Filed under: The Buffington Southern Experience | Tags: 5K Run, Birthday Cakes, Children, horses, I'll Have Another, Keeneland, Kentucky Derby, Lexington Kentucky, Louisville Kentucky, Sweet Blessings
This past weekend we paid not one but two visits to Keeneland. In case you aren’t familiar, Keeneland is an esteemed Thoroughbred racetrack and auction company in Lexington, KY.
Our Saturday visit was to celebrate the Kentucky Derby. What a sight to see! Keeneland was packed with lots of open wallets, women in fancy hats, Mint Juleps (a popular Southern cocktail), live music, over 1,000 television screens, and lots of fun for the kids. With 15-20,000 people in attendance, this was the best place to be on Derby Day, next to Louisville of course.
Here are some of the highlights of our afternoon.
Rydan stuffed his own horse using this red machine. By turning the crank, he filled his horse with stuffing.
Rydan & Lily each made their very own Derby hat.
Rydan’s airbrushed horse tattoo.
Checking out the track.
And then there were the pony rides…
As much as she loves horses, Lily wasn’t too sure about the ride, but she calmed down after the first initial shock of sitting on her pony.
Rydan chose the big horse, and had a great time on his ride.
Our Sunday visit was for my second 5K Run. The Fondant 5K was hosted by Sweet Blessings, a non-profit organization that creates happy birthdays and unforgettable cakes for 5-14 year-olds living in poverty or with a life threatening illness. Please take some time to visit Sweet Blessings’ website and read about the children they are reaching with their cakes. It is truly touching and inspiring to read about these sweet children.
As for the 5K itself, it was HOT. Running in 85 degrees at 4pm is quite a challenge. I really was just relieved to finish this one without giving in to the strong desire to walk. The intense heat made me feel as if I was suffocating while running, and the finish line just couldn’t come soon enough. This one also wasn’t timed, so I really have no idea where I came in, except that it was somewhere under 30 minutes.
Pre-Race. Lily was too distracted by the balloons to look at the camera.
Approaching the finish line.
This is what Rydan and Lily did while Mommy ran.
They ate ice cream.
And Rydan enjoyed some fun in the Blue Bell bounce house.
This is the benefit of running to support an organization that makes cakes.
First ice cream, now a cupcake to celebrate Mommy crossing the finish line.
Lily also got her first rub-on tattoo.
Thank you, Keeneland for providing us with a fun weekend! And of course CONGRATULATIONS to I’ll Have Another, winner of the Kentucky Derby 2012.
Filed under: The Buffington Southern Experience | Tags: fly a kite, kite, Park, Playground, Recreation
That’s exactly what we did on Saturday. After searching for the kite string to the kite we already own, and having no luck finding it amongst our garage full of unpacked boxes, we decided to just go buy a new one. I had no idea that it would be such a difficult task. Four stores later and still no kite string, I went to Michael’s and came out with what you see below.
We then drove to a nearby park with a huge field to try out our new collection of kites. The wind wasn’t as kite-friendly as we would have liked, but we still had a fun time and then enjoyed watching Rydan and Lily run around on the playground.
Holding the kite string all by herself!
Filed under: The Buffington Southern Experience | Tags: Awards Ceremony, Children, Sid Nelson's Taekwondo America Academy, students, Taekwondo, White Belt Test, Yellow Belt
It’s official… Rydan is now a yellow belt!
On Saturday, he experienced his very first belt test at Sid Nelson’s Taekwondo America Academy. After practicing and perfecting his form for weeks, we were so proud to watch him test in front of the judges, his fellow students, and all of the parents who came to support their kids. The test consisted of performing a 14-move pattern, sparring with a partner and correctly answering a trivia question about taekwondo. Students tested in groups of four. Rydan didn’t appear nervous at all, and eagerly stepped right up when his instructor called his name as part of the first group to test. I’d watched him do this pattern so many times in class and at home, so I felt just as confident as he did, and extremely proud of him for the journey he’s taken so far with Taekwondo.
Warming up.
Bowing, ready to begin.
Aaaiii!
Getting ready to spar.
Check out that leg!
An awards ceremony was held last evening, where all students who passed the belt test were awarded with new belts. Students were called one by one to receive their new belt from Mr. Nelson.
Doing some punches to kick off the ceremony.
Congratulations!
Trying on the new color.
Congratulations, Rydan! We are so proud of you for working hard, practicing so much, listening so well, believing in yourself, and for being such a good role model to Lily. What an awesome accomplishment! We look forward to many more award ceremonies just like this one. WE LOVE YOU!
