Farewell Beauty Girl. Farewell.

Coming home from time spent at Nona's is always hard.  There is an adjustment period for all of us as we get used to being back in our "real" lives. That adjustment period often involves lots of tears.  This trip home was even more difficult for us because we lost our beloved Beauty Girl.  Two days after we returned home she got sick and had to be put to sleep. She is the fourth horse to be buried on our property. You would think after that many it wouldn't hurt so much. Unfortunately, that is not the case. It never gets easier. Her solid presence in the barn has been missed.

I tried to lighten the gloomy mood that hung over the month as best I could by taking the girls to do fun things.  For the first time ever Lillian was able to touch the sting rays at The Desert Museum.  She loves sea creatures and was thrilled at the opportunity.

One Saturday we took the girls to Jurassic Quest.  It was pretty spectacular.  The dinosaurs moved, blinked, and growled.  They were so realistic Freya got scared a few times!

 The baby dinosaurs were by far the girls favorite part of the exhibit.  Freya oohed and aahhed over them and begged us to get her one to take home as a pet.  They were pretty crushed when I told them the dinosaurs weren't real!

Going to the feed store always cheers us up because we get to see cute animals.  One trip we saw the cutest little piglet ever created. It was hard for me to leave him there!  A few minutes spent with him and I was ready to add him to our menagerie!

We didn't end up adding a piggy to the family but we did add several chicks to the herd. While they are young and need to be in a brooder we keep them inside at our house. I enjoy hearing their peeping and having them in our backyard.

Attending the Zoppe Family Circus for the second year in a row really helped to disperse some of the gloom.  It is always a magical time at the circus and I find myself feeling a bit sad when the night is over.  We rounded out this particular weekend by taking the girls to see The Greatest Showman.  It was an instant favorite and the songs from the movie can be heard in our home day and night.

 This past Christmas the girls and I received a Girls' Night in a Box from my aunt.  We decided to use it one Friday night.  I couldn't believe how excited Lillian was! She told her teacher all about the things we were going to do that night.  It made me glad to be a girl mom.  

We jumped on the bed, put on face masks, did our nails,

 drank some sparkling cider, and watched cartoons together.  It is something we need to do together more often.

One day while Lillian was at school Freya and I went to the zoo together. It turned out to be a lovely day and all the animals were out for us to see!

We were there to see the new red pandas our zoo just got but the giraffes ended up being our favorite.

Freya is still struggling with Lillian's absence during the day.  I try to set Wednesday morning aside each week for her to play with her friends. She plays with a group of boys who are all around her age.  They have a blast playing PJ Masks, Wonder Woman, and ballerinas.  I don't know how she gets them to play those games with her but they do!  Wonder Woman and Mr. Wonder Woman and all their babies. It is a crack up! 

Just a few more things worth noting about the month of January.  Lillian went for her first long bike ride solo, no dad running behind her.  She rode five miles without even blinking an eye! 

 I got to listen to a new side kick jibber jabber the entire ride. She used to sit in the bike trailer when we went on family bike rides. Now she gets Lillian's old spot and she loves it!

The girls got to participate in their first Ft. Lowell Shoot Out.  It was a pretty cool experience for us all.

 Of course getting a medal was their favorite part!

Last, but not least, the girls started their first dance class.   They couldn't have been more excited and I am happy to say their excitement hasn't waned.

 Freya already received her outfit for her recital in May. When she saw how big the tutu is her eyes lit up.  I had to clear out a special spot in Josh's closet for it. That is the only place it will fit!

 I have been very impressed with Lillian. When I registered the girls for these classes I didn't realize the class actually started in August so they are WAY behind the other girls. Lillian didn't let that bother her at all.  She has worked hard to catch up and learn her dance steps. After her first class she said, "Mom, I can't wait to be on the stage!"  She is a girl after my own heart.  

By the end of the month we were all in better shape, more smiles and the crying had ceased.  However, whenever the girls are at the barn playing Beauty is missed.  She was always wandering around stealing their snacks, ruining their creations, or standing still like the model patient while they pretended to be vets.  A good pony is worth it's weight in gold and we definitely lost gold that day.