Saturday, August 25, 2012

snapshots of Iowa

 Here are a few snapshots from our trip to Iowa.  Thank you to all that came to see us and that we were able to spend time with.  A week is never enough and we treasure the time with family and friends!
Cousins......Tyler - college bound!

Riding with Grandpa is always memorable.

Cousins "taming" new kittens.

My sister's children and mine (Carla's)

More cousins....Janelle's kids and Alec

Newest cousin - Shane.

Showing her country and city side!

Exploring the Effigy Mounds visitor center.



At Effigy Mounds




The view over the Mississippi


A precious picnic with Great-Grandpa and Great- Grandma and Great -Aunt Pat

At Volga Lake

My Grandparents with my kids

My Aunt Pat with my kids

And Great-Uncle Kent gives golf cart rides

Kids in Grandpa's new "toy"

Fishing with Grandpa


The new landscape of Northeast Iowa - wind turbines

Until next visit....saying good-bye is never easy.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Raccoon State Park

 We spent Sunday as a family and visited Raccoon State Park for canoeing, kayaking, and swimming.  When the weather cools down, we'll get back to hiking, but this was more appropriate for the end of July.  We highly recommend the canoe and kayak rentals....$8 per canoe/kayak for one hour, after an hour half price.  PA state law states that you cannot have over four people in a canoe, so we rented one canoe and one two-person kayak for us.  Talk to Larry.....he'll help you out!
 And yes, I had to post this picture.  Ann-Marie needed new t-shirts and socks....so this is current "Ann-Marie" style.  And yes, we did let her go to church like this!

1 Samuel 16:7

New International Version (NIV)
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”