Fall Family Weekend in Iowa

The family all came home for a fall family weekend. The fun began on Friday evening as Brent, April, Cade and Kasen arrived from Indianapolis and Melissa, Landon and Owen came from Cedar Rapids.  Scott was drumming at a church concert and came Saturday.  Supper, play time, stories and then bedtime for the boys.

Landon showing Uncle Brent his Lego catalog.

The book of choice for Owen and Melissa - Berenstein Bears

The Iowa - Iowa State football game was the main event of Saturday, but first we had a brunch and invited my mom, dad, Judy and Jim.  Then family photos!

Pre-brunch breakfast for the boys!

Go Hawkeyes!

My boys!

Brunch

Mom, dad, Judy and Jim

Family Photo Time!  

The family in our Iowa Hawkeye gear.

The Kahlers

Papa and Nana with our four boys!

The boys with their great grandpa and grandma Bauer.

The Showalters

Game time!
Brent, April, Scott and Melissa went to Iowa City to cheer on the Hawkeyes.  We had the privilege of having the boys for the afternoon.  We headed to the park for some outdoor play.

Little Kasen enjoying the park

Cade

Landon

Owen

Naps, supper, baths and story time with the boys before the parents get home.

SUNDAY MORNING we went to the Bauer family farm.  The boys got to ride the tractor, combine, scoop, four-wheeler, and sit on the big bulldozer.

Labor Day

Come play at our house!  We enjoyed having Scott, Melissa, Landon & Owen, my mom and dad, sister Judy and Jim, brother Bob and Lori over for fun and food.

Some ladder golf

Nice toss Owen

Such concentration, Landon!

Taking a break.

Digging and playing under the tree.

Lunch time!

Aunt Lori reading stories from the iPad before nap time.

Computer time (no nap for Landon)

Math and word games on the iPad.

Scott working on his school plans while
my dad and Jim nap!

Judy and I playing Sequence with my mom.

The m & m tradition among papa and his boys:
tap, tap, tap, EAT!

Cubs & Iowa FB in CHICAGO

Wednesday noon we took off for Chicago to take in two Cubs games and the Iowa football game vs. Northern Illinois at Soldier Field.  We stayed at the JW Marriott and took the train out to Wrigley field on Thursday.  Cubs won vs. Brewers.  Friday was Iowa day at the Cubs game vs. Giants.  Cubs won again!

A view of Wrigley Field from the train platform.

Cubs vs. Brewers on Thursday.
Cubs manage 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win:  12-11!

Hawkeye Day at Wrigley field on Friday.
Cubs win!

We meet up with Don's brother, Dean and Cindy from Texas
who are in Chicago for the weekend.  

Don and I ate out at Gene and Georgetti's an old Chicago steak house.

We started the day on Saturday by tail gating with the Showalter group:  Steve, Holly, Craig, Amy, Dean, Cindy, friend Charles and Brenda, and Cindy's cousin and husband at the house that Steve rented in Wrigleyville.  Then off to Soldier Field for Iowa vs. Northern Illinois.

Iowa 18 - Northern Illinois 17
Iowa scored in the last minutes to take the lead.

At Soldier Field.

Sick Days with Owen

Sweet little Owen had a fever and thus papa and nana were called to see if we could stay with him on Wednesday shortly after school had started.  Of course we'll be there.  Wednesday turned into Thursday and Friday and we loved it!  Poor little guy - five days of fever.  We snuggled, played lots of board games, watched movies, and attempted some regular play.

Poor little guy!

Big brother Landon wasn't too happy about going to school
while papa and nana were at his house all day.
Papa took him to school and picked him up so that made him happy.

We played many, many, many games of Candy Land.

Zingo was also a popular choice during sick days.

A few times we played with vehicles or super heroes.

Pegs in the Park was another favorite.

Qwingle - we didn't really know how to play this one
so we turned it into a matching game.

Happily by Friday it was back to wrestling!

We are so glad to be retired and able to help out in situations like this!  We loved our extra time at the Kahler house - helping with Owen, playing with Landon before and after school, yummy meals, and time with Scott and Melissa.