Thanksgiving in Iowa

Now that we've been home for two weeks, and Christmas is a week away, it seems like just the right time to share about our week in Iowa over Thanksgiving! We came home to our normal busy schedule with all of the holiday season extras thrown in, and I'm just now taking the time to write this!

We left for Iowa in the wee early morning hours the Sunday before Thanksgiving and arrived at my grandparent's house in Cedar Falls just in time for dinner.

Twelve hours in the car with these crazies, what more could I ask for?

We spent the first half of the week in Cedar Falls visiting with my grandparents and uncle, with a short visit from my aunt. My grandparents are preparing to move to a retirement community soon, so my parents came into town as well, and we were all able to get some work done in anticipation of the move. The kids stayed busy in the swim area of our hotel and spent a morning with Gilby at the rec center, with lunch to follow. They had a great time with the old toys at my grandparent's house and even got a signature tattoo from Uncle David, something my siblings and I had fun with growing up.

We are always missing our families back in the Midwest, so to be able to spend a few days with them was so great. I love, respect, and admire my grandparents so much, and wish we could be closer to help as they transition to this new stage in life. You are doing a great job, Grandma and Grandpa!

Midweek we traveled to Fort Dodge to be with Gilby's family for Thanksgiving. We stopped in Webster City on the way for a visit with Grandma Gilbert. We had a nice chat with her, and she enjoyed watching the kids run around. It was hard to say goodbye, but we headed out after her afternoon ice cream snack as we were anxious to see everybody in Fort Dodge.

We spent the next few days catching up and playing with Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Joe and Aunt Jen, Joely, Kallista, Morgan, and Uncle Shawn and Layla. Although it's been awhile since our last visit, the kids were quick to warm up and loved the time with family. The cousins kept each other busy (and mostly got along!), and we had a relaxing and yummy Thanksgiving dinner at Uncle Joe's. We visited with Grandma and Grandpa Steck before making the trip home on Saturday. 

Again, it's hard not to be able to see family more often, but we made some fun memories and had quality time while we were there! Happy Thanksgiving 2013!