Horseback riding

Papa & Kari came to town for a visit with us. We had a great time, keeping very busy and entertained all weekend long. We started off Saturday with horseback riding. Emily has been asking to go horseback riding since the summertime when we brainstormed a list of things for us to do. We never got to the horseback riding then. This was the time! We headed south. Really far south. So far south that you could see the Mexico border as we approached the horse farm. 

Everyone except for Aaron and myself were going to do the 1 hour ride. Papa, Kari, Jeff & Emily jumped right on their horses. And shockingly, so did Kyle! He has been very sensitive around animals and flipped out about riding a horse (on a small live carousel like thing with ponies attached to a rope that walk around a central pole) when he was younger so we were a bit apprehensive about how he would respond. Thankfully, he was super eager and excited and got on his horse with the same excitement as Emily.

The report was that it was a great ride along the trails with Mexico right next to them. Jeff said that even though he was behind Emily & Kyle, you could tell that Emily was smiling the whole time. 

While they were out on their ride, Aaron and I wandered around the little ranch checking out the animals. Aaron enjoyed the bunnies, goats and other horses that were there. Then he wanted to drive the car. 

But we still had another 30 minutes before the group was due to return so I asked them how old is the youngest they will take on a horse. Luckily, they said they can do a short little walk around the ranch with little ones. And so Aaron got to ride a horse. I was shocked that he (a) would put the hemet on for it, (b) would even get up on the horse and (c) would sit still on the horse. And to top it all off, after his laps were done, he did not want to get off the horse. He LOVED it. Apparently, all my kids love horse back riding.