This past week, we had the good fortune of getting to spend the day with our adorable niece.  A perk of coming to stay with Aunt JoJo and Uncle J is getting to have fun with all of the animals.  Luckily, Miss Joplin is so young, she doesn't realize it's work!  As stated in a previous post, bottle feeding is part of our daily routine.  So, Joplin got to help with our newest addition to the farm; Autumn, a plains zebra.  Autumn loves being pet on her face and neck and will nuzzle up to you when it's time to be fed.  She is so sweet with a very docile temperament.  And, as you can see, aside from her sweet nature, she is absolutely beautiful.  If we could get her to eat a bit faster, we would love it, but until then, we spend 20 minutes holding up a bottle every three hours throughout the day.  She is a part of the petting zoo, so when you come for your tour, you'll be able to experience her gentle nature.

When we first started our business venture, joining our local Chamber of Commerce was on the list of things to do.  The ladies in that office have been extremely helpful in so many ways, from pointing us up in the right direction to giving us some good ideas to just being there to listen.  So, when Alex called and told me she wanted to set up a ribbon cutting, I really had no idea what to expect, having never been to one before.  So, we made a big deal out of it!  We were so excited with the people who came to support us.  

Many didn't want to be a part of the picture, and others were reluctant to jump in, but it turned out to be a great group.  In the picture are our boys (who we took out of school for the occasion); Karen, the Woods County Extension Coordinator; JoDe's sister and brother-in-law, Raye Lyn and Skeeter; Jerad's grandparents, Wesley and Towanda; a couple of our hired hands, Derrick and Tyler; the Chamber President, Cory; the Chamber Director and her husband, Alex and Tyler; a representative from the Oklahoma AgriTourism office, Lori Coats, and, of course, Jerad and me (JoDe). 

We were also excited to have some others stop by to wish us well.  We missed a few who were unable to make it, but we had an excellent time visiting with those who came while we all munched on hotdogs and hamburgers.  The boys were finally able to meet Lori, who we've talked about a lot because, not only is she a fabulous resource, she is just an amazing person.  We were thrilled to see her drive up to celebrate in the day!

Thanks to everyone who came out!