Hello everyone my name is Erika! I am a beautiful Norwegian Fjord owned by Marilyn Moore. The journey is long and love is abound! My journey begins last Christmas when my owner Marilyn and her family go to Clear Lake for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. She tells me it was a beautiful time with sunsets, snowmobiling, swimming with Kameron and lady friends, watching deer out the window (I think looking at me is better than some old deer), eating, eating, and being sick. She enjoyed the carriage ride, trolley ride, Christmas Parade, Polar Bear Dip, buying cookies, seeing Santa with Kameron and just hanging out watching the sunset. Oh did I mention that she was sick with flu a lot up there. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years were certainly celebrated differently with lots of weird happenings in the house they rented.
Home to lots of snow and I mean lots of snow. Seems like they were snow blowing with ASPIRE’S new snow blower all the time so we could get out in the pasture. Did I mention there was lots of snow. Winter came and went with as I said illness, memories and challenges. Marilyn (my owner) has a strong faith and love for everyone (well most of the time) and believes that everything happens for a reason and there is a lesson to be learned. Slow down, relax and enjoy the moment just like us horses do!
Spring came with lots of rain! Rain and Rain! Marilyn said there was water in the basement to clean up and then they had to cancel a lot of ASPIRE classes. Our pastures were growing but lots of mud. ASPIRE ordered some new loafing sheds. Marilyn said she was excited to get them but alas they would have wait for awhile as the weather put everyone behind. I heard Don had a hard time planting his crops. I was happy not to have all that machinery around.
Marilyn said they had a great time at the Spring fundraiser in May and raised lots of money!
Summer came and the weather straightened out but then we had new horses coming in and Kiley had a sore leg so our new horses included Topper, LC and Moose. All of us here at ASPIRE got some breaks so we did not have to work so hard. Those darn fly’s were bad this year and all I did was itch and itch. It was a summer to be remembered. Children ,volunteers and people coming to ride, pet, groom and observe. I love all the attention. It was time for Cowboy Breakfast with lots of good stuff to eat and then Camp Hope. I was at the Cattle Congress grounds with all the campers riding me. Life was good. I had some lotion and fly spray to keep the itching a little less irritating. Cindy and Sara take such good care of all of us. What a great year it is turning out to be. Marilyn’s grandson Kameron comes down sometimes and helps feed us and clean after us. Oh by the way Bobbi and her team keep our stalls so clean.
Fall is here and Sara is called to the barn. I had a bad ouchy. My face was all funny. I had a droopy ear, my eye would not blink and my mouth drooped darn and there seemed to be some kind of abscess in my mouth. Dr. Samson was stumped as to what happened but treated the ouchy in my mouth and kept my eye wet. Well Sara was diligently taking care of it but alas I rubbed my eye and it ulcerated. Marilyn was really worried. She was scared to death. She just didn’t show it! Thanks to Dr. Kelly Sampson for all the great work but off to Iowa State and a stay. Darn it my boyfriend Sonny is upset at home because I had to be gone for days. I was diagnosed with THO and don’t ask me what that means but I have to be careful how far I open my mouth for the rest of my life!!!! Now that is going to be interesting! Now I look like a pirate and they had to put drops in a lot. They were always pestering me. I even got to go to Sara’s house for the weekend. That was fun. I am still a pirate but getting better. The doctors and caretakers at Iowa State were wonderful! They helped me and eased Sara and Marilyn’s minds. Don is harvesting. It is going slow and all those darn machines are out again. Classes are done and I only got to see hmm well kind of see the Tuesday night group.
I don’t see much of Marilyn’s family except Kameron, Christine, and Craig. I hear that Justin is graduating, Autumn and Briana are growing into nice young ladies. I miss all the kids and I think Marilyn misses them as well.
Well it is time to close for another year! Yep I did not get to go to The Night of the Horse this year but I heard it went well and Topper and Pixie did a great job.
Marilyn’s faith, strength and love for all humans and animals shines through during these challenging times. She tells me she feels very blessed to be part of this year’s journey and has found blessings and lessons in every turn in the road. The path was dark at times but her love endured and she just kept on following God’s path and the stabling factor was not only her love for God but the animals and her coworkers. Marilyn says that without Sara she would not have gotten through the rough roads as smoothly.
I am feeling better and so are the rest of the animals. Cats are doing well, rabbits are hanging out with all the kids as much as I can see of them with my pirates mask. I hear Snickers is doing ok and Shadow is as feisty as ever. I wish all of you a very Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope to see all of you out of both eyes soon!
Love from all my animal friends, Sonny, Bo, Blue, Benny, Buddy, Kiley,Moose, LC, Topper, Ginger, Maverick, Pixie, Cody, me(Erika) and my small furry friends, Snappy, Sassy, Misty, Mouse and friends I lost this year Penny and Patches and of course our little bunnies! Oops can’t forget Snickers and Shadow!
Lot of love from our human side: Don, Marilyn, Sara, Cindy and Bobbi!
Thank you all for the beautiful blessings and following our journey
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