Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven

Day by Day

A/N – I had been struggling with a name for the last chapter but after I wrote it came to me easily – Family. As I have moved through this story it has always came back to that, especially the Bordens. I think I have a few more chapters in me but I am beginning to put together the ending for this first story, which will not be my last. I have been open about my intent to create a sequel based on our two young love birds but as I have moved that way I have several other ideas that have come to me, so together we shall see what comes our way. I will take any and all ideas from you all, my dedicated readers and followers. Well it might be time to have a baby and spend some time with each of the kids and their lives. And I won't forget Amy and Ty of course. I also am planning to put some finality to what the Board talked about, especially the Rehoming Center. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always please let me know what you think. Mature Content Enjoy!

Amy had handled many challenging horses in her career but Buzzer was something else. He came a week ago and the owner was not very helpful and made several comments about how Amy was the expert and that was what she was paid for. Form what she could gather, he was once the most gentle horse ever but all of a sudden turned mean to humans and other horses. It was so bad that they basically kept him in a stall all the time and when they put him out he always had to be on his own. Amy had noticed the same behaviors as well and took the same precautions. She had him in the round pen several times but every time she had to run for her life as the horse was very aggressive. The other day Amy was attempting join up again and had an audience. A crowd had gathered as word of the crazy horse had spread. Ty stood next to Lyndy and Katie as they watched Amy try to collect the horse. Lyndy was encouraging her, "Mom, looks like you are doing great, he seems to be calming a bit." Amy nervously smiled, "We'll see, he is something else for sure." As usual, Amy was relentless and continued past an hour still driving the horse. Ty was getting anxious but held back from saying anything to her but whispered to Lyndy and Katie, "I never doubt your mom Lyndy, but I have a bad feeling about this horse. I think she needs to call it a day before she gets hurt." They continued to watch as more gathered. JT, came over and jumped into Wyatt's arms. "Mommy is really trying hard with that horse. He looks very mean. Wait, I know this horse. The other night, I was talking to grandma and she mentioned a chestnut horse that was very mean and that mom needs to be very careful with. That is the horse." He called out to her and as she looked over the horse reared and kicked out glancing Amy's shoulder and knocking her down. Immediately Ty, Wyatt, Lyndy and Rusty bolted into the pen. Lyndy helped her mom up as the three guys corralled the horse. His nose flared and his eyes were wide with anger as he pranced around nervously. But then he caught JT's eyes and stared at him, seeming to calm a bit. Everyone watched in amazement as the horse continued to calm and walked over to the fence where JT was. Ty went to stop him but Amy looked over and put up her hand. JT was safely outside the pen and spoke, "Mommy, Grandma told me the horse would like me and that I needed to help you. She said that together we could help him." Not one word was spoken by the crowd as they watched the little boy calmly pet the horse's forehead. It was like it was a different horse. "Grandma told me that she would help us too through me." Amy smiled as the rest of the onlookers were overwhelmed listening to this special boy. "Well, let's have him rest a bit and we will work with him later, deal." He smiled and hugged her as she grimaced a little smiling, "Well maybe tomorrow so I can rest my shoulder." JT took the reins of the horse and with Rusty's helped get him into his stall easily. He smiled and spoke again, "Oh and by the way, we better keep an eye on Georgie, Great Grandma Lyndy told me any day now." Ty picked up his little man and holding Amy's hand walked back to the house. "Well we better let everyone know, Ok?" He gave a thumbs up and hugged them both.

The kids were in the doldrums of school that would lead up to Thanksgiving. All of them were very busy with their homework sessions every night, the advanced work they were doing, working with horses and having fun with friends. Amy and Ty were still adamant that family dinner was a constant in their lives and made sure they always had it during the week. Fridays and Saturdays were a little more open since that was the time that the kids did some things with their friends. Family dinner time was what they both grew up with at Heartland as Jack also made sure it happened on a regular basis. Everyday Lyndy was enjoying just being a full time Hudson High student and although she missed dance, she didn't miss the back and forth to Goddard. And seeing Wyatt more was a bonus. And as for Wyatt, he was getting more and more focused on becoming a vet, especially with the time he was spending with all the vets for the company. He really enjoyed working with Ellie and Mandy, who also worked with other animals than horses. The equine field was exciting but to be honest he really enjoyed the other animals that they tended to. It did show him that the breadth of knowledge was pretty expansive and to learn it all would be a big challenge, but he was up to it. Annie continued to excel in science and working with the high school kids a few hours a week. The most exciting thing for her was the decision on show jumping and had begun to train regularly with oversight from her mom, Katie and the very pregnant Georgie, who still insisted to watching her from time to time, much to Steven and everyone's else's concerns. Addie continued to do well in math and science as well. But it was her ability to fix things that continued to amaze her teachers. She was just like her dad when it came to fixing things and the high school shop class she was working with on Lyndy's car was making great progress. The bonus was that the labor was free and even some parts were being added at no charge. She kept everyone, except Lyndy updated with pics and they were all excited. As always Maddie was having a great time at school. For her school was not only a place to learn but a place to socialize and be with all of her friends. The teachers continued to marvel at her advocacy for Gwen and Sylvia and the group of friends that had. They also noticed and increased maturity ever since she had begun hanging around with Ricky. It seems he influenced her a lot and most of that was positive. Even though the youngest in his class JT was a born leader and his bond with Trent, Shawna and some of the other Heartland kids was special. The joke in his class was that all the kids from families that worked for the company seemed almost like extended family for all the Borden kids. But after word of his last set of discussions with his grandma and great grandma was revealed by his parents on the last conference call with his lead pediatrician, Dr. Flanders, increased interest in his gift was becoming more apparent. One of the teachers on the team, knew of a program at a university on Edmonton that studied what he was experiencing and he encouraged the team lead to mention it to his parents. It would be considered the next time that he came in for a health checkup which was due soon. Scholastically, he was doing very well and seemed especially strong at handling complex problems and projects. As they all continued to see, he was exceptional and seemed to always score high on aptitude test. Amy and Ty were so pleased with all the kids and believed that working together, as they always did, was helpful for each of them. It warmed their heart as parents watching them all grow and become individuals, a goal of every parent. They loved them more than life itself.

Since returning from Eagle Lake and surviving the Chase debacle, everyone had noticed that Ty was much calmer and at peace, not so much in his head all the time. In his work, interaction with clients and co-workers seemed to be at a whole new level. Steven, Cass, Ellie, Mandy and even Scott noticed the change, it was like he kicked into another gear. Watching him work with the university students on their clinicals was really impressive and the feedback from Dr. Molder was full of praise and very positive. The clinical cycle was the most popular and requested one in the Equine program and they constantly had to turn kids away. In the back of their minds, Scott, Cass and Ty were trying to come up with a way to increase the number of students and hoped that the addition of the Rehoming Center and increase in overall business would warrant another vet. The cattle business had also increased at the Hudson Cattle Clinic as their reputation was drawing in more and more business. With all of this the team was pushed but doing well as Scott and Ty were focusing on innovation and unique approaches to care and surgery of horses and other animals in their care. Their best case scenario would be to hire another vet and spend part of their time on this work and partner with the University team. Amy and Ty were in the office one afternoon discussing staffing of the Rehoming Center and his idea on adding another vet. They decided to write down all of the talking points to make sure they discussed them at the upcoming Board Meeting. As they talked and scribed their notes they kept getting closer, eventually Amy sitting on his lap. They put the pen down and kissed and as they progressed the kissing moved forward. They became a little more aggressive as Amy moved to straddle him and get as close to him as possible. The were lost in each other and their breathing increased and roaming hands moved about each other's bodies. They were unaware of everything around them until the door opened and a startled Lyndy looked away, "Oh my god, I am so sorry. You know you have a room for that stuff." Amy and Ty blushed beet red and pulled apart, straightening up their clothes frantically. Amy smiled meekly, "Sorry we were just working and kind of got carried away." She giggled, "Not the best thing for your 16 year old daughter to walk in on but we have an issue. Georgie was just watching Annie and her water broke. She said she had felt a little weird all day and Katie said the contractions are about eight minutes apart. Lou, Lisa, and Steven are on the way. GG has the kids and Maddie and the twins are heading over to help. Mom, she is really in pain."

The three of them rushed out and saw a number of people huddled around a very distressed Georgie. As they walked out Lou and Lisa pulled up and as usual a frantic Lou ran to her daughter. Steven was right behind them and ran just as fast. He had her bag loaded up and kept the SUV running. Amy and Katie took control and Katie spoke up, "Her contractions are still at 8 minutes and we already talked to her doctor. She feels it will be Ok to take her in as long as we leave like now. Ty and Steven helped her up into the truck and as Ty drove, Steven sat in the passenger seat and Amy, Katie and Lou watched over Georgie in the back four seats. She seemed ok but was definitely in pain and a little worried. She felt pressure that seemed different but bore down and prepared for the ride. As they pulled out they had to pass Heartland and Georgie screamed out in immense pain, "Somethings wrong I feel the baby pushing. The three women immediately went into action, deciding that it looked as if another baby would be born at Heartland. While Ty and Steven helped Georgie into the house, Amy made sure her old room was ready with towels, extra sheets and some hot water. Katie made sure that GG and the Borden girls had already taken the kids to their apartment/house above the barn and Lou was on the phone with her doctor, who was heading their way and also had dispatched an ambulance. As Georgie got settled Steven was right by her side soothing and comforting her as much as he could. The others chatted quietly just outside the door as Lou spoke up putting her arm around Katie, "Ty, you and Amy delivered this one here, so what do you say. Are you ready to do it again? At her last checkup everything looked good and the baby was positioned just right. So?" Amy smiled, "Well I guess we are a little more experienced with childbirth and we do have an amazing doctor here. Let's do it, but who will tell Georgie?" Ty smiled, "I got this." They walked in right in the middle of a really bad contraction. Georgie was a very strong women but as the others know, childbirth was hard. As she settled she looked at the four of them and Ty stepped forward. "Georgie, if you are Ok, Amy and I are going to help you, we have some experience delivering a baby." His voice was soothing and everyone knew that the two of them had a long term bond formed years ago. She smiled, "I trust you guys and look at the story we get to tell the kids about another baby born in this ranch house." Steven smiled looking into her eyes and holding onto his wife's hand, "Let's do this." Lou got a call and spoke up, "The ambulance is delayed and won't be here for at least 45 minutes and your doctor will be here in an hour." As she finished, Georgie screamed in pain, "Ty, the baby is coming I think." Sitting side by side, Amy and Ty got in front of her and looked over the situation. Katie was standing by with extra towels and damp warm wash cloths. Lou stood by the door making sure no one came in as the Borden girls had come over to see what was going on while Lisa stayed to help with the Weber kids. Noah and Hannah knew something was up so they kept them occupied, promising them they could see their mom soon as well as their new baby brother or sister was born. They were overwhelmed but handling things well. Back at the ranch house baby Weber was ready to join the family. Ty looked things over and spoke calmly, "Ok, Georgie, time to push."

This baby was not fooling around as after a few pushes the head and most of the body was already out. With one final push, he was out and in Katie's arms wrapped in a cloth. She smiled, "Georgie, Steven it's a boy and he is beautiful. GG is going to be so happy for another man around the house." Amy cut the umbilical cord and along with Ty finished the rest of the birthing process. Katie and Lou went to clean up the screaming healthy baby boy in the bathroom while Georgie rested, so happy as she was crying in Steven's arms. Amy and Ty cleaned her up and smiled watching the young couple, so in love. He whispered, "Makes you want to have another one, hey." She looked at him as Georgie and Steven laughed as she said, "Hell no." Georgie spoke to them with love in her voice, "Thanks you two, you are the best. Steven and I love you so much." Amy had to ask, "I know we have to wait for the naming ceremony but can you tell us his name?" Steven laughed, "Well I guess you earned it, Matthew, which was Georgie's birth father's name and Tyler because you have meant so much to Georgie in her life. And heck you and Amy just delivered him." Now it was time for Ty to tear up as Lou and Katie came in with their beautiful baby boy. The parents held their baby as he moved his arms around, squeaking and squirming. They heard some commotion outside as the paramedics had arrived and two little ones were clamoring to see their mom and new little brother. Lou let them in for a second to see their parents and gloat over their new little brother. After a few minutes Steven, Amy and Katie took them outside as Ty and Lou stayed in the room while the paramedics looked over the new mother. They asked Ty several questions since it seemed to them he was kind of in charge of delivering the baby. He smiled, "Well it was my wife Amy and I since we kind of help Georgie's mom deliver her sister more than a few years ago, And we have five kids as well so I guess we are experienced." They both laughed as the female paramedic spoke, "Well everything looked great but we will let the doctor decide if you and the little one need to go to the hospital, I would recommend it but he will be here shortly." Georgie smiled as she continued, "And I hope I am not being too forward but aren't you Georgie Weber, the Olympic Champion and team trainer." Georgie smiled, "Yes I am and thank you for asking." The woman continued, "Well from one mother to another, achieving an Olympic medal is awesome but bringing life into the world is the best, it was a pleasure meeting you. They hugged and as the paramedics left her doctor came in. After he chatted with them briefly he came in and spoke, "Georgie, you sure have the flare for the dramatic. I just looked over your little boy and he looks great. It was a little difficult to tear him away from the twins but all is well. And, according to the paramedics, it seems your aunt and uncle did a great job and they see no issues as well. I hear they have some experience at delivering babies" Steven had come in with him and asked, "So doc, should we go to the hospital?" He smiled, "Well I think we should, so we can do some more thorough testing and give mom here a chance to recover without her three little helpers." Georgie smiled and agreed as he continued, "Ok, we will get things together and head over in an hour or so." He smiled and assured them that everything would be ready to go for them and he would come visit after they were settled.

After a couple of days and about a million visitors Webers were all back home. Their home was all cleaned and stocked up and the baby's room was ready to go. Steven laughed when they walked into the nursery and told Georgie, "Well we are out of bedrooms some little Matt will be our last." She smiled and was overwhelmed with all of the work that had been done and then looked at Noah and Hannah who heard their dad say his name. "Guys since you heard, your little brother's name is Matthew Tyler and you have to keep it quiet until Sunday at the naming ceremony, promise?" They smiled and shook their heads but then Nate blurted out "Little Matt." Steven and Georgie frowned realizing keeping him quiet would be much more of a challenge. Throughout the afternoon they had several visitors. The Borden women showed up with dinner and kept the kids busy while Georgie took a bath and Steven rested a little. Just like Sienna, the girls were really excited to hold the newborn and give him a lot of attention and cuddles. Amy smiled as she watched them swoon over the new born. She chased them all out since they had school in the morning and gave Georgie a big hug, "Ty and I are very happy for you guys and what you have done for Ty, it was wonderful." Georgie walked away with Amy as Steven walked out with the kids to their SUV. "Amy, you and Ty have meant so much to me in my life. When Lou was trying to find herself and kind of forgot about Katie and I you guys were always there for us. Did you know that several times I was having issues and Ty took the time to talk to me and help me realize that all the love I needed was all around." Amy left and the Webers settled in for the evening. Over the next few days, baby Matthew settled in nicely and on Sunday the naming ceremony was perfect. Everyone was excited when they announced the name, especially when she said that Tyler was a part of it. Lyndy immediately went to hug her dad as again a tear came to his eye. She leaned in and whispered, "I love you daddy." Since almost the entire Board was there Lisa reminded them of the meeting at the end of the week. Georgie planned on being there so Amy was going to let the girls take a half day off to help watch all the kids. Lisa committed to send out an agenda so everyone was ready and prepared to share their insights and ideas. They were all looking forward to it and were planning to have some additional people there, Mallory, Lyndy, Wyatt, Katie and Clay and a few others. There was going to be a lot of things discussed that would be important for them as the next generation to carry on and continue to grow the business for the future of the family's legacy. As she spoke the parents all looked at their kids realizing what they did was all for them.

The next week was consumed by work and school and the news of the newest addition to the family, little Matthew Thomas. Steven was receiving congratulations from everyone and Georgie was really enjoying the guest that dropped by both announced and unannounced. Many people brought them food and only asked for a cuddle with the new baby. He was a good-tempered baby for sure and everyone was amazed at how cute he was. Georgie gloated with every comment and was enjoying the time with her kids as well. Noah and Hannah were amazing and even Nate understood that he needed to behave himself with the little tiny brother he had now. The Borden girls went out of the way to be there for the parents and of course, Lisa, Lou, Amy, Katie and Casey were always close by. Work was really busy for Amy and Ty but the biggest talk of the week was the Board Meeting on Friday. Rumors were going around about all the changes and the possibility of a Rehoming Center. Keeping secrets was tough but to the point they were just rumors and had not been substantiated. Amy and Ty had spent a lot of time getting ready for the meeting as most of the changes would affect the Miracle Ranch and they manage to get it done without too much playing around. They also made a decision. Since the changes affected their children they planned to tell them at dinner with the understanding that they had to keep it quiet. As planned dinner went well and the kids were really excited about everything going on, especially the Rehoming Center on their property and that Ellory would be running it. All of them wanted to help and Amy reminded them that that all will still need to be worked out. As they made their rounds, the kids were really excited still but finally calmed down. As Ty and Amy entered their room the sexual tension from the last few days came to a head. Ty grabbed Amy and kissed her like it had been months, even though they had made love a couple of days ago. Ty picked her up and she gasped locking her lips onto his neck. They loved each other deeply and tonight they planned to show each other how much. As they stood next to the bed they seductively helped each other out of their clothes. The each fought for control as they fell on the bed. Together, they explored and satisfying all the places that they knew needed their attention. Ty started by focusing on her anxious breast and Amy reached down for his manhood finding it ready for lovemaking. Amy moaned heavily as he pleasure each one of her breast repeatedly and then when he ventured down between he creamy thighs she put her hand on her mouth to suppress her scream. After her climax she decided to provide him some release and kissed her way to his most erogenous area. She moved her tongue up and down soliciting deep guttural moans from her husband. Before he could completely release she rolled over on her back, opening up to receive him. As they made love they started slowly but as the heat increased the speed increased until the both exploded in their passion. As always Ty continued for several more minutes until they collapsed, breathing heavily and perspiring with ecstasy. They rolled over and faced each other as Amy whispered, "Wow that was amazing, Dr. Borden you are am amazing lover." He laughed quietly, "Well Mrs. Borden you the love of my life and my best friend. I have never been as happy as I am right now. I love you so much" Their life couldn't be better and they soon fell asleep in each other's arms like the lovers they were.

The next morning Amy and Ty woke up early as they fell asleep, in a complete state of undress. After a fun shower the happy and smiling couple headed down and got breakfast ready for the kids. After everyone was handled, Lyndy asked her mom to go over to the barn to look at a horse she was working with before she left for school. They walked over arm in arm and Lyndy had to ask, "So you guys seem pretty happy this morning and I couldn't help but notice that you and dad had your hands all over each other. I mean after the whole office thing I interrupted is there anything you want to talk about." Amy blushed, "No, why can't we just be happy." Lyndy scoffed, "Whatever, even for you the PDA was pretty intense." Amy continued to blush, "Well, after all that stuff we are really in a good place and are so happy with all of you and how you are doing with everything. It is very fulfilling to have such amazing children. And the changes to our farm are going to be amazing and will set you all up for a great future. We are so happy and proud about that as well." Lyndy smiled, stopped and hugged her mom tightly, "I don't really have a horse to look at, I just wanted to talk. Mom, we love you both so much and are proud to be your children. So many of the kids we know have bad home lives and ours is about as close to perfect as it can be. We are all excited about the future too and can't wait to be a part of it." The next week went well as everyone was still on a baby high and the kids were really enjoying school and work. Amy, Ty and the staff were very busy as the rest of the Board and invited guest were ready for the Board Meeting on Friday afternoon. Each separate company was going to share the news with their own staff so Amy and Ty were planning an impromptu BBQ for their staff and families on Sunday. Since they were going to be affected the most, they felt it was needed and deserved. Amy and Ty were ready and extremely excited that Ellory decided to take the job of running the Rehoming Center for the foreseeable future. When they met with her she said that her ancestors legacy was rooted in helping horses and rehoming those that needed it. She felt as though they wanted her to continue that legacy through this endeavor so in the end the decision was easy. She was excited, especially when they offered Mallory's old apartment as part of the deal since Mallory and Trent were moved in with Doug and Shawna. Privately everyone was hoping that a child might be on the way soon. Lou contacted some of her media contacts and they were really excited about the new Thomas Payne, Lyndy Bartlett Equine Rehoming Center. Not just the story of the legacy of the people that is was named after but that it showed the continuing effort of their company to improve the life of our equine partners. As Friday approached, the excitement was building. Amy sent notes to school, so Lyndy and Wyatt could come to the meeting. The twins had a test and Maddie had a project she was working on so they stayed in school along with JT. The girls were also on baby duty as both Sienna and baby Matthew needed to be cared for. Georgie was coming and one of the staff at the Day Care Center volunteered to take care of the babies until the Borden girls showed up.

Friday morning came and as Amy and Ty headed over to their office Jack pulled up with some passengers. To their surprise, Max and Lilly stepped out as mother and son embraced. Ty smiled, "You came up for the meeting?" Lilly laughed, "Well and I need to see my best buddy to and Max needs a little fishing time. We are here through the weekend and leaving Monday morning. Do you have a spare room." Amy went to hug them both and smiled, "Of course we do, the kids are going to be so happy and I bet JT will go bananas." They got their bags out of Jack's truck and put them in the guest room. They were going to go back to Heartland with Jack and come to the meeting with Lisa, Lou and Jack which was at Fairfield. Everyone else would be heading there from wherever they were working for the 1:00pm start time. All of the staff left behind were all set up to handle things for the afternoon. Amy and Ty headed over a little early with Caleb and Steven who joined them. The contingent from Heartland and others headed there as well and Lyndy and Wyatt were coming straight from school. Everyone got settled, grabbed a drink and a snack as Lisa called the meeting to order. The room was packed with the Board and Max sat the main table and the rest seated around the table along the walls. All together they were well over 20 people. When Lyndy walked in and saw Grandma Lilly she shrieked with glee heading over to her for a hug, "What are you doing here? This is so amazing, does JT know? If not he is going to flip." They chatted for a minute and others greeted the unexpected guest. Lyndy went to hug Max as Lisa spoke up, "Well if Lyndy is done hugging everyone, let's get started. The group chuckled and moved their focus to Lisa. "Well, thanks for being hear and a special welcome to our invited guest. Today is a special meeting and will be shorter than most. As a reminder, we will have a regular meeting right after the holidays. As I mentioned, we have three things to talk about. First Ben, Jenn and I will update everyone on the Fairfield/Briar Ridge alignment process. I say alignment because, as the process has been underway we have made a few adjustments. Second we will talk about a new venture we are going to get involved in. Many have questioned the work being done at the plot of land we are preparing and that the setup looks a little different than the regular cattle one. Well I am here to officially tell that we are going to start raising a heard of Llamas." The group chuckled in surprise. "We will go over it later but the market for Llama fur is skyrocketing and we plan to build enough of a herd to generate some substantial income after an initial investment and low cost of long term care. Again more to come. Finally Amy and Ty will talk through our other new venture and actually I am going to let her talk briefly about it briefly." Amy smiled and stood up with Ty beside her. "You know that my mom not only helped horses and their owners but also did her fair share of rehoming. Our business at the Equine Center has moved more toward a client based operation so we have decided to take the additional land on the Miracle Ranch and build a rehoming center called the Thomas Payne, Lyndy Bartlett Equine Rehoming Center. Of course this is named after two people who are a major part of our legacy. And to even add to the excitement, Ellory Whitepath has agreed to run it for us for at least the first year." The group broke out into applause as everyone was very pleased she was staying. Lisa jumped in, "Ok, we will go over each of these topics in detail, take a break and then take questions and just have general conversation." The group settled as Ben, Jenn and Lisa got ready.

Ben led the conversation and talked about the process that was used to align the two operations and how they had lost less than 10% of the existing staff. "We will not need to replenish the staff we have lost due to the shared work we have been doing and other efficiencies. The manager of Briar Ridge has taken the new role of Operations Manager for both facilities. His knowledge in that area will benefit the entire organization and we expect continued improvements in cost control and operational efficiencies. We have already begun coordinating supply purchases with Caleb and Clay and are ability to negotiate cost has improved." He took a breath and Caleb spoke up, "Wow Ben, you sound very business savvy, a lot better than the first time we met you, the brash, not so good show jumper." Everyone laughed as Cass poked her husband in the ribs." Amy added, "Well he wasn't that bad." Again everyone laughed as Lisa took over. "I have to say that I am so proud of these two and the staffs at both facilities. This transition had gone well because of everyone's commitment. And we have decided to rebrand the facilities. The new name will stay Fairfield Stables but the change is that we will call the locations the Fairfield and Briar Ridge Facilities. New signs will be put up, all the documentation will be redone and the website will be completely revamped, thanks to Jenn and Nick. There will still be some specific things each facility does but the two locations will act as one. In fact our next Board Meeting will be in the Briar Ridge Meeting Room. We are really excited. Ben will be the General Manager, the former manager from Briar Ridge will be th Operations Manager and Jenn will be the Hospitality Manager." The group applauded as they all were really happy with the idea. She had them hold their questions for after the break as Lou took the stage with her. Lou started, "Well I never thought I would say this be we will be raising Llamas on the Heartland expansion land. Lisa came to Grandpa and I with this idea and of course I researched it completely. This is the fastest growing and most sought out fabric in Canada. Llama fur is a higher end product and is found in high end boutiques and shops. We got a line on a herd of 100 that a weekend cowboy is wanting to sell and we have purchased them. I know we generally want to hold off for a Board vote, but we couldn't wait or we would lose it." She took a breath as Jack spoke up. "I have talked about this with both Lou and Lisa and I think it is a great opportunity and from an old cattle guy that's saying something." Everyone laughed as Lisa took over. "The herd is arriving in a couple of weeks and the land and out buildings will be done. We have about three months until our first sheering which I understand is quite a thing to watch. A friend of mine is going to send us some folks to help with the first one but moving forward we will maintain it ourselves. Initially Caleb, Rusty and Clay will oversee the operation and we will probably hire a few extra ranch hands to maintain the herd. Llamas are pretty low maintenance and handle the weather well. Our expectation is to grow the herd to at least 500 and the all of the ergonomic studies show the land will support that. This will defiantly be new territory for us but I am sure we will be successful." Every applauded again as everyone excited about the new venture. Lisa then called up Amy and Ty for their part of the presentation.

Amy smiled and began to speak. "Well as I mentioned earlier, those of us who remember what my mom did were always amazed at not just her ability to help horses and their owners but to find the right place to rehome a horse. It is more complex than most non horse people would think because the bond between a horse and rider is special. I remember years ago when we had to put down Paint, Grandpa's amazing cattle horse he had for many years that was gifted to him when he retired from the rodeo. It took a while and after we even pushed a little, he just wasn't ready. Finally we had to rehome a horse that we had acquired named Buddy and up until a few years ago, when he retired, they were inseparable. I'll never forget the day that we caught this old cowboy doing join up with Buddy and from that point on they were best friends. That is the goal of this new venture, to play matchmaker with a horse and a human. We have already received some interest from potential owners and even have about a dozen horses that were abandoned ready to use our facility. The entire facility is ready and we can accommodate up to 20 - 25 horses at a time. Ellory gets back tomorrow and will begin setting up the operation, so Caleb, get ready for a supply order and all of you trainers, until we determine the need, we will all help. All horses need a home and all horse lovers need a friend and that will be our motto. Signage, document headers and a new web page are all ready and Ellory will more than likely hit the ground running. She is planning to bring a few friends from the reservation to help her initially, but eventually this will be an independent facility that will be a part of the Miracle Ranch and the Equine Center." Amy put her head down starting to get emotional, "When Spartan came to me we needed each other and we had a lifetime of love and commitment to each other. We want owners and horses to have that same bond." Everyone clapped and Amy fell into Ty's supportive arms. Lou added, "And a bonus is that word has gotten out and our grand opening will be covered by all of the local media outlets and our friends from Good Morning Calgary plan to do a live broadcast from here. So I expect business will take off so we all need to be ready. This along with the Llama business will be a substantial positive impact on the bottom line, making things better for all of us." Jack stepped in, "And I am confident that it is the right thing to do which from my perspective is why we all are here." The group again applauded, impressed with Jack's perspective and positive attitude. The meeting adjourned after a quick round of questions and everyone headed out. Amy and Ty went with Max, Lilly, Lyndy and Wyatt back to the ranch. Dinner was a lot of fun as the details were shared and as expected the kids were excited. Amy and Ty watched silently holding hands under the table as Lilly and Max were enjoying the happiness. They were also so happy and content with their life and their family.