We got there late on Thursday night and we stayed until Monday afternoon. It rained off and on the whole time. It was wonderful! We all worked together and had a great time. The kids had television withdraws for the first day and then started using something I think they had forgotten about....their imaginations.
I loved watching the kids enjoy nature around them. There was a lot of mud and so the kids made Brownie Soup...a step up from the mud pies I made when I was young. They played "drive-thru restaurant" which was hilarious. I think the funniest part was when Lily ordered, "Two Dr. Peppers the largest size you make," just like Daddy does. Nathan (9) was the cook and came up to me totally exhausted, he said, "Lily (7) just ordered three of everything on the menu! Even though it is pretend, I'm stressed out. Now I know how Burger King feels when we pull up!" Carissa (5) was inside and I heard her say, "Costco will be closing in 5 minutes please get your food and items and head to the nearest register. Thank you for shopping at Costco." It was interesting to hear how the kids played and I am sure that moving from city life to country life this will change drastically over time. I really got to enjoy the kids and just sitting back and watching how they play.
My DH was able to get the chicken coop off off the trailer and then the trailer and the dump truck got stuck in the mud. The dump truck and the trailer took two days to get them out of the mud. It was a lot of work but we were able to do it together.
We learned that the baby propane grill takes over 45 minutes to grill hot dogs for our family. We will be investing in a new-to-us grill to go to the ranch the next time we go to spend more time with family and less time cooking.
Our lives move at a much slower pace while we are at the ranch. We didn't worry about the time or about how dirty the kids were getting. The kids played in the rain and had mud ball fights. In fact, they went off exploring and kept in touch with us by using the walkie talkie. ("Come in home base, come in!") They loved the freedom and we loved feeling relaxed about it.
My stepson learned to ride a quad! That was a huge accomplishment and we are very proud of him. He is really growing up, at 13 his voice is beginning to change and he is starting to want to take on the more manly jobs. He was Dad's helper the entire time and loved it. I know he will probably be taller than me his next visit and a little more mature. He is becoming quite the young man and it was a blessing to see him light up with such excitement over everything that he did with his dad.
Since we've gotten back and the kids have asked to go back up there several times. Vivi (11) has said, "Mom, it's just so comfortable there. Everyone is so much more relaxed. When can we go again?" It makes me feel good that our first time staying up there was a success and that the kids want to return and have some more fun. If this is a preview to life there, I am so excited!
The laundry when we got back....nightmare. I am looking forward to having a washer and dryer at the ranch to be able to bring home clean laundry!
Future Focused!
Country Momma
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