VIP Guests

 We spent a Sunday in T-Town as Daughter #1 and S-I-L served lunch.  They are back to the traditional lunch routine and it really felt good to be there.  I did my usual duty of helping with the dish-washing.  

The T-Town granddaughters sitting on the windowsill in the church dining room.

After a week of rain, I finally was able to start harvesting wheat July 3rd and finished on the 5th.  We went to Ron and Kary's to watch fireworks for the 4th.  After harvest, cousin Lee did the round baling while I started no-tilling the double crop soybeans.  I finished with the soybeans, got the bales moved home, and got the ditches mowed a day before the rains started again.  I have a lot of manure to haul, but then life on the farm should start slowing down a little.

I had some riders on the combine one day.

Our California relatives came for a week long visit.  Ed, Peggy, and Jessica (Portland) drove out pulling the fifth wheel camper, and Alan, Amy, Joshua and Caleb followed in their van.  Unfortunately, Laura was unable to come.  We had the privilege of keeping Alan and Amy and we really enjoyed spending time with them and getting to know their smart, fun, and energetic boys. Joshua, age six, became the youngest person to climb our 108 foot tall grain leg!  We had most of our family over one day to visit with the Californians, including eight of our grandkids.  Most of the kids (and a few of us big kids) spent the afternoon in our haymow building hayforts, tunnels, and an igloo.  The hay rope swing was also a big hit.  There were some pretty dirty kids by the end of the day.  We went back and forth to Gridley several times as Ed, Peggy, and Jessica stayed with Steve and Renee's family.  It was good to be together again and it was fun to watch the first cousins interact and enjoy the time together, as they are all now adults.  They were all shy and introverted when we would get them together as children.  I know we are due for a visit to California, and hope we can work one in soon.  

Tractor and skid-steer rides, and tours of the hog houses were also big hits.

Alan, Amy and boys ready to continue their trip.

And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.              Joshua 9:6