Old Papas Farm Visit

One of my very favorite places to visit is my grandparents farm. It has always been a place of fun and family and even though my grandma is no longer with us, their farm still remains a place of memories- past, present, and future. Both boys had off school one day in April, so I thought it would be the perfect day to head down there to visit. My grandpa said he wasn't going to be home, but we knew we could still have fun anyway! 

We made a stop by the cemetery to visit with Gigi. We made her a few pieces of wood-burned art and organized her grave site. She definitely has the most colorful and decorated site out there, just as she would want it!!

 Then we headed over to the farm! The boys really wanted to play in the creek and visit the cows. We had some rain a few days prior, so unfortunately we couldn't go too far in the creek before it was impassable, but I could see that they will be just like me and my sister and cousins were when we got down there- just a whole new world to explore! Had it not been so wet we would've probably spent hours there exploring! They each found a special rock to take home with them to add to their collection. Those boys and their love of rocks!!

We meandered down the path to check out the cows. A low flying helicopter was flying by and the cows came running! Lucky for us, that meant we got to see them up close, since they were kind of out in the pasture. I think they were waiting for us to feed them, and since we weren't, they got bored of us real fast and headed back to the pasture. 

 

After our fun time playing, we decided to hit the road back home, after a quick trip to McDonalds. Funny enough, we ran into my grandpa there and got to have lunch with him!! So turned out we got to see him afterall!!! Pretty hard to do- my grandpa has a pretty busy social life!! We are already waiting for our next trip back to the farm!! Next time, I think we will bring the cousins!

The 3rd of July

We were shocked when we found out we couldn't even do sparklers on the 4th of July. How can you celebrate the USA without sparklers? It just wouldn't do for us. So we headed out to Old Papa's farm on the 3rd of July to blow up some fireworks!! We used to do that when we were younger, so it felt right to let the boys in on the tradition as well!! 

We met Sara, Eric, and the boys for dinner at Red Robin before heading down to the farm. After a few stops along the way to stock up on fireworks, we made it to the farm just before dusk. The boys couldn't wait to start blowing stuff up, so we started with sparklers and smoke bombs to ease the ants in their pants. 

 Eric and Levi coordinated the fireworks, while Sara and I sat back and watched. Mason and Luke did their fair share of lighting off their own fireworks. Wyatt loved the sparklers and ooooohhing and aaaahhhing over everything. Grant loved sparklers too and he loved watching the big fireworks, but he spent alot of time doing this....

 We did lots of parachutes, fountains, light up-and-spinny-on-the-ground thingys, and lots of things that went pop. It was a great show and alot of fun!! 

 The farm is one of my favorite places to be, so being there with all the boys, my family, and being with Levi on his favorite holiday, was just a great time!! This picture I got of Grant just makes me smile!! Such a happy place with lots of happy memories and I'm so happy we got to make more on the 3rd of July!! I think I see a new tradition in the making!!

Visit to Old Papa's

Before we headed back to OK from our fun festivities in Kansas City, we stopped by Old Papa's Farm on the way home! I always enjoy going there and seeing him and visiting my Grandma's house. The boys love going there too! And Papa always enjoys showing us all his trunk restorations he's been working on! But this time was even more special, because he had made one for me! 

It was a great visit with Old Papa! I'm so happy to live close enough that we are able to visit him as often as we can!

My beautiful trunk in all its glory!!

Old Papa's Farm

One of my very favorite memories from my childhood is when we would spend the day at my Grandma and Grandpa's farm with my cousins. Those really were some of the best days of my life! To be carefree, surrounded by loving family, and acres of farm to explore- there really isn't much more a kid could need! I'm hoping my boys are already creating these memories in their hearts and will continue to for many more years to come! (See THIS post and THIS post about other farm visits!)

It's a little bit different now that my Grandma has to watch us from Heaven, as opposed to the back window, but you still get the same feeling when you drive down the dirt road and pull through the gate into their long, windy driveway. 

This weekend, as the boys and I left Kansas City, we stopped by Old Papa's farm to visit. The weather was cold, wet, and pretty yucky, so I knew there wouldnt be any exploring going on in this visit. Just a friendly chat with Old Papa. (And numerous spins by the boys in Gigi's bamboo chairs- another favorite memory!).

I snapped just a few pictures to start adding to my boys collection of farm pictures!

 This is the view when you first turn onto their drveway. There used to be a framed out gate that no longer stands, but this rock will probably always be there!

The boys love their Old Papa!

And new traditions to make- visiting the cemetery. I found this little frog light that I know will shine to Heaven. I know my Grandma loves it!! And driving down the driveway- I suppose its a tradition I used to do as well, but now my boys get to partake too!!

I'm hoping to make another trip out there this spring when the weather is nice and the boys can run around with their cousins!! Here's to years and years of memories to come!

Old Papa's Farmhands

The day of my grandma's funeral started off beautiful, exactly as she would've wanted it! And then, when it came time for the burial, the skies opened up and down came the rain...and the wind! We figured my grandma wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, so her burial was rescheduled a few days later. That just gave us a few more days to be together as a family, which is probably what she was trying to tell us! So, Saturday morning, we all piled in to my car and headed down to Gigi and Old Papa's farm- always a happy place to be! All the boys absolutely love coming here.  I have amazing memories of playing with my cousins here, so its only fitting our boys make the same memories! Plus, I think Old Papa liked the distraction! 

He held off feeding his cows until the boys came, so they got to be a part of the action! They giggle and smile ear to ear when they hear him call the cows in, "Come, girls!" They helped roll the wheelbarrow down the rock road and then unload the stacks of hay. We watched the cows push their way around each other, as Old Papa described each cow to us! Sounds like he's got quite the handful with them!! As we headed back to the house, after Old Papa hauled all four boys on the wheelbarrow back to the gate, Wyatt asked to be held (of course!) but after a few minutes, my back was killing me, so Old Papa carried Wyatt all the way up the hill to the house! He may be 78, but he's a heck of a lot stronger than me! After a little playtime with Gigi's bears that line her steps, Old Papa let them pick out one to take home with them, just like Gigi used to do!  

Then we headed down to Uncle Dave and Aunt Donna's. Uncle Dave was ready to take the kids (and the moms!) on a very exciting tractor ride, down the driveway and out to the rock road to check on a neighbors address. He picked up a steel cage on the forklift of the tractor and that's where we all stood, except for Wyatt, who got to drive the tractor! The boys squealed each time he raised us to the sky! They said it was like a carnival ride!

Then my cousin, Chris, came with his brand new pickup and drove the boys in the back of his pickup down the road back to Gigi's and Old Papa's house! It was a day full of fun rides!!

It was such a wonderful day, full of happy memories!! That's exactly what my grandma would've wanted us to do with those extra days! I'm sure she was smiling down on us each and every moment, and saying, "See, I had a damn good reason for making it rain!"