Days like yesterday warrant some reflection … some extra thoughtfulness … some extra gratitude …
Yesterday, we attended our first North East Riding Club meet in Nipawin.
To be a part of something so special is a gift …
The time and energy and effort invested to attend these events is considerable!
There’s sacrifice … as I leave my younger two children behind with Grandma (though this “forced” time with grandparents is good for everyone, I think) … as my time is monopolized with preparations (from making sure we get sufficient time in the saddle to packing and preparing food and drinks) … from money invested to an extra early morning (so a little less sleep) … from sore, tired bodies to surviving in the heat!
But there’s also so many gifts … lots of time “catching up” with a friend on the road to and from, giggles in the backseat, “friendly-ish” competition between two friends (who act more like brother and sister sometimes), oodles of “goosebump” moments, butterflies in our bellies, watching my girl’s hard work pay off (securing two firsts and a second in her Western classes), watching my girl “try something new” with her horse (barrels, poles, and quads) and having (mostly) clean runs, getting to “know” new people, tips and advice from a local “grandpa,” a compliment from that same grandpa, safe travels to Nipawin and back, a truck and trailer to haul our horse and our friend’s pony (we can thank Dad/my husband for this), our special “helpers” back home who worked hard to get Mackenzie and her horse ready for these shows, a “horsey” mom friend to help with bathing and grooming (while her son and my other daughters biked and played in the yard)!
The list of gifts is long … and the blessings are countless … I’m so excited to do this several more times this summer with my big girl and our friends.
Taking a moment this morning just to say …
Thank you Lord for the gift of this day!
Our Life Well Lived - Leanne Hintz 