What a Kentucky Derby!

Saturday seemed like a very slow day. Kind of like I had felt as a kid and was waiting for Christmas. I was really looking forward to the Kentucky Derby Watch Party.

I passed the time by putting up a few more decorations.

I was thrilled to find these jockey silks banners - I may leave them up until the Preakness!

Although not a racing saddle, I brought my English saddle in from the garage to add to the horsey feeling in the house. (Craig would probably interject that there is already a whole lot of horsey feeling in our house, and he would be right! LOL)

I baked the Derby pies and was very pleased with how easy they were to make and how good they were to eat.

Our dining room table is where we play games for family and friend gatherings so I set out the things I thought our guests would enjoy. The electronic racing was a big hit with the kids.

I had an assortment of ribbons, horses, and toilet paper for the toilet paper derby ready to go.

And the origami book and paper to use - the activity which was chosen first by our guests.

As soon as they started arriving, it felt like my day began speeding up.

Belle and most of her family (two of her boys were out in the living room with the Legos), Lisa, and me. Belle brought me the vase of roses,

and this cake with strawberry roses that her daughter, Indianna, made. Aren't they pretty? (Fun note: Indianna was in Lisa's classroom as a fourth grader. She's in college now and had actually dropped by Lisa's classroom to say hello last week!)

The Lego Kentucky Derby starting gate and field. (The helmets on the jockeys make me smile.)

Tim, his wife Loni, and hobbyist/barn buddy Kelsey also joined us.

As the race approached, I handed out a list of the field so that everyone could see who was running and choose a winner or two. I picked Commandment and Incredibolt - I am one of those who chooses by the horse's name or its color, and once in a while by trainer. (I like Todd Pletcher and his brother Peter.)

And then we settled in around the TV and watched the post parade. Kelsey had chosen Great White to win and we were all disappointed when he reared up at the starting gate, throwing off his rider and going over backward himself. He was the last scratch in a race that had already had multiple scratches.

In the end, not one of us had selected Golden Tempo as a winner. But, we were all watching history being made since the trainer and the owner were women - a first for the Kentucky Derby.

Then it was time for our own derby - the toilet paper derby!

I gave instructions and then we raced, three at a time. That little Scheich Falabella I'd gotten last week proved to be a very sturdy race horse, at least when the track is toilet paper!

Tim won his race and walked around with his blue ribbon hung on his shirt button. (I would not be surprised to see him wearing it to church today, again on a shirt button and hidden under his tie.) That's his wife Loni in the hat. She took second in her race.

As long as the day leading up to the party had seemed, the time during the party flew. It was when Belle said that she needed to get her kids home that we looked at the clock - it was 9:15! The watch party had been going on for nearly four hours and I'd had no idea.

Everyone pitched in to clear the dishes and food. The decorations and games are still out but I'll leave those out a little longer and enjoy the added horsey feeling they give the house. 

I'm not sure I am up to planning a Preakness watch party, but I wouldn't mind getting together again to watch the race. I'll think about it, talk to folks, and we will see what happens.

Stay 'tooned!