September 12, 2025: Gratitude at the Barn and Adventures Abroad
This week’s Buzz is a little different, not only about Bee, but also about the people who make up our family and barn family.
While we were away, Bee was busy being spoiled at the barn. A huge thank you goes to our barn manager, Hayley, and her always-there, unpaid partner, Alicia, for the incredible care they gave my girl. Alicia went above and beyond, sending me photos and videos of Bee that eased the homesickness I was feeling.
I also want to acknowledge the owners of The Ponderosa for the constant work they put in to keep our horses safe and comfortable. From repairing the wash rack to resurfacing Bee’s stall this week, the effort does not go unnoticed. These improvements make a difference for both horses and humans alike, and it is deeply appreciated.
Alicia even shared a story that tugged on my heartstrings. Her husband Michael went up to feed their horse, Silver Doll, one afternoon, and Bee came running down the hill straight to his car, a silver car similar to the Jeep. She thought it was me. When she realized it was not, she turned away. Cue the tears on my end.
The sweetest moment of all came when I returned home. Me calling Bee, her ears flicking forward, and then she walked, trotted, and finally loped all the way up to me. You will even hear my embarrassingly high-pitched voice in the background, because in that moment I could not contain the joy. We have worked hard to build this bond, and it feels clear now that Bee feels it too.
Bee running to greet me home from a long trip abroad.
And now, about our trip…
The excuse for leaving Texas in late summer was the “Farmageddon” football game in Dublin between Kansas State and Iowa State. For us it was extra special because our youngest, Payton, is a graduate of both schools, with her undergrad in Animal Science from Iowa State and her DVM from K-State. Our middle daughter, Kristin, a Trinity College (Dublin) graduate with her Masters in Digital Marketing lives just outside Dublin in Swords, and our oldest, Jenna, and her husband, Matt, flew in to join us. It was Matt’s first trip abroad and we were happy to get to mark that milestone with him! Having all of our girls together made the adventure that much sweeter.
We stayed in Bray, a sleepy seaside town just south of Dublin that Kristin loves. Between adventures in Dublin before and after the game, we braved driving on the “wrong” side of both the car and the road (gulp) up to Northern Ireland. Highlights included Giant’s Causeway, Belfast, and the charming town of Carlingford. Jenna and Matt flew home from there with the help of a very talkative (dare I say cheeky) Irish driver while the rest of us carried on.
Next stop was Kilkenny, where we learned (and practiced) the correct pronunciation of Smithwick’s (“Smid-icks”) during their tasting experience. From there, we made our way back to Dublin for a flight to Brussels. A late arrival landed us in Bruges, a medieval city where we stayed in a palace-turned-hotel for three nights. We fell in love with Bruges, took a day trip to Gent, and then headed north.
In the Netherlands, Amsterdam became our home base. From there we day-tripped to Haarlem, Delft, Zaan, Den Helder, and Texel Island. Renting e-bikes on Texel was my personal highlight. Everyone rides bikes there, and it was pure joy to experience it together.
There are so many details I could add, but what mattered most was simply this: spending time with our girls. The fact that they still want to travel with us, laugh with us, and even let us tag along on their well-organized itineraries is something we consider the greatest gift of all. They were our tour guides, map readers, and clutch hitters, making sure we got where we needed to go.
For us, this trip was not just about the game or the places (though both were unforgettable). It was about family. And for that, we are deeply grateful.
The gallery below is a menagerie of pictures from our trip. They are in no semblance of an order. We took as many selfies as we could and any time I saw a horse I photographed it, alive or not! How many can you find?
