Hurricane Irma is bearing down on Florida as I write, and my St. Augustine family (sans Kyle) have evacuated and come to stay with us until they can go home. (Kyle is a leader in their church and felt he needed to remain behind to help those who could not leave and then with cleanup after the storm. I am terribly concerned about him and have been in tears more than once.)
Ashley and the kids arrived in the early hours of Friday morning and were still sleeping when I had to leave for school. When I got home, though, everyone was awake and the grandkids clamored to go out to the barn and visit Abby. I was happy to oblige!
So was Abby. To the delight of the kids (and me, too!) she trotted up when I called, eager to say "hello" and even more eager to see what we'd brought her.
Addie, Braden, Corinne, me, and Whitney.
The kids thought it was terribly funny that Abby loved candy canes. To their delight, she gobbled them right up.
You have to lick that hand to get every bit!
Braden, the oldest (and turning ten the next day) looks so much like his daddy did at his age! He's tall, lean, and willing to tolerate the antics of a little cousin, Ian, who tagged around and hero worshipped him all afternoon.
Addie just turned eight and, I think, is a true horsey girl like her cousin Trinity and me. Better start buying her some Breyer horses!
When Corinne was about three, she loved to call Abby her "tins hoss" (twin horse.) When I was hauling Abby home from Indiana Horse Rescue, my phone rang. It was Kyle, saying that Ashley was in labor. Corinne was born a few hours later, so she celebrates her birthday on the same day I got Abby. Sounds like twins to me! (That's Ian, looking on.)
Whitney is three and was quite shy around Abby. But she courageously let me help her give Abby an apple (we'd run out of candy canes) and was quite thrilled that she'd done so.
Me, Corinne, Mila, and Vanessa.
Ian, Braden, Lisa, Addie, and Snickerdoodle.
There is nothing quite so relaxing as hanging out with horses. Add in family, and the day just does not get any better.
I think our visit with Abby helped take everyone's mind off of Hurricane Irma and Kyle who had stayed behind.
At least, for a little while. Sigh.
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