A Dream Come True

WOW!!! Garrett has reached all sorts of milestones I wasn't sure he would meet, but this is one I never ever assumed I would see! I have led Garrett around on a horse...me on the ground. He has ridden Lucy (the one he is on in the photo) in our little arena "alone" with me within arms' reach, but today I ponied him off of Ernie. So as you see in the picture, I rode Ernie and he rode Lucy, and I had a lead rope attached to Lucy while we rode. This is huge because it means we can ride longer, maybe even on some trails someday. Even cooler is that he completely remembered the things I taught him like how to stop, turn, back up. So we would be riding along and then suddenly Lucy would pull on the rope and I would look back to see Garrett was turning or stopping Lucy. How cool!!! We rode from our house across our big alfalfa field to Farmer Bob's, which is about 1/5 mile, then around the field some before returning home. We jogged the horses a little twice, but Garrett looked a bit to wobbly to keep that up, so we did lots of walking. It might have been a ten minute ride total, but I was on top of the world, and so was Garrett. Garrett got a huge laugh when Lucy would make a snorting noise as we rode. This was a memory I was surprised to get to make. Ahhh, how sweet!!!

On a sad note, my mother's mom, Clara Burrett, died today, in her home surrounded by her three children, one day before her 96th birthday. "Buddy," as will call her, will always be remembered by me for the love and interest she showed all of her grandchildren, her beautiful artwork of needlepoint and watercolor that we have in our homes, and her deep love of animals. She always had at least two rescued dogs worshipping her every move. I had the wonderful experience of enjoying time with my grandparents at their home on a lake in north Alabama. We would swim, fish, enjoy meals together, celebrating years of Christmasses together. Our family will miss Buddy terribly, but we know we will be reunited in Heaven. Tonight she is free of suffering and pain, finally reunited with her husband, "Pappy," and surrounded by all of her faithful dogs!!!