The time I went horse riding.

As lame as this may seem.. I wish I was a cowgirl. A McLeod's daughter. A true country bumpkin. I even wanted to wear cowgirl boots to my formal, much to the dismay of my friends who eventually talked me out of it. My favourite animals are cows and every time we drive out to my grandparents I dream of what it would be like to live in the country.

My sister and soon-to-be-brother-in-law granted a long time wish of mine when they gave me a horse ride for my 18th birthday. They had planned it well but unfortunately, the horse injured itself on the day of the big ride and I missed out. They kept promising me it would happen we just had to wait for everyone to be available, and the horse not to be injured… and time just eventually went by.

I was kind of thinking I would never get to ride. But then some lovely church friends of mine (Ron and Sookie) found out about my desire for a ride and organised a trip. Now Ron is a real live cowboy. He rides horses in cutting competitions and has won a lot of money with his horse Leroy. Ron and Sookie have a farm out Kenilworth way (which is where I went on my actual birthday) with Bison and horses and a country style house. And they own a couple of horses specifically trained to compete in cutting competitions and they live on a training farm out past Murgon.

The family who live on that farm are true country people, real abrupt at times but so nice and genuine. And not only do they train horses to cut, they train people to ride. Pretty perfect huh?

So off I went on my adventure. With a cutting demonstration thrown in for good measure.

Watching a cutting demonstration.

My favourite animals in the whole world!

Oh how I wish these belonged to me!

Watching to make sure I won’t look like an idiot when I try to get on. It’s kind of lucky this photo was taken from this side of the horse, because around on my side… Courtney was giving me a push to get on! Don’t worry I got better at mounting as we went on.

Can’t wipe that smile of my face! Riding along.

Not only did I walk. I trotted. And cantered. AND did some cutting training! Basically, I sat on the horse while it chased a mechanical cow at high speeds. And had an absolute ball.

After riding we went up to the house and had some lunch. I traded my horse lesson for a bit of a singing show and now they all want me to go on the show trail with them to sing!

I had the best fun and I can’t wait to do it again.

50 List

So Blog This is celebrating it’s 50th challenge, and you have to write a list of 50 things… anything you want! I haven’t done one in forever, but the time has come.

My list is:

My 50 Favourite Movie Quotes

1. “You killed Ted! You medieval dickweed!” [Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure]
2. “Whatever I feel like I want to do, GOSH” [Napoleon Dynamite]
3. “Don’t be jealous of me just because I’ve been chatting online to hot babes all day. Besides, we both know I’m training to be a cage fighter.” [Napoleon Dynamite]
4. “Tina Eat! Eat! Eat the FOOD!” [Napoleon Dynamite]
5. “You look pretty!!”, “What?”, “I said you look shitty! Goodnight Denise” [Hot Rod]
6. “Have you seen a picture of my dead dad? You should. He’s super dead.” [Hot Rod]
7. “It’s called a day spa. D. A. I. Y. E. Day".” [Zoolander]
8. “That’s Fan-Crappin’-Tastic!” [Post Grad]
9. “I can do this. I am a dude. I am a hunky dude. I’m a bad-ass hunky dude.” [She’s the Man]
10. “Let me just interrupt this little brain-fart moment of yours. Girls with asses like mine, do not talk to boys with faces like yours.” [She’s the Man]
11. “Can I call you back? I gotta ..change.. my… …. feet.” [She’s the Man]
12. “What’s a friendly bite on the bottom between friends. Com on, give me a nibble.” [Madagascar]
13. “60% of the time; works every time.” [Anchorman]
14. “Where did you get your suits? The toilet store?” [Anchorman]
15. “Yes. Roast Beef. It is the Swedish term for beef that is roasted!” [A Series of Unfortunate Events]
16. “If you touch my ass one more time I will cut your balls off in your sleep, okay?” [The Proposal]
17. “Do you prefer Margaret or "Satan's Mistress"?” [The Proposal]
18. “You know what? I can get a couple of my brother's loser ass friends to go over to Mason's apartment , knock on the door and when he opens it wham! They'll junk-punch him all up in his man business and he'll fall to the floor whaling and crying "why?" and then we'll say "you know why!” [What Happens in Vegas]
19. “We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!” [Shrek]
20. “'Greater good?' I am your wife! I'm the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get!” [The Incredibles]
21. “Mootter? Mootter? I’m an aborigine!!!” [Bran Nue Day]
22. “If its yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down... Oops, looks like I forgot my own rule” [Meet the Fockers]
23. “I have a cow, and I sew. Now how's that for hard to relate to.” [The Holiday]
24. “There's something I've always wanted to tell you and I think you're ready to hear it. You're not very pretty, and you're not very bright. Oh, I'm so glad we had that talk.” [Cinderella Story]
25. “I’m going to bed before either come up with another idea that will get us both killed. Or worse: Expelled.” [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]
26. “Stop stop stop. You’re going to poke somebody’s eye out. Besides you’re saying it wrong. It’s LeviOHsa not leviohSA".” [Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone]
27. “Dad, you haven't let anyone down. I don't know what the opposite of lettin' someone down is... but you done the opposite” [The Castle]
28. “Dad reckons fishing is 10% brains and 95% muscle, the rest is just good luck.” [The Castle]
29. “I’ve got one sister who thinks she’s a horse. Another who’s got a black-belt in being a bitch. And bloody Harley’s mowing crop circles in the lawn again.” [Hating Alison Ashley]
30. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! Your voice is giving me Mono!” [Connie & Carla]
31. “And now we’re women pretending to be men pretending to be women so SHUTUP SHUTUP SHUTUP!” [Connie & Carla]
32. “Hey, psycho - we're not gonna discuss this, OK, it's over. Please get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up.” [The Wedding Singer]
33. “Toula, on my wedding night, my mother, she said to me, "Greek women, we may be lambs in the kitchen, but we are tigers in the bedroom." --  “Eww. Please let that be the end of your speech.” [My Big Fat Greek Wedding]
34. “There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek.” [My Big Fat Greek Wedding]
35. “Now, you are family. Okay. All my life, I had a lump at the back of my neck, right here. Always, a lump. Then I started menopause and the lump got bigger from the "hormonees." It started to grow. So I go to the doctor, and he did the bio... the b... the... the bios... the... b... the "bobopsy." Inside the lump he found teeth and a spinal cord. Yes. Inside the lump was my twin.” [My Big Fat Greek Wedding]
36. “Tell me how it happened. And the real story, not the "Oh, we met, we fell in love, and we decided to take all that love and make a family, and that's how we made you.” [Definitely Maybe]
37. “I can't believe I ate meat for him. I mean, it was fish, but still. I don't eat anything with a face.” [John Tucker Must Die]
38. “I'll have a Pina Colada, not virgin. Wanna see my ID? Totally have it!” [Suddenly 30]
39. “Well, beatniks for one, folk singers and motorbike riders. Y'know. All those hip, jazzy, super cool, neat, keen, and groovy cats. It's in the fridge, daddy-o! Are you hip to the jive? Can you dig what I'm layin' down? I knew that you could. Slide me some skin, soul brother!” [Charlie & The Chocolate Factory]
40. “Uh, well... sometimes only half of the little pieces find their way through. If you had to choose only one half of your son, which one would it be?” [Charlie & The Chocolate Factory]
41. “Oh, I'm not here with these fellas. I've got a pig in competition over at the livestock pavilion, and I am going to win that blue ribbon!” [That Thing You Do]
42. “I'm down, I've got the 411, and you are not going out and getting jiggy with some boy, I don't care how dope his ride is. My momma didn't raise no foo'!” [Ten Things I Hate About You]
43. “Remove head from sphincter, then drive!” [Ten Things I Hate About You]
44. “Somebody up there has got it in for me. I bet it's my mother.” [Mama Mia]
45. “The thing about the toilet... if it doesn't flush right away, then go and come back and it'll... nothing works around here except for me.” [Mama Mia]
46. “What if Andy gets another dinosaur? A mean one? I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!” [Toy Story]
47. “I'm packing your extra pair of shoes, and your angry eyes just in case.” [Toy Story 2]
48. “Globo Gym employs a highly-trained, quasi-cultural staff of personal alterational specialists. And with our competitively-priced on-site cosmetic surgery, we can turn that Frankenstein you see in the mirror every morning into a Franken-fine!” [Dodgeball]
49. “Tawanda!” [Fried Green Tomatoes]
50. “In the event of an emergency, put your head between your knees and kiss your bum goodbye.” [Chicken Run]

The things I hear

I was walking behind these two blonde girls today who had obviously been to the beach as they were wearing bikinis.

Blonde Girl One: Lets have KFC…. No wait I can't. I'm allergic to it which sucks because its my favourite thing in the world. But if I eat it.. it makes me angry.

Blonde Girl Two: (nonchalantly) That does suck.

No word of a lie.

Satisfied?

I hope I have have satisfied all of you who were dying for an update.

I’m going to try really really hard to be better.

Birthday party.

I won’t say much because you’ll be able to see from the pictures that I had such a lovely time. I was so blessed with presents (and a drink made up especially in my honour by the barman) and lovely speeches and I want to thank everyone for coming.

Marina and I.

My beautiful youth Pastor Michelle and her baby Leela

 

Some of my guests: Hannah, Mel, Jordan, Kayla, Uncle Pete and Meaghan.

 

My school friends: Rhett, Tayla, Me, Danielle, Marina, Marcus, Mark and Kendall.

 

More guests: Julie, Erin, Amelia, Anita and Jeremy.

Michelle, Luke, Lachlan, Bethanie, Mayana and Zoey.

  Sister Love.

I love this photo of my sisters.

 

My best friend. Please also note my Piña colada -  not virgin.

 

Me, Mich and Zoey.

 

Speech.

Cutting the cake.

Legal Adult.

For my 18th birthday my lovely sister and her fiancé organised for me to go horse riding.

Those you of that know me well would know what I consider myself a country girl at heart, a bit of McLeod's Daughter and have always wanted to go horse riding. What a perfect present.

But on the morning of my birthday my sister got a text saying that the horse I was supposed to ride had got caught up in some barbed wire and had some pretty bad cuts on his legs. Not good shape for riding unfortunately. I had no idea at the time what was going on.

We went to church and then when we got home Mum told me to get on some clothes to go to Kenilworth. I love Kenilworth so I thought this sounded pretty good. We had lunch at Nana McGinn’s (lovely café in the main street) and then we headed off to a friend of ours (Suki) Farm. They told me of the plan for me to ride a horse and about the accident which meant I couldn't. And then they told me their back up plan.

I could spend some time with some horses that are too old to ride but perfect for cuddling. I was pretty happy with the alternative anyway.

Meet Legs. He’s about 20. I got to cuddle him and talk to him and brush his mane. Country girl heaven.

 

Cuddles!

 

I look like I belong right?

My horse ride will be happening soon. The horse is nearly healed and all ready to go. I can’t wait!

Brisbane Trip.

I’d been missing some of my school friends and decided we all needed to have a catch up. One of my lovely friends (Danielle) moved to Goldie at the beginning of the year and I hadn’t seen her since then. So we decided to jump on some trains and meet in the middle.

Brisbane.

Marina, Danielle and I got on the train at 7am (commitment no?) and met Danielle in the city. It was such a lovely day. We shopped til we dropped (literally) ate so much food and just caught up. We have another get in the planning stages.

Some pictures…

Just arrived at Brisbane train station.

First stop – breakfast. We walked over to South Bank and went to this cute cafe with the loveliest staff of all time. So much fun.

 

You know in suddenly 30 how they go on about Razzles? Well we found them. ‘They’re both a candy and a gum’ and they are fairly gross but we felt cool.

 

Our first purchase. Cute skirts from the markets. only $10. what a bargain!

Shopping got a little much for Danielle.

 

Soaking up each others company. That's the worst thing about not going to school anymore - not seeing everyone.

 

I bought some sunnies to match the girls.

 

We had crepes for lunch.

 

And then after a little more shopping we went to Starbucks.

 

Just before we left to go home again. Me with all my shopping.

It was such a lovely day and I can’t wait for the next one. I love my girls.

Easterfest

I’m taking you back because its been awhile.

As is tradition in this family, we headed off to Easterfest. Best time of the year. It was our tenth year attending and it was as good as ever. Can’t wait for next year!

The best part was probably me sponsoring a child. His name is Israel and he is adorable! I'll scan his picture onto the computer and show you all sometime.

A few pictures for you… not in order of days. Just some favourites.

Jordan and Mel.

Mama and Papa.

New Empire <3

Superchick!

Spacifix. They’re waaaay cool.

My lovely niece and I.

In the mosh pit with Hannah.

Trying to take a picture of Playjerise. And this guy thought I was taking a picture of him. Hence his face. I laugh every time I look at it.

Bethanie and Lachlan.

Newsboys. Or DC Talk. Depending on which way you look at it.

A very small part of the crowd.

Kayla, myself and Meaghan. Just as the night is about to begin.

Hannah and I.

Zoey, Pete and Mama.

so sorry.

a few big posts coming soon.

promise. x

St Patrick’s Day.

As an ex-Irish Dancer I feel I have a little responsibility to write a post dedicated to this dear old holiday – mainly because I was involved in it for so many years. This year marks the first year in a LONG time that I haven’t been at a pub dancing/watching my sister dance.

The pub down the road from my work opened bright and early this morning at 8am. Slightly unusual. It had 2 patrons waiting outside the gate at 7.55am and the Irish music was pumping away by 8.05am.

By the time I left work this afternoon to drop the mail at the post office the pub was absolutely packed. I mean people crammed inside and out with a fairly decent sized line outside to get in. There was green and orange everywhere I looked. Women with green spray painted in their hair, men sporting orange shirts, balloons, streamers, the whole shebang. An ambulance was there on its first of, no doubt, many trips. A live band had just started up and people were well on their way to getting drunk.

Now imagine a group of 7 – 16 year old entering that environment. Well that was me and the troupe I belonged to. Don’t get me wrong I loved every second of performing for the drunks – mostly because they loved us no matter how crap we may or may not have been. But its the whole being hit on by sleazy men, getting beer spilled on you and having young men come and pelvic thrust right next to you that I’m not going to miss this year. I really don’t think the Irish Pub will be graced with my presence on St Patrick’s Day ever again really.

My contribution to old St Paddy this year? The green leaves on my floral cardigan and the green Apple flavoured lollipop for the bus trip home.

Dancing at St Patrick’s Day. And before you ask – no I’m not bored.. I’m concentrating.

My most favourite dancing photo of all time. During an exhibition my wig fell off  and landed right in the middle of the dance floor. My best friend pictured with me and I could not stop laughing. we laughed so hard I believe I even had to stop dancing at one point.

School Photos

I decided to play along with Kelly.

Then I realised I don’t really have any school photos from Primary school because my family never bought them. People always think that's weird but it was so normal for us we never even asked.

I have one school photo from when I was in grade 5. One of those cute little family ones with my little brother. But the photo is hideous for two main reasons:

1. A have the most insane windburn. I look like I’ve taken a handful of strawberry jam and smeared it all around my mouth
2. A girl in my class thought it would be funny to cut a section of my hair. Right at the front. I don't know how she did it but she managed to cut a huge chunk of my hair without me even realising it (until I got home and Mum pretty much freaked). The result – a weird spiky looking fringe that required a very wide headband for a couple of months.

So I won’t be gracing my blog with that photo anytime soon.

I have my year 12 photo but I really can’t be bothered scanning it to the computer. so I'm giving you the next best thing. My last ever school photo used for our graduation ceremony. I’m particularly proud of it because I’d just got my braces off the day before. Hence the huge smile.

 

One day soon I’ll dedicate a post to all my ID cards. Then you can get a real picture of how I looked at school.

Bethanie & Lachlan

I won’t try and describe the night. I’ll leave that up to Zoey (she’s the writer in the family anyway).

But a picture says a thousand words and does a way better job than I could.

In case you can’t tell from the pictures.. she said yes.