Eidem Farm Field Trip

On Wednesday the boys and I went with my mom to visit Eidem Farm. It is a historical site just a few suburbs over that we have driven by countless times but never visited. I am so glad we finally did! It is a farm established by a Norwegian immigrant and has been set up to represent what it looked like in 1900. What is so fun for us is that my great-great-great grandfather farmed about a mile from there at the same time. The farm has a free open house every Wednesday from 1P-3P and I highly recommend it if you live in the Twin Cities. There are costumed interpreters who help you pump water, wash and hang clothes, feed the calf, roll a hoop with a stick and poke around the house. No where was there a sign that said don't touch - the kids were able to play the piano, lay in the hammock, swing on the old tree swing (my mom even gave that a try), sit on the old farm implements, poke around the icebox and really get a feel for the place. We will be making a number of visits there this summer I think - maybe even try out one of their teas or summer concerts.

Grandma on the tree swing and the big rolling a hoop which he mastered quite quickly.

The boys petting the goats and the little giving his all at pumping water.

Monday = Jam Day!

Yesterday I made 6 half pints of strawberry freezer jam and 6 half pints of strawberry rhubarb jam. I feel good about my start to the summers preserving! (I also have 2 two-cup bags of diced rhubarb in the freezer to use over the winter when I want a little tart taste.)

Weekend Tidbits

We were supposed to have gone camping but our new puppy had diarrhea so we ended up staying at home, running errands and seeing a great movie - The Karate Kid - good lessons in it. I also got off by myself on Sunday morning for some strawberry picking. I usually go the weekend of July4 but the berries are ripening early this year due to our mild spring. These early ones I picked were really big and not as sweet as I like - I will be making jam and muffins with them today. I intend to go out in a week or two for the smaller, later season berries which are my favorite.

Grandma's Day Camp - Field Trip #1

This summer my mom and dad are taking care of my niece and nephew one day a month while my sister-in-law works. Yesterday was their first day and so we planned a field trip. My mom and dad and I took the four kids to Oliver Kelley Farm - an 1860s farm run by the Minnesota Historical Society that is just 15 minutes from our house. We had been here before but my niece and nephew had not. We had a WONDERFUL time and will definately be back again quite a few more times this summer. Their are costumed interpreters with the animals that roam free around the farm, women in the house and with the chickens, a woman in the garden and shelling dried beans and a woman doing the wash. The children had a great time and so did we. I majored in history and love when I can show the kids that history is fun and so is learning it :)!

Here are a few more pictures from our day.

Scenes From Our Week...

Last week was a busy week which led into a busy weekend. Track and field, karate, graduation of an amazing nephew and celebrating the 50th of my wonderful in-laws. Here are just a couple pictures from some of the festivities...

Happy Memorial Day!

A visit to the cemetary

Handsome son who caught a HUGE northern that got away right as we got it out of the water...

Cute little stinker who learned how to cast this weekend with his Snoopy fishing pole that broke and was replaced with his choice of new fishing pole - Tinkerbell :).

Handsome Hubby

Hope it was a peaceful and fun weekend. Above are just a few shots from our weekend up north having fun fishing and visiting Gimma and Papa.

A History Field Trip

This past weekend my mom and I took my oldest son and my niece on a little field trip. We went to the historical society museum in the town where my mom and dad grew up. It is a tiny town in central Minnesota that was settled by Swedish immigrants. The museum was having an open house and we decided it would be a great way to introduce the two kids to a little of their own histories. They toured 3 school houses - one room log, one room clap board and a two room clapboard.

The saw an old police car and sat in an old fire truck. They watched a man bake bread in an outdoor oven and saw a blacksmith shop. And this was just the outside :)! Inside they learned a little about logging and that they had great, great grandfathers who were loggers right there in that county. They also learned about the Native Americans who first populated our great state as well as the maple syrup and wild rice that they harvested. It is really a very nice little museum and the perfect size for kids to continue learning about their past.

I also had a good time exploring the quilt exhibit, talking to a spinner and knitter and picking up a few more plants for my garden at the garden club's plant sale.

It was a great day and I look forward to many more like it this summer!