Thursday, August 17, 2006

Elijah's Big Day....

Elijah is my youngest boy, for those of you who don't know... .gasp...I have 4 boys! He is my baby...well, actually they are all my babies...even that 6 foot, muscley, 24 year old (you know who you are!) Elijah tends to be extra cuddly and sweet - perhaps because he is the youngest and perhaps that is his personality. Oh, don't get me wrong - he is ALL boy as you shall soon see :) On the farm, we have a small corral with a chute and headgate which was used, I assume, by some previous owner for working cattle. We use it to examine cows, when we A.I. cows, when we have to do some medical procedure on animals that could squash us flat when riled and most importantly for our own personal rodeo days. This is where my boys start out on the back of a horse, being led around the corral at a slow pace while someone holds the reigns. Elijah was somewhere between the ages of 3 and 4 when he started in the corral. Last year he was turned loose in the corral - no one holding the reigns...just he and his horse...a heart stopping moment for Mom. Afterall, he was SO little and that horse looked SO big. But, as it is in the lives of little boys...he was longing for the open fields...he had dreams and visions of flying across the farm completely unfettered from Mom's safety net. Since Elijah weighs about 65 pounds dripping wet...I wasn't comfortable turning him loose on 45 acres so we settled for one of the smallest fields we have...half of the buck pen. I can only imagine how wonderful it felt to gallop across the field just like his big brothers! Looking at this side view, you can see that Elijah is not tall enough yet for his feet to fit into the stirrups - even when they are raised. How he manages to stay on that horse at a gallop is beyond me. I will confess publicly that I am no horsewoman although I enjoy a trail ride...with my feet planted firmly in the stirrups! Perhaps God has blessed us with a naturally gentle horse. Dusty has been wonderful for the boys but I have no doubt that he could win any barrel racing contest you chose to place him in...I have never seen such a fast little horse. In this next picture, Elijah is working on his reigning techniques. Can you see the smile on his face...I don't think it left him from the time he was turned loose until he dismounted. In the background, you can see one of our baby bucks. He will be leaving the farm in the next week or two - I have bartered him for organic berries and berry bushes! The fence line is the border of our property. Those are our neighbor's hay bales - they have been sitting there for a very long time (years). And finally, the face of one very tired but happy boy. This farm life is the only life that Elijah has ever known. He is happiest when outside... playing, searching out tadpoles (watch for an upcoming story) and reveling in the glory of God's creation. He almost always has a stick in one hand and never moves at a walk...that is not truly boy enough...it must be at a run, skip, hop and now...the most enjoyable of all...a gallop!

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the pictures. What great memories your boys will have. My baby is 22. You are blessed!!!

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  2. Hi Cheri! My oldest baby is 28. Eeek! Where did the time go? What a blessed life your boys have working hard and living it up on the farm. Elijah looks so joyful and proud! I want a pony! :)

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  3. Very cute pictures....

    But why did you have to qualify him being cuddly and sweet by saying he is ALL boy? What's wrong with him being cuddly and sweet, and just leaving it at that?

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  4. Farm Girl...I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures...I truly am blessed!

    Hi Emily! It does fly...way to fast...except when I am cleaning house or pulling weeds :)

    April,
    I wanted to present a true picture of my son...a sweet cuddly little one who is truly all boy - rough & tumble, catching bugs and collecting rocks....sorry if that bothers you.

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  5. He sure looks happy!

    I have a sweet and cuddly boy too, who is all boy! Always with some critter in hand and some pretend weapon!

    God created them wonderfully!

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  6. Oh how I have missed coming here...
    What incredible pictures...
    Believe it or not, my 16 year old is still a sweet, cuddly boy-man....and yet can be tough when the situation calls for it!
    Thank God for boys!

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