June 12, 2020

This week’s Field Trip Friday (FTF) is brought to you courtesy of Samantha! It was supposed to be Juliette’s week but her plans were ruined by coronavirus (what isn’t these days!). So she graciously gave her week to Sam!

Sammie had a lot of fun researching her options and decided on lunch (with a requirement of milkshakes) and a small farm called Scatter Joy Acres. Our original plan was to eat at Burger Lust in downtown Omaha but we realized we would not have enough time so we decided to hit Runza on our way out of Gretna! Thankfully Runza met the requirement of milkshakes and of course everyone partook!

We had quite a drive to get to the farm so plenty of time to eat the lunch and milkshakes! We had a bit of trouble finding the farm but a couple of u-turns and we were there! The entrance to the farm is a small little building where we disinfected our shoes and paid a small price ($7 per person) to get in – totally worth it!

The kids loved this sign and it helped us plan our visit. Sam was in charge and chose to visit the nursery first! In the nursery we found some bunnies and a calf. It was pretty warm inside so we moved on quickly. Next stop – donkeys! This was Charlie’s favorite! We learned that there are 3 donkeys on the farm – a grandma, a mom, and a daughter! They were so sweet and didn’t seem to mind all the hugs Charlie gave!

We continued our journey around the farm and discovered a little “train.” I was surprised but all 4 kids wanted to go for a ride and the kid running the tractor was so nice and enthusiastic!

After the train ride we visited the alpacas – so soft!! I decide that the Lilla Farm really needs an alpaca (until I heard the price, cha-ching!). We were admiring the alpacas when we noticed the emus were in a fenced-in area next door. Katie taught us all that if you lay on your back like an upside-down turtle and kick your feet the emus will come running. Much to my surprise she was right! HA!

Next stop – goats and camels, in the same pen I might add! Most of us were a little skeptical of the large camel but not Sam! I think the camel was her favorite! We found some pigs and the kids attempted to pet them through the fence until one bit Sam’s finger – which we heard about the rest of the afternoon (poor Sam!).

We finished up our time at Scatter Joy Acres exploring the rest of the animals including peacocks, chickens, horses, and a cute little guy that looked like a racoon but we were told was from South America! Then we played on the playground for a bit including these giant “hamster wheels.”

The people on the farm were so generous with their time and knowledge. It was definitely a place to find joy – in the kid’s discoveries, in the love for animals, and in spending time with one another.

And of course at the end of the day we HAD to make a stop at QT for slushies – Sam’s command 🙂