Grandpa was so excited that the kids were staying for a couple of days - now he'd have a chance to take them to the farm! They had so much fun - it was the highlight of the weekend. Grandpa Evan and Grandma Jean (my parents) worked hard that evening to make some special memories for the Bailee, above, Brookie and Carter.
It was a perfect summer evening - warm and peaceful (except for the sound of the chirping crickets - a sound that Grandma Jean loves). As we walked by the barn - which is one of the most photographed scenes in our valley - Grandpa told the kids about how one end of the barn was about to fall to the ground, and how Grandpa and the neighbors helped rebuild and re-support the east end of the barn.
The first stop was Matt and Michelle's chicken coop. (Our cousins Matt and Michelle live on the farm and take care of things.) They have a huge garden for fresh vegetables and chickens for fresh eggs. Grandma Jean told the kids about her memories of gathering eggs when she was their age.
Grandpa fed the chickens and went into the coop to get an egg for each kid. The brown rooster was really cock-a-doodling (I don't know the correct terminology, though my parents were both raised on farms I wasn't and don't know much about anything.) Carter stood back a bit, not sure about that rooster. 
Pictures on the tractor. Carter, who loves trucks, four wheelers, and farm equipment (his 2nd birthday party was a John Deere party), loved pretending to drive the tractor.
Brookie was so cute with Carter - excitedly explaining things to him and helping him. She's wearing the new cute school top we bought that afternoon.
Wow, riding on the tailgate of the pickup. That only happens when Grandpa's driving and only in the big field. Boy was that fun...and scary!
Another fun tradition - sitting on Grandpa's lap and driving the truck! All three kids got a turn. That sure takes me back to when I was a kid.
Tromping through Matt & Michelle's garden, looking for really red tomatoes. The highlight was picking their own ears of corn on the cob and taking them home to eat for dinner.
