Visit to the farm

This is Lea but it will show up as Andy writing because I have to be logged in as him to do the videos now.

We went to visit Andy's dad, Paul, one day this past week. It has finally occurred to us that this will be a visit we need to make much more often for the sake of our son. He adores it out there. Andrew has so much safe space to run and play. He has dubbed Paul Pa Pa because he couldn't say Grandpa the last time we saw him and Pa Pa is very happy with this I think! Andrew does his usual, grabbing him by the hand to coax him to come play and calls for his Pa Pa from another room. Andrew also has a thing about going potty when he is with another family member where he prefers them to help him over me or Daddy so Pa Pa got the honors of helping get pants down and wiping a bottom when the time came! Poor Pa Pa! lol He handled it well, and we thought it was super cute. **Side story - Andrew did the same thing to cousin Lori when she came over for dinner a couple of nights ago! Poor Lori! :D

The visit was far too short for Andrew's tastes. He would have rather us stayed a week I think! Paul T did OK out there too. He was able to nap in his bouncy and in the wrap next to mommy. He can't always sleep well when we are out and about. i think he is sensitive to stress and distraction and though there was some distraction, there is a lot of peace on the farm. It made me long to live in the country! We'll have to see about that, I am not quite organized enough i think! lol

Pa Pa took Andrew out for a ride in the tractor. We have a few videos but you can't get a good enough look at Andrew's face. Let me assure you it was an ear to ear grin!







Here's one of general running around and playing outside. You can see Paul T asleep in the wrap, he missed most of the visit!


Here is Pa Pa helping Andrew to pet one of their horses. Andrew had much more confidence around the horse with Pa Pa holding him.


Lorna, Ner is what Andrew calls her, also took Andrew and I out to feed the horses later. i didn't get any video of that but Andrew wasn't as confident but thought it was very cool.

We think that next time we need to stay over night. Andrew did not want to leave when we left! He slept all the way home and then woke up when we got here and couldn't get to sleep for hours. he wasn't wound up and running around, he was relaxing and kind of processing it all. It was a lot to take in. We had gone for a ride around the farm in the big truck to see all the cows and crops and the shooting range. They have some fascinating old, super old cemeteries out there that when the weather is better I want to spend a few hours checking out. They have some great spots for camping and someday this spring we will take the boys and a tent and camp out! Maybe even get some of the other Goin cousins to join us, we've been talking about a family camp out for years!

Pa Pa and Ner were doing well also. They have lost some crops on the farm due to lack of rain and that is a major bummer but they are looking at getting some more cattle to make up the difference. Ner is a teacher and things are as usual for her. Pa Pa's railroad job is going OK but they are over working him - 11 days on and 4 days off instead of the usual 8 on 7 off. It will make timing visits difficult if they don't go back to the 8 and 7 that's for sure! He has a lot of work to do around their land, but Andy has volunteered to help with some things, like fence building when the time comes.

It was such a wonderful day! And like I said it really makes me want to consider getting a small plot of land and moving out of the city again! I lack the organization for that at this time. But I feel it is calling us. Andy feels it too. Andrew was totally in his element out there and if we don't go too far we can still be close to our new church and new friends we have here in town. This year a goal of ours is to start looking at what we need to do and get in line for a house situation and that is one of the options. So we shall see!

Hope this finds you all well and happy this beautiful Sunday. Get out there and enjoy some weather today people!!