WayfaringStrangers

When I was a horse-crazed teenager, I was given the opportunity to free lease a horse named Bart for a year. I had been a rider for years, and confident in my ability. I could gallop around, jump, handle the occasional buck. I'd ridden dozens of horses, had countless lessons. I thought I was a good rider. And then I got Bart. He was a stocky, strong, dark bay (brown) quarter horse, stubborn and strong willed. It didn't take long for him to establish who was in charge. He was sweet on the ground, but once I was riding, I couldn't control him very well. We'd be doing great, and then he'd whip around, get the bit in his teeth, and pull my skinny 16 year old self back to the barn. I created lesson plans and exercises, trotted him in circles for hours (until he got bored and pulled me back to the barn), and read articles about how to train a stubborn horse. He'd buck out of no where (as I'm typing this, I'm wondering if his saddle fit right...maybe there wa...

It's May first and it's been a busy spring so far. So much so that I really want to make sure I write down some things about life. The only way I'm able to blog is if the boys nap/I write when they're in bed/someone else watches them. Today that "someone" is my dad, who drove up to bring me lunch and then let me leave the house (!!)  to write for an hour. A gift! First, a few things I sadly do not have photos of. One is that Behn's parents visited a few weeks ago. We enjoyed lots of BBQ, downtime, and chatting. Behn and his dad also painted the little bedroom, which will be Victoria's room. I'm annoyed with myself for forgetting to take photos. The next weekend, my Mom and I and Graham road-tripped north to my sister Hannah's baby shower! Baby boy is due in July (their first) and I had a lot of fun with my mom on the drive. Graham was a good boy, too :) Sadly, I didn't take any pics of that day, either. The bedroom is a pale yellow. ...

Ever since I was about 10, I loved horses and riding. I rode all throughout my childhood and teenager years and quite a bit in college. Then I got married and real life began and we were broke and we moved and had babies. Horses had to go on the back burner. I've missed it ever since, but other than the occasional riding lesson, I just didn't have time or money to ride. It felt like something was missing. Until now. I still don't have money to pay for riding, but I have been able to get my foot in the door at a great barn about 20 minutes away. I started by volunteering with the 4H club, then took a riding lesson one day and then got hired as a riding teacher. It's been so great to get back in the saddle and I have the opportunity to ride some really great horses and ponies. I also have a bunch of new riding students and have loved teaching again. I wish I could be over there more, but 2x a week is all I can do at present. The family who own the barn are really kind...