Cross Country, Baby Showers, and Homecoming Floats

Well, another busy weekend
Friday Night Football, Springport beat Jonesville, after a scary first half, going into half time behind 7-14, they came out pumped, and beat them 35-14.
Yesterday Anna, had a cross country meet in Pittsford, she came in 5th of 50 and cut another minute off her time – three miles in 23.2 minutes. Her goal is to get under 21. There are 5 more weeks in the Cross Country season, so she has a good shot, if she keeps up that pace.

Shonda and I went to a baby shower for Michelle, my niece. Her due date is October 10 but there are lots of family members with birthdays in September and October. An uncle today, and apparently he, the baby has missed that one. My brother has a birthday next week, Arthur, the baby’s uncle on October first, one of my aunts on the second, my mothers on the 6th, and two of my uncles on the 9th. I guess we have a no money, pool going. Here is a picture of “the girls” Anna went to a battle of the bands last night in Jackson. She says it is not her favorite kind of music, (the head banging screaming kind) but it was fun.
Anna had a YFU meeting today
And it is homecoming week, the seniors are building their float at our house. That is always fun, one of the kids, Justin, is what Charlie calls a back yard engineer, give him a few supplies and he can figure out how to make almost anything. I think Justin was amazed that Charlie had so much stuff, he would say do you have…?, by the end of the day, he finished with “of course you do.”
Sometimes, it seems like a lot of work, but it is fun, and I think it helps to keep us active and involved. Here are couple of pictures, I can't show you too much. We don't want the competition to know what we are doing, too soon. :-)
Later, J

Horses shows and what are they talking about.?

Wow, a busy week-end. A two day horse show, trying to do laundry, and grocery shop.
I just finished the laundry(9:00PM on Tuesday,) and have not done the weekly grocery shopping.
The Springport Football team, beat Concord 40-0 on Friday. Even some of the team members said the third quarter was boring. Springport played the second string and Concord still couldn’t score.
This weekend was the district horse show, the first place team advance to regionals. I think Springport was only 4 points short.
I have to say, after watching horses for out of 8 days, I don’t get it at least not the finer points. One of the girls competed in a “trail pattern,” she had to make the horse side step a pole, open a gate, step over some poles, check a mail box and back up between two poles. I didn’t see any mistakes, she came in third.
I sat in the bleachers with people talking about the horses changing leads, (which foot they lead with) I never did see it, Charlie says when they lead with one side, it reaches a little farther than the other side, I can’t see it.don't all lead with their front feet? It’s like watching skating on TV and me being able to see the difference between a sachow and a lutz or whatever they call it.
The speed events were fun to watch, even the coaches said the fitting and showing (the picture on the left) and the equitation (the picture on the right) are kind of boring.
Oh, well, the idea was for Anna, to participate and have some new experiences, and get to know some new people. We accomplished that. Here is a neat picture of one of the Springport girls jumping.

Upcoming events:
This week-end a baby Shower and YFU meeting. Next week all week. The Senior class is building the homecoming float at our house, homecoming parade and football.

Cross Country and Horse shows.

Friday September 7, 2007.

It has been a busy week. School starting, getting into a routine, cross country practice, equestrian practice, cross country meets, equestrian meets, we have had something going on every night this week. Tonight a football game. Tomorrow the first equestrian meet. Wow, and I thought I was through with all this running around.

Anna had her second Cross Country meet on Wednesday, the Springport invitational, I would guess there were about 350 kids competing. She finished in the top half of the pack and cut about 2 (TWO) MINUTES off her time from last week, but now her knee is bothering her (an old injury that she has had surgery on.)

Saturday September 8, 2007

Our first equestrian meet today- WOW. We got there about 8:00 AM and didn’t get home until after 6:00. Anna was supposed to compete in 6 different classes, or events but the horse she has borrowed, was not cooperating today. He was good in the first event, showmanship. In the first riding event, he was “being very uncooperative, he was bucking and jumping around, they had to take him out of the ring so he would not endanger other horses and riders. They managed to get him calmed down and a little more cooperative, in time for her to ride in one of her scheduled events. She placed third in showmanship. The event she competed in they had to split, (two heats) then called back the top 12. She was called back for the final group but did not place. At least now, she knows what to work on and we know what to expect at our next horse show Satruday and Sunday next week.

That's why I don't ride horses- arguing with a 2,000 pound animal does not sound like fun to me.

Friday Night Football

11:45 PM.
GO BLUE-
I just got home from what has to be one of the longest High School Football games on record. 4 hours and 10 minutes.
First, with 2:34 left in the first half they called a lightening delay- not rain just lightening, that took and an hour and twenty minutes. Then Homer had 2, 3, 4 injured players that took several minutes to get up and walk off the field. I think at least one of them was just tired and wanted to rest.


Half time was during the weather delay, so they had to come out and finish the second quarter. Springport's Tyler Tarpley made a 93 yard run for a touch down. Springport got another touch down at the begining of the third quarter, then it got really boring for most of the rest of the game. Fianlly Springport over Homer 39-28.

Horses

Anna-Lena had her first Cross Country meet on Wednesday, she finished 19, out of about 50. She ran 3 miles in less than 30 minutes. I don't think I can walk 3 miles without resting.

We decided not to go Up North this weekend; Anna-Lena had a cross-country practice and some horse stuff to do. She will be riding with the Springport Equestrian team, riding the horse of a friend, who teaches riding. We spent most of yesterday doing horse stuff, took her to see a horse show in Mason, she is a little confused by some of the terms and how they do things differently here than in Germany.

The picture on the left is Anna-Lena practicing in Finney. The horse she will be riding next week-end. The picture on the left is her riding in Germany.

Anna-Lena will be riding in the Hunt seat, Saddle Seat and Bareback class. I have no idea what that means except that bareback is without a saddle, the riders yesterday were wearing, derby hats and what looked almost like tuxedos. Most of the other Springport team members ride western, I believe this is the first time Springport has had anyone ride in these classes.

Then we picked up the horse, took her to another friends house who helped Anna with the showmanship part, leading the horse around the arena. That is a little different in Germany too.

The team’s first competition of the year is next Saturday, at the Ingham county fair grounds in Mason. I think they will be taking the horses over on Friday night, and the show is on Saturday. She is excited about being able to at the fair grounds with the coaches and other girls. More later. JB