Rays of Sunshine

Our ponies enjoyed a bit of sunshine and snowy pasture yesterday as the stalls got dug out.  Come on Spring!!!!  

Friends!

I don't know about you...but I'm missing warm sunshine filled days! 

 

This is Kolton and his friend Miya at the horse show last summer! 

Oh, I could sop them up with a biscuit! --SO CUTE!

 

Just Horse'n Around...

(Please turn off blog music in the left top sidebar)

 

It's been COLD around our house and all the rain turned to snow...

so much snow that it even snowed inside the barn!   =)  

 

But even through the wind and cold we still love taking care

of our two ponies and take them for walks in the snow!

Crazy Weekend Bliss!!

Our weekend was even crazier than normal...which normally is pretty crazy! 

FRIDAY

Husband was still out of town
Sewed dolls until almost 9pm
Kids sat in the sewing room with me, all piled in the big red chair.
Watched a movie with them
Ate popcorn
We all stayed up WAY too late!

SATURDAY

Fed horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Ran to the BMV
Renewed my license
Lola was thankful.  I "looked too young in my old photo" (she makes me smile)

Dropped two youngest at Grandma Shopps
Tristin stayed home
Natalie and I off to an open horse show.
Couldn't use the trailer we had lined up.
Found a Plan B trailer.
Almost got stuck in the field
Praised God for 4wheel drive!
Arrived too late.
Events were over.
Natalie planned to still ride
Izzy...a social butterfly.
Natalie...sad because Izzy was a social butterfly and was a little excited to be around the other horses.
Tears
Stayed up too late
Rode just a little
More tears
Forgot to take any pictures
Time to go home

Gathered up other three
Pumpkin patch!
Fed the horse, dogs, cats
Legion chicken for supper
Grandpa working the window and treating us!
Scooping out seeds.  (or the "honey" as Kolton called it ??)
Carving!
Smiles!
Finding tea lights!
All lined up in the dark!
To bed on time!!

 

SUNDAY

Fed the horse, dogs, cats, bunny and hamster
Fellowship!
Worship!
Truth in His word!

A special out to eat Birthday lunch.
Grandma Thompson's treat!
Not McDonalds.
Cloth napkins in lap
Sunshine
Afternoon with family

Hooking up the trailer again
Driving down interstate with horse trailer and four kids
Restroom stops
Big parking lots!
Only getting lost briefly (twice)
Meeting a sweet mini horse
Free to good home.
It being SO SWEET
Happy kids!!
Lola naming him Obadiah (because its fun to say)
Driving home in the dark
Down interstate
Four kids
One horse
Traffic jams
Taking an hour to go four miles.
Start Stop Start Stop
Kolton throwing up in the back seat
How Natalie helped clean him up
Windows down
Making it home SAFE (thank you Lord!)

Praising God it's Monday!

His Timing...it's Perfect!

Its what I read from the letter on our refrigerator.  The letter hung by the letter H.  The letter written by Natalie's friend to encourage her.  The letter that was sent through the mail like "in the olden days". 

God's timing is perfect.

Yes, I know this.  But I reminded my heart over and over again.  Each time I looked at it.

And then suddenly it happens.  My head is still spinning.... 

Meet Izzy.  We met her a few weeks ago at a local fair.  Though we couldn't buy another horse until we sold Shiloh we looked at different horses to gain experience and find a right fit.  Natalie loved her right away.  She was a good natured girl and had LOTS of experience with kids of all ages.

 

This is what Lola has her eye on.  A mini named Jocko.

On Saturday we had arranged to go look at her (and Jocko) again.  They lived about an hour away so we packed up and headed out.  We spent a couple of hours there.  Natalie rode Izzy (then named Fly) and Lola worked with Jocko.  Kolton asked for "his horse".  He didn't like taking turns with Lola.  =)

Long story short the owner asked about Shiloh.  She knew from the beginning that we couldn't buy until she sold.  Out of the blue...she asked about a trade.  A TRADE!  Like she would take Shiloh and we could have Izzy, TRADE! 

I told her I would talk to my husband and let her know.  I packed up and the girls (and Kolton) and they reluctantly said goodbye.

When we arrived home I called my husband and he agreed concerning the trade.  I called the owner back and asked her when/where she would like to meet.  She said that they would bring Izzy to us and pick up Shiloh...in a couple of hours!

A couple of hours!  Things happened so quickly.  So I had a couple of hours to get my house in order and decorate Lola's birthday cake.  We were having her party at 6:30 and prayed like crazy that Shiloh would load...and STAY LOADED! 

The time came and they worked with Shiloh to get her on the trailer.  I walked into the barn to hide (and pray).  =)  But boy did they know what they were doing!  She WANTED to get on that trailer because when she went on she rested, but if she stepped off they worked her over good.  Backing and lunging her until she stepped back on. 

Here she is loaded and ready to go to her new home

I've been missing her the past few days.  A lot.  I mean I haven't missed her stubbornness or any of that..but when you have had an animal that you've taken care of for seven months, you grow to love them. But with all that said, I am very thankful!  I can't tell you how much I praise God for the work He has done!  He has heard our prayers and His timing is Perfect!

Izzy has been a blessing!  The whole family has enjoyed her this week.  She is a messy little girl though...she rolls in every pile of manure in her stall!  Must be the newest beauty treatment for horses!  =) 

As far as Jocko, he is still at his owners.  Lola has her heart set on him.  She loves him but I told her one horse at a time.  Lets see how things go with Izzy and then maybe MAYBE we will possibly consider another.  And where we would be able to keep a mini is a whole other issue.

I think we need a farm!

Rejoicing in Hope!

Oh how we have had us some horse adventures this year!
My daughter Natalie has loved horses since she has been two years old (maybe younger).  I think she was influenced by the Disney movie Spirit.  That VHS ran our player ragged.  I can still hear the music...

Plastic horses have adorned more birthday cakes than not over the past eleven almost twelve years of her life. 

This past February Cocoa was brought into our lives.  Remember this post?  We LOVED Cocoa and she actually spent all summer at the barn we board our horse at...but she ended up being too "Green" for Natalie to take to 4H this year.

We continued to look for a horse to lease but ended up buying a horse.  Natalie named her Shiloh which means "His Gift".

Every single thing about Shiloh has been a challenge.  Nothing has been easy about her.

I even questioned if we were within the Lords will when we purchased her.   

Though the journey has been hard -every single step- I do not feel we were outside of the Lord's will.  Things were lined up in such a way that if  any detail would have been different we would have not bought her.  God allowed her to be placed in our lives even though He knew the challenges we would face.  Through the hard we have also had much joy in owning her...and boy have we learned a lot!  Nothing has come easy!

But through it all God has been faithful!

And to defend Shiloh...she simply just needs more training.  More than us newbies can give her.  She is a beautiful girl and we love her so very much.  It's just not a good match for where Natalie is in her riding. 

At fair...Shiloh was a hot mess.  She was so scared and nervous I did not think Natalie would even be able to do Showmanship.  But again, God was faithful...and out she went.

Since then we have decided to sell her.  This has been a hard decision.  A big decision.  The right decision for our family.

Within the first couple of days we had someone coming to look at her.  We ourselves found another horse that seemed to be the perfect fit.  His name was Honda.

I felt so happy...it was all FINALLY coming together!

From 2012-08-13



We loved him and offered to buy him.  Natalie was so excited!

The next day the woman came and looked at Shiloh.  SOLD!  I put the money in my pocket and almost cried as I walked her to the trailer.  I was really going to miss her! 

I was so happy for Natalie though...things working out in great timing.  Shiloh sold, Honda a great match, thank you Lord!!

Then it happened.

Shiloh backed right off that trailer and wouldn't get back on.  We worked and worked with her and she simply wouldn't go back on!  The woman got frustrated and handed me the lead line.  I handed her back the money.  Back in the barn Shiloh went.

That following day I received an email letting us know that the family who owned Honda decided to sell him to someone who lived local.  What?!

The wind was knocked out of me....I can't believe this was happening.

Natalie was so upset.

I can't tell you the overwhelming emotions that came from this.  The wrestle with God that came from this.  I am Jacob.  I wrestle.  I pitched a fit and stomped my foot and wrestled with why until I was too exhausted to wrestle anymore. 

Almost two months have since past.  I praise God.  I can now look back and smile. 

Shiloh still stands in the barn.

It is amazing what things God will use to draw us closer to himself.  How he smooths the rough edges of our character and teaches us to trust Him even more.  God has used this experience to do a work in my heart.  And even though we want to protect our children and give them the very best...what a great learning experience this has been for Natalie.  She too has grown in her faith.

I'm not sure what the Lord will do with this horse named Shiloh...His gift.  But I do know that He is loving and abundantly blesses those who trust in Him.  I also know that this is a very small issue in the grand scheme of life.  I've asked forgiveness in the fact that a horse seems so trivial compared to all the evil, sickness and death in this world.  I also know that He simply wants it all, the big and the small in our life.  My life glorifies Him when I give it all to Him. 

So we continue trusting Lord...
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing steadfastly in prayer; Romans 12:12~NKJV