I'm the kind of person who has to shower right when they wake up before they do anything. So before we walked over to his brothers house for gifts and presents I had to shower. We walked over there (two houses down), and the twins had already opened some of their presents and were having so much fun, and we immediately started joining in the fun! His family is the best! they were handing me gifts left and right! They got me pajama lounge pants with a matching scarf, a basket from Longaberger, Mike gave me a diamond heart necklace, and a few more fun gifts! It was the best Christmas ever! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!
I stayed in Kentucky until Jan. 1! It was so fun to be there for a week and celebrate Christmas and New Years with the best family ever!! :) (except mine of course).
During the week we had hit and miss with the things we wanted to do. Some of the things we wanted to do were not open during the holidays :( but luckily some of it was outside so we got to just walk around the grounds and look. We had a full, busy, fun week! We watched horses race, went to museums, hung out at the house, stayed up late, went to a Christmas light show at a horse track, went to the Kentucky Derby museum (Churchhill Downs) and got a tour of behind the scenes and track! I had a BLAST in Kentucky!!
Here are a ton of pictures from my stay; I'll try to explain as I go... :)
I made Mike and I matching stockings
This was my white Christmas
Boys...
we had fun being lazy
Daniel Boone and his Fort, just outside of Lexington, KY
I try to put Mike in charge of the camera most of the time because he is more talented at getting better pictures than me :)
That little cat gave us a tour of the site since it was closed
This little house must be where the cat stays; his mansion
Inside the house; fireplace And picture!!
Keeneland Race Track
located just five minutes from Mike's house and across the street from the airport entrance
Keeneland "survives" by holding/hosting local horse auctions and uses that money to stay open and operate. It only holds three races a year.
Keeneland is the race track they filmed the movie Seabiscuit
Standing on the race track
Me standing in/on the Winner's Circle :)
A few things at the entrance to the race trackThe girls bathroom.
you walk into this,
then you turn and see this
This bathroom totally did not match the rest of the building.
After we gave ourselves a tour of the track we walked into the gift shop and asked if there was anything else we could see, and they told us the jockeys practice at 6am till about 10am or 11am. We decided then we wanted to come watch them practice the next morning.
Deb got a new vacuum for Christmas but there had been a mess and the vacuum died. (wasn't as strong sucking up stuff like it was advertised. So she took it back and got a new vacuum. And this is what you get...
Later that night we (Mike, me, his mom and the twins) decided to go to another local race track and drive through and see the Christmas lights. After the lights there is a little museum to walk through then outside there are little vendors with food, drinks, and rides!! :)
MY DREAM RIDE
Camel rides!!
Now I just need to ride an elephant
We all shared that bag of kettle corn
Since the twins were with us we spoiled them, we kept them up all night, let them be crazy, and let them eat as much kettle corn as they wanted. We got home super late and gave them back to Aaron and Amanda, hehe opps, I hope they don't hate us.
The next morning we woke up super early to watch the jockeys at Keeneland practice
These horses are so fit and PRETTY!
they practice everyday. Jockeys can't be taller than 5'1" and weigh more than 110lbs. they have strict rules.
We dressed for a very cold morning and a very cold morning it was.
Louisville Slugger Museum
Largest bat in the world!
My studly man :)
We got to hold a Hall of Famers baseball bat and we had to wear the special white gloves.
We met a few famous past baseball players; kind of
Love...
If you are ever back east go to the Slugger Museum! It is so fun for all ages and very informative! Don't forget to take the tour of how they make bats! It's a very small factory but you walk right through the middle of the factory watching them make it all! SO COOL!!
Just a few sites from driving through town...old buildings mixed with modern buildings, and a hospital...
Shaker Village
This is a another very neat place to visit! The Shakers are a very unique group of people
The twins were just having too much fun :)
Shaker Village Volunteers sewing rugs, pillows, etc
Love
On the way home from Shaker Village, we decided to take the other part of the circle route and we ran into this...
Just a dream :)
Resting, playing or helping, boys are always "doing" something
CHURCH HILL DOWNS
Home of the Kentucky Derby
I am facing the stalls that the horses wait in. And the alley right behind me in the picture is where the horses and jockeys enter the track.
These are the stalls that the horses and jockeys wait in and get their final checks before entering the track.
Venetian Way, the name of the horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 1960; the name of the street that Mike's parents live on.
And of course Secretariat!
His name is in gold because he is one of the few horses that have won the triple crown
Behind me on the last picture is the finish line.
A mock finish line near the back entrance of the museum
Inside the museum playing :)
We could have spent Hours in that museum!!
Our weight changed a little bit over the break...
My turn to ride
Merry Christmas
LOVE xoxo
