I have been wrestling for months maybe even a couple of years now about my blogging. I love to blog but now that I help with the care of my granddaughter (who is 2) I find that I can't sit at the computer for long...usually not at all when she's here. I have another blog site on blogspot that I started a couple of years ago when I found I had some relatives that blog there. It seems so much more "user friendly" and I know many people who already blog there. I have also found there are MANY crafters who use this site for blogging that I like to visit.  Just makes sense that it might be time to move. I am still undecided if I will abandon this one all together. I'll keep you posted.

Vanessa is getting married in 16 days! Egads! She had a bridal shoot last Friday that required my help as she wanted to use our horse. It rained 2.5 inches last Monday and everything was still soggy. I was hoping I didn't have any trouble getting the trailer out of the pasture. I got the trailer out of the pasture but got stuck trying to put it back! Had to unhook it where it was and go back a few days later to park it properly.  I waited until Friday to bath the horse because if I didn't he would promptly roll in the mud! Here's a before and after pic. I did not take them the same day. Would have been a better comparison if I had but he looked pretty much like he does in the top photo on the day I bathed him. The bottom photo is at the bridal shoot. His color did brighten but being overcast one day and sunny the next....oh well...at least you get the idea.







I had been trying to groom him every day as he is shedding his winter coat so there is lots of loose hair to brush  out. I used clippers on the long scraggly hairs on his face. He's a good looking horse for 22! He's the last of the original three we bought 17 years ago. He stands 15H and weighs probably about 1500 pounds! He's stout!











Made a card the other night for a friend having a birthday. I used sketch#66  from Operation Write Home and some scrap Basic Grey papers from their Valentine collection last year. Turned out cute I think.














The wildflowers are sprouting up everywhere! Bluebonnets are my favorite and our State's flower. Indian paintbrushes are my next favorite. Lots of weeds have beautiful blooms too! Such beautiful colors scattered across grassy land makes me smile. God is such an amazing artist! I was on my way to shop for a wedding outfit when I saw these beauties! Bluebonnets (above)...if you look close you can see the edge of the field where the yellow flowers are. This field was just beautiful and covered in these yellow flowers.






 


















I just love this field full of yellow flowers!






















 I think these are blooms to some weeds and not really flowers but I don't know that for sure.












Bluebonnets with some albino mixed in. Not sure how common that is. I've not seen them very often.















   A little Indian Paintbrush (orange/red flower) mixed in this batch by the side of the road.

















A close up of the albino Bluebonnet

























Bees love the Bluebonnet's nectar




























  Found a patch of Indian Paintbrushes. I set my camera up on a tripod for this one. I am hoping to get pics of my granddaughters out here soon.



















 Aren't they beautiful?! I am such a sucker for wildflowers! I can't seem to quit taking pictures of them!





















I don't know what these are. They are very dainty but beautiful little flowers.




















Went riding with my future SIL. He expressed an interest in riding with me every time he comes home from the job. He is working 2 weeks at a time away from home then is home a week. When he is home, he picks up Remington (Remi). I am excited to have someone to ride with me! I enjoy riding alone but its nice for a change.

Finishing up a Beth Moore study at church "James - Mercy Triumphs". This study is on the book of James and Beth's newest. It is very good and I highly recommend it. Just a word of caution. If you're not ready to be confronted to change don't take it.

Another lady from my church and I have been asked by our pastor to consider leading a "single" women's group on Wednesday night after this class. This would include unmarried, divorced, widowed or women whose husbands are not spiritually active what I am terming "spiritually single". There seems to be a great need for ministry to this group. We will hold an informational meeting on April 18th to see how to best minister to them. I am looking at some possible studies to do with this group that are not DVD driven. I will know more once we meet with these ladies how best to proceed.

My other granddaughter Remington lives in Arkansas. She is here this week for a visit. Keannon and Vanessa had a meeting with our pastor Sunday evening and they asked if I would like to keep the girls. Of course I said "YES!". This is the first time I had both of them for any length of time. We had so much fun. We played with big rubber balls that I had bought them, blew bubbles, played with pinwheels and when it got too dark to be outside we colored and put stickers on paper. Needless to say, I was one pooped gal by the time they went home but I wouldn't have traded it for anything!



 That about wraps it up. Have a good one!

Or do I? I laugh as I ponder this. After 20 years of fully committing my life to following after God, I am still amazed how He uses life lessons to speak. Today was no exception. I wanted to blog about it as soon as possible to capture the details. I've been trying for over a week to blog about Christmas but I will put it off until another time for now.

You may remember an earlier blog where I shared how I was working with Ballerina, a small paint horse that belongs to the people where I keep my horse. I had talked about how I was working with her to load in the trailer. Although I had gotten her loaded once and took her to our local State Park it took quite a bit of time each way to coax her inside. I knew I needed to spend more time working with her so that it would become second nature. I had worked with her some but with the holidays, some cold snaps and bouts of keeping Kennedy it wasn't as much as I wanted or needed.

It was a beautiful sunny day. It started out very cold (about 27 this morning) but warmed to nearly 60. I make my way to the horses. Ballerina was more interested in eating grass and wasn't thrilled to see me coming. She proceeds to gallop around the pasture. I actually enjoyed watching her run. Bucking and tossing her head. Mane and tail flying. So free. Just does my heart good. But then she makes a grave mistake...she runs into the barn lot! Sucker! I shut the gate and once she was in a small area she didn't move. I halter her and work with her for a bit in the round pen to make sure I got that excess energy out before we make our way to the trail for our lesson.

I have grown in my level of patience over the years but it grew a bit more today! I said it and I've heard others say they have "no patience" but I don't believe that's true. At least not for believers. Patience (long-suffering, forbearance) is one of the gifts of the Spirit. "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" Galatians 5:22 NLT .

I started off with a really good attitude. Ballerina was very willing to put her two front feet in the trailer from the very beginning and would pat her and tell her what a good job she was doing but after 30 minutes with no progress my patience began to wear thin. I take a break as Clyde had come up to the fence so I decided that I would have him help me but putting him in the trailer. Using human logic that having her buddy in the trailer would be incentive right?! The problem with this line of thinking is that its just that, human! Not the way a horse thinks. Another 30mins (not really sure because I wasn't watching a clock or timing it but time had passed). All of a sudden she jumps in with all 4 feet! I am so excited and make a big fuss over her even giving her a carrot for a reward. I want a little bit then back her out. My first thought is I should stop right here. End on a good note but oh no. I had to try for just one more! I worked and worked and worked for maybe another 45 mins. I had worked myself into major frustration. Time for another break! I walk her around the pasture a bit talking God. Why I didn't do this before now?! Some of that independent "do it myself" still resides deep inside me! Anyway I begin to ask God to help me to communicate with her what I want her to do (although I think she knows but is just being stubborn). However, I am stubborn too but I didn't want to make this a bad experience for her.

We walk back to the trailer to the sound of Clyde whinnying! It was almost as if he was saying "hey, don't forget about me!" I work with her for another 15 to 30 minutes and sure enough she jumps in one more time! I make a bigger fuss over this time than the last time and thank God profusely for helping me as I know He did!

I did choose to end on this good note! I unload them both and let them loose to graze. Just watching them brought a smile to my face. I think God was smiling at me like I was smiling at them. I think I heard Him say "job well done!"

I kinda freaked out today when Cathy told me it was Christmas next weekend! I looked at her in disbelief and said "It can't be!!!" Oh but it can and it is! I still have shopping to do! Oh My! Best move on to what I'm here for and its not Christmas yet!





We (meaning me & the owners of the horse I take care of) were forced to put her on a diet. That meant getting her off the green grass that shot up during the fall with the big rain we got. Putting her in a dry lot with only hay and water. Reminds me of when people are on "bread & water" diets! I felt bad for her but she had put on so much weight it was going to begin to cause her health problems. I've been more diligent to work with her to. We are making progress but we still have a little ways to go. I am anxious for the grass to die out so we can turn her back out with her buddy Clyde. I know she gets lonely and bored being penned and I can't spend time with her everyday. Earlier in the month I took her and Clyde to our local state park. They have wonderful equestrian trails. Its so beautiful. I had assumed that Ballerina was trained to load in the trailer as she had to ride in a trailer when she was brought here. I loaded Clyde first just on the hunch that she might not be willing to jump right in. My instinct was right. She didn't want any part of it. I worked with her for about 30 mins and she loaded! I stuck with my plan to go to the park. I had a great ride. There wasn't a soul out on the trails. Just me and the horses. I rode Ballerina first and ponyed Clyde behind. She did really well for half the way then there was something she didn't like about the trail and wouldn't move forward so I switched and rode my good ole faithful steed Clyde. They both seemed to enjoy the change of scenery as much as I did.
  Isn't the scenery just beautiful! This is the only picture I tried to take. I had both hands full riding with one and holding the lead rope with the other. I saw several deer and some wild turkeys. I was really wishing I had my big camera but there was no way I could have taken pics riding horses. Just chose to enjoy seeing what I did. I got back to the parking lot just about dark. We were all tired. I thought we were all ready to go home but I was mistaken. Ballerina wasn't ready yet. She decided she wasn't going back in the trailer! After 30 minutes of coaxing, pulling, pushing she finally got back in. It was then I resolved to work with her on loading in the trailer. She was more than a bit rusty!


































A few days later I chose to work on trailer loading. Next time I go to the park I hope to have her willing to load and unload easily without any hesitation. We still have some work to do! 

You want me to come in there? And you think my stomach will override my fear of getting in this thing with wheels? (why, yes Ballerina, I do because I know how you LOVE TO EAT!)






















She does love to eat but she'd doing everything she can to not come in all the way! Silly horse!


I don't give up easy. I will win!

Have a good one!