down on the farm

Before we actually headed up to Glacier National Park for the big event, we spent almost a week with my family on the farm where I grew up.

As usual for any family gathering, several aunts and uncles on my mom's side (who grew up on the farm) came out to spend time on the homestead as well. This time, there were some extra faces in the July 4 crowd. Some of Kirsten's family, as well as my best man and her maid of honor, came out a few days early to see the farm as well.

This worked out better than I had imagined - it was some of the only real time I felt I got to spend with anyone all weekend. It's sometimes a bit disconcerting to show friends aspects of your life that did not include them, but also always fun to see your childhood haunts through a different set of eyes.

(Although my childhood home has been going through an extended renovation ever since I left 10 years ago - brand new floors throughout, a re-roofing with expansion and a full deck have been added. I think my parents didn't know what to do with all their time once four kids left the house.)

We arrived at the farm one week before the wedding, Saturday night. On Sunday mom invited the town over for an open house/pre-wedding reception (a decent proportion of the town showed up - 30 people). Monday we drove up to Fort Benton for the blood test (Montana forced Kirsten to get tested for Rubella, for some reason). Tuesday the friends arrived, and Wednesday was a party for July 4. The afternoon was spent at my uncle's, 10 miles down the road. Kirsten's nephews and niece stole the show, running around trying to catch chickens and cows, petting the horse and demanding, and getting, a ride on the tractor (the much-anticipated highlight for any 5-year-old).

The crowd moved back to my parents' for the evening, capped off by the fireworks. July 4 fireworks always kick off fairly late back home, since the sun doesn't go down until almost 10 and darkness doesn't set in until closer to 11 in mid-summer. My best man, Tom, had taken the opportunity to load up on fireworks, as had my uncle, and all of them were shot off.

Before the fireworks, Kirsten's young relatives had taken it upon themselves to explore this new farm, as well (of course). The photo above is the oldest, Bradley, carrying stalks of wheat in our back yard.