A girl and her horse........

 McKenzie was always our horse lover.  I remember like it was yesterday when we welcomed our first horse into our family.  McKenzie was 9 years old and Abasha was around seventeen I guess.  I thought she would always love horses.  There have been many other horses that have come and gone over the years.  Some were loved horses that ended with sad stories, and others we were glad to see go!  Marc and I neither one are really "horse people".  We have invested a lot of time and money into horses because it was McKenzie's passion during her childhood and teen years.  I think it filled a huge need in her life during that time and we would do it all again.

Madeline likes horses too, but it isn't her passion.  We kind of wondered if maybe, just maybe.... we could do away with the whole horse thing.  When your feed bill is more than your grocery bill for the week it IS kind of disheartening!

Then there is Mariah............

 Mariah loves horses every  bit as much as McKenzie did.  McKenzie took riding lessons from the time she was six years old.  Mariah......... hasn't had the first lesson.  She has grown up around horses though and doesn't know life without them.

 When she was six years old she was kicked by one (one of those horses we were glad to see go!)  It was a very scary experience and one that landed her in the hospital for a few days with a ruptured spleen.  You would think that she would never want to get near them again.  When a girl loves horses that much, it doesn't seem like they have much fear of them.  It wasn't long after that when she was riding one of our older horses and fell off. (Later she told us that she hit him with a crop, which made him take off. He wasn't the kind of horse that needed encouragement to go!)  That time she got away with just a broken arm.  Thankfully it has been years now with no horse accidents!

 Now that she is old enough to saddle up on her own, she is out there all the time.  She and Candy are making lots of memories this summer.

I watch her ride and wonder if she will always love horses or if it will be a passing phase.  Who knows......... but for now I am soaking up these days of a girl and her horse.

A Sunny Attitude

I was taking pictures of this little angel..........

 when I told Malachi we needed to work on some of his schooling.

 I wanted to take a picture of the two little boys together and this was what took place.

 So..........it was time for an attitude adjustment! :o)

 What better way than to make him do some work.

 He was slowly getting better.............

                       until he couldn't help but laugh.

 Marc called and I let Myles answer the phone.  (He loves to talk on the phone!)  He quickly told daddy that "Malachi has an attitude!" :o)  (I know the picture is blurry, I just thought it was funny!)

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones."  Proverbs 17:22

Memories............. Pt 2

                                                             Jump, Mariah!

                                              She spoils her little brothers!

                               We were blessed with beautiful weather!

 We have taken pictures of the kids (in birth order) on this bench for years.  It has been fun to watch them grow! :o)

                                       Putting Macheus in his "spot"!

Memories...

There is something about summer and Christmas that is always kind of bittersweet to me.  I love them both and I love making memories with my children, but it is always sad that "another one" has gone by.

Recently we took a trip to  the beach.  This was Macheus' first time going to the beach, and I did my best to capture it in pictures!

                                                      Ready for his first beach swim. :o)

                                        Doesn't he look excited!?! :o)

                                                  Mommy and Macheus.

                                        The "gang". Not sure what was up with Myles. :o)

                           
                                       Sweet little fellow played so hard.

                                           
                                                   McKenzie and Macheus. 

                                    Malachi and Matt stayed in the ocean for hours!

                                                   Madeline

                                                                 Myles

                                            Napping on the beach.

                 I am not sure when Madeline grew up!  It happens way too fast!

                               
                                                              Mariah

                                                    Matthew

                                           Love his expression. :o)

                      

  Marc bought the family matching t-shirts on one of his business trips. :o)

                               Glad for bright shirts on a playground after dark!

We took hundreds of pictures (I love digital photography!  Do you remember the years of having to be careful how much film you went through on a trip? :o)  I had a hard time deciding which ones to share, so I decided I will just do two posts with beach pictures!  McKenzie thought I was being silly to share so many.  She'll understand one day..............So, be expecting more beach memories to come!