Heidi Kaisand
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Creativity and quilting go hand-in-hand at my Iowa house. I am a busy mother of Henry and identical twins Goldie and Virginia and a wife to Jeff. Visit my web site at www.heidikaisand.com to learn more about my retreats.Syndicate
HenandChicks
Follow the Yellow Chicken and Balloon
I'm feeling a little like Dorothy on the way to see the Oz....The next two days of "traveling" to my retreat will be on a long, curvy path, with a few bumps along the way. But it is going to lead me to three days of fun and excitement at the first quilt retreat I'm hosting. And, I'm sure after three days, everyone will be ready to click their heels and get home. As I always tell Henry when I travel "it's fun to go places and meet people and see things I've never seen before, but it's always so good to be home."
To help my retreat guests find their way to the retreat house, my dad has created these adorable yellow chickens with a hole at the top to hold a balloon! We don't want anyone getting lost.
And, if planning the retreat wasn't enough fun, I received the following letter from a dear friend that couldn't come to the retreat.
"When you get to the retreat there will be a box there for you. You are to open it carefully, examine the contents carefully and choose wisely what you will do with each piece and when. Following the retreat you will report back to me with the results of your findings. You may not ask questions just do as you are told. The package is being sent UPS today I am assuming it will be there by Friday. This is your mission if you choose it…the box will recycle in 50 years or so. Good Luck Heidi!"
I accepted the mission with excitement!
Doesn't that just get your mind a turning...now I really can't wait for the retreat to start on Friday! The next two days are going to be packed with work at my real job and putting the final touches on everything for the retreat. So check back Friday night and I'll post some of the happenings of the first day of the retreat.
To help my retreat guests find their way to the retreat house, my dad has created these adorable yellow chickens with a hole at the top to hold a balloon! We don't want anyone getting lost.
And, if planning the retreat wasn't enough fun, I received the following letter from a dear friend that couldn't come to the retreat.
"When you get to the retreat there will be a box there for you. You are to open it carefully, examine the contents carefully and choose wisely what you will do with each piece and when. Following the retreat you will report back to me with the results of your findings. You may not ask questions just do as you are told. The package is being sent UPS today I am assuming it will be there by Friday. This is your mission if you choose it…the box will recycle in 50 years or so. Good Luck Heidi!"
I accepted the mission with excitement!
Doesn't that just get your mind a turning...now I really can't wait for the retreat to start on Friday! The next two days are going to be packed with work at my real job and putting the final touches on everything for the retreat. So check back Friday night and I'll post some of the happenings of the first day of the retreat.
40 and Loving it!
I won't say it was just another day...but I don't feel any different now that I'm 40! Yesterday was the big day and a big day it was. To tell you the truth, it was a big weekend. Here's a recap.
On Friday, the company I work for (APQS) took all of their employees to do relief work in the Parkersburg area where a F5 tornado hit Memorial Day week and severe flooding a few weeks later. We were sent to nearby New Hartford, where more than a foot of water had stood in the elementary school just about a month ago. Every classroom had to be emptied and floors ripped out. There are trying to get it ready for kids to come back to school next month. They had several jobs for us, including raking the playground rock to turn it over, spraying it with bleach, then raking it back. This is Jim Kaldenberg getting instructions from our volunteer director. You can see that what lies under the surface of the rock is not pretty! The building behind the playground shows the water line about a foot off the ground. When our tasks were done, we headed to a local restaurant for a late afternoon supper. My co-workers kicked off my birthday with a lovely tune of Happy Birthday to You and a piece of coconut cream pie! When I got home Friday night some friends brought over a chocolate chip cookie cake for the celebration. That was yummy.
For three months, I've been trying to coordinate with our friend and neighbor Marie, who also happens to be a photographer, to take 1-year pictures of the girls and pictures of all three kids. Marie is the mother of two sets of twins that are 15 months apart (now sophomores in college and seniors in high school) so she understands the word busy! Well, we finally found an hour on Saturday morning to try and take pictures. And, try, would be the important word here. After it was all done, Marie sent this picture that she took of Jeff and I trying to get all of the kids in or near the wheelbarrow. It was overcast but it was so humid and hot and it was 8 a.m. in the morning. I was just sweating trying to corral the kids! I can't wait to see what photos she got.
My mother came for the day so she and I could work on stuff for next weekend's retreat. I can't tell you about all of that until after my guests see them next weekend! But, I can tell you my mom and dad treated me to a delicious birthday cake. I love frosting and I love cakes. I had to show you a detail of the flowers on this cake. They looked pretty and tasted just good after our supper at Zeno's (my favorite pizza).
But if that wasn't enough fun, today was just as busy. Our morning started out with a pancake breakfast before church. We filled our tummies mighty full. Luckily the minister made us stand up three times during his sermon so we wouldn't fall asleep. After we got home from church we had to start getting ready for this evening activities--the church golf outing and BBQ. Jeff smokes pork loins and ribs, so we had offered to bring that for supper. I took Henry up to golf (i.e., ride in the cart with Aunt Janet and cousin Ann) while I came home to finish helping Jeff get everything done. When the meat was ready we packed the girls and meat up and headed back to the golf course. We happened to arrive just about the time several of the groups were coming around the club house.
In past blogs I've mentioned our friends Doc Lloyd and Jo Bates. (The Rose in Virginia Rose comes from Jo's full name Rosa.) Well, Jo is a giving person and volunteers in our community in so many ways. One of those roles that Jo loves to do and does so well is to take pictures and post them on either the church website or the town website. Tonight I couldn't resist taking a picture of Jo taking a picture.
Now the day is coming to a close and I'm going to turn in. Turning 40 is quite tiring.
On Friday, the company I work for (APQS) took all of their employees to do relief work in the Parkersburg area where a F5 tornado hit Memorial Day week and severe flooding a few weeks later. We were sent to nearby New Hartford, where more than a foot of water had stood in the elementary school just about a month ago. Every classroom had to be emptied and floors ripped out. There are trying to get it ready for kids to come back to school next month. They had several jobs for us, including raking the playground rock to turn it over, spraying it with bleach, then raking it back. This is Jim Kaldenberg getting instructions from our volunteer director. You can see that what lies under the surface of the rock is not pretty! The building behind the playground shows the water line about a foot off the ground. When our tasks were done, we headed to a local restaurant for a late afternoon supper. My co-workers kicked off my birthday with a lovely tune of Happy Birthday to You and a piece of coconut cream pie! When I got home Friday night some friends brought over a chocolate chip cookie cake for the celebration. That was yummy.
For three months, I've been trying to coordinate with our friend and neighbor Marie, who also happens to be a photographer, to take 1-year pictures of the girls and pictures of all three kids. Marie is the mother of two sets of twins that are 15 months apart (now sophomores in college and seniors in high school) so she understands the word busy! Well, we finally found an hour on Saturday morning to try and take pictures. And, try, would be the important word here. After it was all done, Marie sent this picture that she took of Jeff and I trying to get all of the kids in or near the wheelbarrow. It was overcast but it was so humid and hot and it was 8 a.m. in the morning. I was just sweating trying to corral the kids! I can't wait to see what photos she got.
My mother came for the day so she and I could work on stuff for next weekend's retreat. I can't tell you about all of that until after my guests see them next weekend! But, I can tell you my mom and dad treated me to a delicious birthday cake. I love frosting and I love cakes. I had to show you a detail of the flowers on this cake. They looked pretty and tasted just good after our supper at Zeno's (my favorite pizza).
But if that wasn't enough fun, today was just as busy. Our morning started out with a pancake breakfast before church. We filled our tummies mighty full. Luckily the minister made us stand up three times during his sermon so we wouldn't fall asleep. After we got home from church we had to start getting ready for this evening activities--the church golf outing and BBQ. Jeff smokes pork loins and ribs, so we had offered to bring that for supper. I took Henry up to golf (i.e., ride in the cart with Aunt Janet and cousin Ann) while I came home to finish helping Jeff get everything done. When the meat was ready we packed the girls and meat up and headed back to the golf course. We happened to arrive just about the time several of the groups were coming around the club house.
In past blogs I've mentioned our friends Doc Lloyd and Jo Bates. (The Rose in Virginia Rose comes from Jo's full name Rosa.) Well, Jo is a giving person and volunteers in our community in so many ways. One of those roles that Jo loves to do and does so well is to take pictures and post them on either the church website or the town website. Tonight I couldn't resist taking a picture of Jo taking a picture.
Now the day is coming to a close and I'm going to turn in. Turning 40 is quite tiring.
Thirsty Plants and More
Everyday when I wake up the list of things to do is long. There's preparation for my upcoming retreat. Anniversary parties (where the girls danced up a storm). Dining in the men's locker room of Glen Oaks Golf Course (a work party for Jeff---and what a locker room it was!). Watching Canada geese walk down the sidewalk of a busy street in Des Moines as if they knew it was safe to walk single file there, rather than on the street. Swimming and tubing in the pond. And, lots of watering. I talked earlier about the landscaping project at our house. It's been wonderful and I LOVE it all. But, it's also a lot of work. And, why do weeds grow so fast? A little rain and they look better than my new plants. Gotta get that Round-up out. And, after two years of no front step, we have a front step. Yeah!! Now, just to get the builder back to finish the kitchen stove hood and things will be great! But to give you an idea of why I've been busy I thought I would show you a picture of our front sidewalk.
Hope all of your summer's are going great, too.
Hope all of your summer's are going great, too.
See How Much Fun I'm Having
If you haven't heard me say it before--I love my Creative Memories StoryBook software. No, they are not paying me to say that. I just love it. I've printed by first real StoryBook and it's darn cute. And Henry's pre-school teacher seemed to love it.
But I'm also having fun using it for other things. Like creating invitations and thank yous. I just made this for my friend Karen. And, I suggested we have coordinated thank yous. This morning I sent them to Walgreens to be printed for a grand total of $9 for 30 invites and 30 thank yous. Not too bad for 45 minutes of work.
These will print as 4x6 pictures. Stick a mailing label and a stamp on the other side and you have a postcard!
And, for the July 5th party I couldn't resist doing something for the other families that came. I put this together in an 8x10 format and sent it to each of them.
There are things I would do differently if I went back and worked on them more. That's the perfectionist in me. But, I do think they are cute! Tell me what you think.
But I'm also having fun using it for other things. Like creating invitations and thank yous. I just made this for my friend Karen. And, I suggested we have coordinated thank yous. This morning I sent them to Walgreens to be printed for a grand total of $9 for 30 invites and 30 thank yous. Not too bad for 45 minutes of work.
These will print as 4x6 pictures. Stick a mailing label and a stamp on the other side and you have a postcard!
And, for the July 5th party I couldn't resist doing something for the other families that came. I put this together in an 8x10 format and sent it to each of them.
There are things I would do differently if I went back and worked on them more. That's the perfectionist in me. But, I do think they are cute! Tell me what you think.
Happy July 5th! And, belated 4th
Yesterday may have been the official holiday, but today was really the day for making memories. 2008 marked the 15th anniversary since my husband Jeff graduated from ISU Vet School. Wow! Those 15 years went fast. Jeff was in vet school when we met and married. (I'll tell that story another day.) So, earlier this spring we were joking with another one of the families about having a get-together to celebrate those years. I decided it was time to be serious about this subject and plan a party. Time gets away too quickly and we shouldn't have waited 15 years to think about having one. So, I created some invites on my Creative Memories StoryBook software (love it!) and sent them out to just 5 other families that we were good friends with in school. We knew an event on July 5 might be hard to attend between holiday plans, family plans, and on-call schedules, but again...you know, sometimes you just have to plan it and whatever happens, happens. Three families couldn't come, three, including us, could. Not bad for the first time. And, after today, we're not waiting another 15 years to have a party. In so many respects it felt like just yesterday we left school.
In the photo below are the three classmates for which the party was in honor...Dr. Kurt (black shirt), Dr. Jim (hat), and Dr. Jeff (orange shirt). Far left is Anne, my cousin and Jim's wife; Joel (belongs to Kurt and wife, Darci). Henry and Matthew (Anne and Jim's son) have their backs to the camera.
Food was a focal point throughout the day. Jeff is getting quite a following for his smoked pork ribs and loins (attend the annual Union Tar Heel Days when he feeds the city!). There was a cold meat sandwich early lunch, a rib snack bar at 2 p.m., and a pork loin feast at 4:30 p.m. Although the above photo might not have much style, or composition, it has one memory we won't soon forget. Look closely at what Henry is doing and what is in front of him. Darci had made a great taco dip. Henry had been out swimming before this so he was hungry. Well, not only did he help himself to the dip, he started eating and licking the serving spoon! Guess I better work on some of those manners. We tried to explain it to him...but I think his stomach was interferring with his listening skills.
The weather today was PERFECT in every since of the word. So, the boat got a work out. Here are from left, Becca (Kurt and Darci's youngest), Stephanie (Anne and Jim's oldest), Matthew, and Henry. It is so fun that there are several kids in the same age group. Ours are the youngest. If the other three families had come we would have had 14 kids, with the majority of them between 11 and 15.
Darci was sweet and brought flowers in the ISU colors to help us celebrate the day. Love the watermelon bowl.
For the most part I'm completely satisfied with my camera. But, on days like today I wish I had a telephoto lens. Our pond isn't that big, but it' big enough that my camera can't get close enough from the deck. Let me set the stage for the photo below. The little white thing on the left side of the image is Henry in a small snow tube that I remembered my friend Karen had given me. To the right of Henry are two things in the water...Stephanie on the left and Becca on the right. Then to the far right, you see the boat. What's wrong with this picture you might ask? Well, as the mother of Henry, who is 4, and although he loves the water, can't swim. Yes, he does have his life jacket on, but that doesn't stop a mother from fearing the worst. Well, Henry has floated "out to sea." And, the three grow men on the boat are fishing and letting the kids play. So, Stephanie and Becca apparently have decided to rescue Henry and take him a paddle. If those girls don't sleep good tonight I'll be surpised. Eventually the men did move the boat over to get Henry re-attached to the boat, but not before this mother sweated a little. Henry never was concerned by all of this. He, infact, was trying hard to "rock" the inner tube. Although there were lots of wonderful laughs and smiles today, the other memory that I'll be grinning about as I go to bed is Henry getting off the boat. We don't have a dock, so Jeff runs the boat ashore and you jump through some weeds. Well, one-by-one people were jumping off. Henry is just a little small for this. So Kurt picked him up, noting that Henry was really quite light (he weighs 39 pounds). He looked at Jim, who was ashore, and said it might be just as easy to lift him. So, Kurt grabs the back of Henry's life jacket and proceeds to hand him to Jim. All four limbs are dangling from the life jacket and I'm trying not to split a gut laughing. Of course, I wasn't quite in the right spot and ready for this photo op, so the photos I got aren't great, but the memory is. Jim sets Henry down on the ground. Henry goes on as if nothing funny had just occurred.
There were softball and baseball games for the families to attend, so the day came to a halt for the ISU Vets. But, the Kaisand boys (one big, one small) forged on into the evening. They were going to camp out tonight. Jeff found his old tent, a couple of sleeping bags, pillows, and flash light. By 8 p.m. Henry was "ready for bed." Jeff searched for a drop cord in the house to no avail. (Thought he might watch a little TV in the tent!!) I was instructed to come check on them later. The girls were in bed and sound asleep, so I headed out front to water my new plants, while the boys settled into their quarters. After the watering was done I went to the backyard to check on them. As I rounded the corner of the house, Henry's chatter filled the night air. He invited me in and informed me that the sun was setting. Could he have a snack? Back to the house I went to get a snack, some duck tape (the old tent has a few problems), and some water. I've spent the last two hours uploading photos and now writing my blog.
What a glorious day it has been! And, I'm kind of guessing I'm going to get a better nights rest than Jeff. But, what a memory Henry will have. Good night, and don't let the bed bugs bite.
In the photo below are the three classmates for which the party was in honor...Dr. Kurt (black shirt), Dr. Jim (hat), and Dr. Jeff (orange shirt). Far left is Anne, my cousin and Jim's wife; Joel (belongs to Kurt and wife, Darci). Henry and Matthew (Anne and Jim's son) have their backs to the camera.
Food was a focal point throughout the day. Jeff is getting quite a following for his smoked pork ribs and loins (attend the annual Union Tar Heel Days when he feeds the city!). There was a cold meat sandwich early lunch, a rib snack bar at 2 p.m., and a pork loin feast at 4:30 p.m. Although the above photo might not have much style, or composition, it has one memory we won't soon forget. Look closely at what Henry is doing and what is in front of him. Darci had made a great taco dip. Henry had been out swimming before this so he was hungry. Well, not only did he help himself to the dip, he started eating and licking the serving spoon! Guess I better work on some of those manners. We tried to explain it to him...but I think his stomach was interferring with his listening skills.
The weather today was PERFECT in every since of the word. So, the boat got a work out. Here are from left, Becca (Kurt and Darci's youngest), Stephanie (Anne and Jim's oldest), Matthew, and Henry. It is so fun that there are several kids in the same age group. Ours are the youngest. If the other three families had come we would have had 14 kids, with the majority of them between 11 and 15.
Darci was sweet and brought flowers in the ISU colors to help us celebrate the day. Love the watermelon bowl.
For the most part I'm completely satisfied with my camera. But, on days like today I wish I had a telephoto lens. Our pond isn't that big, but it' big enough that my camera can't get close enough from the deck. Let me set the stage for the photo below. The little white thing on the left side of the image is Henry in a small snow tube that I remembered my friend Karen had given me. To the right of Henry are two things in the water...Stephanie on the left and Becca on the right. Then to the far right, you see the boat. What's wrong with this picture you might ask? Well, as the mother of Henry, who is 4, and although he loves the water, can't swim. Yes, he does have his life jacket on, but that doesn't stop a mother from fearing the worst. Well, Henry has floated "out to sea." And, the three grow men on the boat are fishing and letting the kids play. So, Stephanie and Becca apparently have decided to rescue Henry and take him a paddle. If those girls don't sleep good tonight I'll be surpised. Eventually the men did move the boat over to get Henry re-attached to the boat, but not before this mother sweated a little. Henry never was concerned by all of this. He, infact, was trying hard to "rock" the inner tube. Although there were lots of wonderful laughs and smiles today, the other memory that I'll be grinning about as I go to bed is Henry getting off the boat. We don't have a dock, so Jeff runs the boat ashore and you jump through some weeds. Well, one-by-one people were jumping off. Henry is just a little small for this. So Kurt picked him up, noting that Henry was really quite light (he weighs 39 pounds). He looked at Jim, who was ashore, and said it might be just as easy to lift him. So, Kurt grabs the back of Henry's life jacket and proceeds to hand him to Jim. All four limbs are dangling from the life jacket and I'm trying not to split a gut laughing. Of course, I wasn't quite in the right spot and ready for this photo op, so the photos I got aren't great, but the memory is. Jim sets Henry down on the ground. Henry goes on as if nothing funny had just occurred.
There were softball and baseball games for the families to attend, so the day came to a halt for the ISU Vets. But, the Kaisand boys (one big, one small) forged on into the evening. They were going to camp out tonight. Jeff found his old tent, a couple of sleeping bags, pillows, and flash light. By 8 p.m. Henry was "ready for bed." Jeff searched for a drop cord in the house to no avail. (Thought he might watch a little TV in the tent!!) I was instructed to come check on them later. The girls were in bed and sound asleep, so I headed out front to water my new plants, while the boys settled into their quarters. After the watering was done I went to the backyard to check on them. As I rounded the corner of the house, Henry's chatter filled the night air. He invited me in and informed me that the sun was setting. Could he have a snack? Back to the house I went to get a snack, some duck tape (the old tent has a few problems), and some water. I've spent the last two hours uploading photos and now writing my blog.
What a glorious day it has been! And, I'm kind of guessing I'm going to get a better nights rest than Jeff. But, what a memory Henry will have. Good night, and don't let the bed bugs bite.
MN Quilts
Before I show pictures from my whirlwind trip to the Minnesota Quilt Show, I must share one last photo from the tractor ride.
This was in the truck on the way home from Boone. It was a big trip!
While at the MN Quilt Show I didn't have time to study each and every quilt carefully, but I did get to see a few and see a few friends. Like Darlene Zimmerman, who was being honored as the Minnesota Quilt of the Year. Way to go Darlene! Her quilts are always so happy, just like she is.
And, then there are the quilts that hit home. This quilt was made by Helen Kelly, but spoke to my heart as if I had made it myself.
Working in the APQS booth was fun as always. Rachel, Pat, Ray, and Karen were working hard. The Karen I speak of is Karen McTavish. Long-arm quilters know her for her McTavishing techniques. Here we are in front of one of her quilts in our booth.
I'll be showing more quilts from the Minnesota Quilt Show on my new APQS blog later this week. I'll post a link here so you can visit that, too!
This was in the truck on the way home from Boone. It was a big trip!
While at the MN Quilt Show I didn't have time to study each and every quilt carefully, but I did get to see a few and see a few friends. Like Darlene Zimmerman, who was being honored as the Minnesota Quilt of the Year. Way to go Darlene! Her quilts are always so happy, just like she is.
And, then there are the quilts that hit home. This quilt was made by Helen Kelly, but spoke to my heart as if I had made it myself.
Working in the APQS booth was fun as always. Rachel, Pat, Ray, and Karen were working hard. The Karen I speak of is Karen McTavish. Long-arm quilters know her for her McTavishing techniques. Here we are in front of one of her quilts in our booth.
I'll be showing more quilts from the Minnesota Quilt Show on my new APQS blog later this week. I'll post a link here so you can visit that, too!
Quilts and Tractors Go Together
You might say, What? But they do have so much in common. Image quilters at a quilt show standing in front of a hanging quilt. They discuss it's workmanship, the uniqueness, the beauty. Well, on the Great Iowa Tractor Ride you'll find men standing in front of a particular tractor discussing it's workmanship (when they painted it, did they do a good job?), the uniqueness (what year was that tractor made and how many were made), and the beauty (I judge all of my tractors by their cuteness! I personally like the small John Deeres like the L, M, 40, 420).
(From left to right, Jeff, Dave, Gary, and Steve)
People who collect tractors get just as excited about their tractors as quilters get about quilts and fabric. And, just like quilters that buy fabric because it speaks to them and they have no idea how they are going to use it, tractor collectors are the same. I can assure you that we own at least 1 tractor that has no purpose other than to sit in the barn. The tractor Jeff drives on the ride is a JD 435. Only 200 tractors were made of this model. It's unique because it has a Detroit Diesel engine. While I was in Paducah at the quilt show I met a man that worked on the assembly line for these tractors. I got his name so that if Jeff wanted to contact him he could.
(Jeff on his 435)
There are so many things that make the Great Iowa Tractor Ride the perfect family vacation. This years marks our 10th anniversary of participating in this annual event. This year more than 500 tractors are registered to drive about 175 miles in three days along the scenic roads of Iowa. This is my second year to not drive because I'm driving the stoller! Although I love spending the time with the kids, I must admit I miss the driving, too. My nice little JD40 must miss me, too! But, right now I'm happy to set up our picnic blanket and watch tractors roll in to the lunch site and overnight site.
(Heidi with Henry, Virginia (in my arm), and Goldie waiting for the tractors to arrive.)
I must share a few more pictures.
Henry loves to pretend to drive. He immediately climbs up and is doing something--hauling hay to the cows, taking corn to the elevator. His imagination is wonderful. And, he doesn't get any happier than this.
Jeff is wearing the yellow vest (Gary is on the right) because he is the leader of group three. The tractors are divided by speed into 8 groups. Each group then leaves the location at a specified time and goes single file on the route. Jeff is in charge of making sure they follow the right route. There is a driver at the end of the group making sure no one gets left behind or has trouble. So, when group 3 rolls in and Jeff is not the first tractor, my heart sinks because that means something has happened to his tractor. I won't bore you with the details, but luckily they were able to fix it enough out on the road to get it working. Then a little wire at the lunch stop got him ready for the next leg of the ride.
Jeff and Henry. Not much too say...don't the smiles say it all. But, I must tell you about the generations of drivers on this event. My favorite was two men on a tractor that looked to be grandfather and grandson. The grandson was driving (must have been at least 16 since that is required) and the grandfather in the buddy seat. I hope they thought it was as special as I did!
Enough about tractors today. I have to be at the Minnesota Quilt Show in 2 hours so I better get rolling!
(From left to right, Jeff, Dave, Gary, and Steve)
People who collect tractors get just as excited about their tractors as quilters get about quilts and fabric. And, just like quilters that buy fabric because it speaks to them and they have no idea how they are going to use it, tractor collectors are the same. I can assure you that we own at least 1 tractor that has no purpose other than to sit in the barn. The tractor Jeff drives on the ride is a JD 435. Only 200 tractors were made of this model. It's unique because it has a Detroit Diesel engine. While I was in Paducah at the quilt show I met a man that worked on the assembly line for these tractors. I got his name so that if Jeff wanted to contact him he could.
(Jeff on his 435)
There are so many things that make the Great Iowa Tractor Ride the perfect family vacation. This years marks our 10th anniversary of participating in this annual event. This year more than 500 tractors are registered to drive about 175 miles in three days along the scenic roads of Iowa. This is my second year to not drive because I'm driving the stoller! Although I love spending the time with the kids, I must admit I miss the driving, too. My nice little JD40 must miss me, too! But, right now I'm happy to set up our picnic blanket and watch tractors roll in to the lunch site and overnight site.
(Heidi with Henry, Virginia (in my arm), and Goldie waiting for the tractors to arrive.)
I must share a few more pictures.
Henry loves to pretend to drive. He immediately climbs up and is doing something--hauling hay to the cows, taking corn to the elevator. His imagination is wonderful. And, he doesn't get any happier than this.
Jeff is wearing the yellow vest (Gary is on the right) because he is the leader of group three. The tractors are divided by speed into 8 groups. Each group then leaves the location at a specified time and goes single file on the route. Jeff is in charge of making sure they follow the right route. There is a driver at the end of the group making sure no one gets left behind or has trouble. So, when group 3 rolls in and Jeff is not the first tractor, my heart sinks because that means something has happened to his tractor. I won't bore you with the details, but luckily they were able to fix it enough out on the road to get it working. Then a little wire at the lunch stop got him ready for the next leg of the ride.
Jeff and Henry. Not much too say...don't the smiles say it all. But, I must tell you about the generations of drivers on this event. My favorite was two men on a tractor that looked to be grandfather and grandson. The grandson was driving (must have been at least 16 since that is required) and the grandfather in the buddy seat. I hope they thought it was as special as I did!
Enough about tractors today. I have to be at the Minnesota Quilt Show in 2 hours so I better get rolling!
Today, June 17, 2008
5:15 a.m.
Jeff is already up and gone to do chores. As I awake, the sun is coming up. The sky is so blue with a glorious pink and orange on the horizon. No sound of children, so I better get the day started. I head into my home office to check my three e-mail accounts, a few blog stops, and answering the overnight e-mails. A few of my favorite early-bird friends even responded back!
6:21 a.m.
I can hear the girls starting to stir on the monitor. Better hurry. I jump into the shower and get dressed. Good thing I'm a no-fuss kind of girl. I head back to the computer to answer an e-mail. While in the shower I was able to think clearly and respond.
6:40 a.m.
Girls are busy chatting in their room when I arrive at the door. I'm greeted with the biggest smiles. We change diapers and chat with Dad, who has come home from doing morning chores. After the girls are dressed we head to the kitchen to finish unpacking the stuff I bought on the marathon Target shopping trip last night. (Pampers were on sale...had to buy 8 boxes!)
7:10 a.m.
Girls are now in their highchairs eating fruit cocktail and monkey bread from the local farmer's market. Aunt Janet brought that for the kids (big and little kids). Henry peeks out of his room at the end of the hall. We get him some juice and his monkey bread, too. By now the time is going quickly. Henry must get his swimtrunks on. (I ask him several times to stop playing with the tractors and to get dressed. I'm interupting his plowing.)
7:50 a.m. We're all loaded in the car. A quick stop at the Fiscus farm to pay twin sister Elise for helping the night before while I was at Target. Of course, Henry spots the tree house and wants to play. Unload...play for 3 minutes...reload. With the promise to return soon.
8:19 a.m. Time to unload the girls at Larsen's. Henry and I head to State Center for the last day of swim lessons.
8:45 a.m. A quick stop at Casey's for a diet Pepsi and strawberry milk to go!
8:53 a.m. Henry gets ready to get into the pool. He has enjoyed his week of lessons. He loves to jump in the pool from both the side and the diving board! And, noodles are the best for swimming around.
10:08 a.m.
I've dropped off Henry at Larsen's and zip back home to get busy working.
10:19 a.m.
My mother-in-law has donated 2000 sheets of poster board to our creative activities and has arrived to unload them. Do you have any idea how much this weighs? Let's say we set them in the garage and I'll figure out how to get them to the basement later. And, in a later post, the topic will be--what can we do with 2000 sheets of posterboard?
10:30 a.m.
I sit down at the computer and phone and download 37 e-mails since I left the computer earlier. While I'm busy working inside, the guys from Earl May are busy working on the landscaping. I'm SO excited about this. Remember the earlier pile of stones...we're making progress. More photos to come. And, in our back hall, our contractor was finishing a built in coat closet....pictures of that too come, too.
3:45 p.m.
I leave the office a little early because we have hair cuts for the kids--the first for the girls. Down to Larsen's I go to load everyone up and head back to Union.
4:26 p.m.
We unload everyone at Kathleen's. And, then the fun begins. First Henry. Isn't he handsome? She put "jelly" in his hair. He later told me it was grape jelly.
Then Goldie. She wasn't too sure about the combing, but she did pretty good.
And, Virginia wasn't at all thrilled to sit in the chair. But, when she saw her self in the mirror she was quick to give a wave.
5:15 p.m.
Back home to unload everyone. I put the girls in the stroller so they can eat supper while Henry rides his bike around. After supper we take a brisk walk up to the mailbox to grab the mail. Then back to the house for running around outside.
6:30 p.m.
We need a little distraction as Henry is quite sad he can't go with Dad to the farm tonight. So, I decide we'll do something. A call to the Fiscus family to see if the tree house is available. I load everyone up and drive the 3 miles to their house. The tree house was a hit for about 30 seconds. Enjoyment came from so many things.
Like visiting the pigs. They were acting all crazy because they didn't know his name, or so he told me. 
Watching the cows. I wonder who is more curious about who? The cows or the kids?
Never miss an opportunity to climb a fence. 
7:45 p.m.
A final sippy cup of milk for the girls. And, Henry needs some, too.
9:08 p.m.
Writing blog, playing power rangers, fixing tractors, and needing to go fix supper for Mom, Dad, and Henry. Although Dad isn't home yet!
Tomorrow, another day. I enjoy every minute.
Update on the PPS
The reception to the Pajama Pant Society has been wonderful. Virginia has been very busy reviewing applications for the organization and would like to announce the following new members.
Cousin Megan, a charming young lady that brings her own creativity to the group. Megan is becoming quite the quilter.
Cousin Ryan, a busy young man! He will surely keep the PPS on its toes.
Cousin Megan, a charming young lady that brings her own creativity to the group. Megan is becoming quite the quilter.
Cousin Ryan, a busy young man! He will surely keep the PPS on its toes.
Pajama Pant Society
Much like the well-know Purple Hat Society, twin daughter Virginia is a member of the Pajama Pant Society. This organization promotes wearing of pajama pants as a fashion statement. But, rather than those pants being worn in the usual location on your legs, this society stresses the importance of wearing them on your head. Color cordinated pajama pants with your garment (pajamas, of course) is an extra plus.
Welcoming new members to the society is a steady job, but Virginia loves the challenge. Here Virginia waves at sister Goldie through the door to come on in and see what the organization is all about.
If you'd like to join the Pajama Pant Society, please send a photo of you wearing pajama pants on your head as your audition for membership. Virginia will let you know if your membership has been accepted.
Welcoming new members to the society is a steady job, but Virginia loves the challenge. Here Virginia waves at sister Goldie through the door to come on in and see what the organization is all about.
If you'd like to join the Pajama Pant Society, please send a photo of you wearing pajama pants on your head as your audition for membership. Virginia will let you know if your membership has been accepted.