Hoorahoopti Away: Just Horsing Around

Friday, April 27, 2012

Just Horsing Around

Alyssa has always loved horses! Ever since she was a little girl she has wanted to learn to ride a horse. (When Alyssa was eight she went on a three month campaign to convince us to buy her a horse. Her plan was to keep it in the empty lot by our apartment where it could run around and she could feed it carrots.) Since we were going through the starving student phase of our life we never could fulfill that dream of hers. Now that we have moved into our professional phase in life we have finally been able to provide her horse-back riding lessons. Alyssa rides every Thursday at the Circle C Ranch.

Alyssa always says that she feels at peace when she is with the horses.

Off on a trail ride. That's one happy Alyssa!

The little ones decided they wanted to explore the woods and to track Alyssa. Braxton says now that the leaves are back it is the "Enchanted Forest" again. (Never a truly complete day without a Harry Potter reference.)

Tracking is very serious business. Since they were convinced that they could track Alyssa they took off ahead. Let's just say that even though I could see and hear them at all times they seemed to be too focused on tracking to hear or heed any of my promptings to turn onto the correct path. We walked quite a distance from the correct path and had to retrace our steps. At least the scenery was quite beautiful. (Yes, those are Delaney's pjs.)

Made it out of the woods in time to welcome Alyssa back from her trail ride. It was just in time because the skies were looking gray and ominous.

Within five minutes of leaving the ranch the heavens opened! There was blinding rain the rest of our drive home. (Poor kids were a little nervous because last summer we hydroplaned and crashed the last time we drove in rain like this. The old caravan was totaled and we were stranded in Ohio.)