Smiley is home, again!!!

Smiley is home! I drove up to Alamo VERY, VERY early Saturday morning (then again, before 9 am is too early for a Saturday) and brought him back home... all by myself! I hitched up alone, drove it alone... didn't load alone, needed help from Erin and co up at APEMC... and I couldn't park it by myself, needed David's help, lol.

Mom is back home from Arkansas... she had a great time with everyone, but there was some trouble with her return flight. She was supposed to fly into Las Vegas, but because of weather, they rerouted her to LAX... she finally got to get off there, and got a rental car and came home (with LAX traffic on a Friday night this was easier than me trying to fight my way down there with her standing on the curb for a few hours). It is so great to have her home.

The REALLY exciting news, and I mean, REALLY, REALLY exciting news (most of you already got my email!) is that I got to get on Smiley today. I walked him under saddle for about 20 minutes, and he was VERY Good (altho, as Julie pointed out, I would have probably said he was VERY good even if he was horrible, just so happy he is alive and we are at this stepping stone). Obviously, he was weak and a bit unsteady, but all in all, exceptional.

(The picture is of me and Smiley, right after we walked for 20 minutes in the arena. Note that, for once, I am actually wearing a helmet. Probably a sign to everyone that I knew he would be a *bit* wild) For those of you who are interested, we are nine weeks three days post op and 11 weeks three days since our last ride.

It's been a really long 9/11 weeks, a period of time that has been very strenuous, very emotional, and very life changing. Sometimes it takes almost losing someone to realize how important that someone is to you... and I feel as though the people who were there for me during this time, who have been there for me, I am so much closer to, and almost further from those who were not there for me... I think it is because it has changed me in a lot of ways. I do think I have changed a lot in the last nine weeks, I think for the better. I still have the same dedication to my riding, the same goals, dreams, and ambitions, but I have realized you have to take every moment and live life.

I won't ever forget the emotions I faced that first week at Alamo- especially before the surgery. I am so thankful to everyone who saved his life, to everyone that helped me and was so kind to me in the seven weeks (total) he spent there. Of course, most of all, I am thankful to my parents for being there for me and understanding the need to do what we did. Three months ago, if you would have told me where I would be today, I would never have believed you- it has truly been a long road (as Dr. Rick said it would be), and although this was the first day on a hopefully smooth road, I know the road is still very long.

Finals are NEXT week... have a huge paper on ethnocentrism and cultural relativism due Tuesday (yikes, but I am well into it) as well as another paper dues Wednesday in comparative government. Have four finals out of my five classes- Monday thru Thursday of next week. Then, on GLORIOUS THURSDAY at 10 am, I am DONE DONE DONE... could NOT be more happy about this fact.

Have a lot of study groups this week, just a lot going on in general. Now I have two horses to ride (I'm not complaining!), regular classes, studying for finals... gotta get started on my Christmas shopping, but that may have to wait until after finals.

Going to turn in for the night-