This evening Mari and I attended the Father/Daughter dance that is put on by the city of Des Moines. We went to Blaze Pizza before hand with Nate and Hope and then walked across the street to the Science Center. Last year was our first year and this year was even more fun. Lucia was sad because she could not go, but she will get to go next year.
The Clive Fire Department escorts Santa around town to visit the kids in the neighborhood. The kids all love it.
This afternoon Andrew, Mari, Elliot and I went for our first and last single track bikeride of the year. It was a beautiful afternoon and the kids did a great job carving up the trails. I imagine it has been a few years since we have been out there and it felt good.
This afternoon, with Mar-Mar & Be-Bob in town, we visited Our Pumpkin Paradise. It is the kids’ favorite pumpkin patch in town, with many activities including ‘The Box’. The kids always have fun picking out their pumpkins and playing in the corn.
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It has been a fun week around town and around our house. Check out some of the recent happenings.
This evening we attended Glow Wild, a fun outdoor event sponsored by the county conservation office. The turn-out was massive, and way more than they were ready for. After some initial disappointment with the long lines, the evening ended with an awesome bonfire and dancing.
Every year Meals from the Heartland hosts an ‘Annual Hunger Fight’ – a massive operation where thousands of people volunteer for a couple of hours to produce millions of meals. Nate volunteers regularly and also finds a time for us all to participate. This is Andrew’s sixth year, and the others are just behind.
We had our annual trip to the Iowa State Fair. We went after work (when it is half price) and made our usual rounds. This year was the first year we explored the Little Hands on the Farm area, where the kids can pretend to be a farmer, and they get a treat at the end. The older kids and Susan also rode the Crazy Mouse, which is a rollercoaster.
Little known fact: we are big Katy Perry fans. We enjoy her consistent hits and fun, positive songs. Today she was in town for a Hillary Clinton rally and we had to be there, so we were. Mari was at a friend’s birthday party, but he rest of us headed downtown for the rally.
After standing around for about 90 minutes Bill Clinton took the stage first. He did a great job, speaking without notes and working the crowd. He introduced Katy, who sung 3 songs and spoke a little. After Katy Hillary came out and said a few words before the crowd headed to the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. We went home.
Someone else’s full video. The audio is a little off in the beginning, but it is OK.
Today we participated in Meals from the Heartland’s Annual Hunger Fight. Every year they host a weekend of meal packaging and we have been there since almost the beginning. Andrew tells me that this is his 6th year. Nate also volunteers at an even higher level, helping manage the floor.
