The Midwest Feels Like Home

SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH
It was great to wake up in the Bain house this morning :). We had breakfast where kyle's cousin Becca works. We then spent the morning at McKenna Park. Kyle used to swim there when he was a little boy. There is a picture of him standing next to the pool when he was under 2 years old, so i took a picture of him in the same place now all grown up!

After the pool the Bains & the Donovans went to Aunt Karen's house for lunch and some hang out time with all the cousins, Sara, Ian, Becca, & Jeffery. What a great backyard, great food, & great company! Aunt Karen's only concern about her backyard are the wild rabbits that eat her flowers. And then i couldn't help but to think of "Peter Rabbit" when one cute little bunny stuck its head out of her shed!

We then drove 3 1/2 hours to Grandma's House in Carroll, Iowa. Luckily we have completely missed ALL THE BAD WEATHER! Everytime we get to a new place someone will say, "this is the best weather we have had in a long time!" I'm sure you've heard all the weather news about Iowa. Grandma did have to go down in her basement for tornado warnings before we got here. Most of the bad stuff is East of where we are. Since we've been here nothing but beautiful 70 degree weather!!!! So yes, we are all safe in Iowa! VERY THANKFUL! When we arrived at 10:45pm grandma had homemade stew hot and ready on the table. YUM!

SUNDAY, JUNE 15TH (I LOVE YOU GRANDPA!!! I LOVE YOU DADDY!!! I LOVE YOU KYLE!!!)

Happy Father's Day! Unfortuntely, i'm not able to be with my own daddy & grandpa today. Fortunately, kyle gets to spend father's day at his grandma's house with his uncles, Merlin and Vince, and his brother-in-law, Keith. Grandma is making a turkey dinner. We are eating Midwest style with dinner as we call lunch and supper as we call dinner; the big meal of the day being dinner.

TODAY'S EVENTS:
Climbing grandma's trees
Watching the birds
Drinking rootbear floats on her front porch
Playing tag at the park
Having a water fight
(ages 3 1/2 to 47)
Attempting to catch fireflies
(highlight of my trip)
Holding their first sparklers

The kids have been climbing the trees in grandma's front and backyard. This picture is all the great-grandchildren in a tree that kyle's uncle merlin planted in 1977, the year kyle was born.

MONDAY & TUESDAY: JUNE 16TH & 17TH
We've just been hanging out at grandma's house. Uncle Vince & Aunt Jeanette also came to visit grandma. It's great that they are here as we have not seen them in almost 2 years! They have also really enjoyed spending some time with the kids. Funny that we Californians have to come all the way to Iowa to see each other. :) We took the kids swimming at the Carroll Recreation Center, climbed more trees, planted some flowers, and BBQed. And by the way, kyle and i went to the locol grocery store to buy some corn. Well, they didn't have any fresh local corn. Only corn from FLORIDA! Who comes to Iowa to eat corn from Florida?!?!?!

Today grandma taught me how to make homemade strawberry jam. We ended up with 4 delicious jars! i'll be trying out all the other fruits this summer. Mackenzie loves being in the kitchen so i hope that this is something her and i can do together. We also had a chance to drive out an visit the old Bueltel farms where grandma & grandpa used to live. There is only a barn left standing at one place and nothing but corn fields at the other place. We visited Kyle's grandpa's grave, his great grandparents and a few other family members. We also saw where his mom went to school.

i have come to realize during my stay in the midwest that I REALLY LIKE IT HERE. i must get it from my mom as she was born and raised in the midwest. BUT, i do get the love of heat from my dad and don't think that i could withstand the snow. i really like the wide open spaces and the green grass and the slow down feeling. i like the yards with no fences and the idea of producing most of my own food. i would defintely have a garden and some chickens and some horses probably a pig or two and maybe even a cow. i just like it here. i am sad to go as it has been really great getting to know kyle's grandma a lot more and being a guest in her home :) THANKS GRANDMA!