Before I share the details of our recent vacation, however, I must brag on my two oldest daughters and our "adopted" family of 4H members comprising the Wayne County 4H Equine Judging Team. Two weeks ago our senior and junior teams traveled to Alexandria, Indiana, to take part in the area 4H & FFA equine judging competition. Both teams gained a spot at the state competition to be held this weekend by placing 4th (seniors) and 1st (juniors). As two of only three returning veterans, Lindsay and Emma were both surprised by and thrilled with their teams' performances. The excitement intensified, however, when the individual results were revealed a few days later. Our daughters were at the top of the lists! Lindsay placed 2nd overall in the senior division and Emma placed 1st overall in the junior division. We are so very proud of our girls and just as equally as proud of their team members' collective achievements. GREAT JOB Wayne County!!
Moving on...Last week we were blessed to enjoy some much-needed relaxation time on our camping/trail riding vacation. Late into the night Sunday found us packing two trucks and two trailers, and after rising early Monday morning, we loaded our three daughters, two of our dogs, and five of our horses for the two-hour drive to meet our friends at Brown County State Park near Nashville, Indiana. What a TREAT! We have ridden the trails in Brown County several times in the past, but have never had the opportunity to stay five nights and six days. Our extended stay allowed us to seek out trails we'd never ridden before, and it was a wonderful trip! We could not have hand picked better weather. Sun beams and warm breezes followed us down hillsides and up ridges each day as we logged 75 miles and 36 hours of riding for the week. We were blessed to see the majesty of God's creation unfold a little more each day as tiny buds which graced trees and shrubbery on Monday turned to full-blown foliage by Saturday. Wondrous sights awaited us in areas that would have been too difficult to traverse on foot or by car. Trail riding is a favorite past time for our family, and this spring's experience was certainly no exception! If you've never observed the beauty of God's creation on horseback, we highly recommend it! Here are a couple of photos of the trails:
Above: Brian and the girls make their way on the trail. This was our first ride of the week when horses and humans are still fresh! Below: Ballenger and Abernathy families in the valley of trail 7 on the way to Story.
As difficult as it was to think about leaving Brown County Saturday afternoon, we were all truly longing for home. It was nice to pull into our driveway, get out of the truck, and hear the nickers of our equine family members who had been left behind all week. They may have been happy to see us, but they were THRILLED to see their siblings! Brian and I laughed as we stood at the fence and watched them all once again determine their places in the pecking order. Baby, Dixie, Sassy, Tango, and Shotgun served us well on the trails of Brown County, and we smiled as they each took a few well-deserved rolls in the pasture. They seemed just as happy to be home as the human members of the B5 Gang!
Emma can't seem to find the right end of Sassy! Acutally, she's prepping her saddle bags for the morning trail ride.
Tango decides he needs a little nap before he hits the trail again. Lindsay takes the opportunity to use him as a leaning post. 
Lily and Sandy enjoy a moment together in the quiet scenery offered at trail's end in Story, Indiana.
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