A Day on the Farmstead

The kids have been in school for two weeks and Anna starts preschool tomorrow. Anna has missed having siblings around to play with and is really looking forward to preschool. We spent our first day off from school, on a family adventure with Diane, going to a children's farm we haven't been to in a while. 

It has really changed in the last couple of years.  Lots of new additions with hands-on exhibits that help kids see what a turn of the century working farm might have been like.  We were excited to see the new additions but also very grateful our old favorites were still around.  We started at the fishing pond where everyone got a fishing poll and can of worms.  Sam did some fishing this summer with his day camp and has wanted to go again ever since.  He had no problem baiting his hook, but really struggled to catch a fish.  We've decided the fish are very good a eating the bait and not getting caught. 

Diane, using Alex's poll, caught our only fish for the morning.  As you can tell, she was ecstatic, and so were all of us!  It was terribly exciting.  I did find it a bit ironic that the woman who spent her honeymoon fishing (never mind the fact that it was nearly 40 years ago), made me unhook the fish and throw it back.  I had no idea what I was doing, but I managed to get the hook out -- fish movie around a lot, and hooks weren't really made to come out easily -- and we're pretty sure the fish survived the experience. 

Anna and Alex both got to take a short little ride a pony. 

This past summer we went to Grants Farm in St. Louis and fed the goats there.  The kids really enjoyed it, but it quickly got to be a bit overwhelming for those that went inside the gate and were among the goats.  I was really glad that here, it was just fine to keep the fence between you and the goats.  Children really do love to feed other living things don't they, especially when it's in a bottle. 

We spent a little time in the one room school house and then headed out to the playground to run and feed the ducks and see some of the original part of the farm.  We finished our late morning with lunch at Sonic, meeting up with GR for a little while and being able to eat lunch outside!  The weather has been so hot for so much of the end of summer, it's nice to have cooler temperatures, we were actually a little chilly sitting in the shade.  What a nice change!!  
 

Sabbath Day S'mores

We had such a wonderful Sunday.  Two good friends found themselves back in town for the holiday weekend and came back to their "old ward" for a visit.  We had a great time catching up with Matt and Camie and Harold and Andrea, reminiscing of when we were younger mothers together, settling back into the same comfortable grooves of friendship we had before.  I cherish these friendships and am so grateful to have had a chance to visit with these good women whom I love dearly.  

Andrea and Harold joined us for dessert ... s'mores of course.  The summer has been so blasted hot, we've hardly spent anytime around the fire pit, and it was high time we changed that.  It was great to pull out all the s'mores supplies and enjoy the late evening together.