Road Trip to Dubuque

"I like road trips," Sam said, both before and after our all-day sightseeing around Moline, Illinois, and north an hour to Dubuque, Iowa.

We began the day with breakfast at La Primavera, a homey Mexican restaurant in downtown Moline.  I ate a pork quesadilla and drank hibiscus tea, and then followed Henry as he ran in loops around the attached Mexican grocery, with its cans of hominy and clerks unpacking boxes of taco shells.

We promised the boys we'd take them to the John Deere Pavilion, to crawl into the big tractors.  We even found an excavator, like the ones Jonny sells.

While the boys played on the tractors, Jonny ran the excavator simulator.  He could smoothly dig dirt with the shovel and toss it into a pile.  When Henry and I tried the simulator, we promptly got flashing red signals, "Stop!  Equipment damaged!"  We kept banging the shovel into the cab of the truck. There is more to running heavy equipment than I imagined!

The National Mississippi River Museum, in Dubuque, was a great place to spend a cold, overcast afternoon.  Dave and Jonny took long walks in 15 degree weather every morning, but I wasn't so hardy.

The museum had displays about the river itself, with its history and topography, but Sam and Henry were more interested in the displays about the animals and fish that live in and near the river.  Sam climbed inside a child-size turtle shell.

Henry climbed inside a child-size beaver dam.

Thomas was quite content to stay bundled up in his car seat, with just a swig of mother's milk now and then.

We finished the day at the Bierstube in Eau Claire, near Bettendorf.  The area was settled by Germans, and so there are some great German restaurants.  Jonny ordered a selection of sausages and I had jaggerschnitzel (breaded pork cutlet with mushroom sauce).  We didn't have the self control of Dave and Jenny, who ordered salads.

Sam waited patiently for his kids meal by drawing pictures.

We all shared the giant pretzels, dipped in mustard sauce.

Henry may graduate to sausages and schnitzel some day, but right now he adores his applesauce.

And Sam liked the garlic bread.

At Home in Bettendorf

You never know what kind of hovel your children are living in, or what seedy characters they're hanging out with, until you actually visit.  That was our motivation for visiting Jonny and Jenny at their new home in Bettendorf, Iowa, over the weekend of November 9, 2018.  We were pleasantly surprised.  Their home was spacious, new, and beautiful, their children were thriving, and their friends whom we met at Church seemed most respectable.  Even Bettendorf was charming.  It is one of the "quad cities" nestled together along the Mississippi River, near the John Deere headquarters in Moline, Illinois,where Jonny works.  In addition to the good schools and the warm, Midwestern feel to the community, there were picturesque ethnic restaurants nearby, and a number of interesting museums within an hour's drive.  Chicago, with all its exciting culture, is just three hours away. 

 Jonny and Jenny's new home has four bedrooms, an attractive living room and dining area, a three-car garage, and an enormous playroom in the walk-out basement.  The backyard is a huge, green open space through which children run from one house to another.  Henry's friend, Timmy, lives just a house or two away.

 When Dave and I arrived, we offered to feed Henry a snack while Jenny picked up Sam at kindergarten.  Henry howled as Dave cut a collection of bananas first one way and then another, trying to please him, and then tried to smear on the peanut butter just right.  Henry had definite opinions, but couldn't quite tell us what they were!

 We went to dinner at The Crust, Bettendorf's best pizza place.  As my mother used to say, Henry and Sam were "just as good as little kids can be."  Sam carefully colored the pictures the waitress handed him, and Henry had some quiet moments sipping Sprite.  When the pizza took longer to arrive than they could handle, Henry and Sam were under the table and around the room, just like their dad was at the same age! 

 Dave gets tired of making happy faces for my photos.

 The pizza was worth waiting for!

Henry celebrated his third birthday on November 5, so Dave and I brought him a big, plastic truck that opened up into a track for little cars.  Henry loves all vehicles, small and large, so the gift seemed to please.  We also brought Sam a foos ball game, which it took all of Jonny's attention to assemble.

Thomas appreciated his new box toy, with its bright and whirring balls and levers.  Jonny and Jenny left Salt Lake in mid-July, when Thomas was less than a month old, so we applauded Thomas' new tricks.  He could flip over, rock back and forth on the carpet, and give beautiful smiles.  He was just learning to get that arm out from under him when he rolled over.   "I think he's very smart," Jonny said.  Of course.

 Sam loved his new foos ball game.  "Sam is very athletic," Jonny also said.  Of course.

And we already knew that Sam is both smart and charming.  We played shape games with Sam. And then we went to bed, to rest up for our adventures in the morning.

Spooks and Goblins

 Happy Halloween!  Camille and Steve invited Mike, Heidi, Dad, and me to their house, on October 31, 2018, to see the Ebert children's costumes and to help to pass out candy to visiting spooks and goblins.  Mia dressed up as a University of Utah cheerleader.  She had all her gear--warm coat, water bottle, and pillow case to haul her candy in--as she left to go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with her friends.

 Camille and Steve stuffed a black cauldron with candy and encouraged their visitors to "take two or three."

 Most of the visitors were kids, but this neighbor couple introduced themselves as "your new ministers."  The LDS Church has adopted a "ministering" program, through which Church members are assigned a few other members to help and befriend.  These two were just who you'd want as your mentors!

 It was lots of fun to see all the costumes, including this Harry Potter look alike with his two little sisters, dressed as kitties (or doggies?). 

Heidi and Mike ate soup and salad at Camille's house and then just "hung out", enjoying the spooky fun!

 David has seen many a Halloween, and was more interested in the JAZZ game.

Finally, Ezra arrived at the door with his friends.  He was dressed as a boxer, with boxing silks and a black eye!

These 11-year-olds got very creative, including the fellow who came as a vending machine!

While the Cat's Away...

When I told Dave I was taking a trip to San Diego with "the ladies," he quickly said, "I'm going on a trip, too."  I was curious to see how he would spend the weekend of October 26, 2018.  Dave's choice was a solo road trip to southeast Utah, with its glorious red rock country.

To my surprise, Dave began his weekend with an LDS temple session at the tiny, rural Monticello Utah Temple.  One of my goals is to visit 10 new LDS temples each year, of the more than 150 which have been built.  I enjoy seeing the local motifs that the designers build into the temples, and to feel the pride, spirituality, and sense of community that a temple brings to each Mormon area in which one is built.  I had no idea that Dave embraced the idea of visiting temples himself.  He promised to take me back to Monticello to add that temple to my list.

 Wherever Dave and I go, we look for John Deere equipment, since that's what Jonny sells.

Dave spent Saturday in Moab, just north of Monticello.  It is a biker's and hiker's paradise, particularly in the spring, with wildflowers, and in the fall, with golden bushes and trees.

Dave hiked to Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park.  Delicate Arch is an international icon.  Dave reminded me that, during a trip to Germany, we saw Delicate Arch on the cover of a German magazine!

 Dave texted me photos of a Native American bear pendant, inlaid with turquoise and bits of opal, which he discovered at a Moab trading post.  It hung from three strands of onyx and other semi-precious stones and was certified as Navaho-made.  "Do you like this?  Would it be a good Christmas present?" he asked.  I was the envy of my friends, to have my husband so thoughtful and generous.  And yes, I loved the bear pendant!

It just so happened that I had been admiring bear pendants myself, as the ladies and I browsed in San Diego shops!  I had a great trip to San Diego, but I looked forward to spending the next trip (and many more) with David.