Visit to Iowa!!!

I had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend - I visited my friend Tammy, and her husband, Ryan, and their almost 2-yr. old son, Scott (Tammy is also 8 months pregnant). Weekend in a nutshell:

• Lay-over in Minneapolis-St. Paul for 3 hours. I lived there for two years, so it was actually fun to be there again, albeit I didn't leave the airport!


• A very choppy flight from Minneapolis to Cedar Rapids, where my stomach was all-over the place


• Buitenwerf's picked me up, we stopped at Starbucks (a rare occasion for them!) and Old Navy to buy Scott some flip-flops. Scott called me "Debbie" for the first day - it was hilarious. I was feeding him Starbucks threw a straw and he would say "more Debbie...", every time. Eventually, as Tammy and I would just bust up laughing, he'd say "more please Kristin".


• We drove to Elgin through a rain storm. Took a detour and went off-roading in a compact car through a meadow of wild flowers and tall grass/weeds - only in Iowa.....


• Toured the USDA office where Tammy works


• Went to "Gunderburger" in Gunder, IA (pop. 7) for dinner. We ate there last time I visited, so I guess it's become somewhat of a tradition. Last time, after I had mentioned I liked pickles, Tammy and Ryan piled all their pickles on my plate, and apparrently I didn't notice until after I had eaten most, if not all of them. Ryan gave me his pickles this time around too...


• Drove through the city of Elgin, and stopped at a petting farm and petted the calf, pups, and goats (didn't dare pet the big ole nasty pig, and the kitten was too quick to catch!)


• Attended church Sunday morning and then drove 45 minutes into Wisconsin, crossing the Mississippi River to a chinese restuarant.


• Toured the grounds of the first Governor's Mansion, minutes from their house
  

• Played with Scott outside on the swing, took a walk, and played with the "aminals', according to Scott


• Visited with some new friends, who are moving to Iowa from Kentucky, and Ryan and Tammy were dog-sitting for them


• Shot potatoes out of a home-made launcher Ryan made out of PVC pipe....only in Iowa.....


• Shot a 20-gauge rifle at clay pigeons - again, only in Iowa (well, and maybe West Virginia....)


• Attended a graduation party and had my first-ever "Walking Taco" - ask me about it!


• Watched "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" - it's a great movie - better than I thought it would be!!


• Stayed in our PJ's until 11 on Monday - now THAT is good stuff...it was cold - in the 50's - brrr....thankfully I took my flannels!


• Poor Scott fell off of the playhouse daddy Ryan is building.....he was okay, not even a bruise or scratch, just some tears...

I love my dear Buitenwerf friends - they are some of the most genuine, gracious people I know, and I am truly blessed to have them as friends. Tammy is dear to my heart and I admire her tremendously, as a friend, a mother, and a wife. That said, I don't think I could ever survive living in Iowa, so I will have to continue my visits there instead!! I know that God can move mountains, He would REALLY be moving a mountain if I were to move to Iowa!!

LOVE the picture below of Tammy shooting the rifle!