Gentry Safari - NWArkansas' Very Own Zoo

I hate to admit this, but I went to the Gentry Safari for the very first time today. I feel horrible that it was 30 minutes away and I never took the kids but they went with their school groups so I did not feel the need. Don't tell anyone this but I thought it would be a cheesy little place with a few animals.

I could not have been more wrong. This place was not only a beautiful example of the stunning landscapes we have here in the Ozarks but it was filled with various interesting creatures.

We enjoyed the petting zoo where chickens, roosters, pigs, goats, bunnies, ducks, geese, kangaroos and Llama's roamed. We then went on to visit the exotic creatures and got to HOLD and PLAY with 10 week old tigers!!!

Shanan's goal for the day was to see and possibly pet the baby giraffes. She was not only able to see and pet them, but got to go inside of their pen and FEED them! She bottle fed a young giraffe! It is a good thing she has some height because the 5 month old female giraffe was already much taller than she was.

The driving part was not just a quick boring loop trough the woods. We drove past herds of deer, zebras, buffalo, different horned creatures and passed by springs, lakes and through ravines and caves.

This was by far one of the nicest places to take the family. Thanks to the Gentry Safari we have another spectacular memory with the kids.

Movies in the woods

Our little Honda generator is a wonder. It is so quiet we can watch a movie with it running right behind the screen and it powers the projector, laptop and sound system... Awesome fun times!

Burning can be a good thing

It was the perfect day for a controlled burn. It had rained and cooled somewhat but the leaf litter was very easy to catch on fire. There are lots of invasive honeysuckle and this helps clean things up significantly. We should have lots if green grass sprouting up in the coming weeks. The kids get to have a camp out and we get to sleep in our beds after washing all of the smoke in a nice warm shower.

The 4 wheeler has been a blast. It used to be so thick here we could not get a tractor through and now we easily stroll through the trees. We imagine that we can hear them breathing a sigh of relief because they have room to spread their branches.

The trees are spiritual. They were created in spirit before they were created here. I love knowing that. I love being out here. It's my little corner of heaven, even though we hear the pack of coyotes yipping and howling as the sun goes down.

Let the water flow...

Ok this is the spot. We will drill the well here. The house will have the feel of growing out of the hillside.

Picking a spot to drill the well

We have long dreamed of building and are just so slow to make any decisions! Today we are going to steak out the place to drill a well. Water is the key to everything, including having animals up here. Once we have access to water, we can start on the other projects.

So, the boys will be boys and Barry and I will do the fun work of making long held dreams come true.

Bryce's Big Day

Bryce has been counting down the days for months. He wanted to be a Deacon, hold the priesthood and pass the sacrament. He was also the last one in his primary class to turn 12 by a few months so that also had him wishing his birthday had come sooner. Nevertheless , he patiently prepared and today he was introduced as the ward's final addition to the quorum for 2012. Bishop said he was impressed with his preparation and that he had not seen another deacon so excited and well prepared as Bryce was. We love our kids, and joy in their goodness.

Bryce had a solo in the primary program

Dear Family
The primary had their program yesterday and both boys did fantastic in it. Jeff has a strong voice and sang out on every song. Bryce was the narrator and also had a short solo. We were very proud of our little guys that are not so little any more! We enjoyed so many years of firsts and now are experiencing many lasts. Next year will be our last year of having kids in Primary and I love what it has taught our children.
Love
Mom