I am going to switch gears a bit with this post.  While it is no doubt obvious that a lot of personal benefits are received by Jeanette and me with our farm ownership, the main goal of land ownership was to offer a recreational oasis for our family and friends. Quite frankly, this has gotten off to a bit of a slow start.  Our family is quite dispersed with the closest of our kids living about 2.5 hrs away and the most distant living a two days drive away; yes, our Fayetteville son Chris, his wife Clara, and their 3 sons moved recently to St. Louis :(. We have had some meaningful experiences however, and we continue to have the belief that “if we build it, they will come”. 

This sign I found at Bass Pro Shops pretty much sums up our thoughts about having land of our own. As our kids were growing up, we tried to give outdoor experiences in the form of camping, fishing, and boating outings.  Current family obligations, distance restrictions, work related time limitations, and quite frankly, electronic distractions, have made the use of the land less popular than we had hoped. Nevertheless Jeanette and I have been able to share quite a few meaningful moments with our kids and grandkids.

Family

Family

When we were planning our building area (now called the pavilion, more about this later), we scrounged up an old tractor tire from our neighbor Doug (elder son of the original land owner), and made a sandbox. I can remember playing in one of these as a child.

A special family moment occurred on our farm involving our daughter Katie and her then boyfriend Robb. They came to visit, help out, and had the obligatory tour of land via ATV.  While showing Robb around, he asked for my blessing for him to marry Katie. He is a good guy and of course I said yes. They are now happily married and have a dog named Tuna.

Robb, Me, & Brad

Chris, Dan, & Brad (our three sons, oldest to youngest) have all been to the land some. All have hunted some. Brad and Robb have fished some.  Even though the “harvest” has been slim, I think the opportunities have been welcomed. I am looking forward to more of these adventures.  Perhaps this deer season?

April, our youngest daughter has perhaps been to the land the least of our five kids. She has had a bit of a whirlwind last year or so including knee surgery, maid of honor in Katie’s wedding, and the bride in her own.  She & her new husband Wes now live in Pittsburgh PA. Dan and Becca (his wife) have two kids, Aubrey and Troy. They currently live in Delaware. Aubrey has been out to the farm some and I suspect Troy (who is now two and loves tractors) will get some quality time as he gets older.

Our last grandchild……so far…….is Jack. He is Luke and Ben’s younger brother and is just turning 1 this month. Based on this picture I see some potential.

The one family member not addressed much in this post is my wife Jeanette. I think she probably deserves her own post. Stay tuned!