MacBride Raptor Center/Cedar Valley Nature Trail

It's a Beautiful Day....Today Emily and I went exploring the Sugar Bottom area near Mahaffey Bridge.  I had the opportunity to speak with a Marty Holbrook over the weekend and he had several great suggestions to add to our list of things to do this summer.  We want to thank Marty for this great day!  We started our adventure at the Cedar Valley Nature Trail at Sugar Bottom Campground.  This is a nice trail that weaves in and out, and up and down, across small brooks and around rock cliffs.  Emily and I had a great time.

We then moved on to the MacBride Raptor Center.  Emily had the opportunity to visit the Center when she was in Second Grade for the end of the year field trip.  This was my first time.  If you have not yet had a chance to see this Center you must go.  It is quite, has 10 beautiful rescue birds on display, a butterfly garden and a WONDERFUL bird blind.  We both fully enjoyed "hiding" in the blind to bird watch but were surprised when a doe and its baby decided to come into the area to feed.  We both sat in total silence while we watched these deer feed just feet away from us.

Things I learned today.   1) Emily is looking forward to Middle School and hopes that she has Math either 1st or 2nd period because that is when her brain "works" the best :)  2) Emily does not believe that I would win if I were to get into a fight with a deer....I on the other hand fully believe that I could take that deer :)  3) Not all trails loop and that it only takes about 1 hour for my mind to fully believe that we were lost and that the best course of action is to retract our steps.  4) Conversations can take strange turns when you have the opportunity to walk and think and talk about whatever comes to your mind (hence the deer fight conversation).  5) Emily cheats at the Estimation Game because she continues to change her estimation throughout the game until she wins.  6) You don't always have to talk to understand your child....I love the quiet time when I know that she is thinking and I am thinking and then we find we were thinking about the same thing!

Coincidence of the day....I enjoyed signing along with U2 to their song "Beautiful Day" driving back into Lone Tree.  I think those lyrics are the perfect end to the day.....It's was a beautiful day...don't let it get away...beautiful day.......Rock on U2!

The Big Treehouse

Our adventure today started early with a trip to Marshalltown to visit The Big Treehouse at Shady Oak Campground.  It is true that most of us have dreamed of just throwing up a scrap piece of plywood board on the lowest of branches and calling it our treehouse....this treehouse has 12 levels, multiple swings, and a spiral staircase!  Our guide was a lovely older lady named Mary Gift.  She led us through all 12 levels adding fun little anecdote about the building of the treehouse by her grandson and the gardens that surrounded us.

My nephew Brady joined us on this adventure.  Like most boys when he heard it was a treehouse he could not resist.  Emily and Brady are two peas in a pod and are a joy to be around.  I think that we might even have him talked into joining us for other adventures as the summer continues.

Bizarre fact for the day - come to find out the builder of this treehouse was my high school vocal teacher.  It was nice to talk with Mrs. Gift as she remembers a lot of people from the area and was interested in catching up with the town buzz.

Peanut Butter Smore Burritos

There is a saying that when the cat is out the mice shall play. Well today I had to work on the computer all day. I could hardly wait to see the video that came out of the full out belly laughing from my kitchen today. Enjoy!

Cubs vs. Yankees

Happy Father's Day to Gary.  We have had the great pleasure of making annual trips to Chicago to enjoy a Cubs game.  While we don't see them win much we very much enjoy taking the girls to Wrigley Field.  This year the Cubs took on the Yankees.  They tried to make a run at the end which was very exciting but ended up losing 3-4.  Even though it is too much walking and too many people and too much money we always enjoy our weekend in Chicago.

Navy Pier, Chicago

Decided to take Gary into Chicago for Father's Day.  Main attraction is a Cubs game which we will do tomorrow but tonight was all about Navy Pier.  If you have not had the chance to get to Chicago you must go.  We can't afford anything more than a long weekend but that is enough time for us to sample the "Windy City" and will also give us the much needed appreciation of living in little old Lone Tree.  Bubba Gump at Navy Pier is a favorite dining attraction of ours and after 1 hour and 45 minute wait we were not disappointed.

Best thing about tonight.....I had my girls all to myself....not one cell phone in site....not one uninvited guest.....just me, Gary and my two beautiful daughters.....that alone was worth the wait.

Weed Park

Emily and I headed out today to find one of the two lighthouses that are located in Iowa.  Lighthouse? Well, not quite but we did find that the location of this lighthouse is another gem in Iowa.  Google told us that the lighthouse is located in Weed Park...I thought to myself, I've been there...it has a great swimming pool.  Well folks, next time in Weed Park take a pair of tennis shoes and a camera because this place has so much more than just a great swimming pool. 

The first gem we found was my favorite the Zoo Garden.  Many years ago Weed Park must have had a small zoo...the animals are now long gone but someone came up with a WONDERFUL idea and created this garden.  The metal animals and the beautiful gardens are quite a treat and Emily and I enjoyed it very much.

The Rose Garden........Probably Emily's favorite because she took the camera and turned into an amature photographer.  Her photos are posted on the right sidebar...enjoy!  The garden also has a gazebo that Emily reenacted one of our favorite scenes from the Sound of Music.  The picture makes me want to burst into song "I am sixteen going on seventeen......"

Finally the Lighthouse.......while small in size and probably has never led a sailor home from sea it is a nice addition to this small pond at Weed Park. 

Side note:  Emily found her first Reading Tree and after a short climb found a great spot to enjoy her book.  See our Summer Reads to view our first choice in books.

Devonian Fossil Gorge

Just goes to show you that you never know what is in your own backyard.  Emily and I spent over an hour exploring the Devonian Fossil Gorge.  It is a good thing that they use markers because neither Emily nor myself would make a very good paleontologist but we had a great time jumping from rock piece to rock piece and did find a few very nice fossil pieces. 

Note to Emily:  Go to the bathroom before you start an adventure!  Note to everyone else:  There are no bathrooms at the Gorge itself....with the help of the DNR we found a bathroom and the dam spillway.  Emily and I were as impressed with the power of the water rushing through this spillway as we were with the Gorge. 

Great afternoon trip ended with a stop at the Egg Roll House for crab meat ragoons....my fortune from the cookie states:  "Take advantage of your great imagination.  It will serve you well!"  I think that Emily and my cookies got mixed up because this fortune fits her to a tee. :) 

How to make Tonka Toasters.....

Eating over the campfire is one of our family favorites.  Hotdogs and polish sausages are the normal but Tonka Toaster are a family favorite.  Emily tries her hand at a cooking show to demonstrate how to make Tonka Toaster.  Keep following to see Emily and maybe Ella make a few of their other favorites.

Welcome to our Summer to Remember

Don't get me wrong.....I love softball.  My girls have played every summer since Ella was in Kindergarten.  We joke that if you need to find us in the month of June you need to check the softball field BEFORE you check our home.  This year my youngest daughter, Emily, and I have decided to make a plan to do more than just softball.....not give up softball.....but make sure that we are not just waiting for the next game.  So we have listed several things that we would like to do some are free some are not, some we can do at our own home others we will have to travel, some we have done before and some will be new experiences but all of them will be documented as we make our way through "A Summer to Remember".