Over the River and Through the Woods...

...That seriously is the way to get to Grandma's house. They live in Soda Springs, and our girls love to go there any chance we get. We try to visit at least once a month, and if we can't get to Soda, it seems like Grandma and Grandpa can usually find some excuse to come visit us. But we don't have horses, and that's part of the fun of going to Grandma's house. Kortney told me the other day, "Mom, I want to be a horse rider when I grow up!" She loves loves loves horses. Neil's mom has 24 horses, mostly arabians, and her favorite thing to do is take people for rides. Horses are her passion, and she wants to share it with everyone. All of her children have done 4-H since they were barely able to sit in a saddle, and now that they're grown and gone, she does 4-H with neighbor kids. My neice, Koralyn, got to visit her for a full week this summer to ride and learn to take care of horses, and they both loved every minute of it. Neil took his scout troop to Soda to earn their horse riding merit badges, and those boys still talk about it. Just let her know you want to come riding, and she'll have the horses ready for you! She started to breed some of her mares three years ago, and this summer, one of the mothers rejected its baby, but Neil's mom couldn't let the colt die, so she slept in the barn with it a few nights, hand fed it, then got it to drink formula from a bucket, and the little guy is now like a dog who just follows her around and loves to be petted. The grandkids think he's the coolest thing, until he eats their hair (that would be Kortney). So, on this trip, Grandma let the girls feed the horses, brush them, and ride them, and they couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to spend the day. Of course, the day wouldn't be complete without treats and pop from Grandpa, too! These are the things that keep us going over the river, and through the woods!

Korntey with Atevo, the hand-fed colt,

and with Anikin, a 2-year-old paint.

Taylor on Anikin with Grandma

Taylor brushing Cinders, Neil's favorite horse

Kortney riding Cinders with Grandma

Kortney and Taylor on Cinders

Grandma and Emmrie on Cinders

Taylor, Emmrie and Kortney relaxing with Grandma and little Ella.