Camping and Horseback riding at Ensign Ranch

We went camping yesterday at Ensign Ranch in eastern Washington. Ensign Ranch is owned by the church. Carina and Natalie enjoyed sleeping in a tent with us in the woods, though we couldn't get them to go to sleep until we laid down in the tent with them. They are too used to playing in tents to think of them as a place to sleep. We started the next morning by the side of a river watching people fish.

Natalie and I sitting on a log enjoying the scenery.


Once it warmed up, Carina and I spent an hour sliding down a giant, 50 foot wide slip 'n slide at the ranch (Natalie tried it too but protested that it was "too cold"). After that we rented a canoe and paddled around the lake, and then finished off the day with some horseback riding. Both girls got to ride horses, which Laura and I led around a field for about 20 minutes.



I've never seen Natalie so delighted and thrilled as she was on the back of the horse. Her legs were about a foot too short to reach the stirrups, even on the smallest saddle they had. When I mention the ride to her today, she gets a dreamy look on her face and talks about Micah (the horse she rode).



Natalie ended up with sun kissed cheeks from the day in the sun; I think this picture is pretty cute.