Little Girl On The Prairie

One of our assigned reading for Literature is The Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  So far, we've read Little House In The Big Woods, Farmer Boy, and we just finished Little House On The Prairie.  As expected, Claire is enamored with Laura Ingalls.

 Grandma and Granddad found this bonnet at an Amish village store on their recent trip to the East coast.  What a perfect gift!

Making Hay

Claire and Cody ride on top as Clay adds another bale

I was thrilled when the children were invited to participate in putting away hay for the winter.  Our pony was fed mostly by Granddad's hay last year, and will again have him to thank for her meals this winter.  I feel it is important for the children to understand the work that is involved.  They aren't big enough to be helpers yet, but they enjoyed being observers.

Bringing home the next load

Clay worked hard to earn our share.  The hay crops around here seem to have done really well this year.

 I was unable to participate because I was working, but the pictures remind me of childhood summers: driving the open cabbed tractor, watching the baler "poop" out the bales, struggling to roll the big bales onto the elevator to send up to the top of the barn.  I'm so glad that my children were able to share the experience.

Harvest time