Anyone reading here still?

Well, I guess there's nothing to read, is there. Before I get caught up on the past half year or so I will post a few videos. Enjoy watching and check back soon for updates!

This one I made some time ago in a sappy moment. I guess my family was nice to me for a change so I felt overwhelmed with love and gratitude. Or something like that. :)
The music is Sting, live in Berlin. One of my favourite duets of all time!




And here are two recent ones of Mo.

This is Finn loping on Mo for the first time. Thankfully, although not a children's horse, Mo is very well trained and generally calm, so I can trust him to do a good job teaching Finn and Lily to ride.



And here is a very happy me with my horse. Mo really is my childhood dream come true. I am learning to be a better rider and communicate with him better about what I want him to do. The other day I just took the bridle off to see how that would go. And it went fine. Half a year ago I am sure I wouldn't have been able to do this with him. And not because of him!



Slowly but surely I will update the blog with pictures and stories from our summer. We had Grandma and Grandpa here from Canada, did a lot of fun things, Lily started first grade, lost her first tooth etc. Life is good, and we're keeping busy.

See ya around!

Our newest, biggest family member

Ever since I can remember I dreamed of having my own horse. Well, that dream has come true! The owners of the horse I've been riding since March asked me if I wanted to buy him. Mo is the kind of horse I have always dreamed of - so, we did! And, to my surprise, I didn't even have to do much convincing with Neil. Mo is an older, seasoned  American Quarter Horse gelding in great shape, with excellent training, sensitive and honest, and very reliable. For Mogli, nothing much changes as he stays where he is, except now he often has two little kids loving on him and spoiling him with carrots. And sometimes they are sitting on him while I supervise. Eventually they will get to ride him, too.

We think Mogli is absolutely beautiful, inside and out, and thus it came as a shock when I learned what his registered name is. :)  His grandsire is the famous Hollywood Dun It, a legendary stallion whose "offspring are renowned for their attractive looks and extreme trainability" (that's a quote from the website that I linked to; just click on the name above). Mo's breeder certainly didn't think so when it came to the first, because he named this beautiful horse, wait for it, UGLY DUN IT. His former owner refused to ever call him that, and so he became a Mogli.

Mo has won many ribbons in the sport of reining, (you can click on the link to learn more) true to his heritage. This is him during a competition in 2012, his last show season. Now he is retired from the show ring, but he is still just as fit and willing to work.  

Here he is doing a sliding stop.

And here is his new owner, happy as a clam. :)

And the whole family (Neil behind the camera)

All right, darling, we'll make a cowboy of you yet, but please, not on my horse. Judging by how Mo is swishing his tail, he seems to agree with me.

And this is how real lil' cowgirls climb up on their horse. A leg up from Mama? Pah! 

In other news, the other furry family members are all doing well also.

Lily's bunny sure has some relaxed attitude going on. Timmy is much more "flighty" and doesn't like to be carried around so much.

The kids won't be out of school until July 31st here, but weather permitting, we're having some summer fun anyway. At Jana's house

or on our patio. (Or we go to the big pool or a pond for a swim.)

Blue, our natural born chiller, doing what he does best.

And here is Timmy, still looking at bit surprised. I had taken him to the vet that morning and picked him back up that afternoon. Snip snip. Two bunnies are enough. Tomorrow I'll take him back to get the stitches out. Such is life. :)

Things are going well here. Lily loves her new bunny, Flöckchen ("Small Flake") a lot, and Finn has somewhat recovered from the shock of accidentally killing Snowbell. New bunny safety rules are in place, so hopefully something like that can never happen again. The kids are still out of school for Pentecost Break, so we are leaving for a few days to go visit Oma and Opa (Neil has to work). 

Finn, Lily and I built (well, assembled) a bunny hutch the other day, and Timmy and Flöckchen love their new home. Now it will be up to daddy to take care of these two fluffy bundles for a few days!

And here is a video of Finn riding Fritzi. The two of them have progressed to loping, which Finn loves (who doesn't?). Fritzi is just a bit stubborn at times!

Bunnies and life lessons

Last Saturday we went to check out baby bunnies at a breeder's place. The kids have wanted bunnies for quite a while now, and so has Mama. :)

The original plan was to just look at the bunnies, then get things ready at home (rabbit hutch etc), go to Oma's and Opa's for a few days and then pick up the bunnies. But the bunnies were selling fast, so we decided to take two home right away. The breeder loaned us a cage as an interim home for them.

Lily picked an all white fluff ball with blue eyes, which she called Snowbell, "Schneeglöckchen" in German.

Finn said this little fellow hopped right into his heart, and he named him Timmy.

At home there was a lot of cuddling with the bunnies going on.

And play time under the tree house

and on the patio

And then tragedy struck. This is the last picture of Snowbell before the accident. While they were playing with the bunnies under the tree house, Finn took a step back and stepped on Snowbell - something I had feared could happen. I had told the kids repeatedly to always make sure where both bunnies were before they moved their feet. Now of course I regret leaving them alone with the baby bunnies. Finn came and told me right away, and although Snowbell was still moving and hopping around we took her to the vet clinic. The vet took an x-ray, which showed nothing of concern, but her breathing was too fast and she wouldn't eat or drink. Snowbell got some pain killers and we were told to let her rest and come back in a week.

I left to go to the barn while the kids and Neil stayed home, and about three hours after our vet visit little Snowbell took her last breath. The kids were inside the house playing, so Neil phoned me with the news. We decided Timmy shouldn't stay alone and that another bunny would help Lily get over her loss quicker, so I went to the breeder's place (it's close to the barn) to see if he had another female baby bunny, while Neil got things ready at home for Schneeglöckchen's funeral.  

After I got home we told the kids what had happened and let them say goodbye. It was heartwrenching. They were both devastated. Finn had to learn that not all mistakes can be undone, and that your prayers sometimes aren't answered the way you want them to be.

Having a new bunny to cuddle helped Lily a little, and Timmy loves his new companion a lot. The new bunny is named "Flöckchen" - Small Flake - and she is already a little bigger than Snowbell was. She is white with brown and grey patches, and very cuddly.

The next morning, Lily got up super early again (ever since we've had the bunnies the kids have been getting up at the crack of dawn), and apparently there is nothing like some bunny cuddle therapy at 6 in the morning to help you face the day.

A Girl in a Dirndl, a Boy in Lederhosen, and a Chinese Princess on Mother's Day

On Mother's Day, Oma and Opa arrived back in Munich from a 2 week China vacation. They had a great time in China and were really impressed with what they saw and experienced. They were greeted in style by their two little Bavarian grandkids - all dressed up in traditional garb.

Oma and Opa had a birthday present for Lily, which Lily absolutely loves - a car and camper from "Sylvanian families", a British toy. The little rabbit family has a ball going camping!

By chance, the little girl rabbit of the family had the same dress on as Lily!

Our Mother's Day picture. 

And here is Lily in the Chinese Princess outfit that Oma and Opa brought back. So pretty!

The day after Oma and Opa left to go back home Lily and Finn got all dressed up again for the Kindergarten May fest. It was a really nice event, with lots of siblings and parents/grandparents attending, and the Kindergarten kids performing some Bavarian dancing and singing.

The Kindergarten May pole had to be put up, too, of course.

Neil joined us after he came home from work. Good thing we live just across the street!

Children and adults alike enjoyed playing games, like this "Beer Slide".

Handsome young man.