Our Memorial Day Fun

We had BIG plans for our weekend. Jim and I both had a whole 4 days off TOGETHER, at the same time even. We thought about going to the beach, Disneyland, Vegas, somewhere great, until... Jim finally got the horse of his dreams. Jim has been looking at horses for awhile now, looking for the right one at the right price. About 2 months ago he found the PERFECT horse, Kayak, and was getting ready to close the deal when the owner calls him and says "Jim, I am really sorry but I have been riding Kayak for a week now and he is the best horse I have ever had, I just can't part with him" Jim was devastated. So then he found another, he liked him but it wasn't the same, that's why he drug his feet so long. Finally on Wednesday he decided to buy the horse, so he goes by and the horse is gone SOLD!!! Again he was devastated. He calls his friend Eric whom is part of one of the biggest ranches in the valley to see if he has a horse for him. Eric says he'll make him a deal and to come out and look. Now, these horses are ranch horses, cattle herders, just good horses that normally would sell for $9000 to $10,000 for the ones they DON'T want. He was going to sell one to Jim for $4000 which was still way more than we wanted to pay but he was there looking at it and contemplating it when his cell phone rings. (Aren't those wonderful things?) It is the man from the first horse, ready to sell because he was going to have a busy summer (he has a water tender and goes on all the fires) and wanted Kayak to go to Jim. That started off our weekend GREAT!!

So we go to this swap meet where we find these saddles. Now most people know that Jim can make a deal at Walmart and does it quiet often. One of these saddles are marked at $650 and the other for $350, I have a bridle and bit in my hand and a leather holster belt for Trever and those funky fly face covers, for the horses of course. Now I'm not a math wizard but adding that all up comes to somewhere around... WAY MORE THAN WE HAD TO SPEND!! We had $500, for 2 saddles and other tack so I was on my way out the door. Don't ask me how he did it, but we came home with both saddles and everything I was carrying. All for $500. So Friday we pick up the horse and since the kids are at school, Jim and I go out for a nice long ride. It was great! My horse is much like I am, moody and has a bit of an attitude, she let Jim's horse know that she was in charge even though He is MUCH bigger than she is. We were supposed to go camping for the weekend, but I don't like the cold, and out weather took a turn so I camped in my bed. We arose early Saturday morning, took a picnic lunch and loaded up all the kids and took to the trails. Again, we rode all day. We borrow a horse for the kids, Jimi and Alex rode him, Sami was on with me, and Trever was with Jim.

The kids butts were so sore on the back but we all had a great time. Alex was horsed out and stayed with grandma on Sunday while we went back out, each time trying new trails. Monday we all headed out once again, this ride was pretty short since the kids butts couldn't take much more, not to mention mine. Then we had a great barbecue with Keith and Sherri Pringle. Jim and I went out to feed Tuesday after work and jumped on the horses again. My horse is so tired, her feet hurt and she is getting cranky with me. We butt heads sometimes, but I love her. I accept her attitude and she accepts mine. She is part Arabian so she has a nice slow walk, but for most of the time she is a prancer, or a trotter, which translates to a sore hiny for me! I now know why people opt to buy the Tennessee Walkers, for the smooth ride. I have told people that I wish I could sew Jims butt to his saddle, he is a different person when he is on a horse, he is so much happier, I enjoy seeing him like that

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Now it's back to the grind! Only 2 and a half days of school left. I have mixed feelings. Jim keeps reminding me when I get cranky with the kids that we are constantly making memories for them, and what do we want their memories to be? It makes me feel a little like an inadequate mother, like I need to constantly be doing better (which I do) but I hope that when my kids look back they don't remember me always nagging or yelling or punishing them. I have decided that when they are out of school we are going to go room to room and clean EVERYTHING. Get rid of almost everything, start from scratch an find more room for all of our junk. By de-cluttering I know it is going to make cleaning and laundry a breeze. Like my friend Angie, I have a detailed list of the family TO-DO's. But what bothers me is that the time it took me to make that list I probably could have finished half of the stuff on the list.