The Newest Addition

Our little funny farm acquired a new member yesterday!

And there was much rejoicing.

The boys are thriiiiiiiiiilled!

But probably not more than their Daddy is.

This is a Really Big Deal.

Yes, after weeks, months, years of dreaming and scheming, we have a tractor!  It may be a little rough around the edges, but it runs great and the price was right.  I don't actually know anything about it, so you probably shouldn't ask me.  All I know is that it's A Tractor.  Oh, I guess I can say that it is a Minneapolis Moline, which is very exciting because my Dad has one that was historic to his family's farm.

Every farm needs a tractor, even if it's only a one-acre farm!  This will greatly accelerate and facilitate a number of projects that have been on hold for lack of shear power.  It makes me smile to watch Nathan using it because it really only barely fits in our small spaces, but it gets the jobs done!

There is also a certain little boy who is more than excited to help get the jobs done!  Evan cannot help but be Daddy's right-hand man on the tractor.  Nathan gets an extra upper-body workout lifting Evan up and down repeatedly while he works.  Evan is very good about standing in a safe spot when Daddy tells him to, and he's always ready to help drive, or pick up rocks and throw them in the bucket.

I'm not sad about this development, since Andrew recently discovered how to push chairs and climb up to the counter when I'm working in the kitchen.  That has always been Evan's place, and with both of them, I pretty much can't do anything.  So maybe if we divide our child labor force, we just might survive these toddler years.  Andrew is quickly becoming more interested in Man Work, though, and as I type this, they are all out getting firewood.

So, spring is springing, I think, and with that comes lots of time outside working, which is just what we've been waiting for.  We'll say nothing, for now, of the constant on-off-on-off of boots/coats/hats and the M U D, but then, that's why this farmhouse comes equipped with a mudroom.