Horsing Around on the 4th

Benji and I are not really animal people. The only pet that we have is a fish, which I am proud to say we have owned now since Valentine's day and he is still alive, knock on wood. Since we don't have pets, our greatest exposure to animals has been in visits to zoos, parks, and the local farms around State College. Surprisingly, our kids all love animals and gravitate toward them like gnats to a bright lightwhenever given the opportunity. They simply cannot get enough.
Knowing this one can only imagine the sheer pandemonium that erupted in the Souza household when we announced that we would be attending a horseback riding barbeque at the Markel's farm. One would think that I had announced that Christmas would be held early this year. Forget about the fireworks, forget that we had special visitors on the way, forget that we were going to meet up with many of our friends and neighbors. The important fact was this: Sage, Gabe, and Maggie were going to finally get their chance to ride horses and connect with the inner cowboy that they were certain lived within them.
Here are some photos from the main event. They say that it lived up to all expectations with the exception of duration. Some of life's pleasures are just too short.