A Family Day With Horses

A good friend of Jason's mentioned a while back that we should bring our girls to his ranch to see their horses. As we spent the morning mulling over ideas for a family activity this beautiful Saturday, I remembered that sweet little offer and so we took off to Springbank.
 Both Brooklynn and Alivia were so excited.  As soon as we walked over to the corals, and pens Liv saw a minature donkey and was about to jump out of her skin, "I wide (ride) it, I wide it! Hi, baby horsie, hi- I wide it, I wide it!!" We grabbed a big bag of carrots on our way and the girls were going about from horse to horse feeding them carrots and screaming or laughing when their hands got goobered.  I have to admit, I was in heaven too.  What girl ever loses their love for horses? Not me.





Yes, Jason being a goof- trying to get the horse to eat an apple off the top of his head!

We had such a perfect day, and I am grateful when we can do something fun, meaningful and memorable as a family that doesn't break the bank.  It can be hard to find simple yet fun family activities outside the house that cost little or nothing.  If anyone has some ideas or would like to share some things you have done please Do tell.
We are excited to go back in the Spring, we might actually get to ride them :)

2013 THUS FAR….

A great New Years was spent with friends and yummy food at the Lee’s – seriously a gong show as we played reverse charades with 20 odd year olds vs. 50 odd year olds… the 50 year oldies can get real crazy!

We took down the real tree (I still have to take down the fake one) and started to organize ourselves for a last minute cruise we booked for the 5^th of January (we had to go before Jason had a job and I was too far along in this pregnancy)

Our girls started to get a cold that led to Brooklynn spiking a fever which wounded us up in the children's hospital the night before we drove to Edmonton to catch our flight. Absolute. Nightmare.  I didn't even want to leave after seeing her go through the scariest febrile seizure she's had yet.

We were completely sleep deprived when we sent our kids off with my amazing sister-in-law, and while we scrambled to finish packing and cleaning before we drove to Edmonton.

The next day we flew out to Miami with a few stops along the way.  Meanwhile my mind is completely racked with the thought of my kids being sick and the fear that we won't live to return home to them with all the flights and cruising we’re about to embark on.

Slowly but surely we start to relax, I think the 30 + prayers that were said in the past 24 hours finally started to calm or reassure me that things will be okay J

Btw, I had also been sick with a terrible head cold for about a week and it was deciding to peak on our first day in Miami before we boarded the boat.  I had to try pretty hard to look chipper and healthy when we checked in and boarded to avoid being a quarantined guest!

We left port in Miami mid-afternoon and sailed away toward the Eastern Caribbean with stops to come in San Juan, Puerto Rico, St Maarten, and St Kitts.  I loved each individually, the world has some beautiful places and people in it.

As a nature nerd I must quickly add that we saw a dolphin swimming by the ship as we left Miami (super exciting), and we got to hold the cutest little baby Green Vervets (monkeys)—I was in heaven with these little guys in my arms!  Funny thing, as soon as  the monkey was placed in my arms it immidiately started to pick at my Pandora bracelet and I freaked out for a second thinking that their monkeys were trained to pick jewelry. Not quite, he was just curious J

With all the great fun, food, relaxation and quality time Jason and I spent together it MORE than rejuvenated me.  It changed me- I know I came back a better person and as someone who was more appreciative of the blessings I had to return home to.

I told Jason that our "love fern" is flourishing after being so nurtured with all the dates on our trip- cheesy, I know—but it’s true! Even when we’d be searching for our gate at an airport, we’d walk for 10-15 minutes hand in hand, grab a bite maybe and go sit down and chat or just relax together, that was a DATE! And we had TONS of those before and after being on a luxurious cruise ship. Then to add in the lovely dinners we shared together every night, the excursions and all the down time to just be one on one and relax together was AMAZING!  Definitely worth the 5 ½ years it took for us to take off somewhere nice together.  

We missed our little girls like crazy though, 90% of our conversations consisted of them.  We quoted them, thought of them, joked about them and just missed them ALL the time.  You definitely feel more than ready to come back when it’s all said and done, especially when you long to hug and kiss your babies!  

Since we've gotten back I have been trying to pump these girls full of green smoothies, tons of fruit and well, anything I can think of to boost our immune systems and kick these nasty flu bugs to the curb for good.  This winter has been brutal- it’s just one thing after another it seems.

Well, it's late and I’m still slightly on Eastern time but for the near future I’m looking forward to solidifying my goal list for the New Year, and to list a few I hope tp potty train Liv (soon), pray for Jason’s job applications to get some interview “bites”, that the Niners win the Superbowl, and also praying for a happy and healthy baby boy in the Spring! Bring on 2013!!