Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Iowa!

The first week of April we headed to Iowa to see our friends, the Andersons.  This is the boys first LONG road trip!  All set to go with the iPad loaded with shows and jammies on!

So much for driving through the night.  Josh had about an hour nap around 11...before waking up when we had to get gas.  And then they both were up until after 3am, when they decided to take a 3 hour nap.   Then of course, gas again.  Driving through the night might not be for us!

We arrived Friday morning.  We hung out for awhile, ate lunch and then we ALL napped.  That night Clayton & Tawny invited Fort Dodge friends over to catch up with.  The men's table :)




Wesley, Clayton & Tawney's oldest boy.  He's two!


Matt and I decided this is probably how he and Clayton were growing up.  Notice Josh pushing the "lawn mower" into Wesely while Wesley just looks at him?


Ladies in the living room!


Mary Bowser and Nathan.


Julie Dodgen (married to Brandon in December) and Josh.


The boys banging until they were told to stop since Wyatt was sleeping in the next room!


Julie, me, Kendra (Joe Bowsers girfriend), Mary & Tawny!


Saturday morning on the farm.














Matt said that was engine you could "work on" on Wesley's work bench.


Video of them playing.


The boys loved riding 4 wheeler with their daddies.




Josh in his face mask Clayton got to shield him from the wind on the four wheeler.








Love this one of Josh and Wesley.


Wagon ride for the boys!






Scoping out spots for a family photo shoot in the midday sun.




Nathan "ordering pizza" for our evening at Clayton's parents house.




After dinner play at John & Jeanette Andersons.





Clayton played for us too.  I didn't know he played the piano!











Josh was crazy about this rocker.  He just rocked away most of the night!

Rocking while mommy chats. And other video... still rocking....







Later that night after the kiddos were to bed we played Hands & Feet, snacked and had a good time :)






Sunday morning we went to church and then met up with Brandon & Julie for lunch!




Boys to bed for afternoon naps and then up for a cookout outside!





















Josh knocking Nathan over :)











Wesley saying, "MY Iowa state!"










It started to rain so we had to move dinner inside.  How cool is their fire pit that Clayton built?




This glider is so comfy.  Josh would fall right asleep in my arms when I rocked him.  A rare treat for me! :)


Heading out that evening.  Ladies with their little boys.


Men with the big boys!

We had a good visit.

Not even out of Iowa and Nathan claims he has to pee with no place to stop for miles and miles.  We had him hop out of the car but the poor kid couldn't do it!  Suddenly he decided he could hold it :)

Thankfully, the boys slept a lot more on the way home than the way out. Still a long drive of course.  We hit a downpour about half way home in Nebraska.  The worst part was Matt and I were so tired we could barely keep our eyes open.  My friend told me before we left to please call her parents to stay with (that happened to be right about where the downpour occurred) but it was like 2 in the morning and I didn't want to call at that time.  We pulled over at a rest stop and somehow slept!  Josh cried when we pulled over and so I got him out of his carseat and held him in my lap.  We actually both slept!  Again, I just don't have many experiences of this happening with him. so it is a sweet memory for me.  Nathan was all chattering when we pulled over and actually just sat in his car seat while we slumbered for awhile until he too fell asleep.  It was just the extra rest we needed to make it the rest of the way home.

In Denver we were feeling good after stopping at McDonalds for breakfast so we went to Ikea! :)

These pics make travel look like a breeze!


Oh, the good life! :)