Hooray for Grandparents!

This morning ended one of the best of weeks...Grandma and Grandpa Schrock were here visiting from Virginia. We didn't do all that much (anything?) out of the ordinary, but it was so good to have them take part in what we do every day.

Such as give horsey rides through the kitchen.

And read book, after book, after book...

[Yawn...when will you all be ready for church already?]

...after book.

Grandpa Schrock finished a project Ramont's been thinking about for a long time: a front fence for the future barnyard. All it needs now is a coat of bright white paint.

The kids loved showing off (among other things), the eggs. Lately we've been getting anywhere from 3 to 6 eggs a day from our nine hens.

Only every once in a while does an egg break in the excitement. Yesterday was such a day.

Look, Grandpa and Grandma! Six eggs!

We sure will miss this.

Waiting for the grandparents to come

Lots of wheelin' and dealin'

Well no, just lots of wheelin' going on around our yard these last days. Jonathan has a "new big tractor" (old big tricycle borrowed from a friend), which has been getting a lot of mileage - as have all the many other wheels he also has on his bauernhof (aka garage).

One morning I found Anna on the (also borrowed) bicycle; she had pulled a stool beside it and gotten up herself. Jonathan was more than happy to push her all around the yard.

Problem is, they both really like going really fast. So a few minutes after this photo, which I witnessed through our kitchen window, was Jonathan pushing her as fast as he could run around the gravel circle. And, to no one's surprise, she wiped out good (as in, still spitting up gravel at suppertime). But, right back in the saddle.

Sunday came at a really good time this week :) We all took longggg naps in the afternoon, after a long week of combining (that explains Ramont's nap, at least).

And now it's been cold and rainy for the last two days.

Which doesn't stop these little farmers...this afternoon, in the 45-degree drizzle, they were digging around in muddy puddles in the driveway, happy as little pigs.

Otherwise, not that much going on so far this week - besides three more gallons of applesauce made this morning with my mom (!!), free firehats at the weekly ECFE class yesterday, bringing in the last things from the garden (except squash and carrots) and barn pen-making for the cows.

This chica will turn two next week, and Jonathan determined today that her birthday cake should be a Gator (JD four-wheeler-type vehicle). Probably no.

Also next week will be...Grandma and Grandpa Schrock!!

We're back!

Our involuntary internet-outage is over.

For the archives (harvest)

Here are a few more photos from the second day of combining this year. I'll try to come up with a new topic for the next post (endless kid photos? Oh wait, we've had that already). And yes, that is GMO corn.

Here we were combining on the "Ewert field," near Delft. It's absolutely beautiful with all the hills and creek - Susan, Sonya and I used to go camping here when we were in high school.

I made my seasonal debut driving truck....love, love, love it! Thanks to mom for watching the childrens while I got to think my own thoughts for a few hours.

Ramont also drove truck, but was gracious enough to let me have the red one rather than the blue beast.

The pace wasn't TOO strenuous.

Here we go!

The last day of September brought the first day of combining. Here my dad works on the corn field at the home place...

while Ramont hauled away loads, including in the new-old semi-truck.

Meanwhile Jonathan almost couldn't remember to keep breathing while waiting for the combine to get to this side of the field and pick him up. This is what he's been waiting for for the last year.

And here's my little helper with all things milk-related. We've been getting rid of our daily gallon from Susie quite well, between us and others drinking it, butter, yogurt, yogurt cheese, and ricotta. Here we're heating it for yogurt...

while this is yogurt being drained of whey for yogurt cheese. Quite delish on bread with tomato and basil.

Plumb-tired out from all that effort.