Spring Break 2016

We traveled back to Iowa to visit family during Spring Break this year. We left Friday about noon, stayed in Omaha overnight, and drove the remaining two hours on Saturday morning to meet Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Aunt Jen, Joely and Kallista in Des Moines for the day. We started at Monkey Joe's jump house where the cousins had a great time burning off a lot of energy, and then made our way downtown to eat out before seeing Star Wars at the IMAX theater. Unfortunately, all three of our kids were scared of the IMAX experience, so our family didn't make it very long into the movie, but it was fun to have an activity packed day-trip with the fam.

We stayed in Fort Dodge for the next few days, catching up with family, giving the cousins plenty of playtime, and visiting with Great Grandma and Grandpa Steck. When it was time to leave, Sydney was asking if we could move to Iowa. The kids loved spending time with our Fort Dodge family!

 Grandpa Steck telling Gilby about his recent Honor Flight to Washington DC.

On Tuesday afternoon we drove to Cedar Falls to spend the next two nights with Great Grandma and Grandpa Haugen at their place at the Western Home. The kids thought this was heaven. They love staying in hotels, and the Western Home was like a luxury hotel to them. While eating dinner in the dining hall the first night, Sydney asked if we could move into the Western Home. We told her that she wasn't quite old enough. She thought for a bit and then asked, "Maybe when I'm 16 I can move here?"

While in Cedar Falls, we worked on art projects, baked cookies with Great Grandma, played Disney DVD Bingo more than once, went out to a movie, took turns riding on Great Grandpa's walker, ventured downtown for Scratch cupcakes, and went to a movie. The weather was not nice enough for any outdoor play, but we explored all the Western Home had to offer.

Baking cookies with Great Grandma.

 Getting a ride from Great Grandpa.

I am so thankful for the time we get to spend with all of our family, but it was especially special to see the kids getting to know their great grandparents better. Now that Sydney and Myles are at ages to remember these trips for years to come, it is important to us that they experience the people and places that are near and dear to our hearts.