Merry Post-Christmas!

Bonjour!!

How was everyone's Christmas?! What did you guys get? I had an AMAZING day and feel so lucky to have been able to spend time with people I love. Plus, the presents didn't exactly hurt, either. ;p

I think my fave gift is an Apple gift card. I'll def use that when I'm at school and want to buy new music. I also got a Barnes & Noble gift card which I prob won't even be able to wait another day to spend. I've already got a window open on my computer and am scrolling through books that sound good. I also got a gift certificate to Stateline Tack. Whisper really needs a new lead line, so it was parfait timing.

We have this tradition in my fam that everyone makes a new dish or drink for Christmas dinner. I researched homemade apple spiced cider and Becca helped me make it. Luckily, everyone loved it! :) Anyone else have family traditions on Christmas? Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? I've tried for YEARS to convince my parents to let Becca and me open our gifts on Christmas Eve but no go. They always make us wait till the morning. Actually, I really love that feeling of waking up and running out to the living room and finding presents under the tree and the fireplace lit.

Tell me all about your Christmas! I hope it was warm, wonderful, and filled with loved ones!

xo

~LT

Christmas is almost here! :)

It's the moooost wonderful time of the year! :D

It really is because . . . ARGH! I can't tell you guys yet--it's a HUGE secret that's going to be revealed in HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. So I have to wait until next fall for you to find out. Boo. :( BUT BUT BUT what I can say is that I think it's going to be the most unforgettable Christmas ever.

I'm going home soon and I'm really excited. :)

There are lots of awesome things I want to do over break, like:

Watch: A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, The Santa Clause, Elf, and whatever movies Becca wants to see

Eat lots of cookies (Mom and I make gingerbread people every year!) and sweets!

Drink a zillion and a half cups of these teas: Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Nutcracker Sweet and Sugar Plum Spice.

Play Wii against Becca! (We love tennis!)

And that's just the start of my list! What's on yours? Are you traveling for Christmas? Fill me in!

xoxo

LT

PS: Anyone ever claiming in the comments to be me ISN'T unless they're linked to this blog with my user name. Just an FYI.

Homework. Ugh!

Can't blog till the weekend . . . on a "homework only" deal with myself when I use the computer 'till after Friday.

But then I'll update you all!

Miss you!

xoxo

~LT

Here's your invite to my party!

RSVP!

MASQUERADE (Canterwood Crest #16) is out today! 

Hello, September!

Wow, I can't believe September's here already! But I guess I could take a cue from the weather--it's muggy in the morning, we sweat through lessons, and then it's the perfect temperature at night.

There have been some major changes around here. It's so weird with Riley gone. Not that I miss her, but for Clare's sake, it's hard to watch a friend be betrayed. Harder still when I'm gaining a friend-friend in Drew. Someone I hope to be my . . . eeeek . . . boyfriend! *blushes*

I had a great ride yesterday. Mr. Conner rode with us on Luna, a stable horse he borrowed from a member of the advanced team. Whoever was supposed to ride Luna then was sick. Mr. Conner took us out on an amazing cross country course! We jumped logs, splashed through creeks, hopped over small fallen trees, and lots of brush. We did well and Mr. Conner rewarded my class by letting us gallop in the open field.

No better feeling on the planet!! :)

In non-horse related news, it's only the start of September and Becca and Khloe have been back and forth on BBM pre-pre-PRE planning my birthday party. They're freaking out (okay, okay, I am too!) that I'm turning thirteen. I told them to stop (Guys, are you reading this?!) and focus on school and stuff, but they're not listening. They're talking decorations, food, and who knows what else. Khloe's told me that she's going to form a "birthday committee" for me and I was like, "Noooo! Please don't! Seriously!"

But Khloe is, well, Khloe. She was quick to get on board with my idea about gifts though. </:) You'll find out all about that in MASQUERADE!! Hurry up September 11th!

Your fave thing about summer . . .

Share it!

Mine is . . .

Summer fruit! The varieties of berries and melons make the most amazing smoothies and fruit salads.

Your turn! :)

xoxo

Saturday--yay!

Happy Saturday!

I took the day off from riding and decided to hit Briar Creek tomorrow. Whisper could prob use a break, anyway, because I've been going almost every day. Dad's been awesome about driving me. I wanted to do him a favor for taking me to BC every day, so I found him a coffee mug online that says CAREFUL OR YOU'LL END UP IN MY NOVEL.

LOL. It's perfect for him.

Briar Creek's been a little . . . weird. I'm still settling in and it's so different having Kim as my instructor again. Plus, there's the Bri thing. But you haven't gotten that far in my story written in the Canterwood books, so I can't say anything yet! :/

While I was shopping for Dad, I got on IM with Khloe and we did some back to school shopping together. We both love this Website, Sock Dreams. It has the BEST socks ever! Not like the boring white ones that I used to wear all of the time. I got some for Becca and Charlotte.

Charlotte comes home at the end of next week. She went straight from college to Italy for a school program. But she'll be back and here for the rest of the summer. Teensy bit nervous about Char being home. Our relationship HAS been better, though, so fingers crossed.

Becs is calling--gotta run! We're going to catch a movie at Union Circle Theater. What're you all doing this weekend?

Talk soon!

xoxo,

LT

Joyeaux d'été! (Happy summer!)

Omigosh, hi guys!

I saw all of your comments--you're all the best online friends ever for worrying about me! I'm headed to Briar Creek to ride Whisper, but I'll update you guys later. :)

Ohh!! Must share! I just got this trés chic Canterwood hoodie from the campus store. Did you know you can shop there, too? C'est trés belle! (Pretending KK's here to remind me to translate, LOL. I said "It's very beautiful!") :)

xoxo

~LT

Thunderstorm!

Bonjour!

No riding lessons today because of scary thunderstorms. The horses were too spooked to ride even in the indoor arena. I stayed for a while, though, and did some homework in Whisper's stall. Poor girl. She paced and jumped when thunder rumbled. People were running all over campus in raincoats and there was a sea of umbrellas. I snagged my tangerine raincoat and matching umbrella before I headed out, so I managed to stay pretty dry.

I L-O-V-E storms. But Whisp? Not so much.

Do any of you like rain or thunderstorms? At home, I always climbed into my bay window with a book and watched the clouds roll in and the lightning illuminate the sky. Becca always teased me that I was going to end up getting fried by a lightning bolt by sitting in the window.

Well . . . she was KIND of right when I was drying my hair during a storm and lightning hit something that stopped my hair dryer.

And, erm, caused sparks.

Oops.

Eeek. It's black outside!! *shivers* I've got my laptop plugged into a surge protector, but it's REALLY storming out. Better shut it down and unplug everything.

Talk soon!

xoxo,

~LT

Almost Monday Madness . . .

Or, that's what KK and I call it, anyway. Monday's at Canterwood are always tres busy.

B-U-S-Y busy.

But . . . I do what I always do on Mondays and focus on what's to come at the end of the day--a riding lesson! I think about Whisper all day during classes. Last Monday, Mr. Davidson called on me to read for English and I didn't hear him! I was going through a dressage test in my head.

Ooops.

He was like, "Lauren."

Me in my head: "And free walk to M."

Mr. Davidson: "Laauren."

Me in my head: "Start a twenty meter circle."

Khloe: *clears her throat and elbows me*

I was SO red when I looked at Mr. Davidson. I was afraid he'd give me extra homework or detention, but he didn't. Whew.

Whisper's not the ONLY thing that's distracting me. There's also, well, Drew. He's just so cute and nice and funny and smart and a good rider and ahhh!!! I could go on for an entire post. :)

Gotta get to sleep. Getting up at six to meet Drew for a run before class. I picked out black yoga pants, my silver and blue Pumas and I'm stuck on what shirt to wear. Better ask Khlo for advice.

xxx

~LT

How was YOUR Valentine's Day?

Hiiiii, everyone!!

Oh, mon Dieu! Um, the Canterwood brochure never said anything about being SO structured and activity-crazy that it left almost zero time for blogging. But I hope things slow down soon so that I can at least blog once a week. (Yeeaaah, I've been hoping that for a while now!)

Did everyone get caught up on what's up in my life in INITIATION? I don't want to give anything away if you haven't, but there's a boy . . . a tres cute boy!!

I've been crazy with classes, riding, and Whisper. She's the funniest--she started this new thing where she starts sniffing my coat pockets for treats BEFORE our lesson. I'm always like, "Noooo, those come after." LOL. She's pretty fluffy, too, with her winter coat.

What's going on with all of you? I'm going back to my stack of homework to get caught up before Monday Madness starts tomorrow.

xoxo

~LT