vacation 2013, part IA...

Our summer vacation was a state-packed, people-packed trip that took us to Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota, visiting many friends and family.  We started off Thursday, July 25 by driving down to Pella, IA.  Our good friends Nate and Ang and their family (who live in Ontario, Canada!) were visitng Ang's family in Pella.  We had not seen them in quite a while(4 years!) so we took the opportunity of them being so close to go and get together with them.  We met them at the Pella Pizza Ranch where we were a large enough crew that they put us in the back room.  Which ironically, Steve and I had not been in since Ang and Nate got married! =)  We all enjoyed the yummy buffet, helping various combinations of children go back when they needed too.  (with only one dropped plate and one dropped glass too! =)  And we talked and talked and talked and talked...  It is wonderful to have those friends that even though you haven't seen each other in years you just pick up right where you left off.  And the kids are all close in age so they had so much fun! 

Ang and I always get the kids a little something when we see each other.  So after supper we opened gifts.  The kids helped freezer paper stencil paint t-shirts for Corey, Hailey, Lydia and Joel.  (and also for themselves - they were wearing theirs already!)

Here they all are in their t-shirts!

And in their funny faces!

We were too busy helping the kids open their gifts to grab a picture, but they got Color Wonder packs, and chocolate Loonies, and Canada pencils!  They loved it all.  And look at the cute packaging that Ang did?!!!

Before we left we asked the waitress to take a group photo of us.  LOOK AT ALL THOSE KIDS! =)

who insisted on a funny face one too

After we ate pizza, we went back to the hotel that we were staying at for the night and swam in the pool.  Before the kids all changed into suits they all had to pile in the bathroom and shut the lights off since the paint that we used on the shirts was glow in the dark.  Oh the giggling!  At the pool we had a hard time telling all the boys apart with their short blonde haircuts. =) And Grace was so excited to have girls to play with.

The next morning Steve had a work conference call that he had to do from the hotel room, so we went to the breakfast buffet and then hung out in the lobby watching kids shows on the iPad until he was finished.  The staff kept commenting how well behaved the kids were and how cute they were in their stripey pajamas!  (Oh if only they were well-behaved all the time...)

Then we got dressed and packed up and met Nate and Ang and kids at the park in the center of town.  They had Jaarsma Bakery treats waiting for us!  YUM!

Which one is Carsten?  Which one is Joel?

The kids ran around and played while the 4 of us visited.  And in all too short of time it was time to go.  

Lots of hugs and one more group photo for the road!  Love you guys!  We hope it is not 4 years until we see them next!

We had a little bit more time to kill before eating lunch and getting on the road, so we walked around downtown Pella for a while admiring the quaint buildings and windmills.

gorgeous weather too!

After pictures in the big wooden shoes for everyone, we got in the car heading for our next state...Nebraska!