Signs of Spring!

Winter turned to Spring (or signs of Spring at least!) Here in the Midwest, the calendar may say Spring but the weather doesn't always cooperate wtih the calendar!

Matt and I were able to enjoy some day dates, including another Iowa boys basketball game (against the Illini). Iowa lost this game (we weren't surprised, given their record for the year), but we enjoyed the day away!

We even splurged and bought some ice cream...and sent the picture to the kids, ha!

Matt walked down to the court to see the "22" - Caitlyn Clark's number was placed on the court to show where she shot the basket that beat the all time scoring record!

March - Mint Ice Cream!!

Teri & I met in Bolingbrook to shop at IKEA then I drove her back to the Quad Cities to spend the remainder of the week with the family. It was nice to have the family together for a few nights!

Dad's dementia has gotten to the point where driving (on his own) is not safe. They sold the truck to my nephew Judah, so Teri drove it back to Indiana. It was a sad moment for the family, but we are so thankful that the truck will continue to be a blessing to Judah (see 2nd pic).

Will's first time voting (Illinois Primary). 

Maddie's room - she has a disco ball beside her window. I love that I get to see this every day when I get home from work!

Easter is always a beautiful weekend of celebrating God's love and family.

As the weather was getting warmer, I was getting more and more anxious & excited to get outside and work in the yard! I had a very long list of projects to do around the house/yard and I was ready to get working on them!

We cleaned up the back shed area / debris pile and turned it into a sitting area.

I cleaned up the deck and moved the furniture around - adding hanging hammocks, solar lights and an umbrella for the table. LOVE IT!!

Both garage doors needed new paint - I only took pics of the small door though.

Final stain applied to the front steps! 

Watching everything bloom in the spring is so good for the heart!

Another big project was our main bathroom - the ceiling had been peeling, so we had that fixed and then a new coat of paint too. I painted the cabinet and installed a new mirror and lights. We will be switching out the sink for a full vanity/sink at some point in time. 

Happy Anniversary to us! Number 25!!

April turned in to May and we were getting excited about Maddie coming home from Guatemala. Her original return date was supposed to be late April, but was able to extend her stay by 3 weeks (now mid May). In the meantime, we were finishing up school things - concerts and banquets, enjoying the nice weather - day trips, walks, yard work, etc.

Matt, Kaitee & I headed to Cedar Rapids one Saturday. We shopped at a few Goodwill stores and went for a hike on Mount Trashmore!! Yes, this place is seriously an old landfill that has been repurposed as a hiking trail with a great view of the city! I love that they named it Mount Trashmore!!

We also made a quick stop at Walter Douglas' grave in Oak Hill Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. Walter & Mahala Douglas were a prominent family in the Cedar Rapids area (the owned Brucemore Estate) and were on board the Titanic (1st Class). Walter died while Mahala survived. This article gives a great history lesson.

The following weekend, Kaitee, Matt & I headed north to hunt for the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). We traveled into Wisconsin - stopping at the rest stop near Dickeyville and then heading further north to Potosi. 

Once in Potosi (Potosi Point Recreation Area along the Mississippi River), we watched the skies with no luck. Matt got chatting with a photographer from the area who was pointing out the changes in the sky. While we couldn't see colors with the naked eye, we could see the dancing - it looked like a heavy cloud on the horizon which started making vertical streaks in the sky. We took some pictures with our cell phones and couldn't believe what we saw on the screen!! We were seeing the Northern Lights!!! WOW!

After watching the sky for 20-30 minutes (being there in total a bit over an hour), we packed up and headed home - arriving home around 2 am. We were tired but, WOW!, it was so amazing to witness!

A few days later, we welcomed Maddie home!! My sister Debbie sent this picture to me - she and Maddie planned a quick meet up at Maddie's terminal in Chicago. Maddie was waiting for her flight to Moline while Debbie and Zach had just flown in from Ireland and were heading to get their van to drive back to the QC!

How wonderful to have her back home! She arrived late in the evening (11:00ish) so we arrived home around midnight. I had thought ahead and stopped at Whitey's during the day to get shakes for everyone to enjoy once home. It was a great way to end a long day of travel for Maddie...and a long day of waiting for us!

Happy Birthday Kaitee!!  #22 - how did that happen?

We also celebrated with family a few days later 

Maddie & Kaitee had purchased tickets to see Mama Mia (Broadway) in Chicago. They were supposed to travel by bus with a local group. Unfortunately, there weren't enough people signed up for the show so the bus trip was cancelled (and refunded). The girls were able to purchase tickets directly (for the show) and the 4 of us headed to Chicago for a day of fun - the girls caught the train in Downer's Grove to see the musical while Matt & I headed to Wrigley! Poor Will - he stayed home to work.

We got to see Fabian!

What an exciting Win for us to witness! Imanaga pitched 7 shutout innings and the Cubs won the game with a walk-off basehit by Morel! Amazing!!

We headed back downtown to find the girls (that was a bit of a hassle!) and then headed north to Lake Bluff for a delicious dinner at The Silo. It was a wonderful day in Chicago!

Maddie & I headed to the cemeteries with my parents, on Memorial Day. 

A few more day trips - Matt & I found this covered bridge just outside of Morrison, IL (on our way to Morrison Rockwell State Park). 

A few days later, the girls & I headed north into Wisconsin. We hit some Goodwill shops, ice cream for lunch, the Platteville M, Governor Dodge State Park and many quick stops along Rt 23.

Grandpa Ken (Matt's Dad) came for a visit during the last week of May/first of June (came for Maddie & Will's graduation). We enjoyed our time with him!

And so May transitions into June - time for graduation, vacation and summer activities!