Saturday, September 10, 2016

Coming...and Going...and Coming...

This summer Pine Ridge Farm had a revolving door. It looked like this:

Matthew left to work at Iowa Regular Baptist Camp.


Grace came home from her year in Montana.


And left a day later for an internship at Hitchcock Nature Center near Omaha.

The farmer and the Mrs.checked soybeans on the 4-wheeler. Most were doing well. A few had to be replanted.

Even if the beans were struggling, Mrs. Hawley's flowers were beautiful. This bouquet made it up the country road and back to Pine Ridge Farm.

We started repairs on the smokehouse and outhouse,

attended a wedding on the other side of the state,

regrouped, and traveled to Missouri to pour concrete at Missionary Acres.

After arriving home, we caught up, packed up Grammy and the kitchen sink and headed to Iowa Regular Baptist Camp as a family.





After a stint at camp, this rogue teenager "borrowed" my phone at the laundromat...

Some of us made it back for the county fair parade,

and were joined by the full-time staff from IRBC the next weekend for a hot dog roast, trailer races, shooting skeet and touring the grain bin facility.

The next day everyone left except Gram and the farmer's wife--who drove the mower to take care of things at Mrs. Hawley's. It was a gorgeous night, even if Highway 6 is a little risky on a riding mower.

After the farmer's return we checked soybeans--and tried not to get lost!

Our motto when we moved to Iowa eighteen years ago was, "Things grow here."
Looks like they still do.

To celebrate their wedding anniversary, the farmer and Mrs. got their hands on an RV and traveled west.
A covered bridge in Madison County, IA.
Grace was ready to pack up and leave, so we got her things before visiting the zoo in Omaha. From there Mr. Farmer and Grace went to Oklahoma for a graduation at Ft. Hood and the Mrs. drove the RV home. That was another adventure--glad the other drivers made it home safely....
At the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha with Grace after packing her up after her summer adventure.
Once home the girls crashed.

We celebrated a couple of birthdays.


Started school...and are preparing for harvest. Whew. We made it.