Life throws you curves

I guess I look at this blog as a diary, I was never good at writing in a diary my life isn't exciting enough for anyone to be interested!  But I do think that like a diary, maybe someday my kids or grandkids might find it and be happy to read some of my thoughts.
I know I wish I had asked more questions of  and listened more carefully to the stories my grand and great-grandparents told. I remember bits and pieces but wish I had more.
I don't write here often, but life has brought some large changes, what I thought were awful has turned into something really good.
My knees gave out, I can't ride. Now riding is what I do, I miss it terribly.  I fell into a bad funk, not really depression, but I lost interest in life, just sat around watching tv and vegging.  That led to a bad scare a double pulmonary embolism and a week stay in the hospital.   After that I did do some things to get in better shape and get healthier, but I was still missing riding and having something fun to do with my horses.  That is when my husband Tony and daughter Rachel came up with the plan to "find Mom a hobby with horses"  Rachel thought I might enjoy showing at halter.   I had done some small time showing with our babies in the past.  I thought that was an interesting idea, so our search began.  
I found a good home for my little trail mare Missy, and had some funds to start out on.   
Rachel looked on the internet, talked to all our friends and friends of friends searching for just the right horse.  We set a budget and quickly found that halter horses are costly.  Add to that we had several set in stone requirements that had to be met and you have a tough search.  But as luck would have it, we talked to just the right person, who knew just the right person and after looking at several nice horses that just weren't right, we went to look at a 3 year old sorrel gelding.  I have to say it was love at first sight, and after getting him out and leading him around on a cool blustry day, I knew we had found "just the right one"!

 My Jango was perfect, a sweet natured, calm, easy going fellow that was beautiful.  He had already been in the show pen and had a successful halter career with his former owner, so he was "trained".  His sweet temperment was going to allow me to have him at home and fit him my self. One of our most important requirements.  We called Tony and told him our search was over!  Jango was so perfect we didn't even try to bargin, we bought him and ran!  
Two weeks after getting him home, we went to our first AQHA show in Bryan, TX.  I was so nervous, I knew Jango was plenty good enough to compete, but ME? I wasn't sure I knew exactly what I was doing!  But trooper that he is, Jangs took care of me,

I can't tell you the thrill I got when he won his class and stood grand champion!   

Since that show, we have been to a lot more over the summer.  We placed third at the Level One Championship Show in OKC.

 I was really happy about that because the two horses that placed over Jango were out of trainers barns, fit by professionals. To stand 3rd in that competition, doing it on my own meant a lot.
He has won 2 circut championships,

multiple grand champion ribbons,  the Oklahoma 4H State Grand Champion Gelding 5 & under,

the Amatuer and Open year end champion at OkHSA and as of today is leading the OQHA amatuer standings.  He  had a really nice story written about him on the online AQHA Journal.

    
But even more than all this, he has lived up to his registered name
LIFE SAVERS.  Because of him, I have rekindled my passion for horses, became much more active, I am in much better shape mentally and physically than ever.   As far as my familyand I are concerned, he has really been my life saver.