Horses, Barns and a Wannabe Cowgirl

Horses, horses, horses…since we have returned home we have played with them endlessly.  My Little Pony’s, Barbie and her horse, all her Schleich Horses, and any other horse she can find.  Andrea gave us a few of her dolls when we were visiting, a few of them are capable of horse riding, hooray!  Amelia even tried her Polly Pockets on them….Polly Pocket’s legs only go in scissors, so they were straddling and holding on for dear life.

Wonder where this obsession has come from?? 
Uh...let me tell you. 

Bonnie's Barn that's where.  My sister has horse fever.  Ever since volunteering for a horse rescue group, she has become an addict, building a barn and acquiring 4 horses, namely:  Moose, Annabelle, Baby and Melman (named after the Giraffe in the Madagascar movies and appropriately so). 

Each morning during our visit we strolled out to spend some quality time with the quartet.  Giving them carrots and standing there watching them.  Amelia is scared to death of them, but in awe at the same time.  Won't actually feed the carrot to them or touch them, but insists I do it and in a hurry!  She runs into the tack room and grabs the bag of carrots, but once in view of the massive beasts, demands to be held and points to which one should be fed first.  Melman was the winner in that category each time...he is the least threatening, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place were up for grabs.

Melman, Moose, Baby and Annabelle

Each morning she played with the gate chain.  Yelling something to Annabelle (her white nose you see in the barn stall) and then pretending to open it or lock it up, I couldn't figure out which.  This occupied her for at least 1/2 an hour each morning, running over to give me something (a key I would imagine) and then running back to attend to the gate.

We brought our handy dandy horse rain boots all the way from Alaska for the sole purpose of impressing the horses.

With pal Abbigail.  Nothing like sweeping up the barn after a morning at the beach. 

Funny, I would never put those two things together growing up! 

Her dad grew up on a farm, surrounded by horses. 

Perhaps...she is a country girl at heart.    

She was to have her photo taken in her country look, however, major breakdown in sued, so I took my own out by the fence.  It was my fault...scheduled the session way too late in the day, without a solid nap and no more time to reschedule as we were leaving the next day.  I have had pictures done at Portrait Innovations since she was 3 months as they are $10 for a decent package that includes a 10x13 which is cheaper than printing them!  

Will try again at Christmas.

All the kids find a soft spot in helping their mother out here and there with horse duties.  Here is Matt at the top of the world, helping his mother (in the hay wagon) secure a tarp. Notice I wasn't helping again...just taking photos! I sense a pattern.

   

Back home, we have secured our own Annabelle, Melman, Moose and Baby in the barn.

Yeehaw.