Travel

It was only appropriate to load the picture of the highway in the background given our month of October. Holy Cow! There entire weekend that we spent at home so coming into November and a couple of weeks at home is really a blessing.

Following the weekend of the retreat we drove to Milwaukee to get the Lesperance's Swaggin' Wagon in order to drive with the Allen's to the farm. We left on Friday and made it in time to see Cass cream Jefferson in football. On the way we stopped in Ames to see Dillon's apartment, get some food, and introduce the Allen's to Michael's alma mater! Ate a Legends which offers a great view of Iowa State and then headed to Jefferson to the game. The weather was perfect, the boys traveled well (watched Cars probably three times on the way) and it was great to see Cass play. When we finally arrived home at the farm we had a little bit of time with just Daryn and Becky, played some cards and enjoyed the local favorites. When my parents came home Daryn got to drive the combine with pops. Such a great night! Saturday consisted of lots of combine and tractor driving. It was definitely harvest time on the farm. The girls headed to the tea room in Perry with Meyer women in remembrance of Grandma Rita and later on that night we went to "The Still" for dinner. All in all it was a great time at home. Jackson fell in love with the farm, again, and came home with a barn and farm animals. He woke up Saturday morning at six o'clock and Pops took him out in the field for some rides in the combine. Later on that morning when dad came in between rounds and Jackson had been back in the house for awhile, Jackson asked Pops..."Grandpa-you feed cows?" Dad said yes..."Grandpa you drive combine?" Yep, I'm driving combine Jackson..."Sit down in chair, watch Cars..." Ahhh...if life were that simple... :) We had an awesome time hanging with the Allen's and showing them a little bit of life in Templeton, Iowa...

The next weekend we packed up again and headed to the Mississipi Palisades to camp with our good friends the Van Drunens. Minus the rainy weather it was a great trip! And the rain managed to stay away during the day to offer enough time for a nice hike. We had an interesting experience with our air mattresses in our tent...so sleeping wasn't exactly the best BUT the time spent with great friends was worth it. Ryan had made it in from Seattle so seeing him was a blessing.

And then last weekend we went to Timberwolf Lake for our annual Fall Weekend with Young Life. This time we went with Verona couples who are fired up about the startup in Verona for Young Life. It was a truly blessed weekend. Jackson even got to trick-or-treat in the adult guest lodge with guests who were accomdating enough to go into their 'rooms' and let him knock! What a lucky little guy...

Here are some of the things he has been up to:

• Sentences...he string them together all the time. Eg., driving on the way home from TWL with the Kellermans...we were chatting for a bit-he was in the back watching Cars (go figure) and then we stopped talking to read/etc. After about three minutes Jackson says, "What's going on up there in the car?" We laughed so hard-not unusual for an adult to say it, but out of the mouth of a babe who doesn't really say sentences it was pretty hilarious.
• Still OBSESSED with tractors and still has a sixth sense for them. We were driving tonight and he says, "Tractor, mommy." Okay Jackson. "Tractor, mommy." Okay Jackson (still not seeing it) and he says, "Tractor mommy up there in the garage." Sure enough-500 yards away was a house with a garage that was open with a tractor of some kind and a slow moving vehicle sign on it...
• He went on the potty at home for the FIRST time in months last night. M&M's were the treat of choice!
  
• I have been doing a little shopping lately...his knew favorite thing in the store is to say, "That's cute." "That's cute, mommy." He says it about EVERYTHING! I haven't told his daddy this yet... :)