Day out on the farm

We have friends from church who bought a 300 acre farm a year ago. It had no house on the property so over the past year they have built a shed for their family to live in. They moved in a few weeks ago and today we went and spent the day on their property. The children loved it. So far they have for 2 puppies, a border collie and a staffy, a kitten and 2 sheep. They are planning on getting chickens, beef cows and bees and intend to have an income from the property eventually, once all is up and running.

The boys especially liked playing with the puppies and did not fail to mention several times that they would love one.

The children enjoyed gathering wood for a camp fire, which we lit around 2.30pm. We put a lamb roast with potatoes and kumara in a dutch oven and put it on hot coals with hot coals in top. While that cooked, the children went exploring in the long grass, and had a turn shooting arrows at a target. The food was ready by 5.30pm and we had a super delicious meal. It made me want to go camping every night if we could eat a meal like that.

After dinner the children roasted marshmallows and we had lemon meringue pie and sponge-cake for dessert. Delicious. Thanks President. Joshua, Joseph and Tane did some target practice (in the pitch dark), trying to aim for  a target on a tree. I think we will try to do it again, but in the daytime... will likely be more successful. Only Tane was able to hit the target.

Joseph helped dig a hole to put the hot coals in for the fire.

Lily loved rolling in the dirt, as long as the puppies were not near her. If they did they wanted to kiss and slobber all over her but both she and Ella were terrified, so she had to be scooped up into mine or Daddy's arms.

Earlier this week Annamaria was teaching Ella how to do handstands. I love it when they work together as a team.