Bad blogger!

I've been a bad blogger lately. Sorry about that - it isn't all my fault. I left for the mini-ranch at 7 am on Wednesday and didn't get back until Friday afternoon. Then I was too tired to update for a while, and then things got busy. Oh well. I've been having fun. :)

The mini-ranch was very fun! I got there just in time for the first horseback riding ever. Mom, Dad, the Pous, and I muddled through the saddling process just fine. Montana Tim is a dark bay with a few white spots, and Story (her registered Quarterhorse name is "Doc's Storytime") is a lighter bay with one white back foot. You can see a few pictures of the horses here. They're both about 20 years old, but they seem to be in good shape and are totally ride-able. I rode four different times while I was there, utilizing both horses. And they are both incredibly sweet. They will both walk up to you and nuzzle you, and Story even licked my arm once. I've never encountered more affectionate horses. I had a really good time at the ranch with Mom and Dad on Wednesday, as well as getting to spend lots of time with Robert and Cindy. After lunch on Thursday, Dad had to return to Dallas, but I convinced Emily to come down and spend the night (it didn't take much persuading). We had lake time at the Pou beach in the afternoon and rode in the evening. We tested out the horses speed and discovered that age doesn't prevent the horses from trotting and cantering, luckily. Then Mom made us a scrumptious dinner of Cornish game hen and we piled on the couch to watch Beauty and the Beast. In the morning, Mom and Em rode down the street to the Pous while I walked along with Murphy. On our way back we stopped by the Lockes' lakehouse to say hello to Claude's sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren who were there for the weekend. The horses (and Murphy) were a big hit with the kids. Then it was time to pack up and head back to reality.

Yesterday I did a lot of organizing, managing to get the boxes out of the hallway, the guest bedroom uncluttered, and both closets in better working order. In the evening, Matt and I went to Noodles & Company and then came back to watch the beginning of the USC-VT game (okay, he watched and I flipped through a Brides Magazine). Around nine, we went to the HP game up at SMU with Mom and Dad. We saw the second and half of the third quarter. The highlight was halftime, and it was very cool being at the SMU stadium - the HP fans had almost our whole side full (of course, few of the people in the stands were actually watching the game, but still...). We left early to rest up for today.

Today was our engagement party at Amore, hosted by our parents. The guest list included about 50 of the parents' friends and family, as well as Jeff and Brittany (the other "kids" there being Emily, Luke, and us). It was fun, the food was great, as was the music (Matt and I made Phish CDs for the occasion), and it was good to see everyone. Oh, and to answer Taylor's question, I wore a pink sweater set (I know, shocker - I was trying to look feminine) and a maroon silk skirt that hit just below the knee from The Gap. After the party, Matt and I went to see Garden State at the Magnolia, which I really enjoyed. Then we ate dinner at his house and watched Hook on ABC Family. :) There, now we're all caught up. I can't believe A&M starts tomorrow. I can't believe it is starting without me. Maybe that means it'll actually start sinking in that I have graduated. Maybe.