The Summer of the Goat

If we had any guilt about our limited Deanna Rose visits up until this summer, Annalise certainly has erased it!  Along with our new nanny Cathy, Miss A has made an almost daily pilgrimage down Switzer to the Children's Farmstead.  Just say the word "animals," and Annalise is ready to jump in the car!  During the course of the summer, I think that Annalise and Cathy have covered every square inch of DR, from the cow bell... 

  

to the watering hole...

to the splash pad...

Annalise loves to wash her hands after petting the animals and even developed some creative uses for the hand dryers!

She has done more than her fair share of exploring the playgrounds...

and slipping and sliding...

until she falls over in happy exhaustion...

On one special summer Saturday, Annalise and I were lucky to be joined at Deanna Rose by her forever friend Logan.  It is obvious that these two have been buds since early infancy, and their faces absolutely lit up when they saw each other.  :)

They would not stop holding hands all morning, and they had to hug it out before we parted ways!

Of all the attractions at Deanna Rose, a few clearly have emerged as Annalise's favorites.  She love love loves the draft horses, and we get a daily report about which team was on duty.  There's Frank and Rowdy, Tom and Jerry, Jack and Jill...

As much as she adores the horses, they cannot compare to the goats!  The goats truly have captured Annalise's heart this summer, and, based on the numerous pictures we have received, the affection seems to be mutual.  :)

Each day, Annalise enters the pen ready to dispense dozens of hugs...

She seems to be a goat whisperer of sorts and demonstrated her skills on a recent trip to Suson Park in St. Louis.  This guy pictured below was not a happy camper, angrily stomping on the rail and scratching his horns on the fence - that is, until Annalise arrived.  Then, he gathered his composure, remembered his manners, and toddled on over to take full advantage of her petting.  :)

These last few shots are my absolute favorites and definitely encapsulate our daughter's sweet summer of 2014.  Annalise and the goats, taking on the world together...