Effigy Mounds

We went down to Iowa to visit the Iowa Kochs.... we wanted to make some green chili and hang out. On Saturday, they brought us to see the Effigy Mounds. Our Big 5th Grader had been learning about the mounds in Minnesota and we had just talked to her teacher about it that week. So when they told us that is what we were going to do, we were all ecstatic.

There was a huge Eagle's Nest done to scale by a Boy Scout who did it as his Eagle Project. How fitting, right?

This was inside the museum which was neat however walking the path to the mounds was the best!

Working Hard...

Grandpa upgraded his tractor to one with a cab.

And guess who likes to cruise around in it?
But he gets very tired after a long day of working on the tractor!

A Day to Be Remembered...

Over MEA weekend, the kiddos and I went down to my parents to spend some time with them and my Grandma. It just happened to be Grandparents' Day at Boulder.

They had some great activities for the kiddos to do with their Great Grandma.
They made pumpkin plates, which my Grandma hung on her door.

They played with Play Doh.
and colored pictures for Grandma's door.
and enjoyed some wonderful treats.
I love it when we get in the car to go somewhere and our little guy will say, "Let's go see Grandma Ruth, I like Grandma Ruth!"

Kyce loved the mints and cookies. It was a great way to spend an afternoon. Not only does it give our family peace of mind with Grandma being at Boulder (an assisted living facility) but we all get to enjoy their GREAT activities!

Please Don't Go...

Listening to my children fight gets under my skin like nails on the chalk board. I don't understand the need for sibling rivalry even though my parents love to say, "You did the same thing with your brothers." Why? why did we feel the need to do this? I feel like in a world where there are people out there that will give you challenges and pick on you and make you feel alone and afraid, it shouldn't come from someone in your family. Someone who is suppose to be there for you when if feels like the rest of the world is against you. Home is suppose to be your safe haven. Well, with that being said, you can just imagine how teary eyed I get when we have moments like this in our home. Which thank goodness happens almost every morning when he realizes his sisters are about to leave for school.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear

All three of our children love the book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." The book goes on to say, "What do you see?" Well, in our house we see a BIG BROWN BEAR. When I went to the gym one day while Grandpa and Grandma were here they called me to come and pick them up at Cosco, they told me that I needed to come in because they had a surprise for our little boy!

And he loves his BIG BROWN BEAR...

but so does his sister!

It's a great babysitter! One night we came home to find all 3 kids sleeping on the bear.

The Best Date Nights...

When Grandpa and Grandma were here we wanted to make sure we took the time to have an "adults only date," and what better place to go then to the temple.

You can't help but have an Eternal Perspective while you are attending the Temple. It was such a special night and it seemed very fitting to attend the Temple with them, especially since this is where they have been called to serve, only in Bogota, rather then St. Paul.

Then we enjoyed one of our favorite restaurants, Los Ocampo, afterwards, It was a perfectly beautiful and enjoyable evening.

Como Zoo

Last time Grandpa and Grandma came to visit, we went to Como Zoo in the middle of January and it was cold.

Watching the Polar Bears sleep.Whole new meaning to Cabbage Head.This time, the weather was beautiful!