Living History Farms

On Saturday, September 13th, we took our Drake students to Living History Farms.  This was something we had wanted to do all summer long and it felt like a great outing to do with our Malaysian friends, providing us all an opportunity to learn more about the history of Iowa, specifically farming in Iowa.  

Hani and Afifa ready for a tractor ride to take us to the first farm location.  

The tractor dropped us off first at the 1700 Ioway Indian Farm.  

Hudson ran inside the Indian house and said it was "so big."  Ha!  

Hani (our new "adopted" student) and Afifa posing for a picture. 

Our next stop was the 1850 Pioneer Farm.  Hudson liked to see the calf...

and watch the chickens.  

He climbed up the ladder to take a peek into the loft of the "little house on the prairie."  

Hudson is growing up, right before our very eyes, becoming more handsome every day (I think).  :)  

Climbing on the fence, just like a typical farm boy always does, at the 1900 Farm.  

Driving the John Deere lawn mower in the kids play area while waiting for a tractor ride back to the village.  

Enjoying the tractor ride on a beautiful Saturday morning.  Can you tell it was a game day for the Cyclones?    

We visited the one room school house.  Hudson wanted his picture taken in the old desks.  

It was "Apple Day" at Living History Farms.  Hudson, along with a few others, got to use the apple press to make and then taste apple cider.  

He grabbed a hold of a hanging apple with his teeth at this apple station.  

Hani, Afifa, and I made a simple apple craft.  

Hudson got to help push this heavy cart from one end of the barn to the other, just as they may have done many years ago.  He loved every opportunity he had to do/see things first hand.

It was a blessed morning.  The weather was perfect, the environment was enjoyable, the apple treats were tasty, and the learning was beneficial.  Till next time...     

3.5+ Pics

We spent Labor Day weekend at my parents.  My mom and I had been wanting some updated 3 1/2 year old pictures of Hudson, since last fall was the last time we had some official photos taken.  Oh how he has changed and grown up since then.  :)  Knowing that we will probably take family pictures after our "Lil' Pumpkin" arrives, we decided to just have Roy snap some photos of Hudson out at the farm, instead paying someone else to do it.  Besides some shadows and Hudson being past ready for a haircut, we were happy with the photos we got.  Hudson was a trooper and cooperated quite well.  Enjoy a few of our favorites…

Evie's Birthday

One of Hudson's best buddies, Evie, turned 4 and she had a fun birthday party with lots of friends, to celebrate her special day.  It was at a place called Courage League Sports in Urbandale and provided a great environment for preschools to explore and burn off some energy.  

These two have been buddies since day one.  Its been fun to watch them grow from babies to toddlers to young preschoolers together.  We are thankful for Evie, he sweet smile, her curly hair, and her loving hugs.  Happy Birthday, big girl!    

Cupcake and a juice box…lucky guy!  

We had fun playing with this cool basketball hoop because it had 4 hoops, providing more of a chance to make a shot.  Love it!  

They also had a climbing wall (in addition to lots of other cool things that I didn't capture pictures of) that was perfect for kids Hudson's size.  He went across it with confidence and was very proud of himself.  

Iowa State Fair

We made our annual family day at the Iowa State Fair on Monday, August 11th.  This happened to also be our 7 year anniversary.  We have spent a few anniversaries at the State Fair, but at least it means we enjoy time together and do something out of routine.  Every year it seems the pictures we take are about the same, the only difference is that Hudson gets bigger.  :)  We make our traditional stops, but that is part of what makes it both fun and memorable, I suppose.  

Ready to get started at Little Hands on the Farm.  

Planting the seeds in the garden.  

Picking apples off the apple trees, to make yummy applesauce.  

Checking his height next to the chicken.  Hudson is tall, as always.  

Driving the John Deere tractor to do chores and feed the cows.  

Delivering his produce at the Farmer's Market.  Hudson was proud of all his hard work and earned $1 for his efforts.    

The large American Gothic statue was a new attraction this year.  

Looking at all the farm animals was certainly a highlight for Hudson.  He was excited to pet this baby dairy calf.  We also watched a bit of the sheep show and saw the big bull and boar.    

They had all kinds of these "peek-a-boo" boards around the fairgrounds.  Hudson quickly caught on and wanted his picture taken in several of them.  

One of my favorite stops at the fair is the 4-H exhibit building.  I like to see what creative projects the youth from around the state have come up with.  Plus, it brings back good memories from my years in 4-H.  Two girls were doing a working exhibit and Hudson made this cute edible butterfly for a snack.  

We always stop at the John Deere display and look at, climb on, and drive all the mighty machines.  

Before leaving, we grabbed a Fair Square for our treat.  Yummy!  

Kansas City Weekend…Family Fun!

The first weekend in August my parents blessed us with a fun family weekend in Kansas City.  After our big trip to Canada last August, we decided to do something closer to home and low key, which was perfect.  We picked Angela up at the airport and the rest of the gang arrived a few hours later.  Here is a glimpse of the things we did…

We ate Kansas City BBQ…of course!  

We did some relaxing…always needed!  

We checked out the local Farmer's Market…delicious!

We found this big yellow tiger who likes Missouri…go Cyclones!  

Hudson got lots of snuggles from Mimi and Bapa Rog…loving it!  

We celebrated Hudson turing 3 1/2 with a mini birthday celebration…big boy!  

Hudson made us laugh and smile…often!  

We did some shopping/browsing at Cabela's…love an adventure!

We played our annual round of miniature golf…I came in 2nd place! 

Hudson got his first go cart ride with Daddy…pretty cool!  

We took a tour of the Boulevard Brewery…beer samples for (almost) everyone!

We checked out Crown Center and the Lego Store…cool places.  

Hudson was happy about his McDonald's Happy Meal…very happy!