I am back on the farm after a week in Peoria. It was great fun seeing Drew and Kayley begin their school year as a Kindergarten and First grade student. They both did so well getting on the bus and through their first day! Of course, now they have gone an entire week so I will assume all is still going fabulously.
This past week has been busy, hectic and rather frustrating! The good news, the outside of our home is entirely finished and the bay window set and stained and looking majestic. :-) It truly looks like a brand new home although I am having to get used to our gable color choice, as it is a bit redder than I recalled from the sample but it still looks great compared to what was "dangling" up there!
The frustrating part has been our flooring. It was supposed to be finished on August 3rd and would have if we hadn't started finding flaws in the tiles. They started pulling damaged ones, replacing and re-grouting and ordered more. So we waited another week to get them. Upon arrival, many of those were damaged and we told the installer to forget it, I was going to go have a visit with Joe Redecker, the owner of the store. I should have gone with ceramic tile but I have read so many great things about luxury vinyl tile and how easy it is to care for, etc., that I wanted that and it is a bit cheaper, too. They told me to go look at the Armstrong tile display (I had Mannington....don't ever get it) and brought some tiles home. Mark and I selected one and had him order it. The installer was going to come by some evenings, when he could, and do the floor. We told him we wanted a full crew and to get this done, not piece by piece. Another visit with Redecker's and we now have a full crew coming this Wednesday and they will be done Friday. Please make it be true. We have toilets sitting out on our front landing for days. If this were Phoenix, those pots would have been long gone but thankfully they are still there in all there glory.
Enough of all that! Mark and I will welcome our Labor Day visit to Lake Okoboji and our great friends Nancy and Jim. I cannot wait to see them, it has been too long. Megan and family are joining us there, as is Matt, so a great family time for us all. Nancy is a saint to put up with us all. :-)
I had some left over pics and videos from my Peoria visit so will post them now. The first video is our visit to a Japanese restaurant with the kids. Drew's face is fun to watch.
Perhaps the following video is only funny to Grandma but I thought it pretty hilarious. Kayley wanted to read a book to me "in Spanish" after her very first day of Kindergarten and having her first spanish lesson. Drew and I chuckled but we told her to go for it. Drew and I actually sat there rather dumbfounded listening to Kayley's "Spanish". :-)
Beautiful day to swing!
Am I excited for my school meeting tonight?
At Monkey Joe's for some jumping
More Monkey Joe's
It is finally here! Our first day of school.
Everyone thinks he smiles all the time.....
Most of the time
Ryan loves to be outdoors
East side of the house...new door and windows
The board is for our deck. Note nice new deck lights!
We have had so many things going on simultaneously that it has been a
whirlwind! We had Drew and Kayley at the farm for a week and now I
have been in Peoria for a week, driving them back last Saturday to their
home and spending another week with all of them. I wanted to get some
Ryan time as he was too little to have at the farm.
Drew
and Kayley had a great time. Each visit they find something new to
occupy their hours. Last time it was rocks and cutting weeds out of the
beans. This visit they spent gathering tools (wooden sticks of all
sizes) to work on a dead tree. We have several but they were
particularly fond of "Tall Paul" and "Spread Eddie". Drew selected
these names. Naturally the golf cart and lawn mower cart got a
work-out, too.
While they were with us, the outside of
our house was being totally transformed and they enjoyed watching the
workers and the workers got a kick out of them. While on the lawn mower
cart, one remarked that he didn't know they were supposed to bring a
float. That gave Drew and Kayley the idea to come by on it and throw candy to them
while they were taking a break, just like in a parade. That gave them all a
good laugh. They didn't want to leave the farm but they also wanted to
see Ryan and Mom and Dad so it wasn't too bad getting them to go.
Kayley did shed a few tears when we let the air and water out of
Pirate's Bay. :-) She also cried telling grandpa good bye.
We
have had fun this week in Peoria, too. Tomorrow is a very big
day.....Drew begins 1st grade and Kayley starts kindergarten and riding
the bus. Mommy is hoping that neither cry getting on the bus. They can
be quite shy when they want to so we will have to wait and see. They
both seem extremely excited about it but when it actually arrives......
I
am returning to Iowa on Saturday with the anticipation that the outside
of our home is finished. I cannot wait to see it. The only thing that
will not be done is a new deck, which we will do next summer when we
return from AZ. We also put in new flooring in the kitchen, laundry and
all three bathrooms. It isn't quite finished but what is done looks
lovely and I really like it!
Some pics and videos from our adventures:
Drew and Kayley getting off their first wooden roller coaster ride at Adventureland. Let's just say they were not entirely impressed!
Drew and Kayley spent LOTS of time working on this tree with their "tools"
Always a fun time in Pirate's Bay
Finally, another tree hugger besides me in the family!
Kayley thinks she can push it down.
Working, working, working on that tree!
Uncle Matt and kids at Adventureland
They loved climbing on all the tractors
Kayley in her great grandfather Swanson's WWII hat
At least our huge pond of nothing provided some fun!
In the combine
Time for shopping at Peoria's Target store
For some reason, Peoria play areas contain a lot of Catepillar displays. :-)
Well, since my last post I have been BACK to Peoria for the 4th and had Drew and Kayley here at the farm for a week! Thus the reason I have not posted! :-)
Mark and I drove his truck out to Peoria for the 4th because the oldest two were coming back with us and they wanted to take bikes, golf clubs, etc. and I knew it would never fit in my Camry. Matt joined us all in Peoria for the 4th and we had a great week-end. Of course we took in the BEST fireworks in Illinois and the top 3% in the nation. We are believers. Twenty minutes of non-stop awesomeness!
The following Sunday we headed to the farm with Drew and Kayley. Long ride but they were very good and I am sure farm excitement helped that situation. They were here until the following Sunday when Megan and Ryan drove here to pick them up for another long ride home! We had such an awesome time....Pirate's Bay, golf, rock picking, weed cutting, garden harvesting, stick picking and bonfire. It was hard to see them leave but I will be the first to admit Granny needed some rest time! Ha! They kept me going every single second and I loved it! Lots of pics and videos from the 4th and the farm visit.
First up, bicycle safety town. The kids love this place and they should....very neat.
I would say Peoria has the most awesome fireworks I have ever experienced. Noisy but this is for Drew.....he wanted me to post. :-)
Ready to head out to the river front for the fireworks
Patriotic Kayley
Drew getting air born on this great dive!
Grandma with a special princess
In the truck, ready to go to Iowa!
First stop, JD tractor ride
Lawn mower cart is always popular
Drew loved Grandpa's big weed in his beans. :-(
Pirate's Bay!
Rock pickin' buddies
Tampoline at the neighbors
Grandpa shows them how to catch a live raccoon with marshmellows!
I spent 5 nights in Peoria babysitting for Megan and Andy so they could have some fun in Nashville. I arrived a week ago Wednesday and they left Thursday at noon. Drew, Kayley, Ryan and I had a marvelous time. We spent a lot of time in the pool due to hot temps. We also had to look out the window many times for approaching storms but made it through those, too. I was able to attend another Drew BB game, always fun!
I am now back on the farm and we really cannot believe the year we are having. Mark, just today, planted his final bean field. June27! I am sure that will be a bumper crop! Ha! My garden looks good and healthy, though! :-)
We are heading back to Peoria for the 4th and Matt will join us there. This has become our new 4th of July destination....great fireworks on the Illinois River. Sunday we will be bringing Drew and Kayley home with us to the farm for a week so are very excited about that. Best get the golf cart charged and Pirates Bay inflated. I do believe there are many rocks in the fields so hope they still think that is a great time! Ha!
Some videos and pics of my time with my grandchildren:
He is getting ready to put a hot dog on his new grill
Drew and Kayley have new golf clubs
Ryan watching his siblings in their pool
I love raspberries!
I also love my own pool
Ryan wasn't too sure about his first pool but soon learned to love it!
