Touch-A-Truck

I am fortunate enough to go to lots of fun and interesting events and Touch-A-Truck was right up there! It was so much fun. My niece, Kaley drove up with my adorable great nephew, Brecken to join us for the big event. Many trucks, tractors and other fun vehicles gather in one place for the kids to explore. They can sit in the trucks, honk the horns and even hear the sirens. There were cement trucks, army vehicles, fire engines, police cars and even race cars! If Ashley and Kaley were taking the boys, Dale and I didn't want to miss out on all the fun so we went along for the morning.

These two boys are the reason that it was so much fun. We all know that Brecken loves trucks. . . especially garbage trucks and knew it would be fun for him. None of us were disappointed. Brecken was intrigued by all the vehicles and soaked up lots of new things. He really loved the school bus too which was lots of fun. Lincoln enjoyed all the people and the opportunity to climb around and see new things.

I really did love Touch-A-Truck and look forward to going next year. I hope that Brecken can come again and next year he will have a baby sibling along! Maybe some more cousins, great nieces and nephews can come next year too. I plan to be there...but it would be kinda silly without a little boy along.

Oh, September

We are into the second half of September and it's going quickly. I have taken advantage of the beauty of the season and enjoyed some cooler temperatures. The day before the baptism I was in Des Moines with Dale. We enjoyed a perfect patio lunch and a quiet respite at Moffit Reservoir. One of us even fell asleep.

This is part of my September harvest. It's actually about half of my potato harvest. I didn't get lots but when I pull a few carrots and onions I can actually make a garden meal! I hope to get a fall crop of spinach but it's not looking good.

We were passing through Independence on our way to Amish Country when we stumbled on a farmers market and decided to turn back to check it out. The market itself was quaint but it was held in the shadow of this very picturesque mill by the river. It slowed us up a bit getting to the Amish harvest but the morning light was beautiful on the Wapsipinicon River.

I love this time of year and was a little confused when my heart felt extra heavy this week. It didn't take long to realize that I was missing Randy even more than usual. It's Randy's birthday on Thursday and I have many Autumn memories of Randy including trips to visit him in NYC. I also remember vividly my phone call to him on the morning of 9-11. He was surprised that I had been able to get through but told me that the city was bruised but not broken. That was less than an hour after the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. I was relieved to find that Randy had not yet gotten into the city and was watching it unfold as he stood on the NJ side of the river. His attitude that day comes back to me this time of the year. I have many memories of Randy and miss him terribly. I guess in September I miss him just a little bit more.

Cattle Congress

It has been years since I attended National Cattle Congress in Waterloo. I think I took the kids once when we first moved but "fairs" are never my favorite thing. Yes, there were plenty of cattle and a big carnival, but we found lots of other things there on Saturday too.

 I was especially looking forward to the PRC Rodeo and I was not disappointed. It was indoors so we couldn't get good photos but I did appreciate the shade. It was good rodeo and fun entertainment.

 After the rodeo Dale and I walked over to our very first Motocross race...ever! It was fast pace, fun and a little scary. There were adults and little kids racing (in separate races.) Paramedics were called out twice while we watched for just 30-40 minutes but they only had to carry one off the track. It doesn't look like a safe sport but the participants were certainly having fun and we had fun watching too. This probably will not be my last motocross event. I really enjoyed Cattle Congress. . .more than I expected. I will go back next year too.

Amish Harvest

Saturday morning before sunrise it was obvious that it was going to be a pretty day. Dale and I decided to jump in the car and head to Amish Country to see if we could catch some fall harvest in the pretty morning light. Since it was Saturday it was also bakery day so I bought a few things to make my own contribution to their community.

I love going into the bakeries, which are really just a back room on the house lined with tables heavy with pies, breads, cookies and jams. We were lucky enough to find several men out working on their harvest with their team of horses and often a dog along side. The shocks of corn and beans were a beautiful September sight. Twice we saw groups of small children out with a wagon drawn by one or two small horses. They were near the farm house and the driver was usually a boy about 8 or 10 years old and the wagon was loaded with the younger siblings. I didn't photograph them but thought, "this is so much better than kids watching Saturday morning cartoons!" It was a very pleasant Saturday morning for us too.

Baptism

A week ago Lincoln was baptized. It was a very special occasion and Lincoln seemed to enjoy it as much as the rest of the family! Again I thank God for this precious baby boy and his parents!

Hosta Helper

 It may slow down my gardening but I just love showing Lincoln how to dig in the dirt! I was moving hostas this week because I want some changes and I think that the hostas will be happier out of the front yard anyway. Lincoln came over as I was working on the project so we spent sometime getting dirty together.

Wisconsin Afternoon

 On Sunday Dale and I decided to head for Wisconsin. Typically I would make this trip in early October but since we had a long weekend we decided to go now. We knew that there would be very little if any fall color but thanks to the drought I am not expecting much color anyway. We stopped along the Mississippi for lunch then headed to Gays Mills for apple orchards and vineyards. I just love the smells!

Of course it was beautiful scenery. I love the rolling hills covered with trees and the bluffs along the river. The little farms along the way, the dairy cattle and the early fall crops made for a very pleasant drive. Of course one of the best reasons to get to Wisconsin was the fresh cheese curds! We came home with apples, cheese and full stomachs. It wasn't the usual October trip to the river but it certainly got me in the mood for fall, which isn't easy when it keeps getting up over 90 degrees!