Okay, I just have to brag a little.....

Of course being an artist is a super job to have. But even better, is being a proud Mommy. This weekend was full of firsts and wows. If you are a regular reader of my blog, and not just a picture looker, then you understand that these days with my family continuously inspire my work. So here goes my weekend with little Mailey: This was Mailey's first horse show to participate. We arrived at the facility around 8am in the POURING down rain. This made for fun muddy shoes (and pants). She was such a trooper because it was not until 1ish that she finally rode "Lady Penelope", or as we call her "Penny". She is Morgan from Sernebe Stables amazing pony that she has graciously told Mailey she can ride. Yeah! She did amazing, earning ribbons in the three classes she participated. We were proud of those ribbons of course, but for Billy and I, the biggest win was that she did it! And wore the outfit for all those hours without complaining. Never asked to be held, never really complained that I can remember. And those of you that know Mailey, KNOW that deserved a huge blue ribbon. Seriously.

Gosh, I can hardly look at this without getting tears. She was so excited. As a parent, that joy you feel through your children is without words.

On Sunday we woke to another raining day. But we got dressed and drove out to the facility ready to ride, in the rain. Once again we waited, which I have since learned is a normal part of the horse show weekend. And then around 10ish it started to snow. Like Colorado flakes. So they canceled the outdoor arena, we kissed Penny goodbye and headed home to play in the SNOW!!

After the snow fun wore off, Mailey and I settled into do some artwork. She painted an amazing flower landscape, very similar to the ones I like to paint. I'll show it off once we get it framed. She spent the rest of the day playing alone since brother took off for the ultimate snow ball fight down the street. She has lots of fun toys, dolls, and barbies in her room. But her imagination is too big for those things I've decided. Because she plays with, well unusual stuff really. And talks and plays and it's so neat to watch. Inspiring really. So, there you have it. I'm done with the bragging now, thanks for reading and continuing to support me!

The Children of an Artist

Okay, this is not a normal post for me. There is definitely a following of people who do not appreciate pictures of artist's children in their blogs, BUT the argument I have for that is this. These children affect my day to day life and how I see the world around me. They inspire me to be a better Mother and artist everyday. So I had to share some current pictures of what they excel at doing other than being the child of an artist. This is Mailey riding Charlie with her instructor Jonquil right along side. Jonquil ROCKS by the way! She's been taking riding lessons for about 3 months now out at Serenbe. This was her first ride on Charlie, a full sized Palomino horse that's 36 years old. Yes, that's right, I said 36. He is super sweet and amazingly soft! Mailey is dying to jump, but right now we are working on just the basics. Up..down..up...down.... I love to watch Jonquil teach her, so very patient!

Here she is riding up to the amazing barn at Serenbe with lesson buddy Kathryn. Do you see how much bigger Charlie is compared to Gabby?

This is my super star William. At least I think he is. This was our first year with tackle football, where he played quarterback and something on defense (it's on the end-tight end?). He's played baseball since age 3. I've found football to be much more exciting to watch, and much more noisy, if you catch my drift! It has been a challenging season, but a wonderful lesson in humility as we win and lose as a team with dignity.

So there they are, my little budding artists who amaze me with their other talents. They also have a wonderful knack of driving each other crazy! I hope you have a lovely fall evening. Look for more pictures of felted birdies and some fun enameling that I'm making with Valerie soon!