Having Grace

Six short years ago, Big D and I had our first baby together; Grace.  She's a sweetheart.  We used to call her peanut, now if you call her anything but Gracie she's on your case. 
 

Like any other girl, she's in love with horses.  But like true blue horse girls, she lives and breathes them and says she's going to be a famous barrel racer someday.  AND a farmer.  Awesome.

SO FAR....this is her set up.  She practices this EVERYDAY.  Grace rides out on an imaginary horse named Tuff that she seriously has had since she's been four.  This girl is so horse crazy that she gets off the bus in the mornings at school and she either "English rides" or "western pleasure" rides to class. 

"It's so embarrassing mom!" says her big sister Ashlyn.

She's going to have her name in lights as a rodeo queen she says. I say go for it. That's what I love about kids...they are like a cracker jack box, always some surprise inside. I love watching each of our kids grow and see their different personalities take shape.

Since softball was cancelled tonight we decided to pack up the kids and visit our friends the Pederson's.  We gave Grace such a surprise for her birthday that her face turned red and she was literally speechless.  That never happens.  We bought her a horse of her very own.

This is Nicole.  She's going to break Grace's horse, (that we bought from them) then give her riding lessons and eventually barrel racing lessons.  Nicole is in the Junior Rodeo Circuit.  She's also my daughter's hero. 

Grace's horse "Cocoa" is about 2 hours away, but this is the kind of family that you can buy livestock sight unseen and you know you'll be satisfied.  These two horses are the parents to Cocoa.  If I had a decent picture of her I'd show you, but I don't. 

So happy birthday Grace, I feel so blessed to have you in my life.  Future star of the rodeo or not, God gave me a real special girl, and I love you so much!

Happy trails!
Suzanne (mom)