie. This will be a great weekend!

So as we wrap up the month of April, life is good and I couldn't be more blessed! I am so glad I didn't give up, as I now see everything happens for a reason. God is my everything, my best friend, my teacher, my vendicator, my hope. Thank you Lord!

Thanks Summerville News!

2010-03-22T22:42:00.006-04:00

Rivermont's first show of the 2010 Spring Circuit was held this past Saturday at the farm. The day couldn't have been more perfect! The weather was stunning and the faces were so friendly! I wanted to share a few pictures that were taken on show day, courtesy of the Summerville News. The Summerville News has set up a great website to help educate the community on what we're doing here on the farm! Click here to view this site.

Gracie showed her pony in a jumping class for the very first time! They looked great and won their class out of several riders!

The show had a great turnout with a lot of new friendly faces! I'm judging in Atlanta this weekend, then we'll have another show here on the farm Easter weekend. Busy busy, but life is good! What a great start 2010 is off to! :)

One New Years Resolution out of the way!

2010-03-07T22:01:00.002-05:00

One of my New Years Resolutions was to run a 5k. To appreciate this goal, you must understand that I hate running. I have never been good at it, never understood why anyone with a brain would run when I was fairly certain that the reason God made cars and horses was to keep people from having to run. However, I am rather competitive and goal oriented, so I decided I would try something new. What the heck, why not? Right?

My friend Marty began running with me recently. Marty is super woman. She can do marathons for crying out loud. She has done a great job at pushing me beyond my max capacity. The weather has not cooperated so I have only run about 3 times since Christmas. No training time what so ever.

Sooooo, that being said, yesterday I competed in my very first 5K at Berry College. I ran with my buddy Terri, Marty and Meridith. It was 27 degrees, 8am, and in all honesty I thought I would die. I made it though and pushed through all the agony and pain! I ran 3.1 miles in 33 minutes! I came in 22nd out of 61 in my age group! Terri came in 2nd place in her age group, Marty 13th in hers. I'm so proud of the fact I set a goal and accomplished it in only a few months! I have set another goal, to beat my time the next race!

I love my life so much. God is so incredibly good, and my life is better than it has ever been! I'm gaining new students from out of the clear blue sky, so I'm enjoying teaching again along with everything else! Life couldn't be any sweeter!

When it seems to snow everywhere but here....BUT WAIT

2010-02-15T23:12:00.008-05:00

Guess what? It has FINALLY snowed at Rivermont! I have lived on the farm for 7 1/2 years and we finally received a beautiful snow. Is this a sign that the tide has finally turned for me? Nothing is more beautiful than my farm covered in white! We got about 4" total, and it left as quickly as it came, but we enjoyed some sledding and good times while we could!

2010-02-13 snow day 2

2010-02-12 more snow

2010-02-12 and more snow

What's New in the land of Rivermont

2010-02-12T07:20:00.008-05:00

I would have to say without complaining that this has been the most "challenging" winter when you make your living outdoors. It has been unusually cold (and consistantly cold!) along with wet what seems like every single day. We decided to move our "winter series" back to the farm because it seemed to snow in TN every weekend we had a show coming up! Also, much to my surprise was how many people preferred the shows being held at Rivermont. We are looking at the biggest season ever as we have not only our wonderful regular barns coming, but we have made a ton of new contacts that are planning on attending the horse shows as well! We have 11 dates for farm shows so far, and trust me...if the shows weren't doing so well there's no way I'd even try for 11 dates! I'm so excited that the shows are becoming so popular! :) We also have several clinics planned at the farm too which will be fun. I've already gotten some great sponsors like Valley View Ranch, Southern States Feed Company, Dover Saddlery, Farnham, Countryside Equine Vet (Dr. Wilson), Crossroads Equine Vet (Dr. White), Mercy Stables (Marisa Goode), and the list goes on. Sponsors are awesome! We love sponsors!

Here are a couple of pictures from the January Tri State show of Gracie and her pony.
The first picture is a favorite of mine! Gracie had shown in the covered ring and the judge (Susan Bowen of Atlanta) had called her over to talk to her. That would be me in the photo with the fuzzy hat. Susan was offering her an encouraging word or two! :) If I may take a moment to brag on my child....she was Champion that day! She's going to start showing my lovely mare "Maggie" this year too, along with her pony "Match Made In Heaven". It's so fun that we have something we can do together as mom and daughter that we both love so much!

Snow is predicted at the farm today, which I have mixed feelings about. Gracie would love to play in the snow, but on the other hand I selfishly want it to be 75 degrees and sunny so I can ride. 2010 is looking so much brighter than the previous year, and there are some other options I'm looking at right now in my life...so please be praying for me. God's about to swing some doors wide open, and I'm anxiously awaiting for the blindfold in my life to be taken off and for God to shout "SUPRISE!". Life is soooo good!

Twister, the horse who plays ball...has done it again!

2010-01-27T14:22:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the latest video of Mr. Twister!

Twister is a local celeb!

2010-01-12T18:24:00.003-05:00

Twister is a near 3 year old colt that I own. He is out of my old mare "Twist N Shout" and by a paint stud. I traded his mom for this little guy who I plan to breed to my Thoroughbred mare "Karma" and maybe "Maggie". He's a stinker, into EVERYTHING. He loves to play ball most of all! In 25 years of owning horses I've never had a horse play fetch...this one does! The Summerville Newspaper got ahold of this one and put him front and center on their website! http://www.thesummervillenews.com/ . In only a few hours Twister's video has had 120 hits! I hope his fame doesn't go to his head!

Here is the video for your viewing pleasure!

Back to work folks, it's horse showin' time again!

2010-01-06T19:11:00.004-05:00

Christmas was amazing, New Years was good too! It has been so cold this winter so far, and January 16th is our next horse show in Cleveland, TN. I'm hoping the weather cooperates as I know the show will do well if we can possibly find above freezing temps without any snow. Apparently that has been a tough one this year so far though....warm and no snow that is. However it has yet to snow on the farm, but it has been bitterly cold!

I am going to post a couple of my favorite pictures from Christmas. Gracie got a doll house her dad made. She was so excited that she made a noise I didn't even know she could make when she saw it for the first time! It now lives in my office where daily I will find a little person hiding behind a huge doll house. It was a Christmas that was spent quietly for the most part, but on the inside I felt it was the most precious Christmas to date. We spent Christmas Day with the Nava's, whom I've claimed to be my blood for years! I just love them to peices. They are true friends, and as time marches on I sadly find that is a rare find.

I hope you all have the best year ever! See you at some horse shows maybe?

Christmas is about a birth

2009-12-19T20:57:00.006-05:00

Christmas began with a birth of a baby boy who was the promise of hope for all man kind. A birth, new beginnings, hope, all that good stuff! We tend to get wrapped up in Santa, what to get for our ungrateful Uncle so and so, and fret over how to pay for all of it. Have you ever really thought about the real first Christmas? I often think of Mary, a young girl, some believe to be around 15 years old. Can you even begin to imagine what it must have been like for her to deal with all she dealt with? I'm thinking she was probably dealing with a lot of rejection, persecution and who knows what else! What an amazing young woman to just push through her trials, because she knew that she knew she had a special calling from God on her life. Thank goodness Mary didn't just give up when things got hard!

Then I think about Jesus. Do you ever wonder what kind of child he was? Did he ever get a spanking for getting into things as normal children do? Was he full of curious questions or was he the one offering incredible wisdom to his parents as a young boy. Let's fast forward to Jesus at about the age of 33. The bible says he was a "man of sorrows". Here Jesus came to do great things for mankind, and man was terrible to Jesus. Though I'm sure at times Jesus was very broken hearted, he knew that he knew that God had a special overall plan for his life, so he just kept pressing forward. What an amazing person!!! He fullfilled his purpose because he loved us, regardless of our behavior, our stupidity, regardless....he loved us.

I encourage you to not just think of the presents and the Christmas tree this Christmas, or even for just the baby in the manger. Think about Mary and what an amazing woman she must have been, think about Joseph and what a good guy he had to be to just stick with Mary because he knew that he knew that God was doing something mighty. Think about the baby Jesus, the boy Jesus, and the man Jesus who probably lived more heartache than anything because he was just trying to love us, and we rejected him. Remember Jesus is still with us every single second, guiding our steps (if we'll let him), forgiving us, loving us....just because. That's precious.

I hope you all will have the best Christmas ever this year. I am so incredible thankful and full of joy for 2009. Granted there was a lot of hurt this year, but I am happier than ever FINALLY. God took everything out of my life that was (though I couldn't see it then) not for my very best. I am so excited to start 2010! God has made some amazing promises to me that I can't wait to see come to pass! Thank you Lord for putting me where I am right now! God is good. Merry Christmas friends!

Gracie enjoying a snowball fight in Chattanooga recently!

Below, Gracie and her friend Caleb with their school project where they had to invent a toy.

My Christmas tree in my office.

And the winner is..........

2009-11-24T23:33:00.005-05:00

Saturday evening we held our Year End Awards banquet for the 2009 Rivermont horse shows. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone! I can honestly say that I have met the most amazing friends thanks to hosting these horse shows, and it wasn't like a gathering of horse people waiting to claim their loot, it was a gathering of my second family! I'm not a big fan of public speaking, and of course I fumbled all over myself and I'm certain looked like the biggest dork ever...but I've been told it just added humor to the night. Glad I could help....

I don't have any people pictures as of yet, however I did take this one photo with my blackberry to show the "loot". If any of you readers out there took photos, please email me a few so I may post them!

I can't believe the year is almost over. Honestly, I'm thankful it's almost done. It has been quite the year to say the least, but I do see a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel. Adversity has truly steered me in a better direction! The Tri State shows appear to be a success, and hopefully will only grow with time! Best of all, I hope to make new friends through the process!

The one thing I have learned for sure this year is that God is faithful, dependable, loyal, and good. I saw His faithfulness in a mighty way Saturday night as a matter of fact, which I won't go into here, but it was apparent He had not forgotten me. He blessed me through a very special person, whom I can only hope will reap the harvest a million times for her kindness to me when I needed a hand. I'm not used to anyone doing anything for me, so this person's gesture was something I wasn't used to....and may God bless she and her family for it!

I can't help but to wonder what the future holds. I know what my hearts desires are, and frankly it looks hopeless from a human perspective. I know that this time last year I would have never dreamed I would have gone through what I've gone through this year. I wouldn't change a thing though, because I KNOW that I KNOW that there is a divine plan in all of this. I do have some good news though! You all know what a big Joyce Meyer fan I am! I did find out she will be in Chattanooga April 8-10th I believe. See her website at http://www.joycemeyer.com/. She's so amazing and annointed by God. Her amazing teachings of the Word are one reason I've held on this year.

Thank you to those of you who have stuck by my side in 2009. I am forever grateful for those who have been there, and pray for those nightly who have not or who have caused a great deal of pain in my life. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and God bless you all! :)

The kindness challenge

2009-11-10T21:33:00.004-05:00

Hurting people hurt people. It's a vicious cycle that's a tough one to break. The more I pay attention to hurting people, the more I see it's a serious problem in the world today. I would venture to say there are more hurting people than happy people unfortunetly. With that in mind I have challenged myself to every single day go out of my way to reach out every single chance I get. For example, today I'm checking out at the grocery store and the guy bagging the groceries begins bragging about the $3 tip he received earlier. The lady ringing me up rolled her eyes. So I smiled and said "I'm guessing you didn't get a tip today!". That opened the door for her to vent her frustrations. I told her she was doing a great job and I hope she wound up having a wonderful day. We even talked about how selfish the world has become and she shared with how hateful people can be to her. So I smiled and chatted with her, and I truely believe the little things can make all the difference.

Or another example. I was in "Krystal" in Ooltawah, TN yesterday and I have to say it was the cleanest, friendliest Krystal I have ever been to. The sweet lady serving me brought my food to me and everything. I told her that I thought she had the best Krystal around and how much I appreciated how friendly she was and how clean her store was. She beamed with delight and asked that I tell her district manager who was sitting nearby.

I challenge you to go the extra mile every day and do something kind. If it's simply complimenting someone's sweater, or letting the person in line behind you with a gallon of milk (when your buggy is full) break in front of you, or calling the friend who you know has had a tough time lately and saying "I had you on my mind, how are you?", do it! I believe if we all did just a little more in the kindness department we could change the world!

We need to stop being so selfish. If you pay attention to that you will notice how so many people are so wrapped up in themselves. Stop that! Reach out, love your neighbor, and it will come back to you full circle!

Here's the cool part! I PROMISE YOU, that when you do something kind it will relieve your stress, it will make you smile, it will make you forget about whatever problems you may be facing. Get your mind of yourself and do something for someone else. Try it, I challenge you!

2009-11-10T18:38:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pruning may hurt, but the new growth always produces abundent fruit!

2009-09-09T07:11:00.007-04:00

In the past month I've done a lot! Gracie got Champion at her last horse show at the New Classic show in Cartersville, so that was exciting! I went to the Bahamas to just celebrate my new found happiness in life, and I am now kicking in gear for another horse show at Rivermont this weekend. The horse shows just continue to grow with an exceptional quality of people and horses from all over. We are now expanding by doing a winter series at the Tri State Facility in Cleveland, TN starting in November. I have an awesome new boarder moving in Friday from Atlanta. I am getting more and more judging offers all the time, and have 4 different hunter shows I'm judging over the next couple of months in Atlanta. (which has my next goal at aquiring my "r" card so you'll run into my smiling little face at the "A" shows as your judge! LOL) My girls that are at my farm are just the best! Peri is now riding with Mitzi, who is an incredible trainer, and is WINNING everything in sight! Paige has returned to the jumper ring and is WINNING everything in sight too! Paige and I rode as a team in a Hunter Pace last Saturday and placed 3rd in the Advanced group out of a bunch of horses and riders! That being said, I don't look back over the past year with sadness. I look back and say "Thank you Lord for removing what did not need to be there so you can use me in an even greater way".

All of this being said I now finally get it! The pain I went through earlier this year, I finally get it. God has removed the stuff from my life that was dead weight. He is leading me in the direction He OBVIOUSLY feels I need to go. The horse shows and judging opportunities have become so successful I have quit teaching, but that's okay! I feel it's like God said "Ashley, let that stuff go, I have something SO much better for you!". I love what I do, I know I'm good at what I do because God has given me a gift. I am so thankful that God saw the bigger picture and knew who needed to be in my life and who did not. I am so thankful for the people who have proven to be amazing friends that have shown what great character they have this year. Yes, it is painful when God prunes the "non fruit producing" branches in our life, but I FINALLY understand that those branches are pruned because God is trying to make room for new growth!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Together for 24 years!

2009-08-17T21:31:00.003-04:00

My best friend in the world, Sultan, and I have officially been together for 24 years as of my birthday this year. I think of all we have been through together. He taught me everything I know horse wise it seems, which most of it was learned in a very physically and emotionally painful manner! He taught me how to win, but most importantly how to lose with grace! My dad bought Sultan for my 10th birthday for me, and we knew nothing. Neither one of us. We learned together, and I have scars to prove it! I started out barrel racing with him, and by the time I was 11 we began our Hunter/Jumper career. Sultan won everything in sight once he mastered his skills. We were year end Champions at Rolling Hills Saddle Club in 1989 and 1990 in the Low Pony division, Intermediate Pony division, and Reserve Champion in the Under Saddle Division. He always placed well at "A" shows too! This horse knew his job and did it beautifully!

To think, he was there when I was a little girl, when I got my drivers license, when I got married, when Gracie was born, when I got divorced. Sultan has been there for me through it all. Such a special thing he and I have. I can't imagine life without him. I tell him all the time that when he gets to heaven he has to promise to watch over me, and be the first to greet me when I make it there one day! I'm so very thankful for this horse. He roams around Rivermont like he owns the place, and during the day I'll find him in my garage by my car as if he's waiting on me! His favorite treat are Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie's. Oh I love this horse. He has been there for me when it seemed the world had turned against me. Anyway, I just wanted to share a few pictures. One is of us the first day I owned him, back in 1985, then 24 years later on my birthday at Rivermont.

As the clock ticks...time slips away

2009-08-08T11:37:00.003-04:00

Today I turned 34. I can't believe it. I feel like time is slipping by and there are so many things I want, so little time. I spent yesterday with my friend Kathy Nava. We got pedicures, manicures, ate good food, drank good wine. It was a nice day! Tonight I'm going out with Cathy Gregerson and Marisa Goode to celebrate! Pictures shall be posted soon. Here are a few pics taken yesterday though.

As summer winds down

2009-08-05T09:05:00.003-04:00

Since my last post Gracie has competed at the Rolling Hills Saddle Club horse show in Alpharetta, placing well. I think she got a couple of 3rds and a 5th. Then the following weekend we returned to Wills Park for the Ticket To Ride GHJA horse show where she got a 2nd, two 3rds and a 5th. She showed at Rivermont last Saturday in Open Walk Trot and Open Walk Trot Equitation and out of at least 10 horse and riders that were in the class got a 3rd in the Open and a 2nd in Equitation! I was so proud of she and her pony who she has named "Match Made In Heaven". Best of all though is her attitude. It was hard for her to understand you can't win everytime. Now, she comes out of the arena and says "Mama, is a 2nd place good? Did I ride well?". Then she turns to the rider who won first and says "Hey, good job!". THAT is what it's all about!!! She has managed to learn a very important lesson at 8 that took me a whole lot longer to learn! I'm so proud of you Miss Gracie!

A horse show or two...for just she and I

2009-07-20T01:22:00.003-04:00

Gracie competed for her first time (outside of showing in leadline) at the July Rivermont show. She showed her new pony "Jose", who is a gift from God for sure, and won a first place out of 12 riders! She and Jose just really click. He really seems to like her. He has certainly played his cards right and will have a home for life for taking good care of my girl!
Then we showed at the Rolling Hills Saddle Club show this past weekend! The show was HUGE. Gracie decided Friday night at Wills Park to try and canter off of the lunge line for the first time. She looked so comfortable cantering her little heart out in the arena I showed Sultan in when I wasn't much older than her. It was a very emotional weekend for me, watching my daughter follow in my footsteps at the same place I have so many horse show memories at. She also got to go to Dover Saddlery, which believe it or not is the first "real" tack store she has ever been to! She jaw dropped when we walked in the door!

She got a 3rd, 5th and a 6th in the Beginner Walk Trot Canter classes. Jose missed a lead, which broke her heart, but I told her we'd work on that and there would be other horse shows. I have to say, it was probably the most fun I've had at a horse show in over 10 years! What a treat, a horse show weekend....just she and I! :)

Gracie, baby Will and I at Nightfall last night

2009-05-30T12:50:00.001-04:00

That's My Girl!!!

2009-05-26T15:40:00.006-04:00

Today was awards day at school. Gracie was one of only 2 kids in the entire second grade to be awarded the "Principal's Honor Roll"! I know I sound like a bragging mom, but I sure am proud of her!

Next week we leave for Conyers for the Regional Championships, then the 6th is another horse show on my farm. Plus I pick up Gracie's new pony in Chattanooga! Big week...so til then, please remember me in your prayers as I search my soul and decide where to go from here.

Gracie on Turbo

2009-05-25T22:59:00.003-04:00

Took this today! Shortly after this was taken he dropped to the ground and rolled with her. She's okay though!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!

2009-05-18T07:18:00.005-04:00

This time 8 years ago I was in absolute agony at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta as I was in the middle of giving birth to that adorable little girl we all know as Gracie. I remember when I was pregnant asking the Doctor "What if when the baby gets here I don't like it?". You see, I was never a kids person. The Dr. laughed and said "Oh, you will"! She was right! By far, my greatest accomplishment to date.

We had a party at the skating rink on Saturday. I invited 50+ kids and only 4 showed up. I was very sad for her, as it surely had to be a disappointment for Gracie. She made the best of it though and had a great time with the few who did come!

The adults had just as much fun! Cathy came along with Paige and Olivia, so we skated!

So Gracie is officially 8 years old. Where does the time go!

Great Horse Show & Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T16:51:00.007-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! After a very large, successful horse show day yesterday here on the farm, I have spent most of today recovering. However, we did go to church which is always time well spent!

Proving once again we tend to worry for nothing, the horse show yesterday wound up having a huge turnout after having to postpone it one week thanks to the never ending rain from last week. From what I could tell everyone seemed to have a great time!

Cathy drove down from Chattanooga and did an awesome job as usual helping me with the show check in duties, which at times can be an ugly job! Denise announced, which I've decided is her calling in life and she's never allowed to quit! Marisa came down from Chattanooga and brought 3 week old baby William, whom I'd adopt if she'd let me. In fact I did offer to trade a horse for him, which I think she would have gone for! :)

We had a short rain shower hit around lunch time, but other than that it was a perfect day. I'm so blessed to have the people in my life who have proven to be real friends. True friends. It's funny, I'm learning there are people who will walk out of your life for a while because they truly thought it was for the best at that time. Though it hurts you love and respect them anyway. Then there are the people who you thought were true friends who walk away in the most malicious manner, but oddly enough you handle it with grace because you realize they weren't real friends after all and you move on. Life is an interesting thing that I'm still trying to figure out. Maybe I'll never figure it out. I honestly ponder how long I'll be doing what I'm doing now, because for some reason I feel change is in the air. Is God getting ready to make some big move and "suddenly" do something new and different in my life? Only time will tell, but til then I'm going to take the good with the bad, and ironically enough I can say that with all the dark clouds and storms that have been on my farm and in my life lately.....when the sun does finally come out you sure do appreciate it a whole lot more than you did! Spring is finally here, new growth, new beginnings, rainbows, sun. Here's to spring, in more ways than one! :)

Pictured here, my buddies Hannah Campbell from Wildewood Farm and Marisa Goode with baby Will.

Cathy (aka "Rivermont Security) helps out at the show check in, then Peri has her boots wiped by her dad. Dewey looked great on horse show day! He has finally fattened up since joining us on the farm! Amazing what a little TLC can do! :)

Conyers Adventure

2009-04-27T22:33:00.007-04:00

What a weekend it was! Our group left in 3 vehicles for Conyers on Saturday around noon. I was riding with Cathy and Paige, James was pulling the trailer, and Denise & Peri followed him. About an hour into our trip Denise called and dropped the bomb that the truck and trailer were broken down on the side of I-75. Being that we were way ahead of them, we turned around and found them stranded. Long story short there, it turned out to be a bad alternator. A few hours or so later, we were on the road again! Our 2 1/2 hour trip ended up taking 6 hours, but none the less, we arrived safely in Conyers around 6pm Saturday evening.

Peri and Paige did a lesson Saturday night, and an exhausted crew of Rivermont Farm folks headed to dinner, hotel and a few hours of sleep before horse show day!

Peri and Never Say Never showed Sunday late morning in the Short Stirrup Division. First off, let me say, this show was huge! Not only was it a large show, the quality of horses were incredible. It was the H.J. Fox show at the International Horse Park in Conyers (where the Olympics were held in '96). Super dooper horses were everywhere! A little intimidating I must admit! However, Peri and Dewey rode near flawless rides! I was so proud! They won one of their jumping classes, and ultimately were Reserve Champion in the Short Stirrup division! She also placed 3rd I believe it was in the Equitation over fences. Yay Peri!

As the never ended day rolled on, it finally came time for Paige and Matinee to show. She ended up showing in the 3' Childrens Hunter division and the 3'6" Working Hunter Division. Honestly I was a little nervous for them when I looked out there and saw some GIANT jumps waiting for this pair! She rode the heck out of Matinee though and won some 2nd, 3rd's and 4th's!!! This was their first time even attempting such giant fences at a show! Once again, I was so proud!

I totally love watching these girls work so hard at home, and then to have their hard work pay off at a show nearly brings me to tears. I have to admit watching Matinee do a 3'6" division up against some sweet warmbloods (and beating them!) choked me up! Matinee was born right before my eyes, and after sending her to my friend Hannah Campbell for 30 days to break her, I finished this mares training. To watch her go from birth to soaring over such impressive fences and placing well....ahhhhh....it just did my heart so much good.

As we were packing up to go, Peri's mom Denise accidentally locked the keys in her car. I can't repeat exactly what was said, but lets just say I think she was a little frustrated! LOL! We called the Conyers Police Department and much to our delight a very handsome police officer came to our rescue. Actually, he didn't succeed getting into the truck, but we enjoyed watching him try. (with goofiness and giggles!) Another police officer showed up and got in the truck. The Rivermont crew was finally on the road around 9pm. We arrived safely in Lyerly at 11:30pm. I tucked the horses in, grabbed a shower and made it to bed by 1:30am. Horse showing...gotta love it! As my buddy Mitzi put it best, "This is the kind of stuff that horse show memories are made of!". Well said Mitzi. I'll remember this one forever!

(photos from top to bottom: Matinee and I, then I'm fighting with a problem in the horse trailer on the side of the interstate...nice shot huh? I fixed it though as you can see. Peri soars over a fence, then we have her showing off how well she did! Then we have Paige and Matinee. Mitzi and I fighting over a much needed bottle of Vodka, and finally Officer Hot Pants works on Denise's truck!)

Horse Show Weekend, Away This Time...

2009-04-24T23:46:00.001-04:00

The Rivermont family is headed to Conyers this weekend! I will of course post photographs and results Sunday night!

The toothfairy wanted to visit, but....

2009-04-20T13:26:00.001-04:00

Gracie obviously wasn't willing to part with her tooth! She left for school this morning with it barely hanging on. I imagine it will be gone by this afternoon!

My new black Beamer

2009-04-16T08:55:00.004-04:00

Announcing the latest family member, I introduce "Beamer"! Last night Gracie and I adopted a precious black lab at the McKamey Animal Center in Chattanooga. Last October my Lab cross "Oscar" was killed, which was just the beginning of MANY heart shattering things I would go through over the months to come. I didn't think I wanted another dog to "replace" Oscar with, because frankly there is no such thing. Beamer has a similar disposition though, and I have already totally clicked with him! I believe this is the beginning of a long over due healing process of my very broken heart. I've begged God to make me better because I'm so tired of the hurt that seems to sufficate me on a daily basis, and I think Beamer may be the answer to a prayer!

Gracie loves him, and he is equally fond of her! He loves my dad of course, although all animals love him! Look for future Beamer stories! I'm so excited to have a dog to take on road trips with me, or to Nightfall this spring in Chattanooga. I'm so thankful for my new friend! Oh, and so is Buddy our 3 legged Lab. He is SO excited to have a friend to play with!

Easter

2009-04-13T17:25:00.003-04:00

Easter Sunday was an uneventful, yet lovely one. Gracie, Granddad and I went to church. Gracie is the only child in our church so she was a hit in her little dress, hat and gloves!

We came home, colored eggs and had a grand Easter egg hunt. Being that I don't cook much, we sort of enjoyed BBQ purchased from some guy off the side of the road and ate from Styrofoam plates. I know, real traditional. Maybe next year we'll have a "real" family dinner. Turkey, dressing, the works! It's good to have a goal!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter and remember what this day is really about.

A few Florida pictures

2009-04-11T18:41:00.002-04:00

We're home safe and sound. I wanted to share a few pictures from this past week with you all!

She and I...on spring break!

2009-04-09T23:27:00.003-04:00

Gracie and I are on spring break this week in Florida. It's a little chilly, but none the less I am the color of a nice, bright, red lobster. Funny, because while laying on the beach today it was cloudy, cool and windy. One wouldn't think the sun was at work, tanning my white skin to a golden brown (or red!)! I mean, I couldn't see the sun, feel it, but I knew it was there. But was it working? Looking at my cooked skin, apparently so! Which makes me wonder, is that how God works perhaps? I mean, lately my life has been a bit of a mess in a lot of ways. Or, shall we say life has been cloudy, cold with a bitter wind blowing! One would never think that the sun is at work. I hope that soon, even though life seems cold, cloudy and windy, that I'll see that the "sun" has been working all along and the beautiful golden tan in life will appear soon!

Honestly, it's a struggle for me to take Gracie on a family vacation when it's just she and I. I sit by the pool or on the beach and see moms, dads and kids doing what families do. I hate it that I can't give her that. It's exhausting as well keeping up with a near 8 year old who has 10 times the energy I have! All of that being said, I'm thankful for the time I have with her and hope I make memories for her that will last a lifetime.

We left my dad at home tending to farm duties. I know he's lonely with us gone, but I've called him a couple of times a day to check on everyone. Luckily the horses are behaving for him! Sometimes they tend to treat him like the substitute teacher or something when I'm gone! I'm glad they are being good.

I'll post lots of pictures when I get home. Mainly our trip has been beach and pool trips. Oh, and shopping. My little Kia Spectra is filled to the rim with stuff! I don't know how to get it all home!

More updates coming soon....

Rainbows....a sign maybe?

2009-04-06T19:30:00.002-04:00

Look what just appeared out my back door! I had to share! If you look closely there are two rainbows!

Horse Show Madness!

2009-04-05T18:45:00.002-04:00

I don't have any pictures to post as of yet, but yesterdays horse show was a nice one I thought! The turnout wound up being better than I had expected (as usual), however it was one of those really odd "what else could go wrong with my life" days! I won't go into all of the boring details, but for example, I had ordered a load of shavings February 4th. Yes, February 4th, and they still weren't here. My shavings guy calls yesterday morning and says he can bring them now, so of course I told him to come on down! He shows up in the middle of the horse show, and as luck would have it, as he was backing his truck into my shavings building his gigantic spreader truck sank. I mean, SANK. Long story short, an hour or so later, my tractor, and 3 very kind men (horse show dads) showed up and got that sucker out of the mud. The important part is the show did go on, and I finally got my shavings!

In the middle of this madness, we get a phone call from my aunt who was on her way from Atlanta with my 91 year old Grandmother. They wanted to come see the horse show. Well, they ended up with a flat tire in Atlanta and never made it. Dad and I worried about them though, but apparently that all worked out okay! They returned home though without a visit unfortunately.

Horse show #3 down for 2009. Gracie and I head out for Fort Walton Beach, FL on Tuesday to visit my mom. After what I've been through lately I hope to magically find a cure for a broken heart while I'm there, oh and an aching back, but none the less I'll settle for having a few days of getting away from it all! Dad will take care of everyone while I'm away! I'll post updates on FWB while I'm down there, pictures and all! I have my collection of Joyce Meyer CD's ready for the trip (she's just awesome in case you don't know!), and here's praying that "my dream is on it's way", or so I've been told. I'm more than ready for my breakthrough. Something got to give, it's GOT to get better!!! I hope everyone has a great week!

Rain and horse showing...two things that do NOT go well together!

2009-04-02T07:45:00.011-04:00

I honestly wonder if it will ever stop raining in north Georgia. I have noticed in the 6 1/2 years of living here that once it starts raining, it doesn't stop for at least 6 months. We have a horse show here on Saturday, and a handful of entries. I'm certain between spring break and the fact it has rained every day for weeks now it seems, that is affecting turnout. So, back to the single mom trying to survive portion of this blog. I will be honest. It's very nerve wracking when you have a handful of entries and this horse show stuff is how I survive. It's how I pay my bills, how I feed myself, my dad and my daughter. That being said though, I always seem to be taken care of. I have never missed a house payment or meal for that matter, so why do I worry? There is always next month if this show winds up being small.

So what's been going on at the farm? I quit my second job due to the fact I felt spread way too thin. Granted I need the money, but most importantly I need my sanity. The past several months have been one heart ache after another in my world, so I decided to take care of me for a change. This allows me more time with Gracie, and more time to concentrate on the farm. Yesterday I taught a lesson, and over the past few days I have been planting flowers everywhere! I LOVE working in the yard as much as I love horses! I'll get pictures soon of how my landscaping is coming along!

Yesterday I turned Sultan, Krystal and Turbo out in one of our green paddocks for a day of grazing. Krystal had her 25th birthday on the 31st! I can't believe it!

Gracie had two buddies over yesterday, which honestly I love the sound of giggly children having the time of their life. It really makes me want more children, but for all kinds of reasons, that will have to wait. Gracie got her toe stepped on by Turbo (wearing flip flops!) so she was not feeling so well yesterday!

In other news, Buddy is doing fantastic (after someone shot him in January leaving him 3 legged!). I took a picture of him yesterday while dad was taking him for a walk. As I keep saying "Buddy doesn't focus on the leg he lost, he just took the attitude of "why be sad, I have 3 other legs that work just fine!". I love that!

Great horse show!

2009-03-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was our March horse show on the farm. It ended up being a gorgeous day with a big turnout, and honestly one of the smoothest running horse shows we have ever had! All of my girls did great, which is what really makes my day!

I didn't take any pictures, I was too busy working. Gracie sold horse treats and donated every dime she made to a horse rescue, her idea by the way, and led poor Turbo around showing him off when not selling horse treats! Turbo is a star around here for sure!

I'm working in the yard around the house today. The weather is perfect, so what better day to work on the landscaping around my house! It's that time of year for craziness though. Next weekend I'm taking Paige, Peri and Kelsey to the Rolling Hills Saddle Club show in Atlanta, then the following weekend is another show here at Rivermont. I'm thinking the following week I may take a beach trip with my favorite little girl...just to get away! We've earned it after the last few months. :)

Horse show delayed, and what a week it has been!

2009-03-18T09:30:00.002-04:00

Our horse show last weekend had to be postponed to the 21st due to gobs of rain. It has been an eventful, stressful week to say the least. A lot of barn drama, and I HATE drama of any sorts, then I was pulled over Sunday morning by the GA State Patrol for speeding. Officer Diggs was kind enough to let me go with a warning, even though he claimed I was doing 17 mph over the speed limit in the rain, but hey I've been stressed lately! I wasn't exactly paying attention! Then my latest breaking news is I have decided to quit my second job as book keeper for a grading company because I feel I'm just stretched too thin. I don't like doing a job for anyone if I can't give it my all, and I don't feel I can give that job my all right now. It's almost spring, which I love! Horse shows galore, riding lessons, planting flowers, and simply enjoying the sunshine!

I've added a couple of pictures. One is of course Gracie, Turbo and I last week. The other is of me riding a horse named Duncan who boards here that is for sale.

I'll post another update after the horse show and let you know how that turns out! :) Til then, have a great day!

Lessons, lessons, lessons...

2009-03-10T20:54:00.004-04:00

What a gorgeous day today was! I've been super busy this week getting ready for the horse show on Saturday that we host at my farm once a month. It was around 80 degrees and sunny. Perfect! I have customers staying for the week from Atlanta, so I'm doing 2 lessons a day with them alone. They bought an adorable horse from me last year, "Pick Me A Daisy", and it has been so much fun working with Daisy and her 10 year old owner for the past few days. (pictured)

Luckily, the antibiotics have kicked in and I'm feeling a little better today. Gracie had to go to yet another skating party tonight, however my dad was kind enough to handle that duty for me while I had to deal with other "issues" at the farm.

The forecast isn't looking too great for Saturday, so I'm a little concerned about the turnout at my show, but it always seems to work out. I'll post updates though and let you know how the weekend wound up! Til then...off to grab a bite to eat then off to a good nights sleep!

The downside to self employment, or one of them.

2009-03-07T20:54:00.003-05:00

I am sick. I woke up this morning with the nastiest chest congestion, and in all honesty I wanted to pull the covers over my head and hide until further notice. The horses are hungry though, Gracie had to go to a skating party, and customers from Atlanta were trailering in for the week so they could take two lessons a day for a week. Ah, the joys of self employment. The freedom to work at your own schedule. I love that part of it! However, days like today, I want to call in sick! It's okay though, I'm pushing through it. Gracie went to her skating party and had a great time, I gave a lesson today, and my customers made it here safe and sound! My voice is hanging in there, but barely. I'm terrified it will go out, because then how will I make a living this week? I shall keep everyone posted on how the week unfolds. Rivermont is hosting a horse show Saturday, so there is plenty of work to be done. Plus, I have a part time job as a bookkeeper for a grading company, just to bring a little extra income in. The good news this week though is I got another judging job in May, which is an area I'd love to expand in! It's so much fun and a wonderful challenge for me.

I'm off to eat chicken noodle soup, then I'm off to bed. I'll post a picture of Miss Gracie at her skating party today!

Picture of the day!

2009-03-06T19:06:00.002-05:00

Gracie and Turbo enjoying a gorgeous day at the farm!

Playday for dogs, Gracie and I...

2009-03-04T18:12:00.004-05:00

Top photo was taken a week or so ago from my back door as the sun came up. Gorgeous isn't it? The other pics were taken today of Gracie and I playing with the dogs.

We could all learn from Buddy

2009-03-03T17:49:00.005-05:00

For those of you who don't know Buddy, I obtained him a year and a half or so ago. He was a Weimeraner Lab cross puppy, too adorable to turn away! Buddy has driven me crazy since day one, he seems to destroy anything he can get a hold of, especially if he knows it cost lots of money. He barks constantly as soon as the sun goes down, as if just to annoy us all. However, we love him because he has such a special spirit to him.

Around lunch time in January, someone (thankfully for their sake I don't know who did it because I'd be serving time right now if I did!) decided to take a shot at Buddy. Literally. I found him limping up my driveway in such a condition I don't want to describe, but I honestly thought he was on his way to the vet clinic to be put to sleep. He had been shot with a hollow point bullet, which took out his back leg and blew a hole in the other side of him about a foot long. By the Grace of God Buddy survived surgery, however he lost his rear leg in the deal. Keep in mind, in October we lost our other dog Oscar whom I found hit by a car. That just about killed me, because my animals are more than family to me. That being said we were just happy that Buddy lived, 3 legged, stitched up and all.

I have given up wondering why someone would do this to him. I have just focused on the attitude of Buddy. He never once saw it as "Oh me, I lost a leg, what am I going to do now..."(as I would have done had it been me!), Buddy within one day of surgery took the attitude of "It's all good, I'm just blessed to have 3 other legs that work just fine!". He was wagging his tail the day after this mess, I mean...how and why would you be happy about anything after what he went through? Buddy plays harder than ever, and what an inspiration it is to watch the 3 legged wonder dash around the back yard with Gracie.

Today was a difficult day for me again, I'm really struggling right now, but I'm trying so hard to take Buddy's attitude of not focusing on the obvious bad in my life that seems to suffocate me at times, I'm trying so hard to take Buddy's attitude it's not what you don't have, it's what you do have and you need to try and make the most of it.

When it seems to snow everywhere but in my own backyard

2009-03-02T09:47:00.004-05:00

All weekend the weatherman promised snow was coming my way! How exciting I thought! I've lived in northwest Georgia for almost 7 years and haven't seen anything more than flurries. Unfortunately though, the snow ended up missing us and covering the parts of the state I grew up in, 2 hours south of here. I must admit, I pouted a bit, wondering why it seemed everyone else got snow but ME!

That brought me to another thought. The past 12 months or so have been the most difficult in my life for numerous reasons. I'm learning lately especially that the people you put the most hope in...the ones you love the most, are sadly sometimes the first ones to walk away. They do so in such a way that you wonder how they sleep at night knowing the pain they must have left behind when they so heartlessly just turned away from you. This has actually hit me in not only in my personal life, but business as well. So much pain, and where do I go from here I wonder? Then to look around and see what seems to be so much happiness around me. Friends are happily married, babies being born, babies on the way, etc. I can't help but to sit and think "why does it seem to snow everywhere but here".

However, that being said, I have two friends that come to mind that are sharing the same boat I'm in. In fact, the boat is so similar it's spooky that our paths have intertwined the way they have. I'm so thankful for one of these friends especially because I think we've been each others rock.

I guess the way to look at it is this. Okay so it didn't snow here and hasn't for a long time. (by the way, it didn't snow at my friends house either who shares the same boat as I do ironically enough). Granted snow is beautiful while it falls, but the fact is it begins to melt and go away. It turns to a nasty cold slush and we wonder why we wanted it so badly to begin with. Maybe God is just sparing me this by not letting it snow at all for now. Maybe God has a better snowfall in mind for me later on. Whatever the case, I anxiously await spring and push forward. Yes people will disappoint you, whether they mean to or not. That's why we aren't supposed to put our trust in man. Period.

There are many changes taking place in my life and on the farm, so many of them make no sense to me and leave me wondering what on earth I ever did to deserve the never ending bad luck streak I seem to be on lately. I have to trust that God is doing housecleaning in my life for a reason. I have to believe He is getting rid of the trash so He can do a better work in me. Believing that this is the case, I'm truly excited to press through the struggles and find the rainbow at the other side.

Life on the farm...so who are "she and I" anyway?

2009-02-28T20:13:00.007-05:00

Welcome to my new blog! My name is Ashley, I'm the proud owner of Rivermont Farm, Inc. in Lyerly, Georgia. Where on earth is THAT you may ask yourself? It's a tiny town about an hour south of Chattanooga. Granted moving here from Atlanta in 2002 was a bit of a culture shock, I enjoy the beauty of the land here and the small town life.

I decided to start a blog for a bit of an inside look at life on the farm. A little bit about who I am, and who "she and I" are! I was born in Atlanta in 1975. I'm living my lifelong dream of running a successful horse farm. I'm a single mom with the most amazing daughter, Gracie. She will be 8 in May.

Each day I learn something new about life. The pros and cons of self employment, the challenge of being a single parent and self employed in a world that is not always kind, but through it all I know I am blessed. I know God put me where I am now because He has a plan, and I'm hoping to make Him proud in all I do. I know that ultimately I want to make a good difference in the lives around me. I'm looking forward to sharing what life on the farm is like for Gracie and I. Life is good, and I know the best is yet to come.

Thanks for stopping by and check back often!