It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Nothing is more wonderful than Horseback riding season! After all the mandatory, repetitive therapies - Horse Therapy is an exciting break! She loves the bumpy ride, giving them hugs and touching their noses. She likes singing to herself and noticing every little detail around her. I love watching her smile and rock herself to try to get the horse going faster :) I wish I could go riding every week - Lucky GIRL!
This particular horse she is riding is one of the smaller horses, but typically she likes the taller, larger and faster horses! She giggles like it's the most wonderful ride ever!

Signing 'Touchdown' while on the horse...

Random - combination of everything of the last few months - Your Welcome

This really isn't in any specific order but just random photo's of this summer.

To begin with, of course, Maggie riding Horses!

Such a happy kiddo, so small on this magnificent giant creature.

My crush - this really isn't a new event of this summer I've had a thing for him for 4 seasons of the Tudors but I thought I'd include him anyways - Oh Henry Cavill

(Is it just me but... look at this picture then look at the picture of me to your left we look good together.)

I was driving on a major highway in the cities and saw this....

HAHAHAAAA - Had to take a pic.

Once again, Henry Cavill - I just can't wait for your next project - sense Tudors ended I've missed you

Temps in the high 90's even 100s is normal for AZ - but this MN people! 99 is ridiculous and with 90% humidity - shoot me now... I'm glad those days of summer are behind us.

This is my favorite, sweetest horse at the ranch - APOLLO. He is a Percheran Draft horse - BIG BOY, just look at maggie's hands compared to his head!

He is a gentle giant!

So this little event PISSED ME OFF! My family and I took two cars to go eat dinner at this awesome mexican food restaurant and we all left in my car excluding my dad - he stayed to pay the bill while we got maggie home. He was oblivious to the artwork on the side of the car and drove home. Well the rest of us noticed it right away - the word "ILLEGAL" was drawn with car paint on the window. We called the police and apparently their was a few of these events that were taking place at mexican specific places - coiniciding with a lot of illegal immigration friction - I'm not a policitian nor do I want to be one however this was an act of vandilism no matter how you feel on the issue.

(This one's for you Holly)

Just a quick shot of the hundreds of people in line at midnight to see Eclipse :) Yes - It was AWESOME!

Just a cool photo - sometimes I love my iphone the blurry people annoying, blurry landscape sometimes really cool!

Maggie on her horse - can you see her she's that tiny pink dot

She never holds on with her hands its all in her thighs - she has amazingly strong little legs.

I don't a have a ton of pics but this summer we road tripped to the coast and spent some time in South Carolina - Maggie was a real trooper! she slept a good amount of the time and when she was awake she was pleasant and happy only one minor diaper not aborbant enough moment but C'est La Vie. She loved the Beach and got to watch Nemo and Cars everyday which was her ideal vacation.

Andy and I went to a 'Beatles' Concert - actually the best one we've been too. (this is our 3rd) Before the show we spent sometime downtown which is filled with cool artwork and crazy people and great food. We went to this British Pub and had Fish n Chips. The Andy posed with Joe Mauer.... Kinda

We had awesome seats row 4 on the right side in front of 'Paul' - Fantastic!!!! So bummed this was blurry, but we had a great time! He's my favorite date.

New Shoes!!!! I was so excited to get these. Went to Journey's with a $5 coupon, the shoes I liked were 50 bucks Because she's no longer toddler size($35) - well I saw these awesome plaid and green shoes on %75 off plus coupon they were $14.99 !!!!!!!!!!

:)

Being a true fan is exhausting! So much jumping up and down and excitement. It tires this little extreme fan out.

But not too worry she's up and ready to cheer after a little nap.

It's just so exciting. I love my sports too - But I really love watching Maggie!

Random .... smiley brownies

I wish I had more photo's BUT I went to see LADY GAGA in concert and it was freakin awesome!!!!!!

My Equestrian Princess

We went to the Minnesota State Fair which is known for it's 'Miracle of Birth' - which is a lot of baby farm animals: cows, pigs, sheep, goats, bunnies, chicks and horses. This baby was only a few hours old sleeping under his mothers chin - SO Adorable!

This baby calf was In Love with the taste of Maggie's shoes. I think this calf thought salt lick and chew toy all in one - Yeah! And Maggie didn't mind at one point found it very funny.

We had a little incident only a few weeks ago where Maggie fell off one bed only to hit the edge of another and ready make a mark on her chest. Fortunately it healed quickly and only looked awful.

First Vikings game of the 2010 season!!!

Very exciting even though the Purple boys played awful. We were still excited and ready for football season.

It's been exciting, boring, long and interesting at times and mostly good however this was unacceptable. This was found at my mom's school, on monday Sep 13th, after a long rainy weekend. It is untraceable and the St. Louis Police Department can't rationalize a dead-end search and after all the media coverage of the intolerant and ignorant so called pastor in FL who threatened to burn scripture, nothing will be done to the person who actually DID burn Scripture.

I don't think it is a coincidence that the date says 9/11 - however I do believe the person who commited this awful act is of no faith and religion. They are responsible for their own actions.

And to end on an exciting evening, last friday I went to a twins game. My first at Target Field! which is awesome - so clean and modern and it has trees and is Eco-friendly and huge screen and fireworks and an awesome winning team :)

Ah well a little bit of this and a little bit of that - good, bad and ugly! It is what it is :) Nothing especially juicy but hey a little look into out little corner of the world.

More Horse Therapy Pics

Twice a Week Maggie gets her fill of Horses and I get to see her completely happy. I have this old book called 'A Very Young Rider' and it's filled with all theses photos of her at practice and on the sidelines and cleaning and caring for her horse and there are several in there where the girl looks like this...

anxiously waiting for her turn and chomping at the bit (pun intended) but patience is hard and waiting well...
Oh look an airplane ... attention lost but just for a brief second

when she leans over to hug and kiss the horses mane she looks like she has the same posture as when a rider is about to jump... little equestrian princess
While I sat and waited I looked up and thought - Beautiful Toy Story Clouds - and a lovely 80 degrees, perfect!

Horse Therapy

Well after too many months of snow, ice and bone chilling cold Spring is here!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful beautiful Spring that bring rain showers, flowers and leaves in full bloom and best of all horseback riding! By far Maggie's favorite therapy and extremely therapeutic both physically and emotionally she is completely happy. Not to mention adorable in her skinny jeans and huge helmet.

Even after months off from her routine of weekly lessons, she got right on and immediately tightened her thighs and put her heels down just like she hadn't missed a week of practice.

(all the while waving to me with each lap just like the true equestrian princess she is.)

This is Stewart - the typical barn cat complete with absolutely no stranger danger, human or equine, and demands your attention with the utmost persistence... not to mention he has extra digits

Not lying - SERIOUSLY - extra toes on all four paws.....weird I know but he's so cute and soft and persistent, it needs repeating because I can't express how in your face and you will pet me now this cat is. In a good way :)

Before She gets to ride Maggie walks around the barn and greets the horse at the gate. These are big horses that are for the most part very friendly and to most kids intimidating. Not to Maggie though she just laughs and loves up on them in her sweet little way.

I love these photo's because they capture not only Maggie's sheer joy and delight in these animals but the expression and gesture of this horse also shows his joy is delighting her, bowing his head so she can pet him - a true therapy animal

She looks SO SMALL - fragile and breakable at any moment yet fearless and excited for the adventure

And to think this was just the last 2 days we have several weeks of this to come and I can already tell Maggie is going to have a fabulous summer! She has no idea all the exciting things I have in store for her :)