A few weeks ago Jon and I loaded the kids up in the car headed out of town...we headed down to the very edge of Minnesota...2 miles away from Iowa, to be exact! Most of Jon's extended family live in that area. Our intention for the trip was to visit Jon's grandma...every weekend the grandkids take turns calling or visiting Grandma Ardis...and that weekend was our week for a little visit. This time was special because we were able to stay on the farm in Ardis's old farm house...Jon's dad lives lives there part-time now. Normally we don't get to stay there...so that was a specail little perk this time.
By the time we finally arrived at the farm it was late...super late for a couple of little kids! Elsie was a little freaked out about staying in a "new house"...and she was a little freaked out that Jon's dad would be there {she does not do well around people she doesn't know!}...so we cuddled and talked for a while to calm her fears...and by morning she was glad we were staying there. Sometimes it just takes a little while to get comfortable in a new situation...especially when you are just three years old!
Jon's grandma loves to garden...her whole back yard was a beautiful garden at one time. I remember seeing it once when she still lived there...it was beautiful! It is kinda sad to see it now...it resembles secenes from the secret garden before it was brought back to life.
I don't remember the full story about her house...but I know that she raised her family in that house...and lived there for many, many years. Jon talks about lots of fond memories of playing there as a child...I think it was fun for him to bring his own children to the house that meant so much to him growing up.
When we were there it was hot...almost too hot to do much! Thank goodness for an air conditioned house! It was hot and misserable outside and there were too many new discoveries waiting for James inside...so we did the next best thing...loaded him up in the car and drove until he fell asleep!
When you are on a little vacation that means two things...you can eat junk and watch tv! Elsie was beyond excited to find chocolate dairy-free ice-cream in the grocery store!
She managed to talk daddy into buying her some...then she enjoyed some with every.single.meal! No lie. She had a couple spoon fulls after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner...and maybe a few more spoonfulls for a bedtime snack. She was beyond happy. I assured her it was only something we do when we go on a little vacation. {and I was on vacation too...so she ate out of the container so I had one less dish to wash...can you say lazy!?}
James on the other hand found the tomato patch out back. I am not sure how many tomato he ate. His favorite part was picking them off the plant...he would pick one, sit on the back step and eat a couple bites, then drop it on the ground and go pick another one. He had tomato juice everywhere!
The kids also found the ruhbarb patch by the tomatos...Elsie loves ruhbarb! This was the first time James had eaten ruhbarb...and I think he loves it too!
Snack time of homegrown food...yum! {and maybe a little ice-cream for an after snack time snack?}
More pictures coming tomorrow from our little trip...
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