Arkansas

For spring break this year, we headed down to Arkansas where Aaron's grandmother Kulbeth lives and played farm for a few days!

Kindles (and a little bit of sleep) got us through the 16 hour drive with a nice bout of laughter when we passed through Murfreesboro, TN.  Mostly deciding how to say it and making sure we got all those R's in:)

It was a beautiful time of year to drive since the leaves were all coming out and the highways were scattered with these gorgeous purple blossoming trees!

Leo and Adam slept at either end of this bed in the attic.  Behind him and across from him on the other wall were cupboards and more cupboards that we explored a bit.  They were filled mostly with fabric, but the kids actually found a coconut that Papa had brought home from his mission almost 50 years ago!

Every inch of her house is filled with interesting things.

The little kids thoroughly enjoyed the swing set, teeter totters, whistles and wagons she had.  They played some game where each was soldier, general and super general.  They also loved giving Ellie, her big black Lab attention.  Ellie killed and buried an armadillo which grandmother found and relocated tot he burn pile-stinky!!

We did quite a bit in the short time we were there.  We explored all the barns and sheds, tilled the garden, got the truck (manual window knobs-a first for our children) stuck (and unstuck!) in the mud, looked at Kulbeth family picture books, watched Grandmother decapitate a tick with her finger nails, weeded the strawberry patch, rode the 4 wheeler, chainsawed and moved 3 trees, recycled a bird feeder, fixed a kitchen cabinet, hung some butterfly decorations on the shed, mowed with her riding lawn mower, visited all 4 ponds on her property, ate farm food, gave Porter his first driving lessons on the pasture, and braved the scary cellar!  So many good memories, definitely a successful trip!

We also learned from our visits with Grandmother that her house was built on the foundation of a civil war house.  Her husband, Fred built the house as it is now, with his parents when he was 13.  He actually modified the blueprints from a magazine to his mother's specifications.  They have planted trees/shrubs over the years from different parts of the country that have thrived in the healthy Arkansas soil.