Cowgirl lessons

During our Thanksgiving trip to Riddle, the girls got a special treat...their first "cowgirl" lessons, according to Ella. Each year during Thanksgiving at Aunt Kathy's, the girls get to go down to the barn and see the horses. This year, we went down a little earlier in the day and were able to see the horses in the daylight. Extra special treat, Kristy brought Shorty out of the barn and saddled him up for a little riding!!

Ella and Aubrey were beyond thrilled!!!!

Aubrey had a chance to sit on the horse last year, but this year was her first time actually riding! She had no fear, Kristy even had to stop a few times to remind Aubrey to keep holding on!! Aubrey was more interested in kissing Shorty than she was in brushing him, but of course she was too quick for me to get a good picture of it ;-)

Ella had had her first ride a few years ago, but I think she had forgotten. This time she was very into the whole process. She helped Kristy brush Shorty, talked her ear off while they walked around they field, helped put Shorty back in the barn and even pitched in to help feed all the horses at the end. When we went back up to the house, Ella was bragging about her "cowgirl" lessons. She told Grandpa Rick she only got 1 ride, but it was 10 miles!! It was something close to that, I'm sure.... ;-)

Ella, our cowgirl!!!

Oh, where do I begin?!?!

Despite my best efforts, my blogging has once again taken a hiatus. While logic would say I should just go back to the last picture I posted and start there. But what's the fun in being logical??

So I'll just start where I start ;-)

Last Thursday I invited a bunch of our friends over. It was a random Thursday night, and Neal was a great sport and never once asked why we had 10+ people over at our house on a school night to have pizza. Our friends were in on the secret though, I had been able to take a peek at the baby in my belly during a regular doctor's appointment on Tuesday and knew the gender! Neal and the girls weren't with me because our big ultrasound isn't until tomorrow (Thursday). After dinner, everyone gathers in the kitchen and I slip out into the garage. Neal still isn't asking any questions. Then I sent this box in front of him. On the top is says Boy?Girl?

"Wait?! You know?" He just now realizes that this isn't random pizza night at the Kerner's ;-)

We were going to have people write guesses on the top of the box as to whether it was a boy or girl, but all the kiddos at the house couldn't wait for that kind of suspense.

Its a.... 

BABY GIRL!!! Baby girl #3, who is no closer to having a name than before we knew the gender, is set to arrive around May 9th!! Ella and Aubrey are very excited. Ella's first comment was "Oh good, now we don't have to buy boy clothes and boy toys!"

Suddenly we hear this sobbing, hysterical sobbing. Over in the corner, our nephew Quin is crying crocodile tears. All we can here is "I want a boy!!"" He is slightly outnumbered around here, his only boy cousin lives all the way across the ocean in Lebanon and his mommy had been telling him maybe Auntie M would have a boy for him to play with. Heart-broken... we couldn't help but laugh just a little ;-) It was very sweet. But after momma comforted him for a few minutes, we realized he didn't care it was a girl. He wanted a BALLOON, not a BOY!! Well, we can fix that =)

 Needless to say, our ultrasound tomorrow will be a little less climactic than originally anticipated, but it was a fun surprise to throw. Hopefully we will get a picture of her face tomorrow and I'll try to post it before she is born ;-)