Summer Fun--Week 7

The girls and I did our best to show Julia a good time in Rochester. We made sure to take her to all our favorite stops...Newt's, Flapdoodles, Pi, RAC and Country Club pools, and she even joined me for three days of boot camp.

Watching swimming lessons with Mrs Larson

Love the "free" freeze pops at the CC pool

Snuggled up together watching a show before bed.

Chillin at the RAC pool during a lifeguard break.

Pool divas

Yep, had to go to Flapdoodles post pool. Because summer.

On Wednesday we had a fun day of beauty. The girls had haircuts, and then we all went to get pedicures together. It was the first time the girls had ever been to a nail salon and they were NOT disappointed!

Adrienne, post haircut, where she asked for her hair to be styled "smoov"

She enjoys a salon way too much. Just relaxing while Jillian took her turn in the chair.

Jillian decided to go for a big change. She was tired of trying to take care of long curly hair with lots and lots of tangles (and refused to let me do it for her). I was so happy she decided (on her own) to shorten her locks a bit. Shorter hair looks great on her!

Enjoying some nail salon pampering. Jillian looked over at me and said, "We really should do this more often, Mom".

This picture of Adrienne just cracks me up. Living the life. She was so funny while the massaging chair was going. She turned to Julia and asked, "how does that little man get in there to rub my back?" Ha!

On Thursday afternoon we hit TJ Maxx for a bit. Always amusing to see what types of things my children are attracted to in stores, and just solidifies my need to continue to just purchase their clothes without their help!

 

On Friday morning, we loaded up and went back to Des Moines. I did some cooking for the weekend once there, and we just relaxed and of course had to hit up Tasty Tacos. The girls camped in the basement with Grandad, and they have started really enjoying his boyhood stories, full of drama and excitement. I wish they would listen to me this intently!

On Saturday morning, we loaded up (yes, again) and drove to Muscatine, where we were to collect Matt and Tim after their successful bike ride across Iowa. Here is Matt at the finish after dipping his front tire in the Mississippi. Yay, Matt! 

We found Daddy!

Uncle Tim and Julia

They did it!

After a quick lunch in Muscatine, we drove through Conesville to see Grandma Paula's family farm. The girls posed in front of the old Singleton farm.

The boys made fun of us for our coordination. We did NOT plan this at all. Great minds think alike.

We then headed over to Columbus Junction to visit Great Grandma Helen and stay at her house for the night. Matt quickly found a bed for a nap.

The girls enjoyed new Barbies from Grandma Helen, and secret ice cream snacks.

Julia is such a good sport.

Grandma Mary came over to visit, too. She is Grandma Paula's step mom. It was so cute to see Helen and Mary chat and reminisce.

Just before dark, we made the mandatory trek to the Tasty Freeze for ice cream. It was a perfect summer night to sit outside and enjoy lots of the sweet stuff.

Three ice cream lovers!

We rushed to the famous swinging bridge just before dark. Always makes me nervous, but the girls were thrilled.

Sweet Helen watching everyone run on the bridge. I quickly walked back up to join her!

We headed home very tired and happy on Sunday. We are on a 10 day stretch of home life before another road trip adventure.

Summer Fun--Week 6

So begins the first of two weeks' worth of posts--two super fun, yet super crazy and tiring weeks. Let's see how many more times I can use the word 'super'. Here we go.

This first picture is notable, because we just so happened to run into Jillian's very best school friend, Noah, and his brother and dad at Target. This was the first sighting since school was out. Big excitement. I snapped this pic to send to Noah's mom at work. When we got in the car after our shopping, I was quickly put in my place--J: "Mom you look like a crazy person taking pictures all the time. People are going to think you are nuts". Awesome. Luckily, Adrienne quickly came to my rescue: "I think it makes us look like a very nice family".

Matt was off the first part of the week for comp days. He took advantage of this time to start packing for RAGBRAI. Only a man would pack by laying out his clothes in a garage.

On Wednesday, Matt took the girls on a little adventure. They went to a beach in Lake City and frolicked in Lake Pepin (aka largest part of the Mississippi River)

They ended this adventure with a trip to Dairy Queen. It was the first time the girls had ever been to a Dairy Queen. Gasp! This is what happens when you live in the same town as Flapdoodles. 

Speaking of Flapdoodles, I took the girls there on Thursday after a trip to the pool.

On Friday afternoon, we loaded up the car and the bikes and headed down to Des Moines in preparation for the RAGBRAI adventure. I brought snacks in the car to tide us over until a late pizza dinner at G and G's, but Adrienne kept politely declining my offerings saying, "I'll just get a snack when we stop to get gas". This is code for, "please stop at a Casey's and get me some Cheetos!" The addiction is strong. Sigh.

We arrived at Grammy and Grandad's, and Uncle Tim and Julia arrived just a few minutes after us. Brothers reunited, ready for a biking adventure.

I was not going to have a biking adventure. I was going to have an adventure in eating as much of my mom's turtle ice cream pie as possible. Because I have goals, too.

On Saturday morning, the girls stayed at G and G's while Julia and I drove the boys over to Glenwood to drop them off at RAGBRAI. It was HOTTTT outside. We were ready to get back in the air conditioned car about 5 minutes after we dropped them off, but we did our best to be supportive and stay until their tents were set up and they were settled.

Uncle Tim sporting my white bike helmet.

Julia and I did a little shopping on our way back to Des Moines and then relaxed that night. We got up and loaded up for the trip back to Rochester (with Julia in tow!), and made it back just in time to enjoy our favorite Chester's brunch outdoors. It was a great kick off to our girls week!