HORSES.

Summer is fading fast. The end of August has carried in some very fall like weather. And after surviving another summer without air conditioning,  the change is very much welcomed. However, it is also a reminder that after a beautiful, crisp fall, will come the dreaded winter. Don't get me wrong, we actually choose to live here, which must mean that we somewhat enjoy it. Winter is pretty here, and with it comes things we enjoy, like cozy days at home, hot cocoa, sledding, and snowman making. But it also means we're stuck indoors (for the most part) for five months. You can't even run out to grab your mail without first bundling up in a sweater and slipping some boots on. My point here is that the end of summer is bittersweet. I love watching the seasons change, one fading into the next, and for the most part, I am ready for the shift. But this summer has been so good. We have been incredibly busy, and made so many memories as a family of four. It will be hard to see this one end. But i'm not stopping til there's snow on the ground, so we're grabbing what's left of summer by the horns and riding it as far as the wind will take us. We're pushing aside our normal evening routines to savor the last few hours of the day. Tonight, we went and fed some horses.

We loaded up a basket with apples from a neighbor's tree and set off. I know what you're thinking, Geesh, first she stole pinecones, now apples?. First of all, it wasn't my idea. I was going to run to the grocery store and grab some, but Nick suggested the neighboring tree. One less stop, with two kids in tow? I'm in. And hey, i'm taking from nature to give back to nature, so I think i'm justified.

I wanted to be brave and show my girl it was no big deal to feed a horse. But truth is, i'm very squeamish about animals getting too close, especially eating from my hand. And have you ever seen a horse's mouth up close? It's nasty. And their teeth are huge. And the slobber everywhere. I just couldn't do it. So we rolled them under the fence and the horses seemed just fine with that. Ha.

It makes my heart swell with joy to see my kids happy, and tonight was no exception. We all enjoyed it for different reasons and a happy memory was made. I couldn't ask for more, except maybe a couple more beautiful August evenings to wring out the last of summer!