Giddyup!

Today we went to a party for one of Madison's friends, Rachel. It was a really awesome birthday party nearby some stables so the kids could go for a ride! Madison has been looking forward to this for quite some time. She's just itchin' to saddle up! Sure enough, time to ride came pretty soon:

Look at her, having such a great time. She rode around the arena like she belonged on horseback, as if she was royalty. And today, all the little girls were royalty. It was such a pleasant walkabout, as you can see there was much of it in shade. Additionally, our pace was nice and slow so that we could enjoy ourselves, which we did.

There were horseshoe crafts after that, and then one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed: the kids got to paint something. Here's what they painted:

Yes, all the kids had paint markers and were actually coloring this poor animal! At one point, there were six of them all at once, all with different color markers, all completely covering this most unusual canvas. Is this normal? I mean seriously: who thought this one up? Hey, the stable is open. For birthdays, let's get a bunch of markers and go to town!

Anyway, soon after came the cake and the presents. What a very special birthday party. We loved it! It was a beautiful morning, a slight breeze hanging in the air, courtesy of Irene. Madison went home a princess, and with a smile on her face. And for that, Mommy and Daddy had one too!

"My horse is very quick, so quick sometimes, that he leaves me behind."

- Will Rogers