Snap, crackle and POP!

So I finally had to break down and go to the chiropractor today. :) I think I had a pinched nerve in my back which was going down my leg when I'd stand up. Nothing major, but it was annoying! Crack crack, and I'm fixed! I am so pleased that I turned out ok after falling. I was a little worried, but not freaking out about it. :) I hung with Cocoa a few days without riding, mainly because of being short on time. But just hanging out with him makes me happy. Just thinking about him makes me happy!

So I have been wanting to take a painting class for some time now. Today, I found one at Hobby Lobby next week! I registered, and will send my $$ in tomorrow. I'm so excited, because I really really really really really want to paint a pic of Cocs for my living room! I may be enlisting the help of an interior designer/artist, but I have to see how much it will cost first. I just know I can paint!! I've done it in small doses before and loved it, I just need to have someone help me get to the next step of doing BIG projects! I found a 60" wide by 48" tall canvas a Hobby Lobby, and I want to use that as a center piece, and then two 36" by 48" sides to create a main piece. Not sure yet what I'm going to do, but I'm anxious to do something! The thought went through my head today that I should be an artist! LOL! I totally could - have you SEEN some of the stuff out there that passes for art?! Being on the art committee at work has really exposed me to a lot of cool stuff. And a lot of weird stuff. :) Next year I want to have a booth at the AGES fundraiser and sell my paintings. I think I will do silhouettes, and then I think I'll paint some ceramic horses and display them. Hopefully I'll get some custom work from it. Hmm, guess I should make some business cards and brochures, too! But at the same time, I don't want to make it where I'm so busy I don't get to do anything else. BURNOUT. No thanks!

Oh well, I could go on and on, but I have a party to get to. Well, Diva's night in downtown West Bend. It's sort of a party! ;) Ciao!

It's all good!

Well, I will officially have a bruised hinder tomorrow! I was sooo cool, that I just rode Cocoa with the bareback pad. First, I couldn't get it tightened quite right, then I kinda kept slipping but I was NOT afraid. We rode up, around the camper, into the round pen, around the round pen, out of the pen, back around the camper, back down the hill toward the barn to finish up. When I type it like that, it sounds like we rode for 3 minutes. It was at least 20. :) So anyway, we were walking down the hill, I was taking him back to the barn to put him away. Well, the pad slipped and off I went! :) It of course hurt at first - I landed right on my tailbone/butt. I just laid there for a bit and let it wear off a little, then got up. My sweet little boy was just standin' there, waitin' for me. :) I love him so much!!! I'm fine!! I took some ibuprofin, iced, and even tho it'll hurt tomorrow and I'll go see Dr. Schuetz, I will be just fine!! I had absolutely no fear, NONE. It had nothing to do with Coc's... it was all me. :) Well, every cowgirl falls, so I consider this my rite of passage, and thankfully it was as easy as it was!

Love you, Cocoa!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxox

Bareback and fancy free

Third day in a row I, me, Charlotte Ann, rode bareback? YOU BETCHA, BABY! Now don't go thinking I went like on a 2 hour trail ride BB or something, :) it was just around the farm. BUT, it's something I would not have done so easily before. In fact, I don't know if I ever even got on Brandi sans saddle, and I know I never did with Texas. Leah I did, but it was kinda scary at the time. Anyway, Cocoa was really good to me. I love that boy so much. I am so happy at how we're bonding, and how each day I feel closer and closer to him. He has stolen my heart. :)

I hung out while he ate grass - I like taking him over to enjoy some lush snackin' while I'm with him. I love the sound of him eating, and I love watching him. If I click to him, he will turn my way, which I think is just the coolest. He watches me if I walk away, too. We are becoming true partners. I took some pics of him with my phone, but they are not as great as if I'd taken them with my camera. But, Jill is coming out on Sunday to take pics of us together. I'm really excited for that. She took some really cool pics of me & Brandi, and me & Tex, but this is different. I. Can't. Wait.

So I am enjoying what's left of the beautiful weather, and the quickly fading daylight. I thought to myself that I wish I could have gotten him earlier in the summer, but God's timing is perfect timing. I don't think I was ready anyway. :) If we are blessed with a mild winter like last year's I will be a-o-k. :)

OH, and when I got there, he came to me!! He came so far, then stopped and ate grass, but when I turned and walked around the corner to see if the water trough was over there, he came galloping to me!! My heart beats faster...

Cocoa, my heart is yours! I love you so much, handsome boy!!!

My perfect pony. :)

I'm so darn happy! :) I had a great ride on Cocoa tonight, and Stacy was riding Sambra. We hung around the yard/campfire pit, but my confidence builds and grows EVERY time I am on him! The other thing that was totally awesome about tonight is that I hopped on without using a bucket or stool or anything! :)  It helps that he's a shorty, but I think I'm learning how to do it right finally! :)  Last night I went up and brushed him and loved on him, and then took him over by the firepit to munch grass. While he was munching, I hopped on bareback!! I would NEVER have done that with any of my other horses ... maybe Leah, but I never did. It made me so happy!! We walked around a little, and he listened really well! I LOVE that little boy!!!

I am learning that he listens to me, and even though he may throw a tiny "testing" moment in, if I nudge him forward with an ask, he responds to me really well! He might not be totally 100% confident, but the more I maintain my confidence the better he responds, and then the more he trusts me. :) I know it sounds so simple, but if you could experience it the way I am, you'd totally understand. He's starting to understand that I will not take him into a dangerous situation.

I just need to keep my chin up and keep trying, and keeping praying and trusting God that in order to have those breakthroughs, I need to go THROUGH. I did that lots tonight, and that makes me pretty happy!

How did we end our ride? We ended it in almost darkness (totally cool!), with me hopping back on and riding him down the hill to the barn, because he was refusing to walk with me leading him. But he walked down great and trusted me. How much better can it get than that?! After I untacked him, I walked him a little ways down the hill where he freaks out. Each time we go a little further. It's good for both of us, and we're both doing GREAT!

I love you, Cocoa Puff, and you will be my pony soulmate for all of our days! <3

I'm just sayin'...

If a little kid can learn to ride a horse like that, SO CAN I!