Tender Mercy

I know its been a year since i have done this. I am not even attempting to catch up just go from here. And this is a very very long post but I have to share a story about our Heavenly Fathers love for us. We decided to say our good byes to our horse Copper. I have had Copper since he was 2. We have bought and sold him back twice. He was Dallee's and Porters first 4-H horse. He has had cancer removed once. This horse has been so good to our family. We have loved him so much. He gets special grain in the winter. We love this horse. The kids can climb on him anywhere bareback with nothing on his head and ride him. They can climb through his legs. He was a great great horse (teary eyes). This was not an easy decesion. We knew that he was getting more stumbly, hurting more when we rode hard, not keeping weight on, so stiff in his back leg, he was getting old. We prayed (mostly me) that when we decided to put him down that we would feel peace and that we would be able to find something that the kids could still use for 4-H and trail ride, move cows etc. Well it was decided that when we went to take Shandons cows home that Copper would stay there and be taken to the bone pile(where all the good ones go) and be " put to sleep" D had a very emotional night a few days before with tears and sobs and "Im not getting attatched to another one" . We had our cry and that was that mostly. So we get home Saturday night. We have moved cows for 2 days had a great weekend, left Copper and its ok. J says look at this Craigslist ad. I said lets wait until spring, $150 hay..... So we call J calls I ask questions that he didn't ask so I call back aand set up a time to look at her at 9 am the next day. Sunday we are heading to my parents welcome home. So we ride her bareback tell them we want her and will come get her that night. She is a free to good home, well bred, 19 year old mare trained as a reining horse. We get her that night after a fun day of being with most of my family. The owner gives us her papers and we go home. She is so well bred. 3 of her great grand sires are famous horses. One a race horse and 2 cutting bred. She is so well put together she looks great. We have yet to put kids on her for a full trail ride but they have ridden her in the pasture and seem to get along fine. So there is more to come. Anyway Heavenly Father loves us ands wants us to be happy. I am so grateful for his consideration for our family and our horse and our hobby. I am not amazed at his goodness to us because I really thought it would turn out something like this yet I am amazed that he loves us so much and is so good to us. I am forever greatful for a loving Heavenly Father that takes into consideration so much. To 4 kids this was a pretty big deal too. 4 kids have seen how prayer and faith work, how much He cares for us, and that we are so so loved. We miss Copper and hopefully "Skinner" works for our family but I 'm pretty sure she will.