Our Week In Iowa

Kids enjoying the froggy pool and their new Star Wars water guns

I completed my first 8k race

Our pretty fruit pizza

Kids with Grandma Sue and Grandpa Wayne

4th of July fun with Bryker

Look the sadistic look on Grandma Becki's face...

Check out our super cool nails

Here's a close up

Old playgroup at the splash pad

Fun with cousins at Backbone State Park

The past three summers I have taken the kids back to Iowa for a week and each time we have had a blast. Thankfully this trip was no different.

The highlights of our week include:

• Taking the kids to the Amana Colonies for the first time- We ate at the Colony Inn with Grandma GG, Grandma Jacque and Aliyah. The kids loved the whole experience. They enjoyed seeing the old buildings and hearing about how the people used to share everything and live without money. They also enjoyed eating our meal family style. They are used to me just handing them a plate of food, so being able to pass the dishes around the table and serve themselves was pretty exciting. Next time we go, we will have to make sure and go when the cute little shops are open so we can explore a bit. 
• Fishing with Grandpa John, Aliyah, and Aunt Bree- My kids were ecstatic to go fishing. They have been wanting to go fishing for quite some time. However, neither Trevor or I enjoy fishing so they were kind of out of luck until Grandpa John agreed to take them. They each caught one fish and had a great time despite the extreme heat. Thanks Grandpa John!
• Swimming with Aliyah and Grandma Jacque in Uncle Jimmy's pool several times.
• Girls Night Out with my friends is always fun- I so appreciate having friends who can understand the ups and downs of parenting and encourage each other along the journey.
• Getting a massage with Becki- Thanks for the early birthday present!
• Walking with my mom in the mornings- Keep it going Mom!
• Working out at the YMCA with my dad, just like old times.
• Playing at the splash pad with our old playgroup- It is always good to see old friends. 
• Running my first 8K with Stacie and Patrick-You should have seen my sister's face when she found out I beat her time by one second after she slowed down at least 3 times to let me catch up to her. Priceless!!!!
• Spending time with family on the Fourth of July- The kids had a blast swimming with Bryker in his little pool and running through the sprinkler. The ribs, sweet corn, and ice cream pie were a highlight as well. The evening was spent with my mom's side. We enjoyed continuing our tradition of decorating our nails with Aliyah, Aunt Bree, and Rylan. Bree is quite talented at making stars and stripes on such little nails. We also had a great time watching fireworks downtown and doing sparklers with cousins.
• Game Night with Grandma Becki and Aunt Sam- Kaylee was so excited to be able to join me and the other adults in our game night. We had a blast playing Farkle and Pictionary (card version). Kaylee did an awesome job keeping up with all of us adults. We laughed a ton. Grandma Becki made her famous buster bar dessert, which was an added bonus!
• Spending lots of time with Grandma Sue and Grandpa Wayne- We stayed at their house this week, so had lots of time with them. The kids enjoyed playing in their froggy pool, going on walks with Grandma Sue, playing with their new squirt guns, playing "Sorry" with Grandpa Wayne, and movie night to name a few things.
• Backbone State Park- The kids frequently ask Trevor and I to tell them stories about when we were little and several of my stories revolve around Backbone State Park. I decided to take them there while we were back home. I planned a picnic and invited my dad's side of the family to help us make some new memories. My brother, Dave and sister-in-law, Darla came. My niece, Melissa and her family came. My nephew, Scott and his family came. My uncle Rod and cousin, Jada came along with my dad and Sue. There were 19 of us total. We had a great time visiting and playing together. I was super excited to let the kids play in the stream and as expected they thoroughly enjoyed it. Our trip to the lake was not quite as nostalgic. Unfortunately, that did not live up to my memories. The lake smelled like poop and there were brown things floating all over the top of it. I decided it was goose poop due to the smell, but wasn't sure. It was disgusting nonetheless. We ended our visit with a boat ride and ice cream. It was a fun day!
• Getting back home- Daddy spent the week back in Adrian working and trying to get a few things done around the house, while enjoying the peace and quiet. He had the pool all ready for us. The kids had a great time playing outside with Daddy once we got home. It feels good to be together again!!!