Horseback Riding Lessons

Jill's Journal: It’s been well-established our girls are crazy about horses. It must be in the genes. They -- particularly Erika -- simply love every manner of equine. Their Grandpa knows this and, as a bit of a cowboy himself, is only too happy to encourage it. With our few weeks stopped here on the Central Coast, Kristi very kindly arranged for the girls to take horseback riding lessons from a riding buddy of hers. Grandpa and Beppy stepped in to pay for the lessons as a present for the girls and I think it just may have been the best gift anyone has ever given them. They’ve counted down the days/hours/minutes to each lesson and loved their time on horseback. Now, of course, they think they need ponies! Erika has been plotting for months how to fit one into (yes, into) the RV and somehow I don’t think this experience has dimmed that dream in the slightest. :)

Thank you so much, Grandpa and Beppy!

Horses on the Beach

Jill's Journal: Spotted yesterday on Fiesta Island inside San Diego’s Mission Bay…

Any place that allows horseback riding on the beach is a winner in my book.

Oh, San Diego, you are even better than I remembered (and I remembered you were pretty great!).

A Cowgirl Birthday

Jill's Journal: Our sweet Erika turned eight today and she had one birthday wish: she wanted to be a cowgirl (and dress like one too). Erika is normally our dainty dress-wearer who would wear dresses 365 days a year if given the chance. She usually looks forward to the prospect of a new birthday dress for months in advance, so she surprised the heck out of us by asking for a cowgirl outfit instead. To prepare, a few weeks ago she very carefully picked out Wranglers (because that’s what the cowboys wear), boots, a belt, a hat, a western shirt, and a bandana (she insisted she needed a bandana!). She tried very hard to talk us into spurs and a lasso also, but we have our limits.

And so, decked out in her new duds, we embarked on what she later declared the “best birthday ever.” Rob and I needed our annual birthday pictures, so she patiently indulged us because she knew what afternoon fun was in store.

While waiting for our pictures to print, the girls enjoyed an escalator. Are our kids the only ones enamored with these things?

They get such an inexplicable kick out of riding them.

On the plus side, escalators are far cheaper entertainment than a carousel, which we also indulged in today because a birthday only comes around once a year.

After lunch, it was off to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Erika was introduced to Henry, her trusty steed for the afternoon.

See the smile on this freshly-minted 8-year-old’s face? She was in H.E.A.V.E.N. Absolute heaven.

Erika and I took an hour-long trail ride in L.A.’s famed Griffith Park. This is one of the entrances to the beautiful park.

This was Erika’s first time riding alone, without someone leading her, and she felt so grown-up and proud of herself, which is exactly how one should feel on an eighth birthday. I think it’s safe to say she loved every single moment. I know I loved watching it.

We practically had to tear the poor child away from Henry at the end of the day. She did not want to leave. She needs a pony. If only one would fit on the fifth wheel. Erika wouldn’t tell, of course, but I suspect a pony is exactly what she wished for when she blew out her birthday candles after dinner.

Happy Birthday to our most favorite 8-year-old, cowgirl or not, in the whole, wide world.

It’s a New Year

Jill's Journal: It’s been two glorious blog-free holiday weeks since I’ve written and we should be wrapping up our time in Las Vegas right about now. Because, if you know Southern California and the Barstow/Calico area I wrote from last, you know there’s really no where to go but Vegas from there. And that was our plan. Really, it was. But, as I told my Mom, this trip seems to change our plans more often than a 10-year-old boy changes his underwear.

Long story short, we didn’t make it to Vegas. No, instead we ended up seven hours west of there on California’s Central Coast. The night before we left Calico, my sister called and mentioned how nice it would have been if we were on the Central Coast instead of Vegas for her birthday on the 21st. That got the ball rolling…

We stopped over back in Tehachapi for two more fun nights with my parents…

…before continuing to Templeton/Atascadero near the California coast to surprise the girls’ Aunt Kristi for her birthday. It was quite the surprise! The girls were sipping chocolate milk at a table in her local Starbucks when she walked in. So, so fun.

And then, since Kristi and Adam were hosting Christmas this year and the rest of the family was arriving a few days later, well, it just made sense to stay and enjoy one more holiday with these wonderful people.

One of the highlights for the girls was coercing Beppy, Grandpa, and Uncle Adam to do a craft with them. I don’t think I’ve seen my Dad or brother do a craft – EVER – so it was quite the picture-worthy moment. (It may have sent me and Beppy into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Just maybe.)

There was a highlight for me too…the Central Coast is all about a casual, outdoorsy, wine-tasting lifestyle and would you believe some of the wineries welcome horseback riders? My lovely sister had an extra horse for a few days and we stole an afternoon to go riding among the grape vines. Sweet. Last year she took me riding on the beach and this year at a winery. I could get used to this.

An afternoon spent on a little hike with Kristi’s Adam and Cobin the puppy ranked pretty high up there too. Our girls are seeing it as their personal mission to ensure this puppy gets plenty of kid practice before Kristi and Adam’s baby arrives in the spring.

So yes, it was really a wonderful Christmas season for us. And while Vegas can maybe rival the occasional 75 degrees (in winter!) we saw on the Central Coast, there’s absolutely nothing that beats family.