Grandpa's Farm

 On Tuesday, I took the afternoon off and came home to enjoy a 2-hour nap. Now THAT's how to spend some vacation time! Then, Ryan and I headed to Hull to hang out with Megan, Emily, and Lincoln. After playing for a while, my dad called to say a cow was about ready to give birth so we headed over to the farm.

The kids were excited to run around the barn while we were waiting for the cow. Eventually, she was ready and they all got a little lesson in animal husbandry as we watched the cow deliver a calf (with a little help from my dad). I have actually helped pull a calf before, but it's a slightly different experience when you're pregnant and/or have ever given birth yourself. Poor cow. Unfortunately, after seeing a successful birth, we discovered that the calf had a rare birth defect which caused it to bleed out shortly after birth so we had to whisk the kids away to another activity.

 

They were happy to go watch the cows being milked, then pet my aunt's new horse, Angel. Even in the 100-degree+ heat, the kids were eager to help Grandpa on the farm by feeding the 39 calves milk, water, and feed. They were all great helpers and were rewarded by a ride on the Kubota!

After supper, we headed to the new pool in Hull and had a nice time cooling off. Ryan was a little apprehensive of the slide but mostly liked paddling around in his life jacket.  He had a great time playing with Emily and Lincoln during the week and was sad to see them go! Thanks for coming to visit!