There are so many things that go on in an ordinary day here at Joy Ranch. Many of our kids love working on art projects, playing their favorite sport, practicing a musical instrument, or playing with the animals on campus. They enjoy going for hikes and learning new skills, and many enjoy helping in the kitchen. I love pictures, so I wanted to share some pictures of recent happenings here at Joy Ranch. 

Some of the girls recently enjoyed learning to make fresh farmer’s cheese. After it was all seasoned up they enjoyed it as a dip with crackers, yum!

The next week, after making cheese, we decided it was time to make some homemade ice cream. We chose to make mint chocolate chip, and the girls enjoyed helping flavor- and taste- the cream throughout the process. Needless to say, there were no leftovers! 

Leebrick cottage enjoyed preparing campfire meals: they helped chop all the veggies and season their burgers and potatoes, wrapped it all up in foil, and helped cook it over a fire. It just so happens that the fire pit is by the playground, so everyone loves playing while the food cooks!

Who knew that January 12 was National Hot Tea Day?! We were glad that Mrs. Lynn knew, and she prepared a beautiful “Butterfly Pea Flower” tea party for our ladies, complete with cheesecake and blueberries. The girls were excited when they noticed their tea was blue- which Mrs. Lynn explained was naturally caused by the butterfly pea flower. After it is steeped in boiling water, it turns the tea blue. Mrs. Lynn came around and poured lemon juice in the tea of those who wanted it, and excited exclamations erupted as the girls watched their tea turn… purple!

Ava and Kaitlyn loved helping chop (and eat) so many veggies for homemade soup recently. Kaitlyn enjoyed adding an artistic flare in the finishing touches and helped make the soup look beautiful!

We are so blessed to have such a beautiful property here at Joy Ranch, and some of the kids (and Shelby, the dog at Leebrick cottage) recently enjoyed going for a walk to the woods and climbing trees.

When we all needed to get some energy out, we did some stretching and exercises involving teamwork. Tucker (the dog at Exodus cottage) likes to join in!

Helping to make some carrot, apple, beet, and ginger juice, yum!

We love this balance beam in our woods. Some of the girls (and the dog Tucker) recently enjoyed trying different team building games, balance games, and just playing around!