The First Day of the Rest of my Life: October 2016

These 2 are my life!

Halloween, and hence, the end of October, is tomorrow. TOMORROW. Where has the year gone?

We're dealing with the inevitable Fall colds. Kody picked up a nasty stomach bug that kept him down for 5 days. It got me for one day, and Colton has picked up the first of hopefully NOT many snotty nose head colds. We went last weekend to this secluded little spot called McCloud Mountain Resort to eat lunch. Let me tell y'all, it was SPECTACULAR. The above pic is the view from our table.

The best part, is it was NOT expensive. McCloud Mountain is actually a gated community, and in order to experience the view you just have to make reservations at the restaurant. Lunch fare wasn't terribly expensive at ALL, and because of the reservation system, there was literally zero crowd to deal with.

We are so enjoying exploring the beautiful state of Tennessee. It's not nearly as diverse as California, but it holds it's own as a lovely and peaceful place to be.

I'm going to confess something. I'm really enjoying my horse break. I worked in the business for SO long that when we got to CA, I just wanted to enjoy it as an amateur. Problem with that for ME is that I can't afford to simply buy a horse and pay to play. I have to work to play, in any fashion. I had a super sweet deal in CA that I found for myself and WORKED for, and as a result I got to ride some amazing horses. However, I'm sure any of my other hard working horse sisters know, it's not always "enough" simply to ride every now and then. You get competitive, you want to get out and DO. Go cross country schooling, go on trail rides/poker rides/hunter paces/horse shows, etc. And when you're working just to get on every now and then, those sorts of things DON'T happen. Me having a new baby as well as a teenager and a husband means I do NOT pay for a hobby that only I can get out to enjoy. It just feels selfish to me, so for now it's a horsey hiatus.

What we HAVE discovered together as a couple is riding the IRON horse. Before Kody, David and I rode ATV's almost every weekend. We each had our own, an we rode all over GA and even into surrounding states. Once Kody was born, we stopped riding because it's a lot of work to load the ATV's, trailer out to wherever, unload, put on all your gear, ride, come home, clean up, etc. Motorcycles are different. Put on your helmet, fire that baby up, and GO! I've never had the opportunity to ride, and my FIL finally took me on the back of his Honda about 2 months ago. One ride and I was HOOKED.

My MIL let us borrow HER Honda for a few weeks to get out and ride around on. It has been so amazing. I definitely feel so ALIVE, and it gives you a whole new perspective (and respect) for the road. Sadly, last week, my FIL was riding back to our house from Cades Cove, and was cut off by a young girl who then slammed her brakes on. He laid the bike down in an effort to avoid fully slamming into her and is still in the hospital with 5 broken ribs as a result. It's a sobering reality; he has not had any type of accident in MANY years, 20+. I worry about riding, especially having 2 young kids, but at the end of the day I don't believe you can live your life in fear. Riding horses is every bit as dangerous, and just like with that activity, I wear all the protective gear I can.

Don't even have a bike yet, and already invested in brand new helmets!

Tennessee is a motorcycle state, and I'm looking forward to buying a bike and experiencing a whole different world of riding. Prayers for the FIL are appreciated; he's almost ready to come home, he just has to get a little more pain free first. We pray to God each and every day for His protection, and when on the bike I feel like I'm in a constant state of prayer the whole time! Grateful for the desire and the opportunity to spend time with my other half, and loving life as a new mom again.