One of the highlights of our midwestern summer was a road trip to my brother-in-law's family farm, just outside of Barrabou, Wisconsin. My sister and I loaded up our six kids and hit the road for a four hour drive that was sunny and beautiful, with queen anne's lace flowers lining the sides of the endless stretch of highway. When we arrived at the farmhouse, the sun was just about to set over the cornfield behind the back porch and the cows were coming in from the pasture, ready to say hello to the gaggle of kids just waiting to give them their evening snack. Marti, my sister's mother in law, had thoughtfully assigned our rooms, knowing just which adorable quilts and floral wallpaper we would each love most. So we settled in for the long weekend. My parents joined us the next day so by then we were surrounded by all sorts of grandparents. Life on the farm consisted of big family meals, hiking, hayrides, ATVs, swimming, flea markets, bonfires, and playing Little House on the Prairie. The farmland and animal barns are leased to a local farmer, who invited us to his farm down the road to meet more cows, including the new babies. We also adventured to nearby Mirror Lake and a local sunflower field, which I could never find again if it wasn't for my dad who spotted it on his way into town. For a few LA kids this weekend was a dream. No schedules except bedtime at sunset, no crowds or traffic except the heard of cows coming up the lane, no boundaries except steering clear of poison ivy. We already miss the wide open spaces of the rolling fields, the starry night sky, and the farm house filled with family and love. And these cows, who are really adorable.
