Summer Road Trip

I put several pictures on Facebook this summer

but I'm thinking I want to be sure

my grandparents and other friends

that may not frequent Facebook

get to see what we've been up to!

So, this is basically a picture walk...

with a few captions!

First stop, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota

Iowa City for a few nights

as we spent time with Nate and Tricia (and soon-to-come Baby)

We have a tradition of photos with license plates

Corn fields abound in Iowa!

As we drove past them you could hear our kids saying,

"Hi Corn, okay, sure corn!

I'll tell the next cornfield hi from you."

...and then 20 seconds later...

"Oh Hi corn. The other corn says hi.

Okay, I'll tell the next cornfield hi from you."

...and then again...

"Oh hi corn!"

 We continued east, then after a quick night spent in Indiana,

we finally arrived in hot and humid Maryland!

The kids enjoyed sleepovers in Sophie's room each night.

We took a train into DC for the day.

A complete highlight for the kids

Washington Mall

Taylor said,

"I want to make sure we see Mr. Trump's house!"

Strollers were a MUST in all that humidity and heat

The kids rode the carousel on the Mall

Taylor got to see the monument

for her FAVORITE president.

She went with Greg while the rest of us rested

and found some nice ice cold ice cream!

We enjoyed the playground and pool

in the housing community where they live

A few deer in the background

behind the Gowan house

We went to a nearby farm

We got to check a big ticket item off our bucket lists

and go to Camden Yards to watch the O's

And we hung out around Baltimore at the Bay before the game

We also got to stop by the house

where Greg's grandparents lived

back when he was born in 1981!

After a fun-filled week in Maryland

it was time to hit the road again

and we headed to Wisconsin!

This trip we were able to complete in just one day!!

The kids got to catch their FIRST FISH off the pier at the lake

  

We spent a few evenings at the ballfields
watching Coach Neil with Daisy and Sally's softball team

Laura's brother, Neal, has a boat

and we got to go out on the lake and do some tubin'!

Auntie Laura taught Robbie that if you make this hand signal
you are letting the other swimmers know
that you're relieving yourself in the lake!

(It took him 7 minutes to finally go!)

The Gowan kids were in a backyard production of

Beauty and the Beast

directed by a 13 year old!

Lumiere, Chip and Mrs. Potts

 The cousins did quite well with each other.

It's fun to see these girls get older and still find things in common.

It was so fun to be together!

 We drove to our favorite hotel in Fargo, North Dakota

and enjoyed a water slide

and nice comfy beds 

Then we finally headed home!

And snuggled our sweet puppy we had missed so much!