Sweet ‘Salina

Today is a day of joyous celebration...

not because November 3 2015 hosts the ‘Race that Stops a Nation’...

but because THIS DAY, sixteen years ago…

I saw the biggest brown eyes I have ever seen…
These eyes…

And I fell in love.

The owner of these eyes has been a special part of our family ever since, sharing her trademark glorious peepers in photos through the pages of our family records…

with Violet…

And with Dash.

She is often spotted on the pages of this blog astride a horse….

Smiling as she revels in her favourite part of her visits to the bush (even when we cannot find a proper Drizabone for her).

You know it’s school holidays here when she’s part of our landscape!

And a natural part of our mustering team…

She also adores a whip.

(Cracking both the leather kind and the verbal variety regularly).

You don’t mess with a gorgeous girl weilding a stockman’s whip…

(Yes I am posting these just in case any boys ever mess with her – don’t say I didn’t warn you!).

She inherited her Mother’s tongue-thinking ability…

This image combines many of the things I think she loves about visiting ‘Granite Glen’… horses, sunsets, water and whips.

These two ‘things’ are often on her ‘favourites’ list too – except when they are bickering like siblings. I keep reminding her that bickering is often my kids’ way of showing affection!

She’s the ‘Queen of the Cousins’ at family events.

And she is also quite an artist… which occasionally manifests in some colourful results.

This effort cheered me up last year!

My girls. Sunny and strong-willed. Like sisters.

(I know Jeanie… she’s not REALLY mine.  I just get to borrow her from time to time – you know we all adore her like our own).

Happy SWEET SIXTEENTH birthday ‘Salina…

Love Always, from your OTHER MOTHER.

♥♥♥♥

PS I forgive you for making me feel VERY VERY old today. Sixteen years… how is that even possible?