Hey hey my people! So I've finally managed to get the tornado cleanup mostly done (thank you in-laws for all of your help!), and handle the rest of my normal #momlife enough to be able to upload these photos of our super fun trip to the Amish Farm & House.
One of the first things you see upon entering the farm grounds is this dairy cow that kids (and adults too, hey 😂) can practice milking, and of course there was no way my girls were going to just walk by it.
We then went looking for the highlight of the day. 😉
We got the privilege of attending their Sheep Shearing Event (you can see a list of their upcoming events here) but they also have the following events still upcoming...
- Amish Flea Market August 2nd + 3rd and August 30th + 1st
- Amish vendors will be on the farm selling their goods.
- Excellent hands-on learning experience for kids.
- Fall Farm Days October 12, 13, 14th
- Fall farm activities, hay rides, pumpkin’ chunkin’, apple cider
My daughters were absolutely fascinated by the whole process...
(Jimmy sat in the stroller beside Mommy and colored, absolutely clueless as to what was going on 😂) ...
The Amish Farm & House was kind enough to provide the following images (the ones without my copyright) for my readers, just in case we were a bit too busy enjoying ourselves to take some really good close-ups. 😉
After the shearing process, visitors of all ages are invited to come up and feel both the wool itself and the newly shorn sheep. Definitely a cool experience for my littles!
We popped in to see the blacksmith for a bit after that, but even though we had barely just arrived,
at that point we were already hungry.
Of course, the AMAZING smell of the BBQ stand wasn't helping stave off hunger. 😂
The nicest Amish family runs the stand, and serves literally some of the best chicken I've ever tasted.
I'm actually getting hungry just thinking about it, and I've already had my supper. Dang it. Now I need a snack. Haha.
Like seriously, it is so. Freaking. Good!
They also offer soft-serve ice cream, so of course we had to get some!
Missy opted out of the ice cream photo, per her usual "I not!" protests. 🤷
Next up we visited the Amish School.
Fun fact, my husband's grandma (who was Amish herself until after her children were born and almost grown) used to be the tour guide in the schoolhouse.
I'm throwing that in there because evidently my 3 year old heard us mention that (We had no idea she was even paying attention! She was happily going from desk to desk and pretending to read) because for the rest of the day, she kept referencing the schoolhouse as "her school" and calling the couple that showed us around the school her "grandma and grandpa". It really was the sweetest, and to be honest they seemed like grandparents worth adopting. ;-)
If you go and meet them for yourself, I'm sure you'll see what I mean.
"Grandma" had walked away to go do something when we circled back and asked for a photo (I had forgotten, oops!) so all we have is "Grandpa" here, but they really are such a nice and friendly couple.
The perfect type of personalities to be working with people all day.
Next up, the children played on the really cool playground for a while, and then all piled onto the stroller for a walk around the rest of the farm.
They really have all sorts of animals, but I didn't get a photo of all of them because I was trying to balance taking photos with also just being present in the moment with my kids.
Besides, if I show you evvvvvverrrrything, you might start to think you've seen it all and therefore you don't need to visit for yourself, and that would be a huge mistake. ;-)
Missy downing the last bit of the fresh-squeezed lemonade.
Here we're just taking a moment to chill and decide what to do next.
But Missy ended up being the one to pipe up and beg Daddy for a buggy ride,
and seeing as she had just turned 3 the day before and we were technically celebrating her birthday with this outing...
... a buggy ride it was! I have to say, it was my favorite part of our entire visit, and well worth the small buggy ride fee.
Even Mark enjoyed every minute of it, chatting neighborly with our driver "Ab", who is so laid back and gentle in character.
Below is a picture of Ab posing with his horse "Charlie".
Up until later in the day, one of the farm's biggest attractions, their baby goats, had been swarmed by quite a few people, so we kept putting off trying to visit them, mostly because 3 small children (ages 5, 3, and 1) can get very impatient hehe, but after our buggy ride the timing was just right, and there was no way we were leaving without seeing them.
(Just a side note, keep in mind that we visited on an event day, and there were several school classes visiting as well as a TV crew to film the Sheep Shearing, so it isn't usually so busy, and there is always more than enough fun to go around without the need to wait in lines. Just thought I'd throw that in there!)
My children got to pet the little kids, and the black & white one pictured below was a favorite.
I believe his name is Peter or Petey.
But me being the skilled baby holder that I am, I got to actually hold them. ;-)
Yes I got to hold not one but two!
They were so adorable, I really wanted to take one home!
(Mark was like, NO. Haha.)
Fun fact, they have Baby Goat Yoga, and if you're into yoga, and baby goats, you should totally go!
I'll link their IG page (which is specifically for their yoga) here and their Facebook page for goat yoga here.
Lastly, we visited the wood shop, and the spinning/weaving room as well, but my children were starting to be clingy and need Mommy, so no pictures.
At each shop, there are all kinds of authentic, handmade items you can purchase, and often times watch more being made right there in front of you.
We snagged some precious handmade dolls for the children- even Jimmy got one!
On the way out, we passed the dairy cow again, and Chari had to milk it just one more time...
Lastly, on our way back through the house (which they offer tours through, btw, but we opted out of that because of our small children and their smaller attention spans 😝) we stopped in at the gift shop, where I got to meet none other than the renown Esther O'Hara, designer and artist of the nationally-sold Amish figurines.
Esther creates quilted jewelry and accents her original Amish figurines by using an ancient art form known as millefiori to create miniature quilts. There is no paint used on her handcrafted quilt jewelry or the Amish figurines which are sold in her physical gallery in Lancaster, PA. The reproduction figurines sold on-line by retailer(s) are painted.
Also, if you visit her at the Amish Farm & House, your item will not only be handmade by her, but also signed! Not to mention she is a joy to meet and talk to.
Below are pictures of some of her figurines at the farm, but she also has many many more hand-crafted items, so be sure to stop in and see her (tell her The Brunette sent you!) if you visit the farm.
Last but not least, we actually took our family photo on the way out (that's why Jimmy is passed out! 😂).
A special shout-out to UppaBaby for designing amazing strollers that literally can haul all 3 of my children at one time if necessary. It was a lifesaver. 🙌
And for those that need a pick-me-up after an all day outing with the kiddos, Target is literally right next-door (and yes we totally bought kombucha and popsicles because we literally stayed at the farm til they closed and had gotten hungry again 😂).
I really hope you'll give the farm a visit.
I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Til our next adventure,
Xo, The Brunette 💋
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