Fun at the Ranch

For spring break we went to my aunt and uncle's new ranch.  It was awesome! No one in my family has ever had land like this that we could go to so as soon as his new house was ready (one that could hold all of us) we called and asked if we could come visit.

It was funny - first thing when we pulled up...My aunt Donna's little dog came running to the van. I was fussing at Mike to slow down and not run over Abby (a mini poodle). 

Typical guy reply: "She's not going to run under the car!" 
Me: "You don't know that!" 
Mike: (hitting the breaks) "Wait! Now where is she?" 
Reagan: (out the window) "Don't get dead, puppy!" 

You got that Abby?  Those are your orders - to stay alive!

Here are just a few of the 100+ pictures I took on the trip.

Reagan working on her smiling face (at least she's cooperating!)...

Ooops....

"Please quit taking pictures of me.  Every time I see that camera I'm going to frown and put my head down.  You're lucky you can see my face in this picture."

Everyone said Ashley got the dirtiest kid award.  Not only did her face have dirt on it the entire trip (no matter how many times I cleaned it off), then she fell in the pond and got mud all over herself.

My cousin's dog Emma went for a swim and decided to spray the girls!

Kaitlyn is holding some long ribbon thingy and pretending it's a snake. I swear this girl needs to be on a stage.

Mackenzie taking a walk.  Notice the septic tank underneath.  All the little girls had tons of fun playing on top.  Nothing like playing on a septic tank....ahhh bliss....

Watch out!  That septic tank is bumpy on top!  This little cutie by the way is my cousin's little girl Kate. She's the same age as the little girls.

Last one to the tractor is a rotten egg!

"Come on guys, wait up!"  (Line from A Christmas Story.)  "I've fallen and I can't get up."  (Oh, you mean all I have to do is actually stand up?  No thanks.  I'd rather mom run as far as a football field to stand me up on my feet.  Why do it myself when I have a mommy?)

An eternity later...My 4 plus Kate!  Aren't they THAT much cuter with one more girl around?  (Not that we want to add another one!)

The mule!!  The kids LOVED riding and DRIVING the mule!  Each got to take their turn driving.  Great - now they think they are experts!

Off-road!

My own personal highlight of the trip...watching all these girls get in with the donkeys and chase after them.  It was so funny and they were all screaming and squealing with delight!

"He licked me!!"

Everybody smile for the camera!  Or not....

I think this is my Aunt Donna's miniature horse.  Mackenzie looks so at ease here...

"I'm hungry too!  Feed me!  Feed me!"  I wish I could live in Kaitlyn's land of make-believe.

"Hey lady...if you don't have any treats then please get out of my pasture.  And get that black thing out of my face!"

"Finally we got this jeep figured out.  And finally we have some power wheels!  We're like the only kids in America that don't have their own wheels!"

"Look out!"

"Alright. I guess I'll let someone else have a turn.  As long as I can walk beside you."

Us with my cousin's family...

Isn't this place gorgeous? 

Nobody wanted to leave.  It was great to get away and my aunt and uncle were so great to let us come and cook for all of us!!  And my uncle, the retired executive, and his wife have now been deemed by the little girls as "the farmers."  So funny!  That's what they called them when they got out of the next car in their church parking lot.  "Look mommy!  The farmers are here!"  Yeah, they kind of invited us.  And they're not really farmers!!