Our contrasted life

So Rachel wasn't thrilled to go to another farm, especially one that didn't have fruit "picking" but I think she liked it in the end. She's been wondering why we're always doing "nature stuff." But we just got to fit it in while the weather's good and they have amazing festivals going on right now!

A couple weekends ago we visited the Howell Living History Farm and they were having a celebration of wheat. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. We learned the whole process of seed to bread...The machine used to plant the seeds
They harvest the wheat using this "reaper-binder" machine that cuts it and ties it into bundles.
This is a wheat thresher powered by a steam tractor. Threshing is the process of removing the wheat grain from the stem.
Not sure about this machine they jumped on but it looks similar to the one they use to plant the seeds.
In action...plowing the fields
Grinding the wheat

Cool shot
And baking whole wheat bread with the farm eggs, milk, churned butter, honey, and of course the whole wheat flour...it was quite delicious!
Rachel tells me she's coming here on a field trip with her class. I guess she'll have to put up with going again. She's really adjusted quite well here. We've been here 6 weeks now. She's still loving school and making lots of friends. Here she is in her classroom having lunch after field day.
We picked up this piano for FREE through a website my friend told me about (thanks Maria!!!) We've signed Rachel up for lessons and she's loving it. Of course, she's only been in it for 2 weeks. But she'll be having a recital at Halloween that we're all looking forward to.
Tommy has definitely had the hardest time adjusting. In the beginning he often told me how he didn't like the townhouse and how he wanted to go back to New York City and his apartment. It's his home right? The only thing he knows and is comfortable with. Poor kid. Even still every time we head out the door to go on an errand he asks if he can walk or ride his bike. Oh how I wish! He is enjoying everything well enough though. We all got excited when we saw one of these shopping carts. We walked the aisles of the grocery store just for the pure enjoyment of it.Katelyn is enjoying having a room of her own now...sleeping in until 8:30 and taking 2 great naps. I rarely have to wake her nowadays, (so I guess the bus has some nice perks) which I think is pretty amazing for a third child. She's a happy girl, waves to every stranger, and is liking her new talent of standing.
We have 3 bathrooms now, but I guess the kids are used to being crammed.
I'm starting to figure out my way around. I didn't think you could get any more confusing than Charlotte...but no left or U-turns and this whole jug handle thing can be crazy. You make a wrong turn, or you miss a turn, and it really costs you!

The other thing I'm getting used to is all the BUGS. I never saw any all last year...especially not in my apartment. I've had the worst time trying to get rid of ants in my kitchen!

Jake is really enjoying his work and doing a great job at it. He's starting to travel more and more, which is something else we're going to have to get use to. But that's what life is all about, right?