Good news- Fiona had her baby. Seriously I AM IN LOVE. Everything went really well, but of course we missed the birth by about an hour.
Very, very bad news- Our beloved Fiona died five days after giving birth. It was such a sad thing to watch. She had a very severe case of colic (where the insides get all twisted) and I had to call the vet to come put her down (Miah was out of town). The saddest part was watching the little filly snuggling her mom even after she passed......heart wrenching. It really was so terribly sad.
We loved Fiona. When Miah and his brother Adam starting getting into horses, Fiona was the first horse they got. Adam raised and trained her and eventually gave her to Angi as a gift. Angi and I took riding lessons on her, and since then she is the only horse that I have felt comfortable riding. We all had a special attachment to her and I felt so horrible calling Adam and Ang (bawling) to ask them if we should put her down. She was in so much pain and Adam knew it was what we had to do.
The upside is that I have completely fallin' in Love with this adorable little baby (Little Fiona). If I ramble here, please excuse me, I am talking as a proud mother. She is the calmest, cutest thing I have ever seen. Since her mom died I have had to play the part. I have had the privilege of being able to feed her every two hours, which really means I have been out with her nonstop because it takes about an hour to get her to eat what she needs and by the time that feeding is over, it is time for the new one to begin. With Miah out of town, I had my mom come sleep over so that I could stay out with Little Fiona and she could sleep inside with my birth children.
The first night out with her was so sweet. I knew she had to be tired but she wouldn't lie down so I sat in the straw and sure enough about 15 seconds later she came and laid down right next to me and put her cute little muzzle on my lap. It really was so surreal. She is so sweet. My husband is loving it because I normally don't get too involved with all the horse stuff but now it's all I talk about, think about, dream about. I'm pretty much obsessed with her.
It is so nice to live in such a great neighborhood. When big Fiona got sick we had a bunch of neighbors out there helping. They were all sincerely concerned about little Fiona. I have had people volunteering to feed her through different hours of the night so I can get some rest. They all come and check on her and several have offered their barns for her.
Little Fiona now follows me around and I think that she thinks she is human. It is adorable. The kids sit on a stool in the stall while I feed her. Little Fiona often goes and licks Hudson and Hudson either kisses her or yells at her to leave him alone. She is part of the family and we adore her.
Angi- I thoroughly enjoyed the cow milking experience (or at least watching it) and am still upset I ruined our attempt at home made butter. Next time I won't use a whole gallon of salt:)
Imagine you and 11 of your friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay...more
Lots of laughs with these cute girls.
The girls giving Megan a cool down. She rocked it!
The dominator Lindsey. This girl is adorable. She yelled words of encouragement to everyone we passed. She had enough energy for the whole car. I loved it!
Amazing scenery! (If your one of the lucky ones that can take it in while your running.....I usually just have swear words going through my head:) 
The team. Fun, fun girls!
The Nelson family.
The groom and his gorgeous mom.
Finally we are sisters:)!
