Steam & Power Show

 Way back in July we went to our local Steam & Power Show (I did not know this was a thing, but it is! It's been going for a gazillion years, apparently). Anyway, when I heard about it I knew it would be just the thing for our equipment-obsessed Nathan, whose mini bulldozer, dump truck, grader, backhoe, etc. are his favorite toys ever...they go everywhere with him and he sleeps with all of them clutched to his chest. With the big kids in school Nathan often asks if we can go for a run or bike ride to go watch construction equipment. It's his jam, apparently.

 So yeah, basically the Steam & Power show has a few really cool things about it:

1) Lots of old cars
2) Row after row after row of vintage farm equipment

3) A surprisingly good lunch (by donation)--it was a very Midwestern event with lots of home-canned pickles and the like. So fun!
4) A tractor pulling contest for the little folks 

5) A ride out to the hay fields to watch the harvester, combine, baler, and plough in action. I honestly think this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened in Nathan's life.

So apparently the tractor pull is a really big deal--a lot of the people around us were talking about having their kids practice in preparation. Good thing we just randomly showed up, right? (Our kids definitely were outclassed by the farm kids who knew what they were doing!!)

 Abigail could barely fit on but she was determined to try!

 Afterwards all of the kids got these awesome plaques that also had toy tractors affixed to them in such a way that you can take the tractor off, play with it, and then put it back on again.

 This was the tractor that pulled our little wagon out to the harvesting fields--my kids practically died of joy.



On the ride...Abigail wasn't as into it as the other kiddos were but she was a good sport. :-)

 And what felt like miles and miles of cool old tractors. Neil would have been happy to stay there all day, but it was getting hot so we headed on home for naptime. :-)

And this has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but I love Nathan's post-Harry-Potter-party-sugar-coma face here. One of the girls took this little gem and it was so funny to find it on my camera!