So, we decided to take a few days (READ: 2 days) off and do a fun family road trip around Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and up into Minnesota. It was just great to get away and be together and just play and laugh together!
2-Headed Duckie in Dubuque on the banks of the Mississippi River
In Dubuque we stayed in a hotel that was attached to an indoor waterpark. One of the slides even went outside the hotel!
The girls liked the gears and pipes outside the hotel.
Funny frog statue outside the waterpark
We had to get a picture of part of the waterpark. That bucket at the top holds 350 gallons of water that dumped down on us every 8 mins! It was so fun!
Richard playing a basketball game
My little skeeball girls!
*I have never been to Wisconsin, so we crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois and up into Wisconsin, and drove around for a few minutes. Now I can say I have been to Wisconsin! Sweet!!!
*Then we headed up to Dyersville, IA to "The Field of Dreams". The house looks just like it did in the movie. Exactly!!!! Right now there isn't any corn in the outfield, but we want to head back later this summer when the field will be tall and green! More pictures, I promise!!!
The 3 girls on the bleachers watching the game
The 3 girls on the bleachers watching the game
Rachel running the bases
Great hit Sarah!!
*Enjoying the drive up through Eastern Iowa was wonderful and beautiful! It was so fun to hear Richard and his mission stories! It was green and hilly and rustic and beautiful!
*Then we headed up to Rochester, Minn. to visit Richard's Uncle Paul and Aunt Janice. We drove through the city and saw the Mayo Clinic, stayed the night and visited, ate some great food, and played! I had to take a bunch of pictures of the family running around their amazing and fun backyard!
Little lumberjack Emma
Sarah on the rope swing!
Rachel says "thanks Uncle Paul"
Richard and Uncle Paul helping Sarah get ready for a big swing!
And one last swing by Richard! What a fun time!
*One of the best things that we were able to do on our trip was to actually find a woman, Deb, that Richard met and taught on his mission and had been looking for her for almost 10 years! We stopped by her old house and found out from a neighbor her new married name and that she had moved to a town just south of there. So we looked her up and stopped by.
She opened the door and when she realized who Richard was, she started to cry! She was so happy to see him!!!!!!!!! You could just feel the love she had for this missionary that she met more than 10 years ago. It was a wonderful visit!!!!!! So glad we found you, DEB!!!!!!!!!!
Deb and Richard, great friends!
Deb and Richard, great friends!
*On the way home we stopped by and visited some Amish people and bought Richard's mom some of her favorite potato peelers!
So, a crazy and fun trip that took only 2 days and we forgot to pack a few things (pjs for me and Rachel, my pillow, and jackets for us), but it was such a fun family time!!!!
HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR CRAZY FAMILY ROADTRIP!!!!!!
