This week was a good one, but it’s always good to see Friday!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Trav and I found some time to make it to Keeneland for the fall meet.
I’m usually lucky to go to the races once a meet, but Travis pops in a lot for work. He actually had a TV interview, so he needed to go for that…
…and I tagged along.
We made our way over to the Clubhouse and saw many of our friends. It was a lovely day at the track, and it was nice to watch up with them.
Saturday night, we sat on our back patio and flipped back and forth between the UK game and the Mizzou game. My Tigers won…but unfortunately for the CATS fans in our house, UK lost. Both games went into overtime which made for a late night. The weather was nice, so I’m glad we sat outside for a few hours.
Sunday was a rainy day which was honestly a favorite. I watched one of my favorite movies…
…while Hadley baked “6-7” cookies. If you have teens, you know “6-7” is all the rage! It literally means nothing, but the kids are always saying it…just Google it or find an Instagram reel, and you’ll have your answer of how it came about…but why it’s stuck around so long or is all the rage, I’m not sure.
Pumpkin cold brew hit the spot on Friday. I hope to get another one this weekend.
A few school faves…
One of my friends has been sharing her seasonal agenda slides, and they are so fun.
During my planning or while my students are working, I like to put up a You Tube seasonal background with instrumental music. Fall and winter are the best background, in my opinion.
Speaking of school, my Adv. English 1 students mapped Odysseus’s travels in part 1 of the text, and they did such a good job. I did this assignment last year too, and it’s one I will keep in the rotation for sure.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Why do I feel this one so deeply?!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
With Keeneland’s October meet wrapping up, I’m sharing this pic which has always been a favorite. Let’s just say Hayden’s horse lost the race…and Hadley’s probably won! haha
Wow! I feel like this week crept by. On Tuesday, I said, “How is it only Tuesday?”…and then I said the same thing on Wednesday!
Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Since last Friday, I recapped our fall break Florida trip, I have few pictures of favorites from last week as well as from this week too.
Hadley’s volleyball season wrapped up last week. They had such a great season and finished third in the city tournament. Then, they had one more home game and won it to cap off the season.
It’s hard to believe her first high school season is over, but it was a good one. She also had a lot of amazing older varsity players to look up to, and senior night was fun to watch.
Trav’s brother came and snapped a few pics, and I love the action shots.
She has a little break before club season starts.
The cross country season is still going on. Right now, just the runners who are running at the region and state meet these next two weekends have been practicing, but last Thursday, the whole team met up to run through a neighborhood and look at the Halloween decorations and lights.
I’d say that’s a fun way to do a workout!
Friday night, we went to our school’s soccer game. It was a beautiful night, and they won the region game.
Saturday night, the kids went to “Fright Night” and had a great time. Hayden was there too…but he does a great job dodging photos. haha
On Sunday, Hadley was all dressed up…
…to celebrate her friend’s birthday. This is such a sweet group of girls.
Our front yard tree’s leaves finally changed colors.
She’s a beaut but missing her friend…
I was very happy about some chocolate cake on Monday!
Travis and I were able to spend some time at Keeneland this week was nice! The fall meet ends tomorrow, so I was glad to go there for a bit before the season ends.
The second horse is by one of his farm’s stallions…and she tied for second in this race.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This couldn’t be more true…
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
Whenever I think of Keeneland, I think of this sweet memory…The kids were cheering for a horse, and I guess the horse lost…by a nose!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
How was your week? Ours was good, but I think the end of the school year fatigue is setting in!
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Track meets!
Friday night, Hayden ran in a very competitive mile race in Louisville during the Eastern Relays meet.
Hayden came in 3rd with a PR for the mile.
Since I wasn’t there, and Travis is too busy cheering/coaching him, I loved seeing some professional photos of the race.
Hayden sent me this pic which made me smile.
While Travis was with Hayden in Louisville, Hadley was running in a meet in Lexington. She ran the 400 and had a PR as well as the 4×200 which had a state qualifying time. The Friday night track meets can go past 10:00, so we were happy she was finished running by 8:30.
On Monday night, she ran the 100m dash for the first time ever, and won her heat and came in 3rd overall. She was happy with that run.
Over the weekend, she had a volleyball tournament. Her coach had her play libero for the first time, and Hadley was excited for that opportunity. She typically plays back row, but the libero can be subbed in and out with more freedom and gets to play a bit more.
Her team saw some tough competition, but still made it to the gold bracket. They had a fun weekend.
I saw this on Facebook, and loved it. What a cute idea for a book display this time of the year.
My trusty slow cooker that I’ve had for years had to be replaced. The insert cracked quite a while ago, but it was finally time for a new one. I ordered this one for Drew Barrymore’s Walmart line, and so far I like it.
I drink a few protein shakes a week, and I usually stick with the Premier Protein brand. We’ve tried Core Power recently, and the kids like it too. Honestly, the chocolate tastes like chocolate milk…so good, so we ordered a couple of packs from Amazon since our Kroger doesn’t always have it.
Travis and I were able to get to Keeneland yesterday afternoon which was nice. The temps were cool, but the sun was shining…and he “broke even” on the day which is a win in my book. 😆
Remember the Lego flowers I gave Hadley for Valentine’s Day because she thought they’d be cute in her room?! Turns out…Hadley doesn’t like putting the Lego flowers together. My mom saved the day. The bouquet turned out really cute.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Well, this one doesn’t make me laugh…but it is relatable. *sigh*
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
This pic from 2014 has always been a fave. Hadley having no boundaries…and Hayden wishing she had some!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
This week really flew by for me. I’ll take it considering Halloween was on a Tuesday. That should never be a thing!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are my favorites from the week:
I took the day off last Friday because we had friends coming into town to go to Keeneland.
I really like the corduroy dress that I got from SSYS a couple of months ago. I wore it with the suede boots that I got on clearance from Target at the end of last winter.
The weather was overcast and blustery, but we had a good time.
We had a table in the clubhouse, so we were mostly out of the elements. It was nice to step outside and watch the races when we wanted to and walk around the paddock.
Afterwards, we went to dinner with other friends who could join us.
It was a long day and a late night, but we had fun with our friends.
Last weekend, Hadley went to Great Wolf Lodge with the Young Life school group, and she had a blast. This is the third year she’s gone, and she always comes back with so many fun stories and wonderful memories.
We carved pumpkins on Sunday evening which is a favorite tradition…at least for me!
The kids had lots of fun trick-or-treating despite the freezing temps.
On Wednesday, Travis had the end of season cross country banquet. We were able to cater in food from a nice local restaurant, and Travis talked about each of the runners. Of course, the kids loved the dessert too. It was nice to get together to celebrate all of the runners.
I can’t believe this is Hayden’s last middle school cross country season.
School volleyball officially started this week. We’ve had fun watching Hadley and her teammates play.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This is 100% Hadley!! Hayden mostly just leaves his clothes on the floor…lol
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday :
This little graphic popped up in my Facebook memories, and I could add a current photo. I thought it was a fun side by side for comparison.
I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday to share…
…a recap of our weekend.
Here’s what we were up to this weekend…
I had a few errands to run after school on Friday. Hadley had an after school activity, so after I picked Hayden up, I dropped him off at home and went to Ulta. All I needed was shampoo, so that was a quick stop.
Then, I headed to Trader Joe’s for a few things like flowers, bagels, chips and more.
When I got home, I unpacked and then trimmed my tulips and put them in the vases.
I checked in with Hayden and had a few minutes for an after school snack. I sat on the front porch before going to get Hadley.
Both kids wanted to go to two different sporting events to cheer on their friends. Real talk: I wanted to stay home…haha
That being said, the weather was lovely, and I figured we should take advantage of a free Friday night. Travis and Hayden went to the lacrosse game while Hadley and I went to softball and baseball. These middle schoolers are “playing up” for the high school teams which is my school. So, it was fun for me to see some kids I know as well as the kids’ friends. We watched the varsity softball game followed by the 9th grade baseball game.
Fun fact about me: if a corn dog is on the menu, I’m getting it!
We left the ball fields around 8:30, and Hadley wanted Fazolis for dinner. We were home around 9:00, and Travis and I watched a bit of American Idol. We were a few episodes behind. Around 10:30, we all went to bed, but I read for a few minutes before dozing off.
Saturday morning, I was up around 7:30. I enjoyed my coffee while watching more Idol. I also finished up my grocery list.
After that, I made the bed, washed my face, and headed to the basement for a leg day workout!
Travis and Hadley went to the track to get a workout in. Hayden is currently nursing an injury from the track meet the other day. He hurt himself on the long jump. Ugh. He had to sit out of Wednesday’s meet. Hopefully, he will be back in action soon.
One of my favorite Bodi (Beach body) programs is 21 Day Fix, so I did the lower body workout.
Then, I freshened up a bit to take Hayden for haircut.
Pardon the dusty mirror, but I ordered this quilted top from Shop Style Your Senses over spring break, and this is the third time I’ve worn it. It’s perfect to wear with leggings and especially right after a workout.
After Hayden’s haircut (no pic–y’all know –teenage boys!), we came home, and I changed out my door hanger. In April and May, this jockey silk is my fave to put on the door for Keeneland and then Oaks/Derby.
I made my favorite lunch: avocado toast with egg.
Then, I talked to my mom on the phone, showered, and then talked to my dad on the phone before getting ready for Keeneland.
Teenagers are the best at taking photos…I love this one of Travis and me ready for the races. (thanks to Hadley!)
We had club house tickets, but we walked around a bit and ended up sitting in a box with one of Trav’s friends. It was a HOT day at the track. I’m not complaining…I enjoyed the sunshine for sure.
For the last race, we walked back to the clubhouse area and stood at the rail, so we could make a quick exit to beat traffic. It was a nice “day date” with T-rav.
Once we got home, the kids were hungry, so we went to a fave Mexican restaurant for dinner.
We got home around 8:00, I showered and did a few things around the house. Then, I watched a couple of episodes of King of Queens before bed. It was a great Saturday.
I slept solidly from 10:30-8 (yay!)
I got my coffee and finished reading this book. It was so good, and I highly recommend it!
Then, Travis and I watched more American Idol. Can you tell we were very behind? 😆We wanted to get caught up before Sunday’s live performances.
Then, it was time for my Kroger pick up. I went in Kroger for a gift card and a couple of other things. After we unpacked the groceries, I started some laundry.
Travis and the kids went to the gym. While they were gone, I took a few minutes to pull out a few things from my closet that I didn’t wear this winter, so that I could donate them. Then, I put up my Easter decorations…
….and changed out my cute little ceramic house for my cute little ceramic jockey silk.
Then, I sat on the front porch, and called my Gma. The weather was overcast and so much cooler, but the fresh air was nice.
During that time, Hayden got picked up for a birthday party, and I ate some leftovers for lunch and worked on this blog post.
Before picking up Hayden and his friends, I made a quick stop at Target. Hadley and Travis went out to Keeneland to watch a few races.
Once I got home, I thought about taking a nap, but decided to watch Part 1 (of 2) of Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. I only have one word for part one: whoa
Usually on Sundays I don’t workout, but this week will be busy, so I figured I’d at least go for a walk. My friend had asked to borrow my book, so I walked it over to her house.
I walked for about 30 minutes. Then, when I got home, it was time for dinner.
Trav grilled out burgers and hotdogs. During dinner, I told the kids that thirteen years ago on April 16, I found out I was pregnant with them. I didn’t know it was twins yet though. (haha!)
Then, it was time to get ready for the week ahead, shower, and finish up this post. We ended the evening with….American Idol. Glad we got caught up in time to start voting!
Shew! That was quite the weekend for sure, but it was a good one!
With our non-stop activities and going in a million different directions, we seem to have to “schedule” in the fun things.
One of the best things about October in Lexington is Keeneland. There’s no place like it in the fall.
Pre-kids, we’d go with friends a few times a meet and even tailgate beforehand…and go to dinner after! Obviously, life is more hectic now, but I like to go to the races at least once in the fall and the spring. It’s always fun to bump into friends and people that you know. Travis is there quite a bit for work, and sometimes I will tag along. When the kids were in elementary school, he’d usually pick them up once or twice and take them for the last few races. It’s just a fun thing to do especially when the weather is nice!
I shared a post all about Keeneland last spring…and here are a few pics with the kids…
…through the years…
and now…
We were able to go to the last few races on Friday, and I’m so glad we made it work!
The first race we were there, Travis had the kids each choose a horse, and he placed a trifecta bet…
…and they WON!
Hadley actually had winners in almost every race…and they hit another trifecta too. Hadley said, “This is easy!” {follow us for more parenting tips…}
Keeneland has great food and some great people watching too.
We had a really great afternoon. While it was a short visit to Keeneland, it was a good one!
Other weekend fun:
On Sunday, Hadley helped me put out the cobwebs, spiders and skeletons.
Then, the kids carved their pumpkins. I will say that while it’s bittersweet how quickly they are growing up, I’m not mad about the fact they can carve their own pumpkins!
They both had a “vision” and executed the plan. I love this tradition, and I hope we can do it every year.
When I shared my Pumpkin Everythingpost a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I wanted to try the Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Cake that I’d saved on Pinterest.
I added the ingredients to my Clicklist order this weekend, and made the cake on Sunday.
Hello {Monday!} How was your weekend? I’m telling you…it was either 0 or 100 around here these past few days.
I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah to recap my weekend for Hello Monday!
Let me take you back to Friday…
When I tell you that Friday was crazy busy, it was so busy that it was basically planned hour by hour (sometimes by the minutes!)
Months ago, a friend let us know about a surprise party she was planning for her husband with an afternoon at Keeneland, dinner, and then drinks at a favorite bar. Well, I knew Hayden would probably have track meet in the evening and that Hadley had a dance competition that weekend, but I figured we’d at least be good for the afternoon at Keeneland, but the dance competition threw a wrench in those plans. (more on that in a minute)
I will say that I can’t complain because Friday started with a day off for me.
Once the kids were at school, Travis and I tried out a new place in town for brunch. Biscuit Belly was so good!
Dance competitions start on Fridays, but Hadley has always danced on Saturday or Sunday. Well, her small group was scheduled to dance at 5:25 on Friday…in Louisville!
I almost skipped Keeneland, but we had friends coming in from out of town who we rarely see. So, I decided to go to Keeneland for a bit before getting Hadley from school.
The weather was great, and I got about an hour and a half at the track, and was able to see a few friends from near and far.
Then, I picked up Hadley from school, came home to change and get her dance stuff. We stopped at Chick-fil-A because I wasn’t sure when she would get to eat! We hustled as fast as we could out of town and arrived about 40 minutes before her first group performance. I was a little stressed until we were on the highway, and I knew traffic would be ok.
Meanwhile, back at Keeneland… Travis was on a Zoom call from a kindergarten class in California! I told you…he never stops working 😉 One of his client’s kids had to do a presentation about Kentucky, and Travis reported live from the track, and let them watch the 6th race. How fun is that?
Hadley’s small group jazz performance did an awesome job. Then, there was about two hours in between the two dances, so the moms and I walked to a local bar/restaurant for a bite to eat.
We made it back in time to see the large musical theater routine, and the entire group knocked it out of the park.
The awards weren’t until later, so I headed back to Lexington to catch up with Travis and our friends while Hadley got a ride home later. {Travis had been with Hayden at his track meet, and I arrived back to Lexington around 10:00 which was when Travis and Hayden were finished with track. (No photos, but Hayden ran six seconds faster in the mile this week. He was really pleased with his performance.)}
Hadley was texting me telling me about the awards they’d won. They scored platinum and platinum plus in their two routines and won other awards like best choreography, a golden ticket, and the large musical theater performance earned first place overall.
She was soooo happy. This competition season has had its ups and downs, and they really did finish strong. I was so happy for her!
12:30 am and still smiling
I was bummed to miss out on the awards ceremony, but it was great to hang with our friends for a couple of hours before I picked Hadley up at 12:15. It was 1:00 before we were all in bed. Shew! What a day!
I slept until 8:30, and had a very slow morning. Hayden slept until 10, and I woke Hadley at 11. I know we all needed the extra rest, but Hadley woke up not feeling well (again). I’m assuming the very busy Friday caught up with her and strep really did knock her out earlier in the week.
Around lunchtime, I ran some errands and then went to the gym for a workout. I usually do my workouts at home, but I do love the elliptical, so I’ve tried to make that my Saturday workout when I can.
I came home and had some lunch. Then, I tidied up the house a bit and took a quick nap. Hadley still wasn’t feeling well and napped off and on all day. Honestly, you know Hadley isn’t 100% if she naps! She’s been that way since she was little…hardly slows down, so when she does, you know she must need some rest.
I actually drove to Richmond (about 30 minutes away) to check out a boutique. They handed me a watermelon mimosa upon arrival, and I wasn’t mad about it! I was looking for a dress for Oaks, but didn’t find anything I loved.
Once I got back to Lexington, I made a grocery list while Hadley napped again. Then, I had time to read for a bit and then shower.
Hadley woke up, and I made her a grilled cheese. It was the first thing she’d eaten all day. We got carryout dinner for the rest of us from Drakes.
I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Rice bowl, and it hit the spot.
Then, we all watched our “April family movie” #forcedfamilyfun
We chose (the newer) Adventures in Babysitting, and it was cute.
Everyone was in bed around 10!
Travis was up at 4:00 to head to Churchill Downs to watch Epicenter run. (He’s running in the Derby and is connected to Trav’s farm). Thankfully, I didn’t hear Travis get up that early, and I slept until 8. Then, I placed our Kroger Clicklist order, drank coffee and caught up on some of my blog reading.
Then, I caught up on some of my shows for a bit. Travis got home around 10:30, and I woke the kids up a 11! My kids have always been great sleepers, but I know they were extra tired and needed the rest.
We started laundry and then, I had lunch. This is the second Sunday I’ve made myself a “one eyed sailor” (What do you call it? I know there are other names) and had some apples.
Then, I went to Trader Joe’s to pick up produce items, flowers, and a few other things.
I came home and put the clean sheets on the bed, read my book for a bit with the Royals game on in the background. Well, again, I was tired…I only read a few pages before dozing off.
If you can’t tell, I love naps.
Then, I did all the things for dinner including meal prepping a few lunches and cutting up veggies for the week.
We had dinner outside which was so nice.
After dinner, Hadley iced the Trader Joe’s lemon cake that I made.
Then, it was time for the kids to study for their vocab test, I took a shower, and we ended the weekend watching American Idol.
It was such a great weekend.
{Before I go…a random note to my blogger friends…I read most of my blogs on my phone. For some reason, right now, I can’t comment using my Google account…even when I’ve logged off and back on. Then, if I try to comment using my URL, it says “invalid.” That only leaves me with commenting “anonymously,” and I don’t want to do that. So, I’m still reading so many of my favorite blogs…I’m just unable to comment unless I’m on my home computer which is rare. (If you have a Word Press blog, I read and comment on that app no problem) Anyway, I just know how much it means when people comment, so I wanted to let y’all know that I’m still reading them.}
Mondays can be hard, but we only have three left in the school year after today! Happy May!
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.
April 2011
Hayden’s horse lost by a nose!
October 2015
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.
ready for the races in 2018
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)
You always need a racing form
More Clubhouse pics through the years…
2015April 2018October 2018April 2021October 2021
The 4th floor has suites…
October 2010
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!
Hello and Happy Monday. How was your weekend? We had such an amazing one! Both Saturday and Sunday were super busy but in the best way!
I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday.
Here’s what we were up to this weekend:
Friday, right after school I took the kids to their annual checkups! Hayden has caught up to Hadley on height, but was still disappointed that she’s officially half an inch taller than him still. haha I keep telling him he will pass her one day!
After their appointment, we got ice cream, per tradition! Then, we picked one of Hadley’s friends who came over before I took both girls to a sleepover.
Then, I went to Target, Ulta and Oldy Navy while Hayden and Trav went to my school’s Varsity baseball game. After my errands, I picked up Jason’s Deli for dinner and watched an episode of Real Housewives OC. I enjoyed a little “me time” before they got home and then it was time for bed.
I actually slept in a bit on Saturday. Hadley was picked up pretty early from the sleepover (after getting only a few hours of sleep!) and then went to church to help with the pancake breakfast and Easter egg hunt for the younger kids. With the lack of sleep, I will give her credit for following through with her commitment to helping out.
After enjoying my coffee, I went to the gym to work out while Hayden had baseball practice.
Then, Travis and I went to Keeneland with some friends.
More on that tomorrow, but it ended up being a beautiful day, and we had the best time.
After the track, we came home and ordered carryout dinner. While Travis went to pick it up, I got everything set up for the kids to dye Easter eggs. I told them I will carry on this tradition until they are 18. Hadley said, “Well, what happens while we’re 19?!” I told her I’d be happy to have her dye eggs then too!
They did a great job, but always seem to end up fighting about who has dyed more eggs. You’d think it would be six each, but somehow one of them tends to end up dyeing one more! I’d make more eggs to dye, but I’m the only one who eats hardboiled eggs. 😉
They turned out so pretty.
Then, we watched some TV before bed. Guess who was the first in bed by 9:00….hint: the one who had two hours of sleep the night before!
Sunday, was, of course, Easter.
I woke up around 7:30, and then woke the kids around 9:00. I knew they needed to sleep in, but I also wanted to get in our Easter family time in the morning.
When they woke up, they found their Easter gifts and candy.
They each received clothes and a book. Hayden got another Gatorade bottle, and Hadley received some bracelets. Both seemed to love everything.
Then, it was time to find the eggs that were hidden (by the Easter Bunny?!)…which took two minutes!
Then, I made breakfast. I was going to make the cinnamon roll bunnies that I’d seen so many make, but that was a fail. Every time I tried to unroll the cinnamon roll, it fell apart. So, I pieced everything back together and just baked them in a pie plate like usual. I also scrambled some eggs and cut up some fruit.
Then it was time for church.
We enjoyed the lovely service, and then snapped a few photos. They looked so grown!
I always appreciate a family photo when we can get one.
Then, we went home to quickly change our clothes before heading to Elizabethtown to celebrate Easter with Trav’s extended family. It was good catching up with everyone, some of whom we hadn’t seen since Easter 2019.
We got back to Lexington around 6:00, and it was time to make a grocery list (because, again, I didn’t get my Clicklist order in for earlier in the weekend), do laundry and finish up this blog post. We had leftovers from Saturday night and wrapped up the weekend watching American Idol.
I hope you all had a blessed Easter. See you back here tomorrow.
Hello and Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had a super busy one, but it was great. I have so much to share, so here are the details in the Weekend Wrap Up.
I had a few errands after school on Friday before my friends came to town from St. Louis. My friend from college, her husband and another couple were coming to Lexington after making a few stops at distilleries on the Bourbon Trail.
They came over for a bit before we headed out to dinner at one of our favorite Lexington restaurants: OBC Kitchen. Hot off the Bourbon Trail, we took them to Old Bourbon Country Kitchen. 😆 . The bar is quite impressive!
The girls and I split a salad and ordered sushi! Afterwards, we got drinks at Drakes and had a great time catching up!
Saturday morning, my kids joined us and we met them at one of our favorite breakfast spots: Winchells.
Travis gave them a crash course in handicapping at breakfast. Then, we all freshened up and headed to …
Keeneland!
My friend, Leslie, had been with me to Keeneland a couple of times through the years, but her husband and friends had never been to the horse races. Well, we came out of the gate hot ….one of Trav’s clients had a horse in the first race who won! So, we ended up in the winner’s circle after only a few minutes at the track.
Unfortunately, our Saturday was pretty booked because Hayden had state cross country. Travis left after the second race. I hung with our friends a bit longer and showed them around Keeneland. I left after the fourth race to get to Hayden’s meet. Our friends stayed a few more hours and enjoyed their time at the track. The weather was beautiful, and they got the hang of betting! 😉
We had so much rain on Friday that we didn’t know how the course conditions for the cross country meet would be, but they were pretty good. Hayden ran a great race, and he was happy with his finish.
This is my favorite photo of the cross country season. Travis has been Hayden’s #1 supporter these past few years as his elementary coach, and continuing to work with him this year during his first middle school season. There are some mornings when Travis helps Hayden with workouts before school, and he certainly coached him during our couple weeks of quarantine.
We are always proud of his effort, but I know Hayden had to dig a bit deeper and push a bit harder while still feeling the lingering effects of Covid. Now, Hayden will continue to train with a running club the next few months.
Saturday night, we had our friends over for pizza and to watch football. It had been a long day, and, well, we aren’t 22 anymore! 😂
On Sunday morning, our friends stopped by with donuts, and then we headed to Trav’s farm, so he could give him a tour.
They saw some stallions,
some mares in foal, and some yearlings.
It was a beautiful morning, and Kentucky was showing off.
We’ve been friends for over 20 years!
They headed back to St. Louis, Travis stayed a work a bit longer, and I headed home.
Once I got everyone settled, I watched some Netflix. I read the book Maid last summer, and it it a book I will never forget. I was excited to start the series, and ended up binge watching three episodes throughout the day.
Then, I headed to Hayden’s basketball game. He’s had a handful of games so far this season, and this is the first one I’ve been able to attend. Shew–we’ve moved up to big boy basketball! It was fun watching them play, and Hayden did great.
Then, it was time to head home, have dinner, and help the kids finish up some school work! Now, we’re ready for the week.
I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the weekend! That being said, the weather was beautiful, and the company was even better!
Have a great week!
Linking up with Heather and others for Hello Monday.
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