#19 CHECK

#19 might be my favorite check-off so far as Mom & I explored the bike trails of Cedar Rapids including parts of the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. We totally lucked out on weather and we couldn't believe all of the new things we discovered in Cedar Rapids on our 20 mile bike ride! We biked from the Hoover Trail at Ely (near my house) all the way north to my brother's house. We went through downtown Cedar Rapids on the Cedar River Trail, stopped for a pick me up mocha, continued around Cedar Lake and up the trail which runs along the east side of I-380 -but feels very protected and you don't even notice the traffic! to Blairs Ferry Road. We discovered Cedar Rapids' urban trout stream along the way, too, which happens to be Iowa's only. It took us about 4 hours including all of our dawdling and stops along the way. We went 20.2 miles (and burned 805 calories, too!)

It was a blast and I'm so thankful to have got the chance to do it with my mom who is always up for an adventure!

#22 Done

 

#22 was check off 2 weeks ago (yay!) as I joined Mike, his Dad and family friend Sam for a pheasant hunting outing during the youth pheasant hunting weekend (the weekend before opening weekend set aside for kids to get their shot at one bird). Since it's my list and interpreted however I please, I am completely satisfied with counting "go hunting" as completed- I didn't feel the need to actually shoot at anything. For me, it was more about the experience of going along which I quite enjoyed thanks to the beautiful day and good company. Although, I have to say I mostly enjoyed watching the dogs in their element; happily bounding, pouncing, sniffing and running between us as we foraged the CRP. Sam didn't get his pheasant but we did see 2 hens take off for the cover of the corn, 2 roosters on the side of the road and 1 rooster scared up but just out of reach.

K.C.

Over Labor Day, Mike & I took off for a last-minute trip to Kansas City- just for fun and to (of-course) work on checking off my list! We had a great time- see for yourself :)

at the World War I Museum & Memorial

Boulevard Brewery & tasting room- our fave part!

dessert course after an amazing italian meal at Lidias Restaurant- above is our trio of sorbet. Mike said is is the best thing he's EVER tasted!

 

Guinness while hiding out in a bus stop during a downpour at Irish Fest

checking off half of #23 at a Royals game

Cashing in our Christmas Gift

In September, Mom & Dad treated us to our surprise weekend get-away gift which was their gift to us last Christmas. My favorite thing about how we 'gift' in my family is that we get to enjoy and look forward to cashing them in all year long!

Our weekend started with a glow-in-the dark charity golf tournament in Cedar Falls. It was ridiculously fun! We decked out our carts and selves with glow sticks galore. We couldn't stop laughing at how alien we looked wandering around the pitch black golf course-the pictures cannot do it justice. Mike only drove us through 3 sand traps, I lost but recovered my driver, Dad may or may not have hit a tree and miraculously we only lost 1 of our glow balls!

The next morning we took off for the rest of our adventure to Perry, IA where we stayed at the historic Hotel Pattee. Each room is themed-we got to stay in the Irish Room and Mom & Dad in the Cream & Eggs Room- they were so cute! We explored a bit and ventured to nearby Snus Hill Winery where we enjoyed a tour and samples. It was the most beautiful day and we even got to sample the freshest just-pressed grape juice- maybe one of the best things I've ever tasted! We had dinner at the Hotel and post-dinner got to bowl in their 2 lane bowling alley in the basement of the hotel.

nice form Dad!

Mom & Dad- Thanks so much for a wonderful weekend- it was awesome!

Progress!

I'm slowly checking things off THE list (some involve a partial check cause they're 1/2 done or at least in progress.) Regardless, yay, me!

#2- still in progress but long enough (shoulder length) that I'm allowing myself to check it off
#28- I'm officially a working member of New Pioneer Co-Op and I did my first bit of 'volunteering' which I'm actually reimbursed for in gift card dollars back to New-Pi. Talk about a great deal! Last Sunday morning I found myself cutting up apples from a nearby orchard for a culinary bike ride around town and my next gig will be helping out and assisting with a class called "We Love Cheese."

.....Which will perfectly segue me to #20 which is on the books to complete with Mom this fall! We have our cheese-making kit ready to go and I'm almost done with a book about the whole process of cheese making- is it weird how excited I am to make homemade cheese?

Also partially completed are #23 (went to a KC Royals game over Labor Day weekend- loved the stadium!) and #5 (trip to Cancun is booked for December!) #15 (to be completed 10/1- stay tuned cause this will be a fun post!) & #22 (scheduling is in the works- I'm doing it!)

Christmas in July!

Our Christmas gift to my side of the family last December was a fun weekend of camping and canoeing adventures in Decorah. So last Friday we all met at a campground right on the Upper Iowa River and began the fun (despite ridiculous rain Friday night that required Mike & I spend a little time in the laundromat drying out sleeping bags after a fault with our rain fly...)

We had a great time canoeing and kayaking, sitting around the fire, enjoying delicious grilled food and swimming & floating in the river. The kids (Cale, Ayla & Jonah) experienced real camping for the first time and it was so cute to see them all help set up the tent and roast marshmallows. I wouldn't trade a weekend like that with my loved ones for anything in the world!

One bonus was how much fun Xena had swimming in the river, it was hilarious to watch her work so hard to swim upstream and then zoom so fast downstream with the current! She was one pooped puppy when we got home.

Let That Freak Flag Fly

Here's the deal: I'm slightly totally obsessed with Harry Potter and have been for 10 years. I read the series once a year and while I am much more devoted to the books than movies I was quite excited to finally make it to Part 2 of the final movie. Sometimes you gotta just fly your freak flag and embrace the weirdo that you are....so last night I proudly did this by wearing my Harry Potter t-shirt to the final Harry Potter movie and even found a broom outside the theatre to fly on!