I was at work and when I got off work, I checked my phone. I had a call from my Grandma, my Mom, and my Uncle Todd twice so I knew something was up. I called Todd and conversation went as follows:
Todd- "Hey what are you doing right now?"
Eden- "I just got of work. What's up?"
Todd- We're all over here....Come over to Grandma's house as soon as you can.
Eden-What?! Why? What's wrong? Is Delilah okay?
Todd- Come and see for yourself.
Eden-No! Tell me! Is Delilah okay?!
Todd- Come and see for yourself.
So at this point I dash in my car and drive like a madman to my Grandma's house. I checked my voicemail and there was one from my Grandma telling me that Grandpa had some news about my horse and to call him...So I knew it had something to do with her. As I'm driving I'm crying and pleading with Heavenly Father, because I didn't know if I could handle Delilah dying. I was in a horse accident earlier this summer with a horse, Mitzy, that I grew up around that my family and I loved very much, and she had to be put down because she broke her leg. It was very hard for me, and I shrunk from the idea of going through that again so soon. And Delilah had a close call with her health earlier this summer and I was up with her much of the night, and wondered if she was horribly sick again. But I was prayed and I had a great peace, to such a powerful degree that I have had few times in my life. So I knew that no matter what happened, it was the Lord's will and I was okay with that because I knew that everything would be okay. Then my Aunt Heather Burns (I have two on my Mother's side) called I'm no longer frantic but am still stressed and she said that she was heading over to my Grandparent's as well. At this point I'm thinking "Huh? Everyone seems to be happy so either everyone is trying to be strong for me or something happy and good is going to happen..."
I pull into the driveway and go straight to the pasture and saw Delilah. She was up and grazing in the pasture, I was so relieved. And then I saw a little creature standing next to her. I sat. And stared. And then after minutes parked my car and walked out to them in a daze. After a while Heather pulled in and said, "So Eden! What do you think?" All I could say was "Holy Hannah!" (If he was a girl, I would have definitely named him Hannah for this reason)
We had no idea she was pregnant! I saw signs that should have clued to me, like when I was cleaning her hooves I noticed her teats were swelling. I thought it may have been infection and made mental note to keep an eye on it. And of course I noticed she was getting bigger, but I thought she was just getting bulked up for winter. She was bigger when I first started training her, but then slimmed down once I started getting her in shape and then started getting bigger again. I had promptings to loosen her girth straps when riding because she was uncomfortable. (When I work with horses, I keep a keen ear out for the Holy Ghost's instructions. I'm learning as I'm going along and I know that Heavenly Father cares about his creatures and that He wants to help me to help them because He cares about both of us. Really helps with the communication barrier. :) It has served me well, and has helped me keep us out of danger, and I know that there are times that I do know about, and don't know about) What we think happened was that while she was staying at my Uncle David's house, she got out, and we think that she got pregnant by one of the neighbor's stallions. Todd went to go feed the horses and she didn't come down so he went looking for her. She was just finishing giving birth to the foal. In these pictures he's 2-3 hours old.
Delilah had a little trouble at first figuring out that she had to stand still so he could nurse, but she caught on and she's doing great as of today.
Right now he has this thing where he sticks his tongue out. He draws it back in every once in a while, but he's figuring it out. The good news is that he is nursing great!
Todd and Baby.
Grandpa being a drama queen...he stepped on his foot. :D
The "three generations." We joke that Delilah is my child because she obeys me like she would a mother and probably because I love her so much. I have decided to name him "Mitzyn." I prayed about what to name him (I know that seems strange to some, but I wanted to name him what the Lord would have me name him. Alma 34:25-26, Alma 37:36-37) And later that night I was told that was to be his name. I'm glad because it's naming him after Mitzy, the horse that died this summer who was his grandmother.I am so grateful for this experience. Life is truly a miracle, and it is very special that I and my family get to see the full circle of birth and death. He is a beautiful, wondrous little creature and I am so glad I got to see him before I go on my mission. (37 days!!!!)
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