She was GREAT!!!!!!!!! She was so good, so good, so good. Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers!

The farrier is coming to do our horse's feet today. For some reason this horse has decided that she won't tolerate the farrier anymore. She had taken to falling down several times after the last visit. Praise the Lord that she isn't doing that anymore but I'm still afraid that she is going to be really awful. I've given her some calming paste (first time for this Smart Pak kind) so I pray that it helps. Please pray that the farrier will get the job done quickly and properly and that Night (our horse) will be good, from this time and all future visits. The farrier is coming between 12:00-12:30 today...we live in New York so it's soon! Thank you.

party foods? We're having a party for my daughter's 16th birthday. It is going to be sort of like an open house kind of thing on a Sunday afternoon. I don't like asking people to spend their afternoon at a birthday party so we're going to do a "stop in and say happy birthday and stay for a minute or stay for three hours!" kind of thing. So, we need to have a sort of "endless" supply of food for the three hours that the party will be held and since I don't have alot of money (single mom) I'm trying to find wonderful, low cost appetizer type things. We're going to have a turkey and make turkey sliders, some horrid sounding grape jelly/chili sauce dip with meatballs that my best friend says tastes great, bruscetta (that she's making not me!), deviled eggs, and a baked pasta (cheap but filling) and now I need some more low cost appetizer recipes. Thank you

I have two daughters (22 and 15) and they are awesome. truly I cannot say enough good about my girls. I am a single parent and have raised both of them basically on my own for their whole lives. I can only praise God for how well they have turned out. I will add that they are not perfect and between them, they fight more than I care to admit but when I compare (yes, I do compare) them to what they could be like....I say, bring on the sister fightfests as I will take these over drugs, sex, drinking, swearing any day of the week. My girls and I do everything together...my 15 year old is in public school and she actually would rather stay with me than go and do things with people from school. She says "I'm with them all week, why would I want to spend my weekends with them too"....oh what a breath of fresh air. My suggestion for you, if you are raising an up and coming teen, is to always try to have your child with you as much as possible, tell them about your growing up years and let them know how your life went and give them a hobby...not ten hobbies, but one that will teach them responsibility and sportsmanship, it will be the best thing you will ever do....well, besides introduce Jesus into your home that is!

Don't know a thing about gaited horses but was wondering what horse board(s) you go on! Always looking for more of those!

Neither have I read all six pages of responses but I doubt anyone said what I'm going to say! First of all, I applaud you for telling us about your son and the problems he's having. I'm getting really tired of hearing so many people (not so much on this board) say how perfect and great their kids are. Sorry, but I don't buy it for a second! I am SO sorry that you are going through this with your son and I have no advice because I have not gone through anything like this at all. Well, my daughter does lie. Your son sounds like he's pretty smart and he knows how to play the game he's playing (game is a terrible word to use here) and I think if he goes to counseling he is just going to lie to the counselor because he probably doesn't want to go so he's not going to try to help this guy help him. I do think putting him in school is a great idea (sorry people). It sounds like he has you, his mother, right where he wants you...where you are at your wits end with no idea of what to do next. He definately needs to be with other people and he definately needs to be with people (teachers) who know how to deal with this type of personality....on a daily basis. Homeschooling works for some but NOT for everyone. Your son is in a crisis (your family is in a crisis) right now and getting him out of the house daily is, in my opinion, what needs to be done. Thankfully he hasn't done anything really, really bad...and that may be because deep down, he is a coward and that's a good thing in this situation. So he wants to be a rock star drug addict....really....how many people actually succeed at this "dream"? Not many. He is going to grow up some day and look back on all of this and laugh....if you think about it, most of us went through stages similar to this...some of us less so, some of us more so but we all turned out pretty good I'd say. I will be praying for you and your family. It's in situations like this, when we have NO idea at all what to do, that we have NO other choice but to put it in God's hands. We know He loves your son more than you ever could and while it's breaking His heart to watch what is going on, He can and will fix it if we ask Him to. Please keep us posted and also, remember, there is nothing wrong with medication of that's what's needed. I know lots of people think medication is bad but I so don't agree with that. Heck, if the barn needs painting...then PAINT it.

Tap, Tap, Tap, thank you so very much. That sounds like what I might be feeling.

I would love if it were a migraine. I get those frequently but this one doesn't hurt like they do. This isn't really a headache pain...it's more of a....umm.....I really can't describe it, I mean, it's a pain but not sharp and hard but more achy and sore. Does that make any sense? I hope it does!

a couple of times now I've gotten this weird feeling in my head. It's only on one side and it's a pain (but not a sharp pain) that hurts when I move my eye. Sometimes it feels like it starts somewhere around my neck and goes to my eye but it doesn't hurt all the way from my neck to my eye, if you know what I mean. I don't want to worry about this as I'm very much a worrier but I can't figure out what this could be. I don't have any other symptoms like dizziness or blurred vision...except that yesterday my stomach felt really nauseous. The last time I had this was last week and it hurt when I would turn my head (hurt worse and more than this time) but it went away during the night. This time I've had it since yesterday and it didn't go away during the night. I've been taking generic ibuprofen and it's not helping. I'm prone to headaches but I wouldn't call this a headache...it really feels more like what arthritis would feel like....I guess kind of achy not "OUCH THAT HURTS" pain but it's there and it won't go away. Any ideas? I might mention that I think I'm starting menopause too as I've missed my last period and the one before this was late too. Thanks!

I guess I must have missed something and that there must be more to this story because I kind of feel like you guys are not being very nice. Please don't think I'm trying to be rude because I'm not. I guess that I'm sort of in the same situation as your SIL with my mom and dad. I have brothers and sisters-in-law who act like you do and it really bothers me, really, really bothers me and it hurts very, very much. I guess I look at it as these are our parents, we NEED to be there for them like they were there for us growing up. Do I expect you and your husband to go every time FIL goes to the ER? No, you could put more effort into it or at least act like you care, because it sounds like you don't and it also sounds like you think these people are a huge pain in the rear end and again, I think that's rude but that's just me. I dunno....I guess that I am the type of person who would be there for my mom and dad for whatever they need.

Oh my gosh, I almost spit my beets out of my mouth when I read about Springmama's daughter becoming lightheaded and faint. That is EXACTLY what my daughter would have said! Teenaged girls are really very funny in the drama department. My daughter always has dramatic episodes and I want to pee my pants laughing because she is totally serious when she tells me how she can't do this or that because of this or that! Good idea about the straightener though. Can you imagine? If these girls didn't straigthen their hair, I don't think we'd be able to tell them apart!

I work for a well known insurance company and with our company, if you call it in whether it's your fault or not...it will go against your insurance. I'm not saying that your rates will go up but it will be counted. I would wait for her to call it in and then when they call you to get your side of the story, you can show them the pictures. Having said all of that...I should say that if you were to call our office (as your agent) we would advise you to do what I just mentioned...if you called the 800 number for our company, it is going on your "record". Also, even though you think the piece of chipped paint was small (and I'm sure it was) you might be very surprised at how much it would cost to fix it.

My 15 year old daughter is the proud owner of a 12 year old Thoroughbred mare. This horse has become a part of our family, we love her so much. She also was given to us like Faithmanor's was. She came to us as an ex-race horse and my daughther has slowly brought her along to where she is today (jumping small fences). Night (that's her name!) is probably the sweetest horse in the world but sometimes I could send her to the meat market she makes me so angry. She has decided that she hate the farrier and she refuses to get on a trailer...well, she did refuse for awhile but her affection for food has proven stronger than her desire not to load! All we have to do is hold a bucket of grain in front of her and on she goes...hey...I'll take whatever I can to get her loaded! I'm going to go find some cute pictures and tell my daughter to load them on here for all of you to see the most beautiful mare in New York State!!!

I really like Tim. Glad you got to meet him.

It might not sound like a big deal to you because you know your child. Chances are, even if the school is a small one, the principal doesn't know your child very well and is, therefore, just doing his job. If he doesn't nip these kinds of things in the bud there's no telling what might slip through the cracks. I know you're mad at the guy, but let him do his job. Let him explain to you, in person or over the phone, why he is taking the stand that he is on this. There's no reason to get upset with him. What your son did was dumb plain and simple and because he did it, and it being wrong, he needs to take the punishment for it. Hopefully he will learn a lesson and never do something like this again or hopefully he'll think before wanting to do something like this again. My daughter is in PS and although I have no idea what the thing is that your kid is into (chulleleah or whatever it's called) but if your son went to my daughter's HS, I would want the principal to do exactly what he is doing. He needs to protect every person in that school and I believe that is exactly what he is doing.

My daughter started PS this year and is doing fine. I (because of the Lord) have raised her to be strong, confident and to know right from wrong. The school she goes to has issues (alot of them) and I have already been in twice to meet with the assistant principal and guidance counselor, not because of the other kids but because of a teacher who doesn't really care for my daughter. I know PS is not the perfect solution for her but neither was homeschooling. She is at an age where she needed and wanted more than what I could give her. She has NOT started to conform to these kids and their behavior. Like I said, she is a very strong child and people notice that about her. Yes, she's been ribbed because she doesn't swear, drink, smoke or have sex and they kid her because she texts ME during the day but she doesn't care what they say. I'm thankful that we've chosen this route...yes, I really am, because this girl wants to go to college (away from home, but not too far away) and I believe that the experiences she will encounter in HS will get her ready for what she will encounter when she goes to college. The world is going on all around us and though we all want to shelter our kids, (trust me, I am very overprotective) but I have to let my girls figure some things out for themselves. PS is not a great place to be but, if a child is raised properly, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Prayer is awesome and my daughter is covered every single day before she walks out the door.

Oh trust me...when they don't like you...they don't like you! My brother has one and when my daughter was about 8, this thing would grab her by the hair and try to pull her across the room. The dog also bit a hole in that same daughter's pajama pants once. I cannot STAND that JRT. Thankfully I have never met one like her since! The older one we have (the one with the problems) once bit my mom in the shin because there was a shadow on her leg. It was the funniest thing in the world! No really, it was, even though she didn't see it coming (my mom) she laughed too. Seriously, they will keep you smiling all day long. To say they can be a handful is an understatement but they are such fun. As with anything...human or animal...there are instances of bad breeding to be sure, I guess we just got "lucky" with the ones we have. Oh and I am totally a big dog lover. Little dogs scare me! My one Jack thinks she's a St. Bernard and will take on dogs 10 times her size....and they usually run away from her! :lol::lol::lol:

These posts are making me sad/mad. I think that JRT's are getting a bad rap on here. As with EVERYTHING(!) there are good and bad JRT's. I have two and while one of them can be a handful and has been through alot for a little dog, BOTH of my JRT's are a joy. They are very loyal and they are incredibly loving and funny as the day is long. My girls and I have learned to live with the "bad" things that the one does...the other one doesn't do ANYTHING wrong and I couldn't ask for a better dog. By the way, we live in a small two bedroom townhouse, not a large place with lots of room, and these dogs do just fine. Let me say that the older one, at one time, didn't like small children but she's over that now. They can be trained, trust me they can be. I know they have a huge prey instinct but that doesn't make them monsters. I can think of several reasons why I wouldn't want other breeds of dogs...or cats....or horses(!)...and I can understand why some people wouldn't want to own a JRT but truly, truly, they are ownable (is that a word) and loveable...given the chance. Thank you!!!!!

We have two female JRT's and while they are the greatest dogs in the world, they have issues! I'm sorry to say that if that girl chases the chickens, there is NO WAY you are going to get her to stop. She will chase them for miles until she gets them. Let me just tell you about my older female...so you can tell your friend... 1.) this dog was shot in the head with a be be gun...and lived. 2.) she was stuck in a ground hog hole for 10 hours one hot summer's day, had to call the fire department (3-4 departments came) and they had to used their special cameras to find her because she was so far under ground. She came out filled with dirt in her eyes and lungs...and she lived. 3.) last winter she got her throat ripped apart by what we think was a wild animal. The vet said it was the WORST injury he had ever seen. She had surgery...and lived. 4.) She has cataracts and allergies (or something) really bad and can barely breathe sometimes but she is a spit fire. 5.) We "had" a guinea pig before we got this dog (she is a rescue needless to say) and now the guinea pig lives at my mom's and dad's house, because this dog would kill her. (She already killed one that lived where she used to live). 6.) She has an obsession with licking...my legs, the wall. 7.) She LOVES to chase shadows....there is nothing better in her world than a shadow and she would literally chase them all.day.long! She has to stay on a leash for walks as she would take off after ANYTHING on four (or two) legs and she gets into the garbage as soon as we leave the house (and our bags if we leave food in them). Now....having said all of that.... our other JRT (the daughter of the above mentioned) is PERFECT! She is the best dog I have EVER had. She is so sweet, couldn't care less about the guinea pig, or squirrels or other dogs or anything....except for her ball. She LOVES her ball(s) and will expect us to throw them for hours. Don't think I'm kidding. If they get stuck under the t.v. cabinet or couch or behind the couch or anywhere where she can't get them, she will lay there for hours expecting someone to get them for her or she might think they are going to come out on there own. She will wimper sometimes but she doesn't move until she has one in her mouth. I often mention to my girls that they should have the same work ethic! This breed is loyal as the day is long, but they are definately high maintainence (some of them).

We've been getting them almost every day this week too. My daughter who is 15 doesn't drink enough fluids so I think that might be causing hers, as well as stress (she's in public school and gets very anxious about her grades and tests). I also think it's the weather.

So sad. Maybe you could ask the barn owner if you can buy a plant or something to plant in the pony's name. We've done things like that before. Maybe you could buy a pretty rose bush or something.

We have had guinea pigs for several years. We have one left now (and she will be the last one we get because my girls are 22 and 15)! They are, hands down, the best pets (IMO) for little kids. I do agree though that they need a friend...at least all of ours did and this last one seems lonely since her room mate died. I get confused about the hay thing too that's why I have never given our pigs hay. Trust me, they have ALL lived to over 5 years old so I don't think it's absolutely necessary, as long as they are supplemented with other things, which ours always have been. There is a website called caviesgalore.com and those people are very knowledgable about them. I would try to convince your husband to get another one. It's really not more work since they will both be in the same cage. Here are two pieces of advice for you though. 1.) Never, ever, ever, put your pig in the sun outside, they will die incredibly quickly. We learned that the hard way (the sun wasn't even out and we put her out on the back deck (under the deck awning) and by the end of the nice day, the sun was just at the corner of her cage and she died. It was heartbreaking, so, so sad and I will never forget it. 2.) We use pellet bedding in our cages instead of shavings or straw. The shavings and straw get wet and smelly after a day or two, not to mention how messy they are. With the pellet bedding, we only have to clean the cage once a month (with one pig) and it doesn't smell at all. I really encourage you to find it and it is way cheaper.

That happens to me too! I just tell whoever is IMing my girls, that it's me "checking their facebooks". No big deal and I want them (their friends) to know that I check them!

is raw vinegar the same as natural vinegar? What is raw vinegar anyway? Thanks!

Why dont' you want to friend her? Is it because she's living with your brother and they're not married? Maybe if you filled us in on why you're hesitating, then we can give you suggestions! Also, if you friend someone and then defriend them...they will know!