I-O-W-A!

Get ready...this is a big one! I can't begin to tell you how many pictures are in this, but that makes it more fun...and fun we had. This past weekend, Hayley and I joined our dad in good old Davenport, Iowa. My dad had left earlier in the week to visit his mom and brothers. We started out, early Friday morning. My mom picked up up at 4:30am. We flew to Denver and then took a small plane to Moline. No problems!



We arrived and dad was there to get us! We were back in the Mid-west!





We checked into our hotel and were off to see G-ma! G-ma looked as lovely as always. We hung out for a little bit then headed to dinner at Jim and Anne's. Taco Pizza! That was one of the things I wanted in Iowa and we got it the first night! Everyone came over to see us, Uncle Dan, Uncle Jim, Anne, our cousins Elle, Karson, Yale, and Chelsea (her husband and their sons.) We had a full house. Somehow, we ended up guessing the outcome of the game. We guessed which team would win and what the total points would be. We wrote it down and put it in an envelope with $5 to be opened only after the game. (By the end of the night, Uncle Jim was in about $45, because all the kids wanted in.) We had some wonderful Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake for dessert. Then it was time to call it a day.


The next morning was GAME DAY! It was finally here. We were picked up by our dad, Uncles Jim and Dan, and Karson and we were off to Iowa City. On the way, we saw cars with flags and lots of people with Hawkeye shirts making the trip. As we exited the highway and came closer to the stadium, we say more and more people heading to the game. We found our parking lot and the fun began. We walked around a little bit and saw all the people tailgating. I wish that I had taken a picture to show you. (it is all on the video camera) The hillside was covered with tents, flags, chairs, and BBQs. It was a sea of Black and Gold. (I am not exaggerating, there were people everywhere.) Let’s do a time check…9:00am. Game time…11:00am. These people were serious. Who knows how long they had been there! This game was The University of Iowa Hawkeyes VS. Northwestern Bulldogs. It was also homecoming. We walked over to the practice stadium and the Alumni Band was practicing. They looked like they were having a lot of fun. They didn’t sound too bad either. We took some pictures and continued on our way.

Behind this huge thing was the practice field where we saw the Alumni Band.



On the way to the stadium, we went into a gym where a pep rally was going on. The band and cheerleaders were there playing the fight song and cheering. Lots of fun. One thing our dad really wanted to do was get a picture with Herky, the Hawkeye’s Mascot.



I would have never guessed this was going to happen. We had to knock over some kids, but we got our picture with Herky. (We didn’t really knock anyone down.) We took some more pictures and were off into the stadium at last! (I had a backpack with Hayley’s and my things and we got all the way to the gate and wouldn’t let me take it in. Uncle Jim was nice enough to take it all the way back to the car for me…Thank you!)

Neil Kinnick infront of Kinnick Stadium. A photo must!



We finally were in! We were actually there. We found our seats right on the 40 yard line. We sat our dad, Hayley, Karson, and then me. We were excited beyond description.

We made it!



Why we came...



Our faces say it all!!!



The band played, Herky took the field, and the anticipation began to rise. The music started to play and there were great graphics and video on the big screen.




Then we saw Kirk and the players in the tunnel. The crowd stood on their feet cheering. They took the field and we knew this was it! We couldn’t stop smiling!






The Hawks were the first to receive and the first to score! They were leading at half time. Sadly, the Hawks didn’t score in the second half and Northwestern won the game 22-17. In the last minutes of the game, Iowa had a chance at the win, but just couldn’t pull it off. It was still a great time. In the car, we opened the envelope to see who won. Hayley…Northwestern 34. Karson…Northwestern 35. Uncle Jim…Northwestern 43. It was a tie, but we let Karson win! Good job Karson.



We got back to Davenport, cleaned up and were off to Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan’s for dinner. Aunt Susan is the best cook this side of the Mississippi! We had pulled pork and potatoes and two kinds of salad. It was all amazing. For dessert, Turtle Ice Cream Cake from Whitey’s. (The other thing I wanted in Iowa…Whitey’s Ice Cream!) We took some more pictures and hung out.

Hayley, Yale, Elle, Karson, and me at Aunt Susan and Uncle Dan's House.



G-ma and her grandkids



The boys-Jim, Tom, and Dan



A mom and her boys (except John)



The next day was Father/Daughter Day. We drove around and dad took us to see all of his old schools and houses, places he worked and the city. We were able to drive out to the Arsenal and see all the buildings and houses where people lived during the Civil War. The Quad Cities Marathon was going on which gave us some problems, but we found our way. We were able to go down and see some of the John Deere tractors. They were huge. It was a lot of fun.

Hayley and some cannonballs at the Arsenal



Nothing Runs Like a Deere!



It started like this...



and ended like this...







A field where Tom played baseball



We stopped by Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan’s for some lunch. They have a great house with a wonderful screened-in-porch. We watched birds eat from the feeder and saw squirrels too. We made our way back to G-ma’s and said our good-byes. Uncle Jim brought the kids over. They stayed a little while and then it was time to go. Uncle Dan and Aunt Susan took us to the airport. We made our way through security which took about a total of 3 minutes. (very small airport) We got a snack and waited for our plane. Hayley was in charge of the tickets and left them at the food stand, but we got them back safe and sound. We boarded the plane and made our way to Denver and then Phoenix. We all made it home safely. It was sad to leave our family, but so good to be home!

Our Iowa Family
Hayley, Aunt Susan, Me, and Uncle Dan



Tom and Karson



Hayley, Elle, and me



Yale and Spike the Snake



My favorite picture...Good Old Iowa Corn



G-ma and us girls



Tom and G-ma



Going Home!



Thank you dad for taking us to Iowa. It was a wonderful trip and we are ready to go back again next year. Thank you Tim and Tyler for watching the kids so that we could go. Mom, thank you for helping the boys and checking in on them. Thank you to all of our family in Iowa for making us feel welcome and for all your wonderful cooking. Thank you Uncle Jim for the tickets and for taking my bag back to the car. Thanks Hayley for being a wonderful travel buddy. I had a great time! (Hayley took all of the pictures at the football game. Good Job!) I don’t know if this adequately describes all the fun we had, but it was wonderful! Thank you Lord for keeping us all safe!