Labor Day Weekend

Judy, Papa, and Lois
Erin, Julie, Susan, and Susan
Rose not feeling well.
Lucia feeling better.
Papa in front of his childhood home.
On Sunday night we went to see the Des Moines Symphony pops concert at Water Works Park.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Weekend Wrap-Up

The weather was beautiful this weekend and we were able to take full advantage of it. On Friday night the kids and I went on an ‘Owl Prowl’ with Polk County Conservation. We learned a little bit about the owls in our area and then went for a night hike to see if we could make contact with any owls. Our guide was unsuccessful, but it was a beautiful night to be outside. After the event the kids and I hit Over the Top, our favorite ice cream shop in Des Moines. Where was Susan for all of this? She was in Ames with her mother for a craft fair and dinner at The Café.

Saturday was spent mostly at home, with Andy visiting in the morning, naptime (for Lucia) and then we went exploring in the woods on the other side of the creek. The plants are thick so in the summer it was difficult, but now things are thinning out a bit so it is more reasonable. There are some awesome areas for the kids to play and I am hoping to put in a short single-track trail through the woods.

After dinner on Saturday we carved our pumpkins. The kids love it and couldn’t wait. There was some frustration, but in the end it was all smiles.

Sunday was a busy day, with most of the day spent away from home. We left at around 11 and headed to Stone Park, just outside of downtown, for a Cyclocross relay race. My team was Nate, John, Scott, and I. It was fun and the weather was awesome. Susan and the kids were there to cheer us on. After the bike race we headed to Hope’s birthday party at a farm outside of Ankeny. There were a ton of activities, including a very cool corn maze.

Fun times.

Carving
Carving

All Lit Up
All Lit Up

All Lit Up
All Lit Up

Fun Saturday

There was nothing on the calendar for today, so we decided to knock-out a few summertime standards. This morning we hit the Downtown Farmers’ Market, where we enjoyed some treats from La Mie and our traditional fried rice and egg rolls, which I think we get every time.

Downtown Farmers Market Lunch
Lunch on the Lawn

After the farmers’ market we headed to hooping in the park, where our friend Leah was leading this week. She had everyone working on some new skills. WE all have fun hooping and hanging out with a fun group of people.

By mid-afternoon we were back home for Lucia’s nap and some downtime.  By 4 we were on the road again, headed to Ledges State Park. Ledges State Park is n area near the Des Moines river with the corn fields suddenly turn into a beautiful canyon that has been carved out of the sandstone. It offers some interesting hikes and a great creek that flows right through the heart of the park. We hiked, ate a nice picnic dinner, and then the kids enjoyed playing in the creek.

Worn Out

We had a fun, tiring weekend. Elliot and Andrew have not been sleeping well, and we have all had a little cold. It seems as though Mari is the only one still going strong.

Not much got done this weekend. Friday night we ran errands, I think. Saturday we also ran errands. We had plans to hit ‘Holiday at the Farm’ at Gorman Heritage Farm, but due to the rain we decided not to attend.

Sunday included more errands, and Susan and I even got to have a little date. Mer-mer and B-Bob (I still have no clue how to spell their grandparent names) watched the kids while Susan and I celebrated our four-year engagement anniversary. Then we enjoyed a nice chicken noodle soup dinner at their house, before heading home to put the kids to bed a little early.

Weekend Wrap-Up

We had a fun weekend. Friday night we stayed in, ordering some pizza and getting the kids to bed early.

We spent Saturday taking care of some errands and some chores around the house. Saturday night we hit our first Christmas party, which was fun.

Today we hosted some visitors. Susan’s friend and former roommate from CAP, Annie, stopped by with her five-month old daughter, Cecilia. It was nice to see Annie, as we had not seen her in a few years. She and her family recently moved to Hamilton, OH, which is only about half-an-hour from where we live. After she left we hung up some Christmas lights outside and then my parents came over for dinner.