I spent a lot of time on a ranch when I was growing up.

It was a this immense piece of land just outside of where I grew up and it was home to seventy-five of the most beautiful horses I had ever seen.

During the summer months, I had to wake up 5:30 each morning to bring the horses in from the fields.  Hardly a soul was ever awake at this hour.  Even in the depths of July, the mornings would be cool.  I would put on my rubber boots and a sweater, then head out into the fields by myself…hearing nothing but the ground beneath my feet.  During late August, the fog would start rising off the nearby lake and, every now and then, I could see the slightest evidence of my breath.  As each day went by, I could feel the seasons change a little bit more.

Eventually I would stumble upon the horses in some far off corner.  They would be quietly chewing on grass or walking through the creeks.  I would stand against the wooden fence, snuggled tighter into my sweater, while I watched them.  Eventually, one of them would pop their head up and notice me standing there.  They would walk over to me…give me a slight good morning nudge with their soft noses…and off we would go.  One after another, they would make their way to the corral for breakfast.  Just me and seventy-five gentle beasts.

I loved being out there each morning.

I loved the peace.  I loved the quiet.  I loved being alone – all the while knowing that I was never really alone at all.

To this day, these are some of my fondest memories.  My happiest memories.  My most peaceful memories.

There are times right now when I feel as though I need those mornings more than ever.  Times when the chaos and excitement of having two young children becomes overwhelming and I long for that time on my own.  Times when I need the solitude and the space in order to make sense of the world.

The day of Nicole and Chris’ engagement session was an especially challenging one.  It was a day that left my mind scrambling and my body hurting.  It was a day filled with worry and anxiety.  It was a day when I felt really far from the horses.

During the immensely beautiful drive out to Nicole’s grandparent’s property, I was thinking about those mornings in the fields.  What it was like to be a teenager and to have that kind of room to grow.  That kind of room to get to know my self.  I still have that now…it’s just that it’s filled with tiny giggles and busy bodies.  It’s filled with colouring books and trips to the park.  It’s filled with toddler meltdowns and two-year molars.  All things I love…just in a different way.

I decided on my drive that I was not going to let the day end the same way that it had been spent.  I was determined to come home feeling better than I had left.  I was determined to find even the tiniest sliver of peace.  I was determined to remember my horses.

And from the moment I reached the driveway to meet up with Nicole and Chris…that is exactly what began to happen.  Their amazing smiles was the first of so many things that turned my day around.  It was next to impossible not to feel wonderful around them.  Impossible not to feel uplifted.

They are lovely…they are adorable…they are ridiculously kind.

Just as the two of them left to get changed…I decided to sit in the grass for a minute to soak in the amazing night we were being blessed with.  And that’s when I saw them!  I looked over my left shoulder to see four beautiful faces staring back at me from over the fence.  Four beautiful horses.  Four beautiful reminders that even when you’re alone – you’re never really alone at all.

God is funny that way sometimes.

So, that was my night.  A gorgeous evening spent with the sweetest couple you’ll ever meet.  A gorgeous evening playing with some heavenly horses.  A gorgeous evening spent turning things around.

Ladies and gentlemen…please meet Nicole and Chris…