Fields of Corn and Great-Grandpa

A couple of weeks ago, we traveled to the great Corn Nation...Iowa. We were long overdue to visit Sam's grandpa and he was long overdue to see Michael. It was a 15 hour drive and we broke it down into 2 days. It was well worth the time in the car. We also got to stop and visit the St. Louis arch on the way up there...

One of the great traditions about going to Des Moines is going to breakfast at Hy-Vee. It's not your traditional breakfast joint as it is in a grocery store, but they have fantastic food and the tradition is fun to keep. Grandpa knows everyone there, so it's always fun to watch him show off his family.

Sam's Aunt Linda, Uncle Shawn, and cousin Jobe live just down the street from Grandpa, so we spent a lot of time with them. On Sunday after church, Shawn (the SuperChef) smoked some ribs and turkey and made homemade pesto and grilled corn! YUM-O! I STILL talk about that meal....so good! We also got out the slip-n-slide for Michael, but Sam enjoyed it too! It was a little small for him! ha!

Michael and Uncle Shawn (above) and grilling Iowa Sweet Corn (below)

It was good to spend time at Great Grandpa's house. Michael and Great Grandpa got to spend some time loving on each other and playing "bump" with their heads. I have pictures of me doing this with my Grandpa when I was Michael's age....

He also loved jumping (who knew?) off of the curb...apparently kids have been doing this for over 50 years! :)

Michael was a trooper! I love how he is so flexible and adjusts to new schedules and new places so easily. He wasn't even feeling well on our trip (he had a cold), but he kept his joyful attitude! We drove all the way back in one day, not making it home until 3 in the morning. Michael slept for the last 6 hours or so in the car....that made it easier on us all.

We miss you already, Great Grandpa! We can't wait to see you at Christmas!