Friends and Family

These pictures include people and places outside the immediate family. Again, here's a direct link to the Image Gallery. Or, you can just follow along the book navigation at the bottom of the page.

2008

Family reunions, get-togethers, etc. in 2008.

Gathering At Mom and Dad's

Pictures of my immediate family taken at Mom and Dad's when Rita dropped off Patrick and Ricky for the summer. Just think, if it wasn't for MamaDoo and PapaDoo, all these people (besides them, of course) wouldn't exist...:)

Bill and Jenna

My brother, Bill, and his daughter Jenna.

Girls

My daughter, Micheala, and my only neice, Jenna.

The Grandkids

Left to right: Scotty, Cody, Jenna, Michaela, Patrick, Gabriel, and Ricky.

The Whole Fam Damily

Left to right: Scotty, Vickie, Cody, Scott, Michaela, Stefani, Gabe, Linda, Jenna, Bill, Patrick, Calvin. Rita, and Ricky.

Get Together As Billi's

Every summer Patrick and Ricky stay with my parents for a couple of months. When it's time to head back to Michigan, Rita drives to Minnesota and we all meet up at Auntie Billi's for some great food! Oh, and being together is fun, too:) Thanks to Billi for being an awesome auntie and letting us use her place and for feeding us:)

Bill and Jenna

My brother, Bill, and his daughter Jenna.

Billi's Family

Our wonderful hosts from left to right: Colton, Billi and Chris.

Everyone

A group shot of all the family. I love looking at the big family shots because it's cool to think that everyone in them is in some way connected to one another.

MamaDoo and PapaDoo

My beloved rents, Calvin and Linda Mickle.

Mickle Clan

Left to right: Michaela, Josh, Stefani, Gabriel, Calvin, Linda, Jenna, Bill, Ricky, Rita, and Patrick:)

My Family

Stefani, Josh, Gabe, and Michaela.

Rita and Her Boys

This is my beautiful sister, Rita, and her two boys, Patrick (left) and Ricky (right).

Sinkolas

Two of our friends, Jeff and Holly Sinkola. I bet Bill has some stories about Jeff...and vice versa:)

Grandpa Floyd, the Kids and I

Grandpa Floyd, Gabe, Stefani, and Michaela. I'm not sure, but I think Grandpa Floyd is my oldest living relative...someone correct me if I'm wrong, please:)

Hitch Hiker Thumbs

Grandpa Floyd always gets a kick at comparing out thumbs and seeing how they curve. Just a little giggle between he and I:)

Me and Grandpa Floyd

I got up to see my Grandpa Floyd this month. He lives up in Tower, Minnesota, so it's a long drive! He's my paternal grandfather and he's turning 97 this November!

Mickle Family Reunion

Been a few years since we had had one of these, so it was a nice surprise when my cousins Alissa, Tony and his wife Candy planned one. It was held at Tony and Candy's house in Superior, WI. Thank you for all the time and effort you put in to get us all together again:)

Calvin Mickle Family

From left to right: Ricky, Bill, Jenna, Linda, Patrick, Calvin, Stefani, Michaela, Josh, and Gabe. If you want last names, drop me a line:)

Darwin Mickle Family

from left to right: Julie, Darwin, Tristan, Jennie, Austin, Jeff, and Dylan.

Hostess Alissa

My #1 cuz, Alissa, and her boyfriend, Matt.

LeRoy Mickle Family

Left to right: Angie, Jack, Imogen, Nicole, Tony, Candy, Steven, LeRoy, Anne, Alissa, Blake, LeRoy, Logan, Sebastian, Shandi, Kyle

Shirley Mickle Family

From left to right: Shirley, Trevor and Corey.

The Old Farts

I title this one affectionately, no offense intended:) Left to right we have: (auntie) Shirley "Babe" Mickle, (uncle and aunt) Darwin "Peanut" and Julie Mickle, (uncle and aunt) LeRoy and Anne Mickle, (PapaDoo and MamaDoo) Calvin and Linda Mickle.

The Whole Kit and Kaboodle

This was everyone minus Alissa's boyfriend, Matt, who was kind enough to take the picture. If you want names, refer to individual family pictures:)

Three Cousins

Left to Right: Jennie, Alissa and Stefani.

Two of Our Gracious Hosts

Tony and Candy Mickle (my nephew Patrick in the back ground). Thanks to you two, Alissa and everyone else who helped make the reunion happen!

Horses

As many of you know, I love horses! My wonderful parents bought me and my siblings our first pony when I was around five years old. So, I grew up with equines and was heart-broken when I moved away to attend college and couldn't spend time with my horse, Jackpot. We ended up selling him to a good family, whom I hear still has him to this day! After moving back to Minnesota, I reconnected with my Auntie Billi, who so happens to love horses just as much (if not more) than I. She just so happened to have a few horses (woo woo!!), so we started getting together on weekends to play. I quickly bonded with a beautiful (and stubborn as hell) pinto named Kyan Pepper and we eventually began trail riding. Two summers ago, Kyan was bit by a tick and contracted anasplasmosis and was out for the season. Last summer he came down with a harsh case of laminitis and was, again, out for the summer. He is doing much better, hooves are almost at 100%, so Billi and I decided that it would be a great idea to spend some time and much-needed TLC with him to get him into shape for this riding season. I researched some boarding facilities in my area and was lucky enough to get into one that is less than ten miles away. Billi had been telling me for months and months that Kyan was my horse and on March 1, 2008 he officially became my horse! We transferred his papers to my name and moved him into the stable. I've been working/playing with him 2-4 times a week. Josh has been extremely supportive and understanding, and often jokes that I have a boyfriend on the side:) But Josh knows he's my main man:) Anyway, here are a few pics and will have more to come:)

Costume Contest

The stable where Kyan calls home, the Triple S, has a fall fun day where they have all these horse and rider games (egg in spoon, red light-green light, musical stalls, barrel racing, etc.) and a horse and rider costume contest. Over the past couple years of going to the Renaissance Festival, I've been putting together a gypsy costume. So, why not make one for Ky...it's a work in progress:)

Body

I actually mounted the blanket on my bareback tacky pad with velcro so I won't have to worry about it sliding off:) I still have a few more things to add...

Head Shot

A little bling never hurt...:)

Horse Women

Here I am with my mom and aunt doing what we love - riding! The horses, at the time this picture was taken, belong to Auntie Billi June and are very sweet boys (not to mention beautiful!) :) Now, as you know, Kyan is my guy!

Kyan Pepper Head

Kyan head shot.

Kyan Pepper Left

Kyan left side.

Kyan Pepper Right

Right side of Kyan.

So It Begins

The first summer Billi and I rode together, she on her grey arab Solitaire (Soli) and me on Kyan.