Iowa Trip

Wow...
It feels SO good to be home again! 
Sometimes I take my little home for granted and it doesn't really hit me just how much I love it until I am far away. I love our home so much. I am so grateful that we own a home and have been fixing it up slowly. There is something so great about doing that yourself with your love. It is such a fun journey.
Anyway, the day after I got back I started feeling icky, and then before I knew it I was WAY sick.
Just a nasty head cold.... but ahh! I hate those. I am feeling a little better today and I hope to make a full recovery tomorrow and do something productive. But until then... blog!! Of course. What else? 

Rodney took this pic of Em, Abb, and Me I think the night before we left. Emily couldn't get off work so she couldn't join us on our girls only adventure. LAME! We forgive her.

We left Sunday mid afternoon and drove to the Vegas Airport. I was the navigator, Britt was the driver. We successfully made it there thanks to our GPS. How the hell did I ever go places without a GPS? I do not know. It baffles me! I am completely reliant on it. If you know my sister, then you know that she isn't good with directions either. We were doomed without one. I gotta say that I did a pretty good job. We didn't get lost once! Well, except for when we were waiting at the wrong gate when our plane was supposed to leave Vegas... because we lost our boarding passes... because security sucks and is freakin' stressful... and had no idea what we were supposed to do. Awesome. Luckily we figured it out just in time for our flight to Phoenix.

I hate flying. HATE! When you are going on a romantic vaca to Hawaii with the love of your life.. its not too bad. But when you are going to Iowa it is different. I have a new respect for single moms out there. How do they do it? Everything took so much longer and we had to carry 3 suitcases, a diaper bag, a laptop case, a stroller, 2 car seats, and our purses. Smart Carts saved our lives. There would be no way to do all of that solo. Impossible I tell you. So then we get to Phoenix on the scariest most turbulence filled flight I have ever been on- I was so glad to be on the ground. Our flight to Omaha left 10 minutes after we got there! We only had 10 minutes. Stress! The flight to Omaha wasn't that bad. Then we got all of our crap and hauled it to our rental car. It was a loooong walk at like 1 am. Poor Abby. She was so dead tired. Then we drove to our hotel and passed out!... I wish! 

Hannah wouldn't go to sleep and kept us up into the wee hours of the night.

The next day we woke up bright and early for the zoo! I was so tired. I drank more coffee and caffeinated beverages than should be allowed by law.... but it worked!

The zoo was really fun! Abby and Hannah both loved it. I am so glad that we went.

We got to see lots of cool stuff.

 Shhh... the Polar Bear is sleeping....

Abby wanted to take the tiger home and keep him as a pet.

End of our Zoo day adventure. That is one tired Hannah! She was out.

Abby picked this flower for me <3

The next day we drove to Red Oak. It is only about an hour away from Omaha.

Red Oak is not like any place I have been to before. It is SO small, old timey, and beautiful.

We were so happy to see Grandma Lois!

Her house looked just the same as I remembered it.

It is so old! I'm pretty sure my great great grandfather built it.

I was drooling over the doors in this place.Yes, I admit that is an odd thing to be infatuated with but I was.

I LOVE her doors. They are so old and amazing looking. They just don't make them like that anymore.

Gorgeous.

Grandma read us lots of stories from her "Grannie Bag" full of fun toys and things.

I love this picture.

My Grandma and her friend Bill.

I took it from the car as we were going to our hotel the first night we stayed in Red Oak.

They are pretty cute together.  

The next day we had lunch at my Gradma's house. 

It was quite the ordeal. Everything had to be put into a special dish and use special plates.

I love to spend time with the older generation. It fascinates me how much things have changed. 

I eat chips right out of the bag, my Grandma pours them into a decorative bowl. 

I make a sandwich and eat it on a paper towel or a napkin, my Grandma perfectly places it on antique china.

I throw my dishes in a dishwasher, and my Grandma washes all of hers by hand. 

Which would make you think she would use the least amount of dishware as possible, but nope.

It made me sad because I didn't want her doing a bunch of stuff that she didn't need to do just because we were there. She is very, very sick. I was happy that she was feeling good for our visit but I was coming there to help her, not for her to wait on me.

I finally convinced her to let me clean up the dishes and I thought I was doing a pretty good job, until my Grandma started laughing at me because I was using a hand towel and not a tea towel to dry the china. 

She thought it was so absurd.

Lol. What the crap is the difference? I still don't really know.

I was pretty embarrassed that I had no clue. 

So interesting. 

My generation sucks. We are freaking lazy. And selfish. 

I am included in this. 

I just have so much respect for that generation. They are so special.

Anyway, the next day we went to town square and played at the park.

My dad has pictures of him playing on this very playground equipment when he was a little boy.

So much history here.

While playing at town square, I decided that I want to paint a mural someday.

I could totally bust one out. 

We had a fun few days. It was so nice to spend time there.

And so sad to say goodbye. It was a teary-eyed drive back to Omaha for our flight. 

Britt and I kept reminiscing on all of the wonderful times we have had with our Grandma.

It felt so strange to say goodbye and know that you will probably not be seeing her again. 

Wow. It was hard.  

My most favorite picture that I took on the trip would have to be this one:

I am in love.

Miss Abigail, running wild and free in a field of clovers. Without a care in the world.

Perfection. 

This picture reminds me of a dream that I had about Abby before she was even born yet. 

Britt was pregnant and we all were so excited to meet her and see what she would look like. 

I had this dream of a curly light brown haired, blue eyed beauty who I swear to you looks just like Abby does now. I remember in the dream I was chasing her around in a field and we were playing and laughing. 

This picture was my dream. I swear it. 

Magic. 

I want to paint it sometime soon. 

Oh, speaking of paint..... 

I came home to the most wonderful gift. 

Kade had been telling me that he was so excited for me to come home because he had a surprise waiting for me. The man cleaned the entire house, did the laundry, cleaned out the garage, and our 2 spare bedrooms. They were full of JUNK! It was embarrassing. Like hoarders status. They are beautiful now! 

The best part is that one of the rooms he turned into an art studio for me!

When he opened the door to the room, I about DIED! I was so happy! 

He bought me some fancy paints, a few canvases, my drawing paper, an easel, etc. etc.

It was so thoughtful of him. 

Before I left I was telling him about how I was dreading cleaning those rooms out. 

I was not EVEN in a million years expecting that he would do it!

We were deciding what to do with the one we were saving for the baby but no decisions had been made. 

On a different day he was telling me that I should start painting again. 

I said that I would love to, but didn't really know where to start. 

So he pieced those two things together and gave me the most thoughtful gift I have ever received. 

So amazing. 

I love that man so much and I am so happy to be home again with him in our humble abode.  

Oh and I missed Diesel too.

He is so freakin' cute.