Fort Worth Stock Yards

So, shortly after we moved here, Patrick got it into his head that he wanted to see a Texas Longhorn Cattle.  Today, almost 2 years later, he finally got to.  A friend of ours from Denver who also relocated was being visited by her sister this week, and invited us to go to the Fort Worth stock yards with them.  And Patrick not only got to see several longhorns, but SIT ON ONE TOO.

 Since there was a $5 fee to sit on the cow, only Patrick did.  I figured he deserved it for waiting for so long to see one.  But everyone else got to pet it.

 I was worried Owen was going to be afraid of it, so I wasn't going to pull him out of the stroller.  But he got so mad that he wasn't going to do what everyone else was doing, so I picked him up to go pet the cow.  I wish we could have gotten a picture of his face, he was SO excited.  His eyes lit up, and he started giggling and yelling "COCO! COCO!"  Coco's name is his catch-all word for animals lately.  I got him *almost* saying "cow" by the end of the trip.

 We stopped by the stockyards museum...which was exactly what it sounded like it should be.

And then we went to go see the little herd they keep around (you know, as opposed to the ones that they sell and move and transport)

They had these awesome mist fans out on the sidewalk.  The woman holding Allison is our friend Shannon, and the woman in orange is her sister Anna.

 and we met some cowboys.  And their horses.

So, it was ridiculously hot.  But the kids loved the big animals.