Ally turns six on Wednesday. I still can't believe that she's going to be 6. I try and savor every little bit of the girls...I take photos, I journal, I record the mundane and the magnificent...but...really...there's no way to get it all in.
It's impossible to remember it all... I don't know that I remember this exact moment that I see pictured here. But I remember the feeling. The feeling of holding this precious and very chubby girl, that came ever so quickly. I remember feeling as if I'd arrived. It seems silly, but somehow having 2 kids made me feel like my family was 'full'. Ally was the piece we were missing and her arrival was nothing short of one gigantic blessing. And, really, it's been that way ever since.
Somehow that round faced 9 pound, 11 ounce, baby has become a full fledged kid. A beautiful girl that continues to make me laugh and feel blessed beyond measure.
Like every year, Ally got a choice between a birthday party or a special 'something'. She chose to go horse back riding as a family. Since her actual birthday is on a school day, we decided to celebrate a bit early. On Friday night she opened up her gift from Jason and I. I'd say she was just a *little* excited about these 'real' cow-girl boots.
and nearly as excited about this 'Barbie can be a horseback rider' book...
Last weekend Grandpa and Grandma Nancy gave her this hat as an early birthday present. She has literally worn it daily and strikes her cow-girl pose whenever she can...
We set up a ride with a stable that runs out of Los Osos. It starts right next to the golf course in a residential area, and then you take a trail out to the beach (Montana de Oro). This stable is literally the only stable that didn't have a minimum age limit (most will only do hand-held 'walks' for kids 7 and under). It's also one of the few places that will let you trot/canter/run the horses on the beach. You're encouraged to do as you like once you get on the beach.
Ally was SO confident and told the guide that she wanted to ride 'by myself' (she was given the option to ride alone, or have her horse roped to the guides).
She looked SO cute sitting on her horse decked out in her new hat/boots.
right before we headed out, she changed her mind and decided that she wanted her horse to be led by the guide's horse (sounded good to me :)
The ride out was BEAUTIFUL and super relaxing. Paige was having fun, and so was Ally. When we came around the dune and saw the beach it was just gorgeous.
Our horses trotting down the beach...it made me a bit nervous at first, but was totally fun. Paige said this was her favorite part.
And this....well, this next picture is where the real adventure began. The guide, Fawn, had warned us that her horse was a bit 'excited'. He had recently injured his foot and this day was his first ride back out and he was antsy to get to 'play' on the beach. Before the ride even started she said "my horse likes to show off...he'll rear up, but don't worry your horse won't do this"
See where I'm going with this??????
Fawn's horse DID rear up (as in VERTICAL)...he did this twice...honest to God, I have NO IDEA how Fawn stayed on her horse, it was like out of a movie or something...
Naturally, Ally's horse (Sierra) is roped to the misbehaving horse, and has no where to go. Ally's horse is trying to steer clear of the misbehaving horse and starts to 'dance/bounce/run in a circle'. Ally hung on like hell for the 30 seconds that it lasted. Fawn was able to jump off her horse, (while still holding Ally's rope) and settle both horses down. Fawn did a great job reassuring Ally that she did an FABULOUS job of not screaming (and further spooking the horse) and praised her for keeping calm-ish and hanging on.
Ally was visibly shaken but seemed to settle down pretty quickly. The guides horse got a swift 'talking to', but was continuing to misbehave so I took over and held onto to Ally's horse.
All was well, and we started heading back.
That is until we were passing by the dunes on our way back. There was a family running down the dunes. The guide called out for them to stop (so as not to spook the already jittery horse). Everyone listened except for one women who continued to jog down. At this point Ally's horse (that I'm holding onto) starts to 'dance' she's not quite bucking but she's scared and has no where to go. Ally freaks, and starts to scream which startled the horse even more. The horse starts to run, I can't hold on and Ally is screaming 'MOM, HELP!!!!!!!!''
She hung on for a few seconds and then ended up on the ground (Ally says she 'jumped off', it looked like she was thrown). Jason was pretty funny...he said that he wanted to have a 'Far and Away' moment with the horse (remember when Tom Cruise punched his misbehaving horse?)
She cried for a few minutes and then rode the rest of the way back with Jason on his horse. The guide felt TERRIBLE. It ended up being quite an adventure to say the least. Thankfully, when it was all said and done, Ally and Paige both said they had a good time and would do it again (whew! no permamnent traumatic scars).
Here she is in the afternoon, with her thumb-verdict for the day.
...oh, and I forgot to mention one thing...we saw a naked man.
No joke! There were about 30 'boys' (must have been in a frat) that were on top of one of the dunes, yelling 'chug, chug, chug!' and then snow boarding down the sand (some had boogie boards). That is, until one 'boy' when down naked. Um, yeah, I can't even begin to think of the little exfoliating treatment his parts got. Somehow these thirty or so poeple didn't scare the horse (maybe because they were so far away?)
