Iowa here we Come !

Michelle has just not been feeling very well,so...... Jen and I decided to visit far off Iowa. It's not the best place to drive to considering pretty flat open areas. Not much eye candy I guess :) When it gets dark, there are not many overhead lights on 218. Like...none. Jen got behind a truck driver with his brights on. Since Jen and I both have night-blindness it was an exciting trip!As we approached Iowa City I said " OH,Look Jen !! More cars, it seems lighter out now. " Jen's response,"Yeah Mom, We have overhead lamps again !!" Sometimes I'm not the brightest bulb!!! Going back during the day.. A much better idea!!


Jen and Michelle got some shopping in,not much, but Jen found some pretty dresses at Motherhood.I was able to re-hem Michelle and Dave's thermal weave curtains so they would fit the sliding glass door.I made chicken soup, a big pot of it! SOOO.. if you live in Coralville, stop by, there should be plenty left !


We went to an Amish town about a half-hour away called Kalona.The town had a wonderful store called, Stringtown Grocery. What fun!! I marvelled at all the neat things on the shelves. Jen kept hurrying me through the aisles. She wanted to get to the bakery store further on in town.I bought dried cranberry beans, only to read later on the computer that they'll lose their beautiful colors when cooked.They had the most amazing things !!I bought steel cut oats,eggplant,quinoa,old fashioned egg noodles,tiny,tiny,bowtie noodles,butternut squash,better butter (that's the name) and some dried mushrooms with a name I've never seen before.I am an explorer when it come to finding new healthy fares. Jen left the store with 2 large bags of marshmellow bits, the kind in Alpha-bit cereal....just without the cereal.Jen says," The kids will love me for it !!!" Oh well, back to my dried cranberry beans!

Next stop, the bakery. Oh what wonders!! The best apple pie ever !! Something called Steeper bread,. It has cinnamon ribbons through it,Wow !There were donuts,way too big.They had a gift shop upstairs. I've been meaning to get Preston a train whistle. They had a great one there!! One of the Amish women was dusting the "Corinthian Chimes" I've never heard anything so beautiful!! I think angels were helping. My friend Caroline who passed away on the 22nd of October would have loved them. I think I heard her hand in them!!! I miss you Caroline!!

I was so grateful to have Jen drive us up there! She was a super general manager helping Michelle go through her summer clothes and pack them up! Jen's a great organizer, and great comic relief also.I love spending time with my girls. Poppy stayed home so he could babysit Jen's fantastic four while Adam worked on Saturday. We had Stake Conference sat. night so Poppy had to do a lot of setting up.Poppy has figured out Preston !! When he couldn't see or hear him, Larry would go looking to see what mischief he had gotten into. Sometimes he was just playing in the sun room. Most times he was pulling lids off wet things, and pouring. We've got to teach Preston a new trick !!


It was great to see Michelle and Dave. They have a pretty small condo, so they let us use their bed. No small sacrifice. It was great to share some time with them.They are devoted to each other. It's hard to live away from family when you don't feel well so much of the time. Michelle's vestibular migranes come and go. Lately, they've been more prevalent.All in all, it was a memorable trip. Life is Good !!!

About time...

Lots of stuff has happened since Ronnie wrote about the brats! The roof is finished, the gutter and soffit has been installed and the kitchen is 97.5% complete.

Adam graduated from UMKC Dental School and got his license. Adam, Jen and kids have moved back to St. Louis to a home they have been remodelling for the last three months. They now live 1.3 miles from us. Adam begins work today! The kids are signed up for gymnastics and world peace is at hand (not). There are still many things left to finish on their house but it's coming together nicely.

Ronnie and Larry are both on facebook. Facebook statistics indicate that the fastest growing demographic are 35 years old and older. (We fit into the lower part, right?)