Helping Pop on the Farm

Andy took a couple days off in October to make a long weekend. We went up so he could help his Dad chop, but mostly so the boys could ride in the combine. :) I can't begin to describe how excited Alex was to ride the combine. In fact, he slept horrible the first few nights (which was most of them!) because he was so excited! Adam liked it because he got to see tractors and trucks all the time. Adam is all boy---he's all about trucks, tractors, trains, and machines in general. Alex likes them too, but he loves the kitchen just as much. (Adam doesn't get as excited about the kitchen stuff as Alex does.)

While Pop and Daddy were out chopping, Alex was helping Mimi get some work done in the kitchen. They made cookies and diced tomatoes to be canned.

The boys looooved wathing the tractor pull the wagon back and forth across the road and down the lane. One way the wagon's full of silage, the other way it's empty!

And if you ask Alex where the silage goes, he'll tell you! "Silo!"

I really didn't take too many pictures of the chopping. It was really windy and very cold those days. But here's a shot of the boys watching (from inside the tractor cab) the silage unloaded from the wagon.


Ok, time to combine the corn!
But first we have to take the bean head off, and put the corn head on.

Now we're ready to work!

What's the next best thing to helping Mimi in the kitchen and driving the combine?

Playing in the wagon full of corn!

You wouldn't believe the nooks and cranies I found corn in on those boys at bath time. Or maybe you would. :) Alex would get so tired of corn in his shoes he would take them off when he was in the wagon! And mind you it was pretty chilly!

But boy did they have fun. :)

Jack

A week ago we carved one of our pumpkins. Like I figured, Alex was really excited to cut the pumpkin, but not to get messy. So I did most of it. He was quite proud of the results though. And he affectionately calls it "Jack." When we go outside, he usually asks," Mom, we go see mine new friend, ok?" :) We have Jack on the front porch faced to the house so when we put a candle in him, the boys can look out the window and see it lit.

Picnic

So the week after Adam's birthday, the construction workers came and mulched all the trees they cut down in the spring. We decided to have a picnic and watch the guys work. So we took the wagon and walked out to the other side of the pine trees way in the back. Alex thought it was a great idea. We watched as the big green tractor went and grabbed the trees then dragged them to an excavator. He picked up the tree and brush and set it on the belt of the mulcher. We saw some huge equipment and they made a massive pile of mulch!

Most of the bridges are completed and they are starting to get the main pathway of the highway cleared. Just this week we watched them come and use a stump remover to chew up the remaining stumps. There's like 6 dump trucks that go by our house all day taking dirt to part of the road just north of Buck Creek. We only live a mile from Buck Creek, so we see alot of dump trucks! I'm hoping they start soon behind our house so we can go watch while it's still relatively warm outside. But knowing my luck, I'll be pulling them on sleds to go watch this winter. :)

These are just a few shots I got of the boys the other day. No particular reason... :)

Birthday party #2

The Rummel party was on Sept 12, and just about everyone showed up! It was a pleasant day made even better by the presence of the ice cream machine. Alex loved playing with all his cousins. In fact, he even told Daddy, "My cousins fun, Dad!" He spent most of the time playing in the sand. Of course, he helped little brother open gifts again. :)

Hahaha... I love this picture! I think Adam's favorite present was the cake topper. He had CAT tractors/trucks on his cake and he kinda ignored eating the cake so he could play with the trucks! In this picture, one of the other cousins is also eyeing the tractors and is trying to play with one. This photo catches the look of , "Hey, that's mine!"

At home playing with a new toy

The kittens are probably the favorite bday present though!

Birthday party #1

So we couldn't find a date for a birthday party that worked for both the Rummel side and the Jackson side. Therefore, two parties! yipee! This is the Jackson party. We had it over Labor Day weekend, so Phil was even able to come. It was nice to see everyone and thanks to anyone who gave Adam gifts. As you will see, Alex was very willing to help Adam open any present he wasn't able to do himself---which was most of them. :)

Purdue jerseys

Clothes again?

Now for the good stuff.... Ice cream cake!

Unlike Alex, Adam had no problem eating his cake.

We kept Puddy in a pen while at Mom and Dad's.

Alex spent alot of time 'fixing' it while we were there.

Concrete is done!

These pictures are going to be in the wrong order, but I dont think it will matter. Bob came and finished the concrete a week or two ago. Stuart was here too, so we all spent the day watching Bob work. After nap, I had the boys put their hands and feet in the concrete. Alex didnt' want to at first. But after Adam did it, he was very willing! I think they turned out well. :)

Watching the work

This was also the last time the boys get to see Stuart for a year! They had fun playing with him and spending time with him. On Sept 12 he flew to Berlin, and as far as I know he's doing well. Hopefully we'll be able to find time to skype in the months to come. Praying for you Stu!

Construction

We aren't really 'building' anything, just having some concrete poured. But as far as Alex is concerned, it's construction! We are adding some parking but mainly a basketball court. (No, not a full or half court, but plenty of room for a 3-pt line.) Alex calls it, "baseball court." A relative of Andy's co-worker is doing the job. He does concrete for a larger company and on the side does smaller jobs, like ours. It's so nice to have someone who knows what he's doing! I'm pretty sure it would be a mess if we tried to do this ourselves.

Alex is normally shy around people the first time, but not Bob (our concrete guy). Alex was so thrilled at finally being able to see some work being done. He kept asking Bob if the concrete mixer was going to come. But it can't beat Alex's first words to him..." Bob! I pee on tree!" Thankfully, Bob is a grandpa, and he doesn't mind being asked lots of questions or his every move being watched (and I mean every move!).

This past weekend the digging started. We ran into a few minor bumps, but nothing we can't handle. So this is a picture of after the first day of work.

Day 2


Day 3
This is only a third of the concrete. Hopefully more later this week...?
We walked on it this morning. The boys loved running/walking on it.
Adam walked in circles and then would squeal in glee.



All that dirt had to go somewhere. We piled it where a pine tree had been. You can probably see it in the first picture of the construction.
Alex likes to say, "Can we go play dirt?" or "I climb mountain, Mom!"
Adam sometimes plays in the dirt, but is much more interested in the bobcat and the trailer.

Alex is showing us his muscles.... being 'Macho'. :)

I wish you could hear the sound effects...

A quick family photo