Behind on Blogging

I'm quite behind on blogging and seem to be having difficulty finding time to sit at my computer to sort through photos and create my simple blog posts. I have been spending time enjoying these two boys and getting ready for a vacation. It's not a bad tradeoff for being behind on my blog. I intend to post some Cattle Congress photos and a few snapshots from an overnight with my favorite two year old but those posts will wait. Life gets busy and I am having fun!

September Tradition

 This was our second year for Cattle Congress and I am ready to call it a tradition. Ashley and I took Lincoln and Walker on the opening day, Thursday. I was so excited to let Lincoln lead the way and again the cows were his favorites.

Lots has changed since last year when we took this photo. It was cooler this year. Lincoln has grown and I have shrunk.  Last year it was just Lincoln and me for much of the day but this year there were four of us. Walker was so good and so easy to bring along. I am excited for next year when Walker will be walking through the barns also. There are more photos to come but I love the contrast of the first year and this year. I've wondered what I will do when the boys are in school. Will we have to wait and go when its more crowded on the weekend?

Artapalooza 2014

 Main Street Cedar Falls is one of my favorite places in the Cedar Valley and Artapalooza has become one of my favorite events. Ashley and I showed up dressed the same. Jay and Briana joined us too then Lincoln and Travis came. It was a family event this year.

 Although this is only our second Artapalooza we seemed to have established traditions in the first year. It worked perfectly to be at Los Cabos right at 11 A.M. again to get the best seats on the patio overlooking Main Street.

 We did wander down the street looking at art, enjoying the music and the art activities throughout the downtown area. Walker cooperates with our plans and Lincoln thoroughly enjoyed the music, painting and legos.

 There were lots of activities for the young...and the not so young as well! It was a great day even though we didn't find any art to purchase this year. I had a great time and I am so grateful to have family time like this!

Sitting So Pretty

This little boy is such a happy baby and I am loving how he is changing at this stage of life. Six months always feels so different, so much more and Walker is showing all of those changes. His sweet voice "talking" more, strong enough to sit pretty well and getting very grabby. . .especially faces! I got to spend Sunday afternoon with Ashley and Walker when we traveled out of town for a baby shower. When we arrived, Ashley took a few shots of Walker with my little camera. I couldn't help but think of Lincoln in this same outfit so I dug through some photos from two summers ago and found this.

 This is Lincoln in May of 2012, nearly the same age as Walker now, just a couple of weeks younger. It's so amazing to see how much they are alike and how much they are different. It's incredible to see what a difference two years makes. Love these boys!

2,000 Miles

Today I got a "badge" from fitbit saying that I have walked 2,000 miles since I got my fitbit at Christmas. I was excited to hit that number and looked at a map to see where I would end up if I had walked from home and gone 2,000 miles in one direction. I was quite surprised to find that I would be in Nicaragua! Any direction from here would have taken me out of the continental United States. I think this may be good fuel for my motivation. The more fall-like weather helps too!

Labor Day Holiday

 Dayton Rodeo has been a favorite event for Dale and me. We missed it last year but planned our weekend so that we could get to the Monday afternoon rodeo on Labor Day. Thanks to the heavy rains on Saturday night it was a muddy mess but still very fun to watch.

 It's such a wonderful relaxing environment at the Dayton Rodeo. We love it all. Below is the wild horse race which is chaotic, scary and entertaining every year.

 We planned our route home so that we would pass through Ames for dinner at Hickory Park. It was a delicious ending to our rodeo day. We had also planned for Tuesday off so that we could enjoy the entire holiday weekend. Tuesday morning was perfect for a stop at the zoo. We see changes every time we go and I'm glad that Dale's a member.

Nebraska

Last weekend Dale and I traveled to Nebraska for a relaxing visit with my cousins, John and Mel. They are great hosts and I always love our time together. John's a wonderful cook and it's so comfortable at their home. Watching the Husker game with a group of their friends, delicious food and home brewed beer was a bonus. We also got to visit my Aunt Betty who recently turned 85. She's ten years older than my mom who is her sister. When I am with Mom or Aunt Betty I feel like its a window to what I may be in twenty or thirty years. Those Wreghitt genes run strong!

  

It's always fun to spend time outside at John and Mel's and sunrise is my favorite time there. We got some produce from the garden and enjoyed a gator ride around the property. The sky is just huge at their home. Rarely do I travel to Lincoln Nebraska without stopping for a Runza so Dale and I had an early lunch on the way home. Runzas are delicious but not available much outside of Nebraska.

 We left early enough on Sunday morning to get ahead of the forecasted storms. Since we had a good head start we made a bit of a side trip to Glenwood, Iowa so that Dale could photograph the Mills County Courthouse. That's the 95th courthouse that we have visited in Iowa leaving just five more for Dale to photograph.

Baby Roman

 A week ago I got to go visit little Daniel Roman, his mommy and his grammy. He is just adorable and such a sweet baby. My niece, Molly continues to struggle with recovery and I pray that she heals completely and quickly. It was especially fun to see Sandi get to be a grammy too. I just love the little ones and look forward to family gatherings with more little boys!

Six Months

 It's hard to believe that Walker is already six months old. I am loving the blessing of having two grandsons to love. Walker cut his first tooth the day he turned six months and celebrated with his first solid food, avocado. The rest of us celebrated with pizza and a half of a cake. Time goes so quickly with these precious baby boys!