park - Shelley Beatty

Collins and Becca come to Visit.

July 14, 2016 by shelley

Collins and Becca come to Visit, what a busy time!

We visited the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead.

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Collins was not sure about the goats…

Collins at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

But she did like the ice cream at the old fashioned ice cream parlor.

Eating Ice Cream at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

The Deanna Rose Farmstead is designed to depict a family farm, the Farmstead has nearly 200 animals and birds of prey, vegetable and flower gardens, a one-room country schoolhouse, an old-time fishing pond, pony rides and more.

With the Kansas family farm slowly disappearing, the 12-acre “Children’s Farmstead” opened in 1978 and was re-named in 1985 to honor Deanna Rose, the first Overland Park police officer killed in the line of duty.

Deanna Rose’s legacy was to bring the charm of the farm to children living in the city. Children treasure such memories as bottle feeding baby goats, milking a cow and taking a horse drawn wagon ride through the woods.

2015 fun facts from the Farmstead –

37th year of operation
Visitors came from nearly every state in the U.S. and 17 countries worldwide
477,455 visitors, the most in the Farmstead’s existence
Pumpkin Hollow, an annual event, had over 15,500 visitors
Over 26,000 volunteer hours were provided to support operations

We went to a gym called Emerald City

Collins

We played in the park.

Playing in the park

We played with bubbles.

Collins playing with bubbles

Collins and Bob

We went to the aquarium, Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium.

Collins at Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

Collins at Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

Collins at Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

Kansas City Sea Life Aquarium

A few more pictures of Collins:

Collins

Collins and Carl

And one of my favorite pictures of Collins taken a few weeks ago…a love how her face is so expressive!

Collins not happy about being plopped down on a carousel horse

Salt Lake City and fun times!

April 28, 2014 by shelley

We arrived in Salt Lake City and knew we would have to wait a few minutes at the airport before our ride arrived. The Salt Lake airport is not a bad place to spend a few extra moments…it is a place you can witness a moment (and secretly share) the joy and happiness of perfect strangers.

We watched families welcome home and joyfully celebrate their returning missionary. These missionaries were returning home after serving a two year mission somewhere in the world for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). They had not seen their families for that entire time. Only Christmas and Mother’s day are they allowed to call home. Weekly emails were their only form of communication. Cheers would erupt as a young man in a suit would appear at the top of the escalator and slowly descend to the waiting group below. The cheering would continue, signs would wave and people would jump up and down. But when the young man reached the bottom, and it never failed, the first person he would embrace was obviously his mother. It was always a long, sweet and very emotional embrace. And then his dad would receive a big hug. And then siblings would “glom” onto him and create a mass hug. Other relatives and friends followed. So very heart warming. We knew no one, spoke to no one, but we witnessed, shared and thoroughly enjoyed, the sheer joy and happiness of perfect strangers watching their sons come home from their missions at the Salt Lake City airport.

Joyful reunions at the Salt Lake City Airport

And then it was on to other activities and a full few days we enjoyed with Jen, Adam and kids in Salt Lake City.

It was a busy time in Salt Lake City.

One of the reasons we came to Salt Lake City was to see the kindergarden production of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. More specifically the Queen in Sing a Song of Sixpence. We had to see her in the parlor eating bread and honey!

The Queen!

The Queen awaits

The Queen shows us her classroom.

We spent a fun day at This is The Place Heritage Park.

First a quick look at the map…

looking at map

One of the things Becca, Henry and Caroline were excited to show us were the baby animals. First stop the baby chicks.

Henry, Becca, Caroline, Bob and Myself viewing the baby chicks at Heritage Park SLC

Becca holding a baby chick

Bob holding a baby chick for Caroline

Henry holding a baby chick

Henry, Becca and Myself at the baby chicks

Becca and myself with the baby chicks

Next stop the baby goats.

Becca and Caroline with baby goats

Becca with the baby goat

Caroline feeding the baby goat

And of course the pony rides!

Craft making:

Making an Easter Craft

Making a craft at This is The Place Heritage Park

Henry’s craft

The blacksmith…

Visit to the blacksmith shop

The rope maker…

Becca and Henry helping make rope

Henry and Caroline watching Becca make rope

Tooling leather…

Becca showing her tooled leather

Henry and Becca working on tooling leather

Jen and Caroline tooling leather

Henry, Caroline and Becca working on their leather.

Train rides…

Jen and Caroline taking a little train ride

Train ride

But we came for gold, so pan for gold we did!

Becca panning for gold

Gold Rush!

Caroline panning for gold.

Henry and Becca hard at work.

Henry finding gold

Henry counting his gold.

Jen, Caroline and Becca at the stream.

And we struck “GOLD”!

Gold!

and Brigham’s doughnuts

Becca enjoying a Brigham doughnut

Brighams Donuts

And then it was time to go.

Jen and Bob

We enjoyed seeing friends.

Lunch with Carole and Sam Cowley

We built recycling trucks at Lowe’s.

Building at Lowes

Becca building at Lowe’s

Henry

Caroline

Building team

Building at Lowes

Henry

Ballet class.

Becca at ballet.

Soccer game.

Henry at soccer game.

Caroline enjoying soccer game.

We checked out Adam’s office.

Daddy’s office

Went to City Creek.

City Creek

And played in the park.

Caroline

Becca

Henry

Caroline

Becca

Bob watching Becca

Adam helping Caroline

Henry and Caroline

Henry

Becca

Henry

Becca

Becca and Caroline

Jen helping Caroline

All in all a busy wonderful time!!

Visiting dear friends…

February 16, 2013 by shelley

Some of our best activities was visiting with dear friends. We visited with Marsha O’Connor and her daughter Claire O’Connor Battle and husband. Jen and Claire talked about old times and growing up together. We got together at Fairway Park so the kids could play.

Jennifer Beatty Long and Claire O’Connor Battle.

Becca spent her time building a snowman…

Becca builds a snowman.

One last visit to a park to play.

January 10, 2012 by shelley

We have had phenomenal weather so we visited Prairie Village Park.

Shawnee Mission Park

January 10, 2012 by shelley

Another fun park we visited was Shawnee Mission Park. I took my kids to this park when they were little. They especially enjoyed the “little houses” recreating a frontier town. Imagine our delight to find the “town” still there for Becca and Henry to play and enjoy the very same things their mom had done when she was small!