Our annual Patterson-family vacation was at Tater Hill Farm in Pangburn last weekend. This farm is the home of mini horses, goats, mules, chickens, peacocks...you get the point.
We got up there before anyone else and so we were able to check into the cottage first. It was a new house with an upstairs...perfectly laid out for our whole family. Our bedroom had 2 double beds and a set of bunk beds for the kids. Oh MY! Were they excited about those bunk beds! Bella had not slept in a twin bed before, and Liv had never been on a top bunk! Not too long after we found our room, my mom drove up. We decided that since it was supposed to rain rest of the weekend, we should take the girls swimming at Heber that afternoon. So, we loaded up the kids and went to Spring Beach so they could swim. Mom found us there and we visited while the kids finished playing.
When we got home, we started working on dinner (shish-kabobs) while we let the kids run around outside (and we played lasso golf). Emily and Justin got there by dinner time, and the kids couldn't wait to go see the animals. We told them we would after we all ate.
Going to see the animals was pretty fun. The miniature horses were eye-level with even the little ones, although Cooper and Bella weren't really scared of them. We saw most of the animals and the kids got to swing on the tree swing near the house. It was such a relaxed atmosphere...so quiet.
The kids all went to bed pretty easily...and neither girl fell off their bed! Ha! The next day, mom made breakfast while we watched the ducks and geese in the pond in front of our house. Brian and I had decided that we would take the kids fishing soon after we all ate because the rain had not started yet (and Liv was dying to use her Barbie fishing pole Uncle Alan had given her at Christmas--luckily, she was nice enough to share with her sister, too).
Cooper also came down with Emily and Justin so all the kids got to fish. Not too long after we got there, it started to sprinkle.
(we thought this donkey and goat were hilariouis trying to get out of the rain by hiding in the barn!)
After we all went inside, we started a movie for the kids...but before long, all the kids were outside and I was almost asleep! Cooper had been put down for a nap, and it was very quiet... So, I called Brian to see where they were. He said he had taken the girls to see the animals again. (The rain had stopped.) I told him I was going to lay down for a nap. He said he would come back in about half an hour for lunch.
Well.........I woke up to a quiet house again. I went downstairs and found my mom asleep on the couch and NO ONE else around. When she woke, she told me Brian and Justin had taken all 3 kids to the Wake Board competition in Heber Springs, and Emily had gone to Searcy to take her test for school. When Emily came back, we started playing Rock Band. It wasn't too much longer until the boys and kids came home as well. The guys stayed outside while we finished playing and then they played golf. My mom and I took the girls for a walk around the farm and was joined later by the rest of the crew.
We had enchiladas for dinner, and since we were more rested than the day before, us adults played Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader (which my mom had purchased just for this trip). Only Emily was (and that was after 2 rounds of games!).
The next morning, I got up with the girls, and Justin got up with Cooper. We tried to entertain the kids while everyone else slept. The cottage had come equipped with fresh eggs, so I scrambled some and we ate it with either biscuits or cinnamon rolls.
Olivia was very concerned about one particular goat that we thought was VERY pregnant, so Brian took her after breakfast to see the goat. He was gone quite a while we started packing and cleaning up. Brian called and said Olivia got to feed all of the animals and he found out some information about them from the owner. Come to find out, the goat was experiencing bloating and has bad arthritis. The vet was there then to see it. Liv was SO excited to get to be apart of all of that!
On our way out, we stopped so Bella could say goodbye to the animals too. We had fun, and I know the kids will talk about this for a long time!
