How do you get back to riding and competing when you've been out for almost a decade and are starting from scratch??

What do I buy first?? Trailer? Saddle? Horse???
horse?trailer?saddle??

Should I buy something safe enough the kids can ride? Just for mom kind of horse??

what's it like after having babies???

WHY DOES THIS SEEM SO FOREIGN???? 

Find a good coach/trainer -- buy riding lessons, then get help from trainer/coach to find a horse appropriate for you, then build from there....

first thing I would do is start taking lessons asap.............at least once a week...............

Genius!!

I hadn't even thought of starting with lessons... 

Buy a helmet and a good pair of boots first! 

I would recommend lessons, try different horses to see what you feel comfortable on before you buy one for yourself. Wouldn't hurt to start working on your core muscles a few days a week, too. Planking, crunches, etc.

You can do this! Welcome back!!

I agree with lessons definitely.  Great suggestion.

When I got back in it I already had a horse that could go any direction and tack that I kept.  I made the mistake of getting a trailer before I even brought my horse back up and threw a saddle over it.  The trailer sat forever before I was ready and able to haul again, then it turned out it wasn't the trailer for how I wanted to haul.

Well...I think I'd ridden maybe 10 times since roughly 2007 or so? 2007 was the last time I competed.

So I did what any sane person would. I went out and bought a yearling stud colt. I kept him a stallion, sent him off for a year, got him back, he sat in 2020 because of COVID. I've been consistently riding him this month and he's been great. I was very nervous at first. But honestly, my skills and balance came back to me pretty fast. For me, I just needed time in the saddle. 

I'd recommend buying a well broke horse, saddle and trailer. All at the same time if you can swing it. All three sort of go hand in hand. 

Just like riding a bike

I just turned 64 this year.  You will find that you are going to need to get your balance back and your confidence back first thing.   I would buy an older horse and ride it for a year before you go and buy something younger.  You don't have to keep the first horse you buy. You need a lot of saddle time the first year.  You need to mentally get in your head that " You can do this " .    Remember this is about having fun.

I did this in 2015!!! I bought a horse that was patterned and just needed hauling. I loved him, but wish I had bought an older totally finished horse to build my confidence better. I didn't keep than horse for very long, and ended up buying a nice finished horse that was honestly too much for me, but he slowed down for me and really built my confidence. 
I took lessons on my horses, but I wish I had taken lessons before buying. 
here I am 6 years later and LOVING it!!!!!!! Welcome back!!

Oh - kids horse. My kids don't ride, so it's my hobby just for myself. I really like it that way. I feel like if my kids rode, I'd spend more time in the ground helping them.