Other

Year in Review 2024

Posted on January 1, 2025December 31, 2024 by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy January 1st!

With the first day of the new year, I’m looking back on 2024 to share my “year in review.” These years seem to fly by, and it’s always fun to look back on all we did!

January:

I tend to take less pictures in January than any other month! It’s typically a slow month for us which is why January is a favorite month of mine.

We started off January thinking about my “words of the year” from our New Year’s Eve night dinner. Faith, forgiveness, growth…good focus for the year.

Another reason I love January…it’s my birthday month!

We had our first snow day in January which means I made snowman pancakes, per tradition.

“Snow pretty” haha

February:

The kids had their third cotollion dance in February. “Malibu Mingle” was semi-formal attire.

Trav and the kids went to Florida to cheer on our nephew as he ran an Olympic qualifying race.

I stayed home and my friend helped put the finishing touches on Hadley’s “room refresh” by putting up the wallpaper.

The Chiefs won the Super Bowl, and of course we were excited about that! I don’t want to jinx it, but we have our party prep down!

Of course, we celebrated Valentine’s Day.

Hayden’s 8th grade basketball season wrapped up. His time as a “baller” was officially over…another middle school milestone.

March:

We went to the Bailey Zimmerman concert in Cinci. This was the kids’ first concert, and he put on a great show.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread.

Hadley had fun playing volleyball during club season.

April:

We celebrated Easter at the beginning of April…

…and then headed to Washington, DC for spring break. We had a fun few days touring the nation’s capitol.

We had one extra day of spring break thanks to the solar eclipse.

Hayden went to Louisville to run in the Eastern Relays meet.

Both kids had lots of track meets.

Trav and I went to Keeneland for the afternoon.

The kids dressed in more formal attire for their final cotollion dance.

Hayden ran in the Dream Mile in Louisville which was the top 15 8th graders in Kentucky.

While Hayden was running, Hadley was at the 8th grade dance with her friends.

May:

Travis and I went to the Oaks races with friends.

We celebrated Mother’s Day by going to church and then out to brunch.

Hadley’s club volleyball season wrapped up and they finished runner up in the tournament.

The 8th grade track season finished with both the city and state meets. Hayden holds the school record for the 800, 1600 and 3200 times and Hadley’s relay team holds the school record in three relays. The city and state meets were a perfect way to end their middle school running careers.

With the end of middle school came 8th grade graduation. The students had a wonderful celebration and then we went out to dinner.

The next day, they kids had a fun pool party with all of their friends.

June:

We were so happy to be out of school by June. We headed to KC for a few days. We went to the Royals game, and they had a huge come back win. It was nice seeing family and kicking off our summer that way.

Hadley went to camp and had the best time.

We celebrated Trav for Father’s Day.

Then, it was time for our trip to the Pacific Northwest…Oregon and Washington. We went to the Olympic Track Trials, saw the Oregon coast, stayed at a resort and toured Seattle. It was a trip we’ll always remember.

While in Oregon, Trav and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary.

July:

After a couple of days home, I went to KC to help dad after his knee surgery the first week of July. The kids celebrated the 4th as Hayden ran a 10k, and then Trav and the kids went to our spot to watch the fireworks.

When I got home, we celebrated Trav’s birthday.

Hayden had fun at running camp.

I spent a lot of time at the pool!

We celebrated Trav’s mom’s 75th birthday.

Hadley had volleyball tryouts, and was excited to make the team.

August:

Volleyball and cross country commitments cranked up. The kids had meets and games.

We all prepped to go back to school…

I tweaked our back to school breakfast/brinner to dinner at Ihop…and none of us were mad about that new tradition.

The kids started high school, and I started my 23rd year of education!

Trav and I went to the Larry Fleet concert in Lexington…on a school night!!

September:

By September, Hadley was in the thick of volleyball season.

Her team had a fun weekend in Tennessee at a tournament. Their freshman team placed high in the JV bracket, so it was a fun and rewarding experience.

Hayden ran Varsity in many competitive meets.

The kids went to more Kentucky football games then Travis and I did. haha

At the end of September, we had bad storms and lost one of our favorite front yard trees.

October:

We started October in 30A on fall break with our friends. This was the third year, and we love this tradition. We’re so lucky to have these friends and families to go on this vacation with year after year.

The KC Royals made it to the playoffs and were fun to watch!

Hayden ran an awesome race in the city meet. Trav was getting over Covid, so he watched from a distance, but I got a pic with Hayden! (Then, it was my turn for Covid.)

Trav and I were able to go to Keeneland one afternoon which is one of my favorite fall traditions.

The leaves changed our our remaining tree, and I got one of my fave pics of the year!

Right before Halloween, the kids carved their pumpkins per tradition.

November:

Hayden ran another great race in the state meet. He won a freshman award at the end of season banquet.

Hadley had her volleyball banquet, and earned an award too.

We’re proud of all that the kids accomplished in their first high school seasons, and they had a lot of fun with their teammates.

The kids turned 15!! How is that possible?

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Louisville.

Then, we headed to Charlotte for Hayden to run in the Foot Locker South Regional race. We’d never been to Charlotte, and it was a fun city to explore for a couple of days.

December:

In December, we did all the holiday things.

We celebrated Christmas a couple of days early, and then…

…we headed to KC for a few days to see family there!

Now, we have a little less than a week before school starts back, so we’re taking the time to relax but also be productive before heading back to the hustle and bustle of life.

Today’s the fresh start of a new year, and I hope 2025 is a great one for all!

Me, Other

2022 Blogging Recap and Fave Posts

Posted on December 29, 2022January 1, 2023 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! Wow! (unfortunately!) this week seems to be flying by…the same can be said about 2022!

Today, I’m sharing a little blogging recap for 2022.

I don’t spend a lot of time looking at stats, but the end of a year is the perfect time to look back, and WordPress makes it pretty simple to take a look at posts, viewers, etc. It’s also fun to see how much this little site grows year to year.

A few stats from the year:

Posts: 221
Words: 157k + words written
Best day: Friday; Best hour: 7am

I started this blog in August of 2019, and some all time stats include:

Views: 208.5k
Visitors: 62.8k
Posts published: 705
Countries – People from 84 countries have read at least one of my posts. That just blows my mind.

There are some “big time” bloggers, and that isn’t my goal. If one person or 100 people read one of my posts, I appreciate it. Truly. This is definitely a fun hobby for me, but it’s also rewarding to see growth every year (and the same can be said for every “like” or “comment”). Blogging is more fun and rewarding when I’m able to engage with readers ☺️ I can’t say it enough how much I appreciate “my readers.”

Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite posts from the year. These posts, to me, were the most meaningful and/or fun to write.

Favorite 2022 posts:

1.

I loved starting the year off with my Not Just a Mom friends…

…to share our favorite bloggers.

2.

We finally did the shiplap project that I’d wanted to do for years.

3.

I changed up my “beauty routine” this year, and loved sharing my favorite Dime beauty products.

I actually received a quite a few comments and messages afterward with many saying they tried the products after reading the post and loved them.

4.

I loved sharing about our day at the Oaks races. Kentucky is a special place…especially the first week of May!

5.

I always love linkups, and the Let’s Look with Shay and Erika with the topic of “my hometown” was fun to write.

6.

It was the end of an era for Hayden as he wrapped up playing baseball as a twelve year old. I loved my years as a baseball mom, and it was fun looking back at all the teams he’s been on and how much he grew as a player.

7.

We loved our Mexico vacay, and the recap posts were a great spot to share about our trip and keep all the memories in one place.

8.

I also changed up my makeup routine this year. I’m still not a master of makeup, but I still love using the Seint products.

9.

Somehow I blinked, and we have a couple of teenagers in the house. I loved taking the stroll down memory lane.

10.

One of my favorite posts to write every year is sharing my top 5 favorite reads.

I shared that one yesterday! It was a pretty good year of reading.

Bonus: I also loved sharing about our Fall Break trip to 30A this year. It was the kids first time there, and we loved going with our friends.

As always, thanks so much for reading! Let me know if there are any blog topics/suggestions. Sometimes I get writer’s block, so I’d love some input on ideas.

I should be back tomorrow with a recap of 2022….which is another one of my favorite posts to write every year.

Other, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk

Posted on April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 by jgalvinwhite

Hello! I hope your week is off to a great start!

Whenever I go to Keeneland, I always think about what a special place it is. When I’ve shared about about our Keeneland outings, I’ve gotten a few questions and same about Trav’s job in the horse industry. So, today I’m sharing a bit about both of those things.

Travis made his way into the horse industry after a few years working in college athletics. He met me when he worked at Mizzou, but after a few years he wanted to move back home to work in the horse industry.

His job has evolved through the years but his primary role is as a “Stallions Nominations Manager.” That means that he’s basically a match maker for horses. 😂Really, what he does is his farm stands stallions for breeding. Owners submit requests for their mares breed to the stallions, and Travis has the final say on the request to breed. He looks at the mare’s pedigree and decides if it’s a good match for the stallion. They want the mares to produce the best horses, so he finds the right fit for the stallion or denies the request if there isn’t a good fit.

Then, he keeps up with the offspring of the stallions and promotes the race results on social media. During the various horse sales throughout the year, he also follows up with the offspring to look at their track performances and confirmation (physical structure). The past few years, he’s also started buying and selling horses for clients as well.

Travis is always working. Always. He loves what he does. I have never met anyone who looks forward to going to work every single day more than he does.

Did you know?

All horses turn one on January 1st. So, you want a horse to be born in January if possible. (There is breeding season to ensure that they are born in January/February)
Three year olds run the Kentucky Derby hence why it’s important to have an “older” three-year-old by May.
The Triple Crown of racing starts with the Kentucky Derby (in Louisville on the first Saturday in May), followed by the Preakness Stakes (in Maryland), and the Belmont Stakes (in New York).

I’ve learned a lot through the years, but still always have many questions for Trav!

Keeneland:

Now, on to a more exciting topic: Keeneland.

When people think of Kentucky, they often think of horse racing and Churchill Down because of the Derby. When my family would visit after I first moved here, they’d want to visit Churchill, but I will tell anyone who will listen that Keeneland is the place to be. Churchill is much more commercialized, whereas Keeneland is picturesque and just so special.

A few facts about Keeneland:

It’s located in the Horse Capital of the World, Keeneland.
The horses only run twice a year: the fall meet in October and the spring meet in April.
They have tours and people also come to watch the horses’ morning workouts.
There’s a Keeneland Kids Club with various events like Easter egg hunt and Sunrise Trackside with activities and breakfast.
Their corned beef sandwich is my favorite!
No racing on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Keeneland’s mascot is Buckles.

When visiting Keeneland:

You often need to buy tickets in advance, especially on Friday and Saturdays.
Keeneland is family friendly, and many bring their kids out especially on Sundays.
“The hill” is the hotspot for tailgating. There’s a jumbo tv, food trucks, and betting. (Some people hang on the hill and never even enter the track)

Seating:

As far as the different seating areas…well, I think I’ve experienced close to all of them. Of course, I’m lucky to have Travis who can get his hands on some pretty great tickets somewhat easily, but we always have fun wherever we sit.

General Admission:

General admission and reserved Grandstand tickets are where most people sit.

General admission is fun if you can get close to track. We’ve been bringing the kids since they were little.

Hayden’s horse lost by a nose!

Keeneland is always a fun place to hang with friends: both big and small!

Grandstand tickets are under cover which is a bonus.

Also, in the Grandstand, many companies and farms have reserved boxes. If it’s sunny, a parasol can be provided! (hashtag: how southern!)

When your dad picks you up from school but needs to watch a couple of races….you get to hang out in the box!

We typically get Clubhouse tickets through Trav’s work, and it does seem like you have to “know someone” to get those tickets or be a club member.

There is a dress code for the Clubhouse: coat and tie for guys and no denim.

Clubhouse tickets are nice because it’s less crowded which means shorter lines for food, drinks, and the restroom. The Clubhouse has multiple levels and passes, and I feel like we’ve “done it all” through the years.

On the main floor, there are tables that aren’t reserved, both inside and outside. Once someone claims one, it’s probably theirs for the day.

(Forgive the photo quality – 2012 pic!), but the white tables and chairs options for outside seating if you can snag one!

Last spring, Travis and I had a great day hanging out in the sunshine on a Friday afternoon. (Spring 2021 had very limited ticket availability for the spring meet due to Covid)

More Clubhouse pics through the years…

The 4th floor has suites…

The 4th floor also has other dining rooms like the Phoenix room, Lexington room and Equestrian room where there are full dining menus and betting.

On Saturday, we were blessed to hang out in the Stakes Lounge on the 4th floor. Travis has been everywhere in Keeneland and he even said, “I didn’t know this room existed.”

A horse trainer couldn’t use his tickets and gave them to Trav. It was actually a smaller room with a couch and chairs as well as some high top tables and about ten tables of four seats. There was a buffet of food and a private bar and restrooms.

The roof top view was so pretty!

We had some friends who were available to go with us which was such an added bonus. As busy as everyone is, the Saturday before Easter apparently means no kids sports!

The Keeneland Bloody Mary can’t be beat!

We stayed until the second to last race, and it was a great day!

Through the years, as Travis has gained more responsibility at work, he really does end up at Keeneland a bit more than he used to. Sometimes, he gets an eyeroll from me 😆,but he has clients who have horses running or may be interested in buying a horse. Also, the stallions at his farm have horses running as well. How those horses perform certainly impacts the stud fee of the stallions who stand at the farm.

It’s not lost on me what a privilege it is to get to experience Keeneland whether it’s from the green benches in general admission or on the top floor with a view of the entire track. It’s always a magical experience spending the day at Keeneland.

While I’m sharing about Keeneland, it’s also worth sharing about the Horse Country farm tours. Much like the Bourbon Trail tours, there are so many farms you can tour as well. There’s actually a Horse Country passport to collect stamps from all the farms you visit. You’d think all horse farms are alike, but they aren’t. There’s so much history, and each one provides such a unique experience.

I hope you’ve enjoyed a little peek at one of the best things Kentucky has to offer: Keeneland. Let me know if you have any questions!

See you back here on Thursday.