a fall outing

Yesterday we decided it was time for a real outing with the babes.
Lincoln had just learned a new song about witches and Gardner Village had a huge witch display up for October so he was all about it.

I think every other mom in Salt Lake County decided it was time for a day out as well because the place was brimming with moms and babies.
In spite of the madness, we were able to get a bite to eat and find a place to sit.
We bought a huge thing of cotton candy, naturally, which we claimed was for the kids but Char and I easily ate a good chunk of it.

The shopping village is really cute and was decorated to the nines with spiderwebs, hay bales, corn stalks and pumpkins.
The witch displays were also really clever, and the boys were legitimately scared of and refused to get close to some of the ones that moved.

I don't think the trip would have been worth it had we not discovered the petting farm in the back corner of the village.
Minnie has recently begun an obsession with petting animals, so I was excited to see if she'd like it. She loved it.
I think the miniature donkey was her favorite. She would have stood by him for an hour if I let her. She'd put her hand out and touch his nose and then giggle like it was the funniest thing in the world.
She also played with the water and food dishes in the chicken pen, rolled around in the poopy dirt in the bunny area and touched lots of animal tooshies.
She was a hot mess by the time we were through.

Any outing with kids is a lot of work, and this one was no different.
We left the place feeling sweaty, super dirty and tired, but it was well worth it.
I love watching Minnie (and her cousins) experience new things.
I think that's the beauty of parenthood. It's tough, but there are so many little things that make all the hard times totally worth it.