Little Chick in New Hampshire

"The world is waiting for us to explore and learn. There is no greater classroom than God's great earth." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick, Grandma Hen and I wanted to go somewhere we have never been. So we rented a place in New Hampshire! It is absolutely gorgeous! Exploring the White Mountain Forest has been a treat. Today we took a train ride along the scenic route. We took first class and went in style in a train built in 1898. We had so much fun! Lolli and Gigi came for the trip and love the fresh air and beautiful walks. They also love sitting by the fire at night! It is so much fun having Grandma Hen with us on our trip!

We needed to buy hats. It is cold up here!

Girl's Getaway

"Surprises give you something to look forward to and an opportunity to create more cherished memories!"
~Mama Hen

On Saturday I told Little Chick that I had a surprise for her on Monday. She was so excited! We love surprises! She kept asking me for clues. On Monday she woke up to her little suitcase open with Pooh Bear sitting inside. I told her to go and pack some fun toys because we are going to have a girls getaway. Little Chick was smiling from ear to ear when I told her that she could swim. So, after our bags were packed, we headed up North. It was a gorgeous day! We stopped for our ladies luncheon and then went straight to the Inn. We got our suits on right away and went to the pool. After swimming we went for a beautiful walk around the marina that wraps around our Inn. We had a delicious dinner and then got our suits on again for an after dinner swim. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast and went for one more swim before we had to leave. The weather was so beautiful that we even went swimming outside. The pool, set on the water, was spectacular! Little Chick did her first hand stand in the pool! It was a fun girls getaway!

Little Chick's first handstand!

Animal Whisperer

"God has given us all "gifts". We can show our gratitude by nurturing these blessings and allowing them to flourish." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick has such a love for animals. They know it and are drawn to her. This is one of the "gifts" she has been blessed with. I call her the "animal whisperer". This week we visited the farm where she rides quite a bit after school. The owners know how much she loves and adores the horses so they encourage her to come whenever she wants. She was so excited that they gave her huge piles of hay to feed all the horses and even her new buddy, Pedro the ram. She spent hours each time just petting them and feeding them the hay. She even brought a huge bag of carrots and made sure they all shared. To see her beaming on the farm makes me so happy! On Friday she had a playdate after school. When we were driving to our house the child said that he had never seen a horse before. Immediately I turned the car around and headed to the farm. Little Chick was so happy to introduce all her horsey friends to her buddy from school. It was a fantastic day on the farm!

Easter in Vermont

"There is nothing in the world I want more than to help make your dreams come true!"

~Mama Hen

Little Chick was beaming the entire time we were in Vermont! She calls the Inn the "Hometel". She knows it is a hotel, but we have taken on this word as a family word, because quite frankly our trips to Vermont are like going to another home. We immediately booked some riding time for Little Chick. I made sure to pack her paddock boots and riding helmet. On Saturday she got to ride both in the morning and then again after lunch. The first horses name was Iowa. Little Chick could not stop smiling while riding this gorgeous horse! In the afternoon she rode Casper. She got to groom the horses and feed them afterwards. We also went to Billings Farm for baby animal day. We saw baby chicks, little lambs and best of all a little baby cow that had been born that same morning. We also took a horse and wagon ride around the farm. Easter morning was so much fun! Little Chick woke up to a basket filled with colorful eggs and plenty of horsey fun! We had a magnificent Easter breakfast and then headed for an Easter morning ride. She rode Casper again. It even snowed a little while Little Chick was riding and she got to catch some snow flurries on her tonge. We ended the trip with one more swim in the pool and then headed home. It was a beautiful Easter!

This baby calf was just born only a few hours earlier.

Wagon ride.

Back to riding in the afternoon.

Easter morning ride.

Catching snowflakes while riding. What fun!

Egg-stra Fun Easter

"Family, bunnies, baskets, eggs, treats, music, and beaming smiles: May your Easter basket be filled with all the things that make you happy!" ~Mama Hen

We love Easter and we love everything that comes with it! On Friday Little Chick and her cousin went to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at a friends house that always brings an abundance of people and a ton of fun! They got to meet the Easter Bunny, look for eggs, eat treats, and dance the morning away! Then Little Chick was surprised with a trip to Vermont! We left in the early afternoon for one of our favorite places up North! She was ecstatic! When we arrived in Vermont Little Chick got the key to the room and opened the door to find that the Easter Bunny had already left her a little something. The suite was filled with colorful eggs leading to two bunnies and her favorite Vermont maple syrup lollipops hidden everywhere. The Easter Bunny left her a card letting her know that he knew she was in Vermont and that he would be here on Sunday morning with her basket. She was so excited and announced to everyone in the lobby about what had happened. We then headed to the pool for some swimming fun! Have a Happy Easter!

Easter surprise in Vermont!

Happy Easter!