July 2020

  I have to start off with our annual Referral Day photo. Hard to believe it has been fourteen years. I will never forget that day. The anticipation knowing our referral were in, finding out you were eight months old and from the Chongqing region and having to wait a few days to get the referral packet and to see your picture. We went to the office on a Saturday at 1:00. We were there first. Sandy took us into a room and handed each of us, Daddy, Aiden and myself, a picture turned over. She told us to wait to turn it over. Once we all had it she told us to flip it over. Tears. Tears came to our eyes. You would soon be part of our family. We all loved you from the moment we saw that picture. I was planning on going to Connecticut that weekend. We stopped at a store to make a few copies of your referral photos. I took some to Connecticut to show Grandma Barb and Daddy took them to see Grandma Bev, Grandpa Skip and Grandma Beadle. Everyone was thrilled. Now we would just have to wait to bring you home.

We celebrated July 4th with Aunt Leslie. It is the first time we had her over since Covid-19 struck. We are trying to be careful because she is in the high risk category. We wore our mask and ate in a socially distanced manner. I wish this would all go away. We had a great time with her. We watched Hamilton and had hamburgers, chicken and pasta salad. Sophia made the pasta salad all by herself. 

Sophia rode in a licensed dressage show in July. She rode First Level- test 1, Training 3 and Musical Freestyle. It was a two day show. It was HOT. She did great. She scored a 68.000 on her musical freestyle qualifying her for CBLM in North Carolina. I love her musical freestyle. She put the music together herself. It is to the music from Grease. It can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJTv_Q-e0Oc&t=5s

She missed her GAIG qualifying score by a couple of points but is making gains with Nicki every time she rides her. 

Sophia loves riding and loves the friends she has made at the barn. We are glad riding is back. The six weeks without riding was very tough.

 

Our animals are all doing well. The cats are getting used to Loki. Mr. Twinkletoes lets Loki lick him. Otto isn't so sure yet. 

You can't take a box out without Otto getting into it.

Mr. Twinkletoes likes to help us with our computer work.

I have been trying to walk more. I have been walking at home and also while waiting for Sophia at the barn. One of the parents from the barn told me of this street right next to the barn. It is so nice to walk on this street. It is shaded (helpful in the heat) and so beautiful. Cars do fly down the road but it is mainly a quiet back road. So much nicer to walk with beautiful scenery.