Another Farm Birthday Post

Maybe it's the kids, maybe it's my growing love for everything outdoors, maybe it's my camping enthusiasm that's spreading, but this is true: I REALLY, REALLY look forward to going to my dad's farm. For the past nine years, we've been making the pilgrimage to his farm as our birthday and father's day gifts to him. 

The first few visits were rough because of the destitution of his site. He's come such a long way since no indoor plumbing to the trailer to his two room house with a Keurig! Bless it. 

All along, I've been pregnant four times and nursing four babies. (I'm still nursing Lark if anyone is keeping tabs on that.) Ruffin' it on his developing farm has had it challenges for pregnant ole me-even if the visits were one or two days at length. 

Like I said, we've come a long way-bless it. 

For his birthday this year, I took the three big kids a night early to camp. 

Here's the thing about having four kids: anytime I can drop it down to three, things are a breeze. It doesn't matter which three, but having three is like being on my own compared to having four. So, it's nothing for me to pack up the supplies and camp by myself with three kids. Easy peasy. 

I honestly don't know who was more excited: me or the kids. They were looking forward to all things adventure and I was looking forward to the slow pace and the outdoors. It took me a while to see it, but his place really is picturesque. The property is beautiful and there's a great spot on the hill to watch the sky. (This Tennessee mountains girl loves anytime I can see a big stretch of sky.) The road in front of his house is a tree tunnel. WHO DOESN'T LOVE A TREE TUNNEL!?! Plus, the colors were starting to say fall.

The morning we woke up there, Burl and Fern snuck out of the tent and made about 4839530 cups of hot chocolate and drank 1/4 of a cup. Burl never stopped talking, Fern never stopped changing clothes, and Ridge never stopped playing. Burl got to go with my dad and his neighbors to heard cattle down the street from one field to another-it's totally lost on him what a special thing that is for a city boy. 

Eventually, John, Lark, Joseph, and Chloe met us there and we had more of the same. Farm fun and great burgers! A new chapter was open: Burl learned how to drive the four wheeler (and this is NOT lost on him-he's so proud!). 

I look forward to going again because the farm is rich in charm and serenity. Happy Belated Birthday Post, Pops-you've made a special place for us all. Thank you.