The Grand Canyon

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Heading to the Grand Canyon

this is about too close for my comfort.

I don't believe the photos are as breathtaking as seeing this in person.  I know we will have to go back sometime and just sit and take it all in, again!

Sedona

Monday, May 2, 2011

More photos of our trip to the Grand Canyon area, north of Phoenix, Arizona.  This is the Sedona Canyon.

Arizona Vacation

April 30-May 7, 2011

I have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. Hubby and I went south to Arizona the first week of May.


Makenzie stayed with us the week after Easter. We took her home to Colorado on Friday and flew out of Denver on Saturday morning. We stayed north of Phoenix, about 30 minutes away, near Peoria. We stopped at the grocery store and shopped on the way to the resort. By the time we were registered and unpacked, we only had time to sit outside and enjoy the sunset.



Temps were cooler Sunday through Tuesday, but by Wed, temps were to be in the mid 90’s. We were so ready to feel the sun after our cooler weather during April in Nebraska.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, we drove in to Phoenix, to see downtown and visit the Wells Fargo museum. Wouldn’t you know it, but the museum was closed on Sundays.

We walked past the Orpheum Museum.

 Hubby read the info about the City Hall building.

I thought the sun burst above the front doors was very interesting!

We drove past a few of the large churches in town.

 I love the detail of the windows.

We took another route back to see the area, and relaxed at the pool area.
Monday morning, we enjoyed a light breakfast while listening to local businesses share information about area tours, etc. We had decided to do a tour to the Grand Canyon on Tuesday, rather that drive there ourselves. We were 3 ½ hours south of the canyon, and a tour driver would know exactly the best places to view the canyon and we wouldn’t have to worry about parking.

Finding the Balance

The last 2 blogs lead to today’s topic, Finding the balance between Finding the Dream, Chasing the Dream, and Living the Dream. We all dream, about how life could be different or what it would be like to have this dream or that dream as part of our life?


In the last 2 blogs, I talked about a book I had read and about realizing what you have. Then my thoughts went on to dreams, and searching for and finding those dreams, and maybe about accomplishing those dreams. A few of my follow bloggers commented, and which lead me to the excellent point of finding the balance.


We just need to sit back and realize all that we have. I’m sure we all do this too, from time to time. When we are down in the dumps, so to speak, the only way to make ourselves feel better is to realize all the good that is around us. We need to sometimes stop, and look at all that we have already accomplished. Being a mother, and now a grandmother, it is easier to see all the small day to day accomplishments, from teaching a toddler to say please to teaching my little ones to ride, to watching them excel in the horse arena and then in their sports areas.


Sit quietly and ponder your life and where you are heading. You can do anything you set out to do. Maybe it won’t exactly be what you where thinking when you started your journey. Maybe you won’t end up where you thought you would when you started last year or 5 years ago or 10 years ago. I’m not going any further back than that, because I feel as I get older, my life plans change anyways. Initially, it was raising a family, starting the kids showing horses, getting kids through high school and college, etc. During that time, I took side streets to get a few degrees, worked seasonal full time and part-time jobs, and started a horse business. Well, maybe the horse business wasn’t a side street, it seemed like my life path veered into that industry. Then kids left home, empty nest syndrome hit, now it’s time to dream again.


I don’t know when I stopped dreaming, or even if I ever did stop dreaming. I think that whatever I was doing in life at that time, I dreamt about what I could be doing with what I had or adding something different. Maybe I had found that balance and didn’t even realize it. I just added more to what I was already doing.


Maybe my balance was always trying to do something different with the horses. Maybe my dreams took me there. Maybe the balance will come naturally if your dreams are closer to home and are easily attainable.


Now the dreams seem to be getting larger. I want to be able to do some endurance rides before this body gets any older. Endurance rides take work, and conditioning, and a good horse. It takes time and work. And maybe that is the balance of finding those dreams. If you are willing to work hard, maybe the big dreams are attainable.


You can handle anything that you set your mind and heart to do! Never doubt yourself. I’m sure there are people who are out there that will share their doubts with you, but leave these people behind and find others who will help you with accomplishing your dream. Maybe that is another balance. Surround yourself with positive thoughts and people. God won’t give you anything more than you can handle, but then it’s up to you to do the work. Dreams shouldn’t come easy, otherwise would any of us feel a sense of accomplishment when we have gained something worthwhile?


Balance the dreaming, chasing the dream, and finding the dream. And then, through lots of hard work, accomplish the dream.


What is your big dream. How will you start working towards that dream? What hard work are you willing to do? How long will you take? What steps do you need?


I’m thinking now that working towards the big dream gives us many little dreams that we aren’t even aware that we have been thinking about until we start the big dream. Wow! What a light bulb moment. When we start thinking big, there are many wonderful, little paths along the journey that give us a wonderful sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. Of joy and happiness. Feelings that we may never had if we hadn’t started the big dream. Think of the big dream as life’s way of giving us little times, of big times, of joy and happiness, of many minor and major life accomplishments, and then, much, much more.


Yes, there are hard times along the way. Nothing is always cheery and perfect. There will be sadness and failures. There will be setbacks and hardships. But anything worth working towards is worth the discomforts of pain and weariness. Just don’t give up. I believe that our dream wasn’t planted into our head by God, if it wasn’t planted their for a reason. We just need to nurture it and let it grow.

I feel like I’m on a branch of that path. My dreams were of more competitions and trail rides with Finny, turning him into a wonderful riding partner. Then that dream was shattered by colic. I had a big setback. But somewhere in my brain, the doubts of ever again wanting to do these competitions and even the desire to ride, was slowly being overtaken by the desire to trail ride again.


And the only way to get over Finny was to start dreaming of riding differently. Well, rather, riding somewhere different. Like riding Endurance and eventually Tevis. That’s my big dream. And the dream brings back that balance in my life to ride again.


That balance has started in small steps. Riding a different horse in CTR’s last year. Realizing that I want an Arab to do endurance. Looking, and I must say, I’m looking but not as whole heartedly as I thought I would. But maybe I’ve learned not to jump right in and buy the first horse that I see. I’m definitely interested in finding that Arab that is right for me. I just missed out going to see a young horse (which I’m not thrilled to buy a 4 year old anyways, but if he/she is riding now, then it’s just time in the saddle), but which, can you believe this, sold the night before I called, just hours earlier? But in the meantime, there is a rescue horse that is on my backburner and if I can’t find another horse, maybe it is meant for me to work with this horse, one that needs someone.


The last blog was about not being able to find our dream, but maybe we weren’t dreaming about the right thing. Or, if you don’t think you can attain that dream, then I suggest breaking it into a few smaller dreams, each one leading to the big dream.


I believe now that this is how to balance the dreams of life. Sure we want more, so go ahead and dream. But then the next step to balancing dreaming and finding those dreams is hard work, or even easy work, if it is something that you truly love to do. Many times of perseverance. Don’t give up on your dream.


Keep in mind that, as we are on this path of accomplishing our big dream, the big picture may be many small pictures. And the big dream may turn out to be something totally different than you thought it would be.

Finding the Dream Part 2

Riding in the Black Elk Forest Summer 2010

I just finished reading a book by Nora Roberts, “Finding the Dream”. The previous blog post has the prologue about the story, and that’s all I’m going to say about it. I like romantic novels, what can I say? I especially like them if they are centered around horse farms. They are easy readers and my mind can drift… and dream….


Towards the end of the story, as things weren’t quite coming together for Laura, the main character, she stood on a cliff, overlooking the sea. She pondered about love and loving again. She wondered how to go on, alone, when all she wants is someone to love her?


She wondered why she was given a glimpse into a life of deep feelings and wanting a real love, for it to be taken away? She wondered why that one thing that she always wanted out of life if always just out of reach?


Can’t we all think this same thing? Through life, we all have wants and wishes. We all have something we are trying to work towards, or desire, and it’s always just out of reach. Why is that so? Why, when it’s so close, can’t we just reach out and grab it? Why does it stay unattainable? Are we not trying hard enough? Is it something we don’t really need? Are we selfish and wanting too much? Maybe yes, maybe no.


I always think, that in time, what we need is right in front of us. We just have to figure out what it is when it’s there for us. That’s the hard thing, the knowing what it is and when and how and on and on. When is the time right? How will I know what to do and when to do it? Why do we give ourselves all of these self doubts?


Laura, the main character, had changed over the last 2 years in the story plot, but inside her, deep inside her, she was always the same. And she had a depth to the amount of love she had, and was willing to give, if only she had someone love her as much as she wanted someone to love her.


We can want things, but does it always happen? Does what we want always what we should have, or is there something, right in front of us, that is different, maybe better for us, if we just can see it?


We all change, and grow, and adapt. We all want something. We all love deeply, especially our horses. How do we know when it’s time to move on and do something different? How do we know when it’s time to gulp and take the plunge into our dream?


I think for me, when I start thinking it’s time to try this, whatever it is, a CTR, an endurance ride, find a new horse, ride the horse I have, get the young horse going better, then the thought is there for a reason. Do these thoughts go hand in hand in feeding my dreams? I don’t know. Sometimes, and some days, I don’t even know what my dream is, or even if I should dream? Life is life, and you have what you have, so why should you dream?


But I’m not dreaming about wanting more. I just dream about doing something different with my horses? And this is the reason for today’s blog…finding the dream with your own horse.


I think anything we want to dream about and wanting to do with our horse is within our reach. Then why not dream? Dream about a new trail ride. Dream about an endurance ride. Dream about doing more and more trail obstacles and having a fun relationship with your horse. Dream about horsemanship camps where riders will come.


Dreaming is one thing, taking action is another. Go ahead and find that dream and then live that dream. Put your dreams into action. Start doing with your horse what you are dreaming and wishing you could. Start little and grow. Start one step at a time. Start one day at a time. Don’t change overnight, but grow with your dream.

Maybe go on that first overnight trail ride, and I will say it’s easier to do than you think it would be. The horses really do stand tied well and do fine overnight.


Maybe for me, I should go on that first endurance ride and ride for fun. See what it’s all about. Know what to work towards for next year.


I’ll start doing more obstacles at home to develop that quiet trail horse. This will make a better CTR horse, but it will bring the fun back to my riding. Dream of Trail Challenges and go try one.


The point is, if you are going to dream, then start acting on those dreams. For me, I really want to do an endurance ride, even if I never get to Tevis. I have a few horses I need to look at. I have an opportunity to work with an older rescue Arab mare, who may not be ready to ride this year but maybe she is a horse that I need to work with. Maybe…


I know now I should just start building more fun trail obstacles. I’ve been wanting to for a few years, so now is the time to start. I want all my horses to be good trail horses.


What is your dream, if you dare to dream of doing something different? If it’s too big a dream, break it down into smaller steps so you can reach your dreams.


I think we all need something to dream about. I think we all need to work on our dreams.