Happy Holidays from this small branch of Hoopes'. We have been blessed with so much this year and hope that our friends and family have been equally blessed.

Not a week goes by that Dylan doesn't express his gratitude for finally having his own home and even though we've been in our home for three months already, I am still having warm fuzzies about finally being able to paint if I want and know that that money I spend on a mortgage will serve me better than the decade's worth of rent ever did.

It has definately been a year that has brought fulfillment of dreams and goals for me. In addition to Dylan's little pony that I bought him last year, I finally have my own good friend, Frosti. She is a beautiful red roan mare and she and I have become good buddies. My favorite childhood memory is riding with Grandpa Hoopes through the fields on the farm during the summer. I've never gotten my love of horses out of my system and am so grateful that Grandpa and I had that bonding time.

Dylan finally got his Misty to a lope and competed nicely at the fair this year. She doesn't like to lope and rebels by kicking about every ten strides, but Dylan has become quite an equestrian and he just lets out his trademark giggle as he rides right through her antics. I've always told Dylan, as have others, that if he could learn to ride that pony, he would be able to ride anything. He's done a great job with her and if he wasn't growing so fast he'd have a few more years with her but he is ready to move on to a new horse. Dylan also did a great job with his pigs last summer. Three years of pigs and he is ready to move on to a steer. We brought Bubbalicious home two days ago and so far so good.