Epic Weekend Series- SATURDAY-SULLY'S BIRTHDAY

Sullivan's 4th Birthday was Saturday, I am not even sure how that is possible.  I could have sworn I was just rocking by sweet boy with man hands.

We woke up Saturday morning, and were so excited!  We had big plans!  Sullivan is obsessed with horses and the show Spirit.  He has been saying for a while now he wants a Spirit birthday party.  We ended up deciding against a big party this year, we have enough chaos with the renovation going on.  I got the bright idea we would go horseback riding instead.  I googled and found a place just 5 minutes from our house (who knew.)  I made reservations for the 4 of us to go Saturday afternoon, because Hudson had a baseball game that morning.  I am not sure why it didn't seem alarming to me when they told me Hudson would be on a horse by himself, but I didn't think much of it.

I was really excited about this little family adventure, and the boys were pumped.  While we waited the boys petted the horses.

When it was time for us to start getting on the horses my nerves started kicking in. 

I can't imagine why, I was even wearing my riding boots like I was some sort of professional or something. 

First up, Luke and Sully mounted the biggest horse I have ever seen in real life....

                                                  I mean look at its head!!!!

                                                   Yes, I made my kids wear their helmets, judge all you want.....

Next up was Hudson, this was the moment I thought "WHAT HAVE I DONE?"  That was my SIX YEAR OLD getting on a very large animal I knew nothing about.

 He is so excited, while I am trying to think of all the ways I can scoop him off of that horse and take him home.

I got on my horse next, and panic set in.  I wanted no part of it.  There was nothing about it that felt comfortable to me.  I even said to the girl "I don't feel comfortable, I don't want to do this."  Instead of trusting my instincts, I let a girl who couldn't have been over 13 with zero life experience convince me it would be fine.  Immediately followed by "This is midnight.  She is feisty, temperamental, and sensitive."  Great.  Just great.

She lined us up and told us to wait until our guide came to take us on our ride.  I took my phone out to snap a picture.

That is where my pictures ended, once we got started there was no way in hell I was letting go of my reins.

After waiting about 10 minutes our guide (again, couldn't have been over 13) trotted up, and said she it was time to go.  She told us that Luke's horse liked being the lead horse, and she also didn't like walking in mud.  IT HAS BEEN RAINING FOR 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS.  Freida decided she would avoid the mud by taking us every route besides the trail.  I am still picking crap out of my hair from being in trees.  

While I am freaking out, Hudson is riding his horse like he stole it.  He is grabbing trees, standing up in his saddle, and I am about to have a stroke.  If I said "DON'T LET GO OF THE REINS" once, I said it a hundred times.  I was the biggest helicopter mom ever, and I didn't even recognize myself. 

Freida, the boss up front had us going along the side of the trail, over rocks, in trees, and every other way to keep her pretty little feet out of the mud.  I kept telling Luke his decisions were affecting the entire group, and to get control of Freida.  To which he replied "I'm just letting her do her thing." 

  At one point we were along a barbed wire fence, and I was certain I was going to be bleeding under my pants from rubbing up against it.    At that point I WAS DONE.  Remember earlier when I talked about the Chris Tomlin concert, and the Holy Spirit?  Well, that went out the window.....

Y'all, I LOST MY RELIGION.

If I had been able to get off of that horse I would have walked back to the barn.  I asked the guide "when is this going to be over?"  She just looked at me like I was crazy, Luke was staring daggers into me, and I could care less. I had no qualms about how these people felt about me.  I knew with certainty I would NEVER be seeing them again. 

I am not even going to get into the group that was riding with us,  who were no older than our guide, dressed to the nines, and thought it would be a good idea to face time their friends to share in the experience.  I wanted to scream "DON"T LET GO OF THE REINS"  I am sure their mother would have appreciated it.  

Obviously we made it back to the barn, and I lived to tell about it.  I got off that horse, made a beeline for the truck, and never looked back.  Luke could not understand why I was freaking out, and hated it so much.  To which I reminded him, he was on Freida, THE LEAD HORSE.  He was not behind his entire family watching the whole thing unfold.  I kept thinking of how I would never forgive myself if something happened to one of them on this little excursion I planned.   Let me remind you real quick what we did for his birthday last year.....

Reptile guy at my house with multiple snakes, and letting the kids pet them  I am fine with.  Put my babies on a horse, and I lose my mind. 

 Now, in hindsight I probably did overreact just a tad.  However, in the moment, my crazy was totally valid.  I was terrified, and projecting my fears on everyone else. I cannot imagine why, but Luke and the boys loved it.  Sully had a great experience. so that is all that matters.  

Sully's other birthday request was to go to the farm.  That I can handle.  After riding horses we went straight out there with family to celebrate.  

It is safe to say the word that will come to mind when I think of Sully's 4th Birthday it will be STRESSFUL!  Hopefully he would say it was great, and will never ask to go horseback riding again.