Hi everyone! I hope not all of you have given up on me. I don't have internet access very often and it's hard to think of what to say after such a long absence from Blogger.
Yesterday was the eight-month mark of Anders' and my marriage. What a blessing! I am so very happy with this man. He is everything I've ever dreamed of and more. God looked beyond what I thought I deserved and He gave me what He knew I needed.
Today Anders and his dad are going to fall some trees for a lady near our church building. Also, a group from our church is going to Adna to do some work for the family we adopted. They had been flooded out last fall and lost everything. Because I have to work today I don't get to join in either event. I am trying not to pout. I have to work especially hard because I am sleepy. I wonder if my sister is going to Adna. My parents went to take care of some business at my late grandmother's house. They went to see my brother's family, too. I haven't seen them since before Christmas. I really miss them.
Since the last sentence written, I have spent time outside brushing my horse, Ribbon. She is a 6 (or so) year old sorrel and white pinto of Arabian and Saddlebred blood. She is dainty and sweet and very pretty. She is also very sure-footed in the woods and has the most comfortable gaits I have ever experienced. Before she was given to me by my in-laws as a wedding gift, she was hardly ridden. She has a cautious disposition that constant handling on my part has slowly overcome. I have spent a lot of time earning her trust and I think she knows we belong to each other. Because she is on the bottom of the 10-horse pecking order here on the farm, I stand up for her when the other horses try to chase her around just to affirm themselves. I groom her, take her treats, and scratch her butt. I am teaching her how to lead mannerly, how to respond to what I am asking through the bit, and what it's like to have someone love her. She lets me do what she doesn't let other people do, and she hardly ever shies away from me. She lets me pick up her feet even if she is out in the field not tied to anything. She used to spook at every little thing that was different or happened suddenly, but she is much more steady now. I love my Beauty-girl, my Ribbon-horse. I can't wait until the snows melt off the high mountains so I can take her on a long ride up high. And some day, she will carry me as we go hunting for whatever we hunt on horseback. Elk, I think. I'll have to get her used to rifles going off around her, though. That still makes her nervous. In the meantime, I ride her as much as I can, both alone and with a group. I'm going to sign off now. I hope you aren't too bored. If so, why did you keep reading? Silly.
