A Day at the Park

Last weekend the weather was perfect for taking the kids to the park. We got the kids dressed and headed to Mellar Park. There were several other kids and families there, but it was not too crowded and all the kids got along fine.



They have 2 playgound areas plus swings and monkey bars. Ainsley was better suited for the smaller playground equipment, but of course she had to try to do whatever Will was doing.


Ainsley has recently learned to slide without holding somone's hand. She was still a little hesitant about going down independently, but she eventually did it. Will made friends with a little girl named Haley and a boy whose name we didn't get.



They both had a great time and hopefully we'll get to go back often this summer!

Ride 'Em Cowboy

On the weekend of April 30 - May 1, Hope Landing hosted it's second annual Hope Landing Championship Rodeo at the Union County fairgrounds. This is a big fundraiser sponsored by several local businesses with some of the proceeds benefiting HL. Participants come from all over. There were 8 major events, including bareback riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, barrel racing, and breakaway roping.




We had never been to a rodeo before last year, and we left last year's due to a thunderstorm soon after we got there, so this was the first real rodeo experience. They had kids from HL carry the flags announcing each event. Will carried the flag for the Bareback event on Friday night.

We brought Ainsley with us Friday night. She did great and had a great time taking in all the sights and sounds. A Christian group called the Glory Riders performed both nights. There was a rodeo clown called Pork Chop, who kept the crowd entertained. Will's friend Michael did a Therapeutic Riding demonstration Friday night. Kristi Lowery, (one of the founders, COO, and one of the OTs) explained what TR is all about while Michael demonstrated on the horse.




On Saturday night, Will did a Hippotherapy demonstration while Kristi explained it to the crowd. Will currently does Hippotherapy during one of his OT sessions each week at HL. Hippotherapy is a therapy session that uses the horse just like you would use equipment. Will rides a pony named Rio. There are many benefits to hippotherapy, but some of the goals Will has with regard to the horse are: increased balance and core strength, increased muscle tone, better sensory processing, giving verbal instructions, following directions, etc. Will rides backwards, on his hands and knees, laying over the barrel of the horse, and even standing up!







Will espescially enjoyed the calf roping and the "bucking horses" as he called them. He went around for the next several days telling everyone that he was a cowboy! Hopefully it made some money and the crowd had as good a time as Will did!