Shoot for Two

Saturday morning I made pumpkin waffles and invited all the kids. Ashley and Lincoln came and they were yummy. After building towers and playing inside we hit the backyard to get some balls which are much better for throwing than wooden blocks. We haven't used the basketball hoop much at all this summer so we filled the balls with air and shot some hoops. Dale hoisted Lincoln up with the lighter ball and Lincoln loved shooting baskets. It was quite a work out for Dale and lots of fun for Lincoln and me. I hope that Lincoln doesn't ask me to boost him up there. It would be impossible.

UNI-Dome

It was Lincoln's first trip to the UNI-Dome and his second football game, all in one weekend! Briana shared tickets and we were excited to go to the game. Jay and Briana ended up in section C even though our tickets were in section D so we didn't see them much but we all had plenty of extra elbow room. It was lots of fun to gather near the end zone together for half-time and the third quarter. This is the only shot that I got all day, just the Panther purple. Briana wore red for her alma mater, USD and her team won in double over-time. Lincoln enjoyed the game and was quite impressed with the dome when we entered. The band and TC added to the entertainment too. Thanks for the tickets,  Briana!

First Football

Friday night, long before they needed the lights, Lincoln and I headed out for a high school football game. It was Lincoln's first trip to a football stadium and he had a great time. As soon as we entered the stadium we heard the crack of the pads and Lincoln yelled, "Pow!" and laughed out loud.

We saw running, throwing, kicking, tackling and lots of "falling down." We saw a couple of touch downs and lots of cheering. He was very engaged with watching the game and the fans. The people around us had popcorn and it looked good so Lincoln and I walked to the concession stand and he ordered for us. "Pop torn, please!"

After a quarter of football and about a quarter of a bag of popcorn it was time to head home for bedtime. We had rosy noses and big smiles. I love taking Lincoln to sporting events, basketball, hockey, baseball and now football too.

Corner Project

One thing that I didn't love when I bought this house is that there were too many garden areas. This created too many weeds and too much labor that didn't seem to bear much fruit. The garden areas line the foundation of the house so I cannot see any of the plants from inside the house and can only see some from the driveway or the patio. So my solution to the problem is to create another garden! It might not make much sense but I have been getting a work out digging up sod this week. I want to move the plants that I enjoy the most to this back corner so that I can see them from my living space. It will also free up some area behind my bedroom for a fun garden for Lincoln and me to plant in the spring. I think we may try pumpkins and sunflowers next year and if the weeds take over I will not mind that I cannot see if from the house! In the spring this corner garden should have lots of lilies and daffodils but I still have lots of work to make that happen.

Got Orange?

I am a proud Wartburg graduate but had never attended a Knight sporting event until Saturday. Dale and I had talked about making it to a game and it was the perfect day to go to our first Wartburg football game.

So many things came together to make a wonderful afternoon. It was homecoming and Wartburg won. The game was very competitive and it was fun to see how much support the team has. The stands were pretty crowded and the atmosphere was great. I loved being back on campus even though its only been eight years since I finished my last class there. I think we will make it to another football game this year or next, depending on the weather. Today was a perfect day to be out in the sunshine rather than in the dome for football. I'm so glad that we made it to Waverly.

Morning at the Mill

 We unintentionally made it most of the way to Minnesota on Saturday morning. Recently when we were heading for Lake Superior we noticed some signage for an historic mill near highway 63. I was sure it was about half an hour north of town but I was wrong. It was up near the Minnesota border and well over an hour from home.

 We left with no expectations so it wasn't terribly disappointing to drive twice as far as expected to find a grist mill that was less picturesque than we had imagined. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the Iowa harvest and we were glad to take the chance.

 Dale didn't get his camera out of the car but we did walk Mowgli and do a little exploring. All three of us seemed to enjoy getting out on the road for a quiet drive.

 This giant ear of corn was just a bonus! It seems to be made out of plastic gallon sized jugs and promotes their summer celebration. It was a fun find during our exploration. All in all it was a good adventure for a Saturday morning in October.

Friday Freeloader

 When I stopped by Ashley's house on Friday morning for a couple of hours Mowgli was very happy to see me, so happy to see me that he planted himself by my car and didn't move very far. It was obvious he wanted to be sure to go home with me. Maybe he knew it was Friday and maybe he was tired of sharing a house with a toddler who was not feeling well at all.

 Lincoln's been pretty sick this week and was pretty sad and tearful when I arrived on Friday. He was not as happy to see me as Mowgli was but eventually he showed interest in coming outside to help me plant the mum. Digging in the dirt always has some appeal. It was a great distraction as Lincoln and I cleaned out the summer plants and made a big mess on the front porch.

We sat out front for a while and even rode his bike for a bit. He is feeling better but its so hard to see him feeling sad and sick. You can see Mowgli laying by the car in this photo taken an hour after the first photo! I did take Mowgli home and he seems to enjoy the quiet at my house for now. I hope Lincoln is back to feeling his cheerful self very soon. I think that Mowgli has the same hope.