They say time flies...

There's an old adage that time flies when you're having fun. Oh boy are they right.

Moon is 18 now. We enjoyed another summer home together, and I'm still loving it. So is he. I mean, he's just so happy and content. My farrier praises his body condition and temperament and only on a rare occasion does he call out when the neighbor is riding her cross country course  (yes, my neighbor has horses and built a cross country course right next door!).

Moon and I did our first cross country this summer and it was amazing. So much further to go, and we didn't compete, only did training over the jump course. Still a huge win and something I always wanted to do.

We bought a truck and hauled tons. Rode at the park tons. Did our annual camping trip and it was amazing. We even fjorded a river!

The run in shelter has a semi finished tack room, and my rotation grazing is working beautifully. My manure pile composted into fertilizer that grew our vest garden ever.

My husband finished another level of school and my maternity leave ended and I headed back to work. Crazy.

G works Thursdays to Sundays in 10 hour shifts. I work Monday to Thursday and Friday at home. We've avoided daycare, but it means that life is always on the move. We have 9 chickens after putting a good 20 in the freezer. We haven't had a store bought meal in weeks.

Our daughter is just over a year old and has ridden Moon twice. Sat on him a half dozen times and most importantly been out with me to feed and pick poo a dozen or more times. She's wonderful and loves animals already. I love what we have. The ability to show her this life in our own backyard. I know every parent says it, but she's a smarty. Terribly willful and independent and adventurous. She's gonna be amazing and exhausting at the same time ;)

We built a huge garage last year. Still working on it. But I finally feel like life has slowed a pace.

In 4 days, Moon moves to his winter board. G and I agreed that it's just too hard for me to board at my girlfriends outdoor and do chores and ride after dark in the Manitoba winters. Moon is getting older too. So he's going nearby to a beautiful barn with an indoor arena and will outdoor board with barn and arena access until March. I'm gonna try to ride 3 nights a week after Toddler B is in bed. I can't wait. An arena again!

I'm really hoping this is our future norm. 4 months of the cold spent with an indoor, really enjoying ourselves. Riding tons when there's nothing going on. I hope B comes to love riding too, and we can go to the barn together as she grows.

I feel spoiled in life. Sometimes it hits me and I well over. My life is amazing. I struggled thru the worst and came out with the best. Wonderful husband, beautiful home we built ourselves. Adorable baby that we get to spend every day with, and indoor arenas and our own truck and trailer, and a big warm garage and home grown food and silly chickens, and my own tack room and field and a career I love, and warm fires in the winter and everything in our lives. I'm happy. So stupidly incredibly happy.

4 more days, and I'm riding inside again!!!