Annabelle Kim and Stan Griffin, hardworking business owners, were seeking a "getaway" when they bought 25 acres and built a home away from the city.

Kim, an animal lover her entire life, asked for enough space to build a barn to house a horse. She says she grew up around horses and wanted one horse and a place to unwind after the pressures and stresses of running multiple businesses each day.

That wish snowballed into a farm, or maybe more of a menagerie, including two horses, two ponies, one standard donkey, three miniature donkeys, four rabbits, two pygmy goats, a fainting goat, three dogs, and a squirrel.

Kim and Stan purchased their horse, a Palomino Paint mare, finding out later that she was an expectant mother. After the mare's baby boy was born, Kim said watching him wobbling around on his gangly newborn legs, melted their hearts, and they couldn't part with him.

The Griffins' two ponies are mother and son as well. They didn't want to split up a family, so Stan and Kim gave both ponies a home at their ever- growing farm.

Photo contributed by Stan and Kim Griffin Stan Griffin gets a kiss from Annabelle, his favorite donkey. Rocky, the squirrel had fallen out of his nest when he was a baby and was rescued by Kim's son. His eyes weren't even open yet. Rocky has been hand- raised and, until recently, had never even seen another squirrel.

Lately, he's had a squirrel female visitor approaching his penthouse apartment, which is equipped with hammocks and various climbing areas. She's been trying to make friends with Rocky, but the spoiled boy has been a bit wary of her advances.

Rocky, you see, doesn't like to shell his own pecans, so he has his family shell them for him. When his squirrel neighbor tries to reach in, Rocky guards and protects his hoard of pecans with all his might, refusing to share with his less- fortunate neighbor from the woods. Rocky has spent a life of leisure, lounging on windowsills, eating already- shelled pecans, and being petted and pampered by his loving adoptive "parents."

Rabbits came to the farm as Easter bunny gifts as well as from neighbors needing to get rid of their bunnies when they could not care for them anymore. The Griffins took them in.

Charlotte, Stan and Kim Griffin's palomino, is the mother of a baby boy. After acquiring a couple of pygmy goats, Kim became interested in fainting goats. She received Chloe, the fainting goat, as a gift. Fainting goats have a genetic characteristic that makes their muscles spasm and stiffen when they are startled, causing them to fall over as if in a faint. The "faint" lasts only a few seconds and is painless to the goat, but amusing to watch. However, Chloe is a fearless goat and until a week or so ago, had never "fainted."

The newest addition to the Griffin family, Sophie, a five- month- old Great Pyrenees puppy, was trying to play with Chloe and lunged at her, causing her to stiffen up and fall over. It hasn't happened again, however, because Chloe doesn't startle easily.

Kim says her donkeys are the most personable of all her animals and Annabelle, the standard donkey, is probably her favorite. Stan says if he and Kim ever divorced, there would be no fighting over houses, cars, or money, but there would be a war over who got custody of Annabelle the donkey.

Kim Griffin with Rocky, the squirrel who has been with her since he was a baby. Annabelle thinks she is a "lap- donkey" and will abandon food to lay her head on your shoulder in order to receive a little loving and petting. She greets the Griffins each evening when they arrive home with a big donkey smile and a welcome home bray.

The Griffins have three miniature donkeys, each with its own unique personality, in addition to Annabelle, and soon will have four, due to the escape of one mischievous fellow out of the barn and into the pen with the ladies.

Hershey, one of the miniature donkeys, looks like "Donkey" from the movie Shrek and has the same roguish attitude. Kim says they expect to hear Eddie Murphy's voice coming out of his mouth any day now. When the new baby donkey arrives, it is likely they will name it "Murphy."

The Griffins say it's a delight to be welcomed home, at the end of a long day, by their "babies." The animals are always glad to see them and are happy and content with nothing more than a hug and a cookie.

Dixie, left, and Petunia are miniature donkeys at the Griffin farm. Kim says she finds it "fascinating that people are fascinated with us." To Kim and Stan Griffin, their ever- increasing farm family is just a normal part of their lives.

Stan and Kim own Griffin Pools and Spas with locations throughout South Carolina and Georgia.

Rocky the squirrel Clementine, above, and Calliope, below, the pygmy goats, love to climb on top of their doghouse homes. Winnie, above, and Buck, below, are two of the four rabbits owned by Stan and Kim Griffin. Hershey, left, and Dixie, miniature donkeys, each want to say "hello" first, or maybe they are begging for a cookie? Beauregard, left, and his mother, Charlotte, are Palomino horses who live at the Griffin farm. Sophie, the Griffin's five- month- old Great Pyrenees puppy, takes a snooze on the sofa. Sassy pony shows her attitude. Hershey