Carrie and I are both big believers in the importance of education in our children’s lives. That being said, we also believe kids need to be kids…and sometimes that means skipping a day of school to have some fun. :)
Wednesday was an Early Release day, and seemed like a prime time to take a little “field-trip” to the Mizell’s poultry farm.
Carrie’s in-laws have been so sweet to let us come up and take chick pictures for years. It’s a tradition seven years strong, with only one year being skipped.
My crew headed out EARLY Wednesday morning. We strapped all five kids into Carrie’s van and set out for the two hour drive.
We pulled up to the farm a little after 9:00 and I was seriously impressed with our togetherness that day…even if it meant neither of us packed anything for the kids to sit on for the pictures. The very first year we had baskets and props and took a million poses of our baby girls…that’s all kind of changed as the years have gone by and the number of kids has increased. :) These days, we consider it a win to have all the kids in the picture, with clothes on and clean noses. 
We lucked out and our clothes actually coordinated on their own this year. This was a total strike of luck, since this was kind of last minute and neither of us planned what our kids would wear until the night before. (& I had my mom run to the store that night to find Tuckey a shirt that would go with the girls’ dresses) :)
We grabbed the chicks and then scouted out something for the kids to sit on. We contemplated using some wooden pallets, but couldn’t fit them in Carrie’s van – but we did manage to get a couple of yellow chicken crates in the back and I LOVE they way they look in the pictures.
How cute is this bunch?
I think this year’s pictures are my favorite so far. 
This big shot “drove” us around the operation and reported on every tractor and piece of equipment he saw along the way.
He’s such a character and one of my all-time favorite little boys. This was Tucker’s first dealings with baby chicks and he didn’t really know what to think…
However, he was excited to see some cows on the Mizell farm…
Annabelle has always been a little skittish of the chicks, too. She was terrified as a baby and while she will hold them now, she’s still half scared. I laughed that she’s still making that scared face seven years later…
Mamie jumped right in, and was a ‘ol pro as she helped Allie (who’s been a chick whisperer since before she could even crawl) load up the biddies.
After pictures at the farm, Carrie suggested a new place they’d been to in Jacksonville for lunch.
Sweet Pete’s & the Candy Apple Café was a great spot for lunch and the promise of getting to chose their own candy after lunch was a great incentive for the kids. :) 
We had lunch on the porch and then ventured up stairs to the sweet shop. 
My girls were in gummy bear paradise. They each chose candy for the bags and then we went up to the observation desk to see Pete and his crew working on new confections. 
It was a great day from beginning to end.
~amw~
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