2012 The Good the Bad and the 1992 Ford Escort....

Well folks 2012 is officially in the past and the Higgins Family is focusing on making 2013 even more memorable than the previous year.  But I thought this was a great time to reflect on all the chaos 2012 brought my family; Some good, some bad, but all entertaining!  We added a couple 4 legged friends to our family this year.  Sailor Louise (aka: Gator Louise, Sailor Sailor Alligator, or just plain Gator) joined the family in September.  As some of you know she was brought to the farm by friends of ours who had found her starving in a ditch in Howell.  She was approximately 8 weeks old when she came to us and weighed 5 lbs.  Our sweet little "ditch dog" has quickly grown into a stubborn, loudmouthed, bossy, bluetick coonhound!   We believe she is 100% bluetick and despite being a pain in our a$$ we love her dearly!  Spooky kitty came along on Halloween night.  She followed us home when we were trick or treating and decided she was going to stay.   Spooky had to spend a few nights in the clinic before she could transition to the barn unfortunately.  She had to have most of her tail amputated due to an old injury, and she was spayed, and microchipped.  But after a few days of rest and relaxation at our favorite vet clinic (Town and Country Animal Hospital in Brighton) Spooky moved into Higgins Stables and became our first official barn cat!

We also lost some four legged friends this year as well.  I lost a very valued friend and showring partner this past summer. LCP Stars N' Stripes (Boomer) passed away in the summer of 2012 and it was an honor and a privledge to own and show such an amazing athlete. His passing remains a dark cloud in my life, but I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have known him and learned so much from him.  The Higgins family also lost their beloved Australian Sheppard Scrappy.  Scrappy was put to rest in early December at the age of 15 and is buried at the Higgins Farm in Fort Wayne Indiana.  While Scrappy was originally given to Travis she quickly bonded to Vicki and became her constant companion.   It was rare to ever see Vicki out in the barn or around the farm without Scrappy by her side.

Each member of the Higgins family had their own accomplishments and areas of opportunity in 2012 and true to blog form I have created a list below.....


J.Trav - We will start with our fearless leader and head of the household J. Travis Higgins. 

Accomplishments:

1. Paid off his truck!  Which in turn means it immediately broke down and needed 10 million dollars in repairs
2.  Grew a beard worthy of the Whisker World Championships and was mistaken for am Amish man more than once. (There really is a beard world championship competition)
3. Trained a bunch of horses, went to some horse shows, ran a barn, etc. etc.....

Areas of Opportunity:

1. Bought a 1992 Ford Escort Station Wagon without his wifes approval..... yeah just going to leave that one alone.....
2. Still leaves a trail of clothing and "stuff" everywhere he goes.  J. Trav will never be lost because we will always be able to follow his trail of things he leaves behind.
3. Watch more educational TV and less Amish Mafia..... etc.

ET Higgins - As some of you may know this year has been a bit of an emotional rollarcoaster for me.  But, I finally made it back into the show ring aboard my new hunter DJ and had an amazing time showing him this year.  I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store!

Accomplishments:

1. Returned to the show ring aboard my AMAZING new hunter!
2. Rescued a pig and successfully housebroke it.  Then immediately moved it to the barn :)

Areas of Opportunity:

1. Reduce Calorie intake..... yes that is a nice way of say stop being fat.
2. Increase physical activity.... again a nice way of saying get off the couch
3. Watch more educational TV and less Made in Chelsea etc.... Trav and I have a common goal!

Madeline "The Mad" -  2012 was a big year for Mad.   She showed leadline for the first time, pooped in the potty, started preschool..... all big important things in a 3 year olds life!

Accomplishments:

1. Showed Leadline for the first time and showed in Oklahoma city!  Announced afterwards to everyone that she was now a World Champion.  Go Mad!
2. Housebroken!  (This is my favorite accomplishment of the year)
3. Started Preschool and was told she couldn't kiss everyone in class because it spreads germs. 
4. First Boyfriend named Andrew.  He is older, and likes to hold hands and also enjoys Pirates.

Areas of Opportunity:

1. Stop repeating everything Travis and I say.  Or maybe this is a Erin and Travis opportunity.....?
2. Start sleeping in her own room
3. Learn to read, do her own laundry, take herself to school, and make her owns meals..... Ok I will settle for learn how to read.  ;)

All in all this year has been a successful one for the entire Higgins family and we are thankful to have our health, our family, and our friends.  While lifes daily struggles can sometimes seem overwhelming at times we are constantly reminded how blessed we are and we are thankful to have all of your in our lives.  Happy (Belated) New Year to all 15 of my followers and may 2013 be a blessed year for all of you!