Derby Day 2013

This year we got invited to the Kentucky Derby by the big distributor Paul works with here in Kentucky.  We were so excited because that meant we were going in style :)

All dressed up and ready to go

The girls had to put fancy dresses on too :)

On our way

First we met up at one of the guys houses for drinks and appetizers, then drove down to the Derby together.  There were 6 of us who went...Dan (who invited us) and his wife, Kathy, one of their high school sons, Dillian, a man named Jason from Boston with an awesome English accent, Paul and me.

Our tickets

Derby nails and the wristbands we had to
wear to get into our area

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with the Derby fesivities.  It looks sunny in the background of most of my pictures, but it actually poured almost the entire day.  Our seats were right next to the track, but they weren't under cover, so we didn't even get to sit in them until races 10 and 11.  We stood in the aisles next to the boxes under cover and tried to look over everyone's heads to see the races.  Everyone wore ponchos over their adorable dresses and fancy hats.  Such a bummer since we all went to great lengths to look our best that day.  

Excited to be there

The guys deliberating which horse to bet on for the next race

I wish I was tougher when it comes to bad weather, but I was cold and wet most of the day.  I was dreaming of going home, throwing on sweats, and cozying up next to Paul on the couch.  I didn't want to think like that since I was at the Derby, such a huge day for Kentuckians, but I couldn't help it in the nasty weather.  Despite the bad weather, we tried to make the most of it.  I enjoyed seeing all the women's hats in all shapes and sizes...the fascinators were my favorite.  The men were also decked out with hats, bowties, cigars, and seersucker suits.  Not many opportunities come about where you get to pull out all the stops like you can at the Derby!

A mint julep...the official drink of the Derby

Me with my mint julep

We had to stand to eat lunch because our seats were
outside and they were soaked

One of my favorite fascinators that I saw at the Derby

My absolute favorite fascinator...loved the rounded
peacock feathers!  I want to wear one next time!

A guy wearing a horse head...wish it wasn't so blurry.

Mid-afternoon, we met up with a fraternity brother of Paul's that we haven't seen since he went to the Derby with us 5 years ago.  He drove a bus full of 16 people down from Indy!  I wish the weather was nicer for them since they came from out of town.  It was nice to catch up with him though...he is such a good guy.

Chris Thomas and Paul...college buddies

Christ with us 5 years ago at our first Derby

After meeting up with Chris, we went back to find our group and they were gone.  They had snuck up to the box seats in the level above.  It ended up working out fine though because right about that time, it actually stopped raining, so Paul and I went down to our seats next to the track which was a much better view.

The awesome view of the stands

A picture to show just how wet and muddy it really was

Down by the track there was a lot more action.  Soon after we sat down, a guy in a box behind us threw his mint julep glass and it shattered everywhere.  People next to us were extremely annoyed because they told us it was the 5th glass he had purposely broken.  They nicely asked him to stop or they were going to have to call the cops.  The guy apologized and then tried to make up for it by buying everyone mint juleps....which of course we didn't mind :)  About a minute later, the cops show up (somebody else must have called them). The two guys were trying to be smart with the cops, but they were not amused.  So the cops took their drinks and escorted them away where they were going to spend 72 hours in jail for all their  crazy shenanigans.  The entire section cheered as the two guys were led away.  Crazy!  But hey, we got a free drink out of it and the guys were gone!

Paul by the track with his free mint julep

Awesome view!

It was quite an experience to be down by the track!  We got so lucky to be able to watch the actual Derby race from our seats because it started raining again right after the race ended.  The rain couldn't have had better timing.

At our seats by the track

Here is a video of some of the Derby race which was race 11 out of the 12 races that day.  It was amazing to be able to see the horses so close.  I loved to hear the sound of their hooves on the wet sand.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of the horses after the race.  Their faces and the entire front of their bodies were covered in mud.  They didn't seem to mind.  

Paul bet $2 on every horse, so I guess you can say we were winners, right?!

Although it ended up being a fun day, I was so happy to finally be back home in the warm house.  The girls were happy to see us too and tell us all about the adventures they had that day.

The girls so excited that Daddy was home!

It makes everything better to know we have a great babysitter for our girls.  She really is wonderful!  She is probably in her mid to late 50s and she is awesome with our girls.  She genuinely cares for them, treating them as if they were her own grandkids.  The picture below is of the Derby chandelier decoration she made with the girls.  They decided that next year they wanted a horse named Tulo (after her dog) to win, so they drew a picture of it and hung it up as a surprise for Paul and me.  I was very impressed!

The girls actually watched the Derby race at home and each of them picked out which horse they thought would win.  My oldest and most logical child picked the winner.  Lysa (the babysitter) said that Rose listened to what everyone on tv was saying about the horses and said, "It sounds like everybody thinks Orb is going to win, so I am going to vote for him."  Smart girl.

This picture reminded me of the picture I took of Rose
with my hat on last time we went to the Derby.  Can't
believe how grown up she is now.

Love this one from 2008.
She was about Ella's age at the time

The girls trying on our Derby hats

It really was a fun day.  I mean, who doesn't like to dress up?  I just wish the weather would have cooperated better.  But I am so grateful that we were invited and able to go.