Journal entry 19- Gallop and trot
Late fall and early winter saw me riding Santa Monica more. We were starting to gallop and trot. It was a bumpy and not so graceful ride, not to mention my bum got saddle sore.
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Journal entry 20- Gift giving day and Birthdays
And before I knew it, it was gift giving day. I’d eagerly been awaiting this day. I had a nice new dress to show off at the party and I’d done my hair in a fancy top knot with a bow.
Mom has been cooking up a storm all fall and winter and had actually packed on quite a few pounds. She still looks beautiful to me though, although she has been grumbling about her wait. I told her that it was ok, this usually happens during this time of the year and that there was always spring. I think she wanted to kill me.
Before the gift giving started, I was able to steal a kiss under the mistletoe with Ethan. My first ever! I’d seen mom and dad do it, but had never attempted it before. finally it was my turn.
Dare I say this was the moment that I fell head over heels in love with Ethan. There was no gift better than THAT kiss for me this year. For me the kiss was everything, however I don’t think Connecticut was too thrilled about it. He thinks I’m too young to be so infatuated (that’s the word he used not me) with Ethan. The nerve, considering he grew up, turned real, and married his IF turned real Cosmo! He even tried to talk to Ethan about our relationship; he like me wasn’t even trying to hear it.
This of course resulted in Ethan switching seats, and Connecticut eyeballing us the rest of the evening. If mom and dad haven’t gotten on my case, where does he get the right to. He’s my brother not my father!
Other than that minor hiccup the rest of the party went off without a hitch
The pinnacle of the knight arrived when Bristol celebrated her birthday!
She aged up to be quite a pretty young lady. She looks so much like my brother and her biological grandfather. No evidence of her mother at all. As a matter of fact, non of the kids look like Cosmo at all.
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Chapter 21-Winter Break
So all of winter break guess you stayed with us? Yep how did you guess…Bristol, Avon and Ashford. But now with Quilt in the guest room we had to get real creative with sleeping arrangements. The boys shared a room, with coin flips to see who would spend the night in the sleeping bag who got the bed. Rado is nice like that, giving up his bed for his nephew.
Bristol slept with me of course.
And Avon kinda slept wherever. Sometimes she slept with my mom while dad slept in the rocking chair, or she slept in Quilt’s bed. She is mom and dad’s favorite so she pretty much gets whatever she wants.
My favorite thing to do during winter is ice skate. Whether it is on a pond or on a rink I love to ice skate.
By now you would think Bristol would be a pro at ice skating, but nooo she’s just as green as she was as a child.
and Avon is just getting her skating legs
I tried spinning with Avon and we both ended up falling; me on my face and Avon on her butt.
Ashford prefers to snowboard like my brothers Rado and Conn and my dad and uncle Alaska before him. Come to think of it I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ashford ice skate.
Mom finally agreed to teach me how to drive. Maybe me graduating soon had something to do with it. But no matter her decision, I was happy to finally get behind the wheel of her SUV.
The best part about having my nieces and nephew around is that 1) Rado and I get to prank them
and 2) its great fun to just all be together.
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Chapter 22- Love and death
The snow lasted well into the beginning of Spring this year. And with the arrival of Spring love was in the air for all.
Ethan aged up at the beginning of Spring and maybe I’m just biased but he’s more handsome as a Young Adult then as a teenager!
We look good together! 2 beautiful people. I’m lucky he’s all mine.
A new venue came into town this winter. An amusement park with a giant blue rollercoaster. Ethan took me on opening night. Admittedly I’d never ridden a rollercoaster before. I was very apprehensive, while Ethan was nonchalant about the whole thing. He’s been in AP his whole life just like me, so I don’t know where this cavalier attitude came from.
I don’t know what compelled me but I threw my hands up into the air with the first drop!
and every drop after that! it was the most exhilarating thing I’d ever done.
Shortly before love day we got the sad news that Aunt Mariah had passed. Reading through mom’s diary I knew how much Uncle A loved her. I’m glad a few weeks before she passed she, Uncle A, and Willow had come over for a visit.
We all went over to Uncle A’s to pay our respect. Mom primarily wanted to cook a meal for them and check on Uncle A, Willow and Fox Hollow. They seem to be doing well after her passing.
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By the time Spring warmed up you could catch all us States at the festival. Hunting for eggs
Rollerskating. Mom still has it. Actually she and I tried twirling together and fell.
Guess we don’t have it as good as we think we do.
In all the years we’d been going to the Spring festival I’d never seen my dad approach the kissing booth. However this year, there was a pretty dark skinned black woman in the booth and apparently my dad couldn’t resist. He just had to go get himself a kiss. My dad loves black women let me tell you!
By the end of that kiss she was wanting to marry my dad I’m sure. At least that’s the look that she had. When I told mom, she replied “now you see why I married him”. Eww, talk about TMI.
Avon, Ashford and I got our faces painted at the festival. This was like my first face painting where I wasn’t looking a hot mess afterwards
We stayed late into the night, dancing
and eating
and then we ate some more once we got home. It takes a lot of energy to have that much fun.
I went out to the festival again later that weekend with Ethan. Admittedly I was overdressed for the occasion, but I wanted to be pretty for him.
But you couldn’t tell me nothing. I was cute in my dress
Rado also went out with Faith. They are so cute together. They are going to have cute little brown babies.
With Ethan being white and my light complexion I don’t think our children will be brown at all. None of Conn’s are.
Speaking of Connecticut, Berlin is now toddler. I know Cosmo must be thrilled: after 4 children a child that finally looks like her.
She’s adorable. I love her maroon colored hair. Unique, like my blue hair.
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Chapter 23- Rain, sleet, hail or snow
At this point all of my free time has been taking up with bonding and training Santa Monica.
Rain won’t keep me away from her
We’ve also started to practice jumps. Granted our first few tries didn’t go so well
However, with repetition repetition, we’re starting to make progress
And I’ve gotten better at dismounting.
Mom and dad don’t know this yet but I’ve decided that I will become a jockey when after graduation. I won’t be going away to college. Can’t wait to see how THAT goes over.
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R.I.P. Aunt Mariah. You were loved. Uncle A really misses you.
Together in France
The State Legacy 