August 2014 - Evans' cabin

Oh, how these kids love horses! Thank you Evans clan for making my childhood dream a possibility for my children. There is nowhere in the world like this place!

And pure joy for Sam is taking his kids on horse-back rides at his cabin (especially teaching his little red-headed boy to ride)!

We got lots of visits from my family too (before the rest of Sam's family was able to come up). If you want people to be your friend - all you need is a cabin with a boat and/or some horses. You'll be loved, and people will be dying to hang out with you:) Thanks for taking the time to come up and hang out Aubrey and Howie!

Getting the sillies out...and sad that it might be a long time before these kiddos get to see their aunt and uncle again.

LucyMae growing up...riding her own horse! It was like a therapy session for her....you could literally see her self-confidence growing!

Pure joy ...

And we got a visit from my sister Tenille, and her family. So thankful for the gentle horses that we can trust with kids!

Anna mounted on her steed...what a beauty queen:)

And Scott and Rennie made it too...just barely in time for a ride (mostly in the dark I think). And then good times with the kiddos....

and hard goodbyes:(

These 2 are the goofiest...

The best way to spend a sunny morning at the cabin after filling your tummy with scones....jumping on the trampoline in pajamas!

Notice the length of the grass in these pictures....

And my sweet kiddos picked me a BEautiful bouquet of wildflowers...I LOVE wildflowers way more than any other flowers anyone could buy for me!

I tried SOOOO hard to catch a good picture of them on the fencepost together....but they simply would not cooperate the way I wanted....so these will have to do. I need to work on my photographer skills!

Only one of them will look at the camera at a time...but when they do, it sure is cute!

My view from this ride....I had James on the front of me, in the baby-carrier. Sam had Samantha in front of him and Ben behind him (they switched off actually), and LucyMae was on her own awesome horse! No lead-rope...she just did it by herself! Can you see the self-confidence therapy in action or what! If you've known my LucyMae the past year at all, you know how badly needed this was!

And she tells that horse what to do!

This was us on the ride....James loved it!...he just didn't love the sun in his eyes right then.

My little cowgirls and cowboy! Ahhhh...this is the life!

And I love this old, antique high-chair at the cabin. I will admit there are a lot of things at the cabin that I would not be sad if they disappeared, but I hope this high-chair never does....it's just cool! Even if James can slide right out of it;)

And some more Evans' finally arrived!

And then there's just so many pictures....but I love them all...

James LOVED being on the trampoline by himself any chance he could get!

and now look at the grass...Sam did a good job don't you think? It is so nice to have the cut grass to run around on!

Sam's parents let us go for a ride by ourselves for our anniversary:) It was long and beautiful and perfect!...even if the pictures are kind of awkward.

And this is where Sam proposed 8 years and 2 months ago...so fun to be back here together, 4 kids later and still looking good;)

That's MY cowboy:)!

OK...and do you not just LOVE this picture? This is on Jack - who is a HUMONGOUS horse....so tall! And James just loved sitting up there on him...did NOT want to get down!

Joe and little Sam...that kid is just awesome!

So many fun rides! And so fun to have 6 horses up there for most of the time we were there. We pretty much had someone on a ride the whole time we were there...

Samantha really wanted to be a big girl like LucyMae and do it by herself....she did for a little bit, and didn't quite gain the same self-confidence as LucyMae...see her body language?

YES!

Can we just live here? Why do we have to go back to Philadelphia mom?

And this is just the best series of pictures of the Evans family at the cabin ever....it captures it all....

Ben was literally in heaven the whole time we were there. He now asks on almost a daily basis (now being Feb. 2015) "when are we going to the horsey cabin and to see Grandma Clair again?" If only I had a magic wand....