Summer Solstice June 21, 2014

Every Summer Solstice I try to document the entire day from the time we get up until we go to bed, just for fun and sometimes for laughs.  This year was no exception, lots of fun was had and there was a lot of laughing...and some wine too. 



The day started early, we had a swim meet against Somerset Old Creek and I was also a stroke and turn judge that day.  The 9 year old looks happy and perky in this picture but she was really just being a ham.  Saturday morning summer meets are fun except for the early morning get ups.  Unless...you get to be me (I like getting up early)  and as you can see I had to do extra warm up of my arms since the weather was a little wet to start.  I didn't want to pull a muscle or anything that would effect my ability to enjoy the rest of the day, which as you read below, would include many glasses of fine Virginia wine. 




These four girls rocked the 100 medley relay for 9-10 girls, they were fast enough to even beat our boys 9-10 medley relay.  It is pretty fun when the girls you train with all year can be your summer teammates too.   These four have been together all year and although one moves up to 11-12 they still get to swim together in the winter.



The swim meet ended on time and then it was adult time!! Plus it was Vanessa's birthday (she is so lucky to have the longest birthday every year!) and we were heading to Greenhill Winery in a limo bus to celebrate.  If the morning was all about summer league swimming and kids then the rest of the day was all about celebrating the summer, being with friends and having a good time.


 Here are some shots of us before we left, slight delay waiting for the limo bus to arrive, then all of us in the bus on our way to the winery in Middleburg.  Check it out: www.greenhillwinery.com

Once we got to Greenhill it was time to sample the wine.  Since the last time all of the girls had been there in April they had added a Riesling, that was pleasantly dry and delicious.  There were 16 of us so some of the guys stood behind the HUGE table in the members only clubhouse and sampled from there. Please note that even our friend Marcia was drinking wine that day, and she doesn't like alcohol!  All because of summer solstice and maybe the fact that we were at a winery.

Then we really started to have some fun! I mean we did selfies (well Usies actually) with a photo bomber, thanks Brad!

The we surprised Vanessa with a delicious chocolate cake and we had to sing to her!


Of course after singing happy birthday the next song we sang was the Canadian National Anthem, I mean it's summer solstice and we are at a winery in Middleburg, Virginia of course that's the next song! 



Our resident Canadian put his hand over his heart and was somewhat impressed that some of us (mostly me) knew most of the words.  It's a great anthem, I think everyone should learn it and as a bonus there are NO super high notes to screw up. 

 The girls had to all go out on this very decrepit boat dock and pose for a picture.  I will note that the sign on the grass before you walk on the dock says please stay off...it's a bit old and falling apart in places, but we got the shot!







Sadly, after a few more sips of wine, a ride in a crazy golf cart, some lovely music and lots of good memories...it was time to make a few more as we danced our way home in the limo bus to really loud and awesome 80's music!!

 

 

When we got back to the pool to pick up our cars, who was there to greet us?  It was Mason, the high school graduate! What a nice guy to sit with us for a final summer solstice picture!

 

I hope everyone had at a fun Summer Solstice day like us!

 

 

 

 



Kanani Goes to Hawaii...Again!

Screwdriver in the
Alaska Airlines
Boardroom.

Spring Break 2014 and we are off to Kona, Hawaii and that means Kanani, our 9 year olds American Girl doll is going back to her homeland...again.  I thought Kanani would be better behaved than last time (scroll back through the posts to Thanksgiving 2012) but this is how it started out. 


 
 




The flight was great, everyone enjoyed a snack pack from the food cart and since Brad is an MVP Gold we also had a drink.  Movies were watched, books and magazines were read and then it was time to land.  Look how excited everyone was when we got off into a nice warm breeze and warm temperatures.  After the winter (and spring) we'd had on the East Coast this was very welcome, even from the American Girl doll. 








Once we were settled at the house we had to wait to see our friends the Jensen's and their girlies since they were arriving later on another flight.  So, we all went out to dinner at the Fairmont Hotel and ate on the beach while we waited.  It was a beautiful night and we saw a few turtles hanging out on the protected part of the beach. 








Finally we were all together and could really enjoy Spring Break! It turned out we were the drivers of the 9 year olds as well as their 'girls'.  Here are a few scenes from our back seat throughout the week.  Oh and please keep in mind we were constantly reminded of the temperature, music on the radio (we may have been singing too much 70's and 80's hits) and to turn up or turn down both. 



Kanani and her new friend, Marie were actually really well behaved.  They didn't drink while playing cards nor did they gamble on cards either.  Sitting with their legs together wasn't easy but all in all they did alright.  I think the 9 year olds were a very good influence on them.  Here are more scenes from our Spring Break in Hawaii trip via the American Girl dolls. 

 

 

 

Here we all were at Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation where we enjoyed a tour and a tasting of local grown Kona coffee.  We also bought some coffee that has been enjoyed on the weekends in our French coffee press. 



The girls at the pool.  They didn't want to get in, for fear their beautiful hair do's would be ruined but they did always remember to wear sun screen.  Even if they kept sitting with their legs apart!!

 

On the last day we swam early and also had time to enjoy a little hot tub time.  It was a beautiful morning and not too much of a breeze.  As you can see not only were the American Girls inseparable but so were the 9 year olds. 

Okay there was one night the adults went out to a nice dinner and we came home to see Kanani on the kitchen counter.  I guess she got a little wild and crazy while we were gone!! That Kanani! At least on this trip to Hawaii she wore her seat belt in the car and we didn't find her with mini umbrellas in her hair!!

The Buswell's and Jensen's had a great time in Kona, Hawaii just like the American Girls.  We can't wait to get together for another fun adventure!!

Another Snow Day and the Olympics

Today I am home with my 8 year old, due to 10 plus inches of snow and freezing sleet coming down outside.  She and I have been watching quite a bit of the Olympics from Sochi and every morning we've enjoyed watching the Curling competition.  As I told her on Monday, it is chess on ice.  She has all the terminology down and even though it starts at 5 am every morning we have it tivo'd and play catch up watching all the teams, not just the USA. 

We've also enjoyed watching the Nordic Combined (the commentators in this event are fantastic), and the slopestyle snowboarding, especially learning about Jamie Anderson was awesome.  It was with great anticipation that we watched the half pipe snowboarding event and of course Shaun White, Kelly Clark and all the snowboarders from the USA.  While Kelly Clark and the US women did very well and took home gold and bronze, Shaun White did not fair as well.  I found two articles yesterday that I wanted to share about him because it really showed what a great person his has become and role model as well.  He has had a slip or two in his public life but if he weren't an Olympian and trailblazer in his sport I doubt we would have heard about a public intoxication arrest. 

So, please take a moment and read these two enlightening articles, the first is by Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise and the second one written by Shannon Younger about lessons our young up and coming athletes can learn.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/shaun-white-olympic-moments-and-mettle-without-a-color/2014/02/11/94fa0968-9354-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html?tid=pm_sports_pop

http://www.chicagonow.com/tween-us/2014/02/shaun-white-not-medaling-olympics/

Declaration of Independence ~ Super Bowl XLVIII - Video Dailymotion

Declaration of Independence ~ Super Bowl XLVIII - Video Dailymotion

Trish's Durango October 2004-December 29, 2013

I realize all good things must end, and I had been preparing (a little) for this day but I thought I had at least 25,000 to 35,000 miles to go before it ended.  I just had new tires put on last Christmas break for goodness sake, but alas the Durango was done when I turned the key on Sunday morning.   I had always said I wanted to drive it into the ground and apparently, a cracked manifold and 3 of 8 pistons or something that won't compress is all it took. 

Still in denial I called the dealership and had the Durango towed to them to fix.  Brad wisely said, "If it goes over XX amount, we are going to have to get a new car and let this one go."  I had been thinking of the new Durango and also the Honda Pilots, but this was on Monday so that is as far as the thinking went.  By late Monday afternoon, December 30, we knew it was bad and on the 31st of December we had to go car shopping, like it or not.  (The 8 year old decidedly did not, even though her opinion regarding the backseat and cargo really did
matter). 

We started at Safford Dodge, which is where we'd bought the current Durango and had almost nine years of great customer service from everyone there.  I saw two different Durango's and test drove one.  While Brad was writing up a 'wish list' for Sonny, our salesman, Piper and I spied this little gem in the showroom.   Yep, a brand new Dodge Charger with a big ol' red bow, but look closely that's not the best part.  The best part is the color of the car matches my Coach bag EXACTLY!! A matching car to go with my purse?? Hmm, no, not unless it's a BMW Convertible.  I'm not that crazy!!

After fun and games at Safford Dodge we headed to Bill Page Honda to check out a new Pilot.  I will say it was big and roomy and it rode very nicely, the seats were comfortable and it did sit eight people total but I didn't love it.  I think sometimes if you are comfortable and happy with something and you don't really have to change then it's nice to keep some consistency.  I wouldn't have had trouble or issue driving up to the Honda dealership and it was very nice and new but there is something to be said for already having an established relationship with a business. You know what you're going to get and I knew I would get the best, for me, from Safford and I think Brad realized that as well.  Our salesman, Sonny, found the Durango we wanted and we slept (partied, rang in the new year, had some coffee, read the paper, did some laundry, swept the floors, shaved my legs, etc.), on it and went over to Safford this afternoon, January 1, 2014.   I sat in a Durango similar to the one being delivered to us, just to be sure and went over the features with Sonny and felt like it was the right choice for us. Then it was just a matter of the paperwork, etc. Since the service department was closed we were able to just go in and unload the first Durango and get everything out and say goodbye. 

Last time I am sitting
in the drivers seat.

We bought this car over Columbus Day weekend in 2004, it was one of those times where I think I surprised Brad and he had no idea who he was dealing with.  The window in our lemon of a jeep had gone down and wouldn't go up, I had duct tape on it all weekend and had to take it to work that day leaving it parked in Home Depot lots while the window kept slowly sliding down all day.  I was so done with that jeep when I got home and Brad and a friend had gone looking at Safford (then Jerry's Dodge) and told me they'd found one that 'might work'.  I said okay and went out to the jeep and totally unloaded it, including taking the license plate covers off and then came back in and said 'Let's Go.'  I remember Brad asking why I took everyone out and I said, "Oh I'm not coming back with this we are driving home a new Durango".  He was not ready for that at all, but then again not only was I done dealing with the jeep and it's issues I was also four months pregnant and a little cranky.  But, from that night began a great relationship with this dealership and my beautiful blue Durango.  It's the car we brought our daughter home in, drove to New York City with all the kids for a summer weekend. We took it to Canton, OH to see Floyd Little inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and to the Eastern Shore to watch Brian marry Chelsea.  It was what we took our daughter in for her first 'road trip' to Virginia Beach with my parents. We went to see Brian and Kaitlyn play a baseball game, when she was four weeks old. It was what we drove her to for her first day of preschool, kindergarten and swim team practice.  There are so many memories in that one car, we loaded with all the tile to remodel the bathroom in our old townhouse, and moved much of our household when we moved 2 miles away. Making trip after trip on a four mile round trip, to save some of the moving fees and unpacking time.  It was also the car we put Myles in and drove away from our townhouse for the last time and came to our new house.  Turns out everything was great about my Durango except it didn't fit very well into the garage at our new house. But even that was okay because I didn't have to deal with neighbors door dinging me every day anymore and I had a nice big driveway for it to sit in. 



So now I found myself and family sitting back at the same dealership, signing papers to buy a new Durango and start new memories.  I couldn't have been luckier to have Sonny helping us.  It was a bittersweet day for the beginning of 2014.  I'm saying hello and goodbye and poor Brad is  back to having a car payment after almost three years of none.


I finally pick up the car on the 2nd since it was coming from a different dealership and wouldn't you know it, by the time I'm driving away it's snowing! But, this time as I drove my Durango I felt so much safer, no heavy hemi engine weighting down the front and all wheel drive as opposed to two wheel drive.  Plus, a heated steering wheel and in the back seat, little girlie had control of her heated seat too.  I was driving one very happy 8 year old.  She took this picture of me driving off the lot and as you can kind of see there are a lot of bells and whistles on this one, compared to the older one.  I am going to be sitting in it tomorrow while I set up Bluetooth, more radio stations, (finally XM and no more listening to the homeboys talk about the Redskins going to the Super Bowl anymore if I don't want to!!!), seat preferences, etc.  I might let Brad play with it too but not until I program all the controls the way I prefer them, ha ha.

Final picture of the front grill with the H2oGals plates already on~ in the snow! 

New Year's Eve 2013

Happy 2014!



Working the triceps,
 don't want bat wings!

I've tried to do this post for a few years now but this time it is finally happening.  The last day of 2013 in a series of pictures from the Buswell clan.  It was all done, for the most part on camera phones and a little bit of texting too.  This year, unlike last year when we were all together on New Year's Eve, we were all spread out so everyone was good enough to send pictures of themselves during the day.  I started in the morning, at Jungles Gym.  It seems all the friends from the old 'hood were there as well as other gym friends.  It was a good way to start the end of the year.  



I was able to catch the oldest son Brian while he was at work on his current navy ship the USS Bataan, LHD in Norfolk.  He had just come back to work after having a nice two weeks off. Luckily he didn't have duty so he wasn't there a full day.









He wasn't the only Buswell working on the 31st, Kaitlyn had swapped shifts earlier in the Christmas holiday and was driving one of the Medical Transport vehicles for most of the day.  She is a really good EMT so the folks in Virginia Beach were in good hands most of the 31st. 





 
 
Kaitlyn and Brian were working part of the day, so what was the youngest Buswell child doing?  Well, she proved to be good entertainment for her dad and myself, a fairly good photographer when she stood still, focused the camera and took about 10 pictures to get one usable one.  She made herself a nice cup of hot chocolate at one point because I had unwisely said it wasn't that cold out and turns out the wind was chilly.  She also managed to read two books, all of this while also checking out the backseats of new SUV's because my beloved 2004 Durango had decided to call it quits. (next blog to read about that).  Without her knowing I managed to get a photo of her riding in the back of Brad's car when we were finally done test driving SUV's.





This test driving, looking at and researching cars was not in the original plan for New Year's Eve, so Brad spent a little time working via his phone while we figured out exactly what we wanted in the newest (and unplanned) SUV.  He managed to get the loan and also tweet a few replies regarding the very unsportsman like play of the Middle Tennessee football players from the day before against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl game.  He was great at multitasking. 



Once Brian got off work he was able to hang out with Chelsea, here they are doing one of the coolest things (I think) any couple can do.  Getting a cute 'selfie' of themselves and looking super cute in it.  It is great they are getting time like this together since Brian has to deploy to the med for many months, and he was just gone for three weeks before Christmas.  They are pretty cute and photogenic newlyweds, and I'm not being biased.


 Erin, Kaitlyn's partner, sent in a super cute couple's selfie from the day before when they were in NYC.  It was Erin's first trip to the big city and I think she loved it.  The four of them had all been up in NY to see family after Christmas and had a day in NYC too. They all drove back on the 30th for work on the 31st and New Year's Eve in Virginia Beach.  


Okay so in a nutshell that was our last day of the year, nothing too exciting or enlightening but just a little snapshot from the end of 2013.  I for one am happy to see 2013 go, don't get me wrong there were a lot of wonderful events, surprises and highlights from the year but there were also some really depressing, upsetting and just plain hard days.  I think 2014 is looking good and is going to be winner. 

Here is one last shot from New Year's Eve Day, a very sweet and loving addition from the Seubert side of the family.  Little Mr. Mac, my folks new black lab puppy.  He is smart as a whip, full of the dickens and a complete joy, as well as some work.  But, he's a puppy and doesn't let you forget it.  This is Mac with a new 'toy' he found in the backyard. At first he just barked at it but once my mom kicked it around he figured it out and 'claimed it' for himself. 

 

Daisy's Bucking Bulls Moves into the Next Phase-Competing

The first real look I got at my newest
bull.  I had only seen one picture and
video up til this point.

This past weekend my little dream of having bucking bulls moved into it's next phase, the actual competition.  Up until now my bulls had been growing, practicing at Rawson Ranch and in general just enjoying themselves.  I will be honest, I didn't think that my newest bull, Daisy's Diamond, would be the first to compete, nor did I think it would be in a futurity, but all in all I would call the weekend a big success. 

When Mike Rawson (2012 CBR Stock Contractor of the Year and trainer of not only my bulls but about a 100 head of his own) and I decided to partner on Daisy's Diamond I thought we'd have another two years before he bucked anyone.  He is only a yearling now and won't have a rider on him until the earliest next spring.  But, since his first entry fee was paid for the Exclusive Genetics Lone Star Shootout Futurity we figured what the heck lets pay the rest of the entry fee and see how it goes. 

Definition of a Futurity: A Futurity, as it's called within the industry, is a competition where 2 yr old bulls compete against each other. These bulls buck for 4 to 6 seconds, depending on the rules of the futurity, with a 25 pound dummy on their back that is remotely released after the 4 or 6 second buzzer. Each bull is judged in 5 categories (Buck, Kick, Spin, Intensity, & Degree of Difficulty). Click HERE for a breakdown of the judging process.

This is a good shot of Daisy's Diamond kicking out and the remote controlled weight is visible flying off of him.  This was his first road trip, first overnight not at the ranch, first time without his other buddies and of course, the first competition.  We (Mike and I) felt he did pretty darn good and held his own.  He scored an 84 out of 100 and took 19th place out of 79 bulls.  Some of which were a few months older than him and much more experienced.  For me it was a big learning experience.  I had no idea that some people make their living out of just futurities and raising the bulls to buck like this.  It has been my intent all along that my bulls would be 'rider bulls' and thus, we now move onto focusing on that aspect of bucking bulls.

Here is one last picture of my business partner, on Daisy's Diamond, and myself.  We went to a CBR Horizon bucking event called 'Bringin' the Heat' at Knapp Ranch in Mansfield, TX., after the Futurity on Saturday.  Mike had three of his older bulls bucking and they did a great job. 

Here is the Knapp Arena for the CBR
Event.  That is McKinnon Wemberly on
one of Mike's bulls.