Riding Horses

Our church group has a fun tradition, every summer we have a breakfast outdoors behind the church. We have a large pavilion out there with a big field for playing baseball and other sports (including Quidditch...remember my Girl Scout field day earlier this month?).

The breakfast was held this year on the morning of the Countryfest celebration so it was a big day for us that started around 8:00 on a Saturday morning. After feasting on pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, and fruit, we were supposed to head straight to Riverton for the Arts Festival. All the big girls were dancing at 9:30.

But Crafty and Baby Doll had another idea. They wanted to ride the horses!

Every year our amazing friend and neighbor brings her horses to the breakfast so that kids like mine who never get a chance to ride can spend a few minutes in the saddle. So my two girls wolfed down their food and headed for the line.

There were only two horses, but since most of our friends were still eating the lines were fairly short. By the time I finished up and walked with Curly down to the loading area, they were the next ones to ride.

As we neared the line, Curly started getting more and more excited. He had ridden a horse last year at the breakfast, but his opportunities were rare. We approached Crafty and stood by her in the line, but there was no way he could cut that many of our good friends and we just didn't have time to wait for him to have a turn of his own.

I tried to explain it to him, but as his big blue eyes clouded over I glanced up at Crafty. "Unless your big sister is willing to give up her spot for you, I don't think you will get to ride this year," I consoled. He glanced at Crafty, disbelieving the words he could hear falling from my lips. Crafty shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She loves horses! But she is also going to Girl Scout Camp in a couple of weeks and they have horses there for the girls to ride. She knew that this would be Curly's only opportunity.

In the end she couldn't resist the hopeful look on his sweet face. He didn't beg or cry, he just waited patiently for her to decide. She sighed and set Baby Doll on the ground. "You can ride," she mumbled and he gave her a big squeeze around the waist. As much as Crafty loves horses, she definitely loves her little brother more.

I was so proud of her!

She walked slowly back to the pavilion to join her big sisters as Curly and Baby Doll shared the saddle. She may have shed a tear, but she certainly didn't regret giving up her seat. That's just what amazingly wonderful big sisters do.