The boys attended a birthday party for a six year old at our neighbors’ house in early November, but this was not your average kids affair.

Cowboy Houston takes Toby the horse for a trot around our neighbors’ front yard.

This soiree featured a petting zoo with donkeys, sheep, goats, rabbits, ducks, ferrets, gerbils, pigs, llamas, hedgehogs, snakes and turtles, as well as horseback rides. Houston had such a good time feeding the cool animals that he almost passed up riding the horse.

Granny holds up an apprehensive Zeke so he can get a closer look at the ducks.

I decided to hop up on Toby for a whirl around the yard, thinking that if Houston saw geezer Mommy riding horseback, he might be willing to do the same. And he did — twice, in fact — and was pretty darn fearless about the whole riding-a-gargantuan-animal thing. It was a proud moment.

Gabriel likes petting the fuzzy bunny better than the prickly hedgehog.

Even though it was a cold, dreary day, Gabriel and Zeke got to partake in some of the furry fun before Granny and Daddy took them home for warmth and a nap. They didn’t appreciate the farm animals as much as big brother, but the twins’ interests are usually piqued over any kind of hubbub, which this petting-zoo party definitely was.

Granny teaches Houston how to feed the animals without losing a finger.

To check out all the pics from the boys attending Alyssa’s birthday party, click the above photo of Houston feeding this very hungry llama and all the jealous goats looking on.