Theme parks aren't for everyone, but I think they can be a lot of fun. Our kids are both really into LEGOs, so when my parents wanted to go to California, I suggested we go to LEGOLAND. This experience is probably something Andrew and I couldn't have done on our own, at least not at this point in our lives. For the kids' current interest, it was just perfect for them, and so I felt fortunate we could go. It really was everything we could have wanted. The kids were super excited when we arrived, and the first thing we did was see a LEGO man posing for pictures. Oliver was interested in all of the LEGO sculptures (you know, he's a master builder because he can build things without instructions!). The lines weren't bad at ... read more

Yes, there is a Civil War reenactment in Iowa, and with good reason, too! Keokuk is located in the southeast part of Iowa, right along the Mississippi River. All of the Iowa soldiers (Union, of course!) were deployed from Keokuk. This is also where supplies went out, and the women of Iowa were famous for creating a soldier's aid society. Some of these women would travel out to battle to see what supplies were needed, and then they'd head back to Iowa to make sure they'd get the proper supplies to the proper place. Wounded soldiers from many states in the Midwest--including some Confederate soldiers--would come back through Keokuk and be treated at the five military hospitals there. So, it would logically follow that many Civil War soldiers died in Keokuk, Iowa. A National Cemetery was ... read more

Oliver loves LEGO. He builds nearly all day, every day, and he's gotten really good. He does chores sometimes to earn money, and he saves up for sets. He's only 5.5, but he can build LEGO sets himself now--even big sets! We didn't tell him about the giant LEGO store in the Mall of America until we arrived. He was thrilled! And when he found out his Grandma and Grandpa would let him pick out a LEGO set, he asked if he could get Emmet's Construct-o-Mech. He looked at every set in the whole store, but he knew what he wanted! Jo was happy to pick out a Frozen LEGO set (Elsa's sparkling ice castle). She builds little things out of LEGO blocks, too, but obviously she can't do LEGO sets on her own yet. After ... read more

My friends and I were drinking coffee at our hotel last night when a friendly woman stopped by to ask us if we were in town to see the birds. We had no idea what she was talking about, and so she had to explain to us that Kearney, Nebraska is the "sandhill crane capital of the world." Apparently, 80% of the world's sandhill cranes migrates through the area along the Platte River in Kearney, Nebraska. I guess it's a sight to see! And the peak of the migration was going on right when we were in town. Fortuitous! So, before my friends and I separated to drive to our perspective homes on Sunday, we decided to first go for a drive and check out the sandhill cranes. We stopped by a visitor's center at Fort ... read more

My friends and I decided to meet in Kearney, Nebraska for a friends' weekend. It's only about a 5 hour drive either way from Denver or Des Moines, so it's a nice meeting point. On my drive from Des Moines, I saw signs to see a Danish windmill in Elk Horn, and I decided to stop. Elk Horn is a town in Iowa that's predominantly Danish. In the 20th century, some Danish-Americans decided to raise the money to buy an authentic, 19th century Danish windmill from Denmark. It was shipped over in pieces in the 70s, along with a model replica that was designed to teach the towns people how to assemble the actual windmill. It was constructed by local volunteers. Shortly thereafter, a law was passed in Denmark that forbid exporting their mills. So, this ... read more