Tour de Horse

Here are photos from Hannah's horseback riding awards ceremony this evening at
Thunderbay. I really can't say enough good things about the academy, the program, and the two wonderful instructors that have worked with Hannah this past year. Their dedication and true love for the kids is completely apparent from the moment you meet them. What really gets me is not what they taught Hannah to do, but what they made her do on her own. What a boost to her self-confidence to see how capable she was when given the challenge. I have learned by their example to step back and let Hannah struggle from time to time so she can really excell instead of me prodding her every step of the way.

Another fun day at my internship. The workshops I'm leading are going well after starting out lukewarm earlier in the week. I made the mistake of skipping lunch today so I could get to Hannah's rock climbing demonstration a half hour earlier than I expected to pick her up today. I ended up queasy and headachy, but I was glad I got to be there for her. She demonstrated the correct way to put on a harness and did a good job.

Tomorrow will be another day at Crowder Mountain and she will get to do something called "Tyrolean traverse" where a rope is slung between two mountains and she will go hand over hand from one mountain to another. She said it will be 250 ft. in the air. Can that be right? I am going to check tomorrow... Which kid gets to test the rope? In any case, this has been another really awesome experience for her. It was more than I've spent on any summer activities for her, but she has gained so much from the whole thing that I am not sorry.

Well, I need to check my e-mail. Peace and good night!