Grandma Butcher turns 90!

Hi

Grandma Butcher turns 90!  I love writing those words!  And the best part is that she is ROCKS her age!  Grandma - you are probably reading this post from your computer and I'm sure you will use the comment feature to leave a little note :-)  You are truly amazing.

May 1-May 9th was a trip to Iowa to remember!  There are so many fantastic pictures of our trip I can't even keep them all straight!

With Ronnie traveling BIG TIME this time of year, I knew that this trip would be one for me to take the kids alone.  So when I heard from my DZ girl friends that we were doing our annual get together the weekend BEFORE grandma's birthday, I had a decision to make.  Either fly up and back on back to back weekends, or just stay up in Holstein for the week between.  I decided to go for it and we spent the week in Holstein, and it was truly one of those trips that the kids and I will never forget!

Cousin time, grandparent time and just some good midwest livin' for a week.  We are all HAPPY!


Let's get this trip started with some lunch at the airport!  Big girl Reese was hogging the sandwitch that I got for us all to SHARE :-)

Attempt at a pre-board selfie.  

The one I was worried about on these flights was Reese.  I've told so many moms that if you are going to fly with kids - try to avoid the 8 mo-2 yr. timefram.  Why?  Because they can't be breastfed to sleep anymore and they don't have the attention spans to watch movies!

So.... off I flew with a VERY active 21 mo. old.

She quickly made friends with all our neighbors and was the clown of the plane.  The 3 hr flight to Minneapolis felt like 10 hrs, but we made it!  Drew was well behaved which was such a plus.

When we arrived Aunt Wendy picked us up.  She was going to take my kids for the weekend while I went to hang with the ISU DZ girls.  What an amazing sister, huh???  THe only thing that could have made it a better weekend with my friends was to have her there too!  

But lots of fun was had at the Weber house.  Luke taking Reese for a ride ....  I didn't see this pic until AFTER the weekend was over.  hahah. 

I must have looked at this photo 100 times over the weekend after Wendy sent it - can Drew look any more like his daddy here???!!!!!

Reesie LOVES Ethan (I mean, who doesn't??!!)

Grandma Lori drove up on Sunday to meet us and tote us back to Holstien... in 30 degree weather in May.  SNOW!  It was crazy!

On Monday, me and the kids made our first stop at Great Grandma's house!  It was funny because of course I had a conference call scheduled and knew I was gong to have to figure out what to do with these two while I took the call.  So we went to grandmas about 10:15ish (call was at 11).  I snuck out when the weren't looking... and when I came back 40 min. later there was bread being made and Reese and Great Grandma were the best of friends!

In fact, Reese wantd to show me how much she loved grandma and just ran up to here when I got there and gave her a big hug.  It was so special.  They were getting along just great!

Hmmm.. I think I'll try this dough out. 

Grandmas buns are the best you will ever have and beat any bakery I have ever been to!  Drew wanted to learn a few tricks of the trade!

So from Grandma's house we went to visit Grandpa Butcher at the bank!  Reese was getting some work done and Drew was basically running the show at the bank.  Including branding his cousin beau :-)

The next morning we were back at grandmas for breakfast... homeade cinnamon rolls - YES PLEASE!

Oh - these are SO SO SO good!!!!!!!!

 A trip to great grandma's isn't complete until you play the piano with her!

more hugs

These two.  Drew was singing Jesus loves Me.  Reese was just he back up singer ...

 Love this pics when I go home.  Look at the beatiful road, blue sky and perfece scenery.  It's really amazing.

 Grandma Lori's is always fun!  Aunt Melissa came by so we could see Keby and Charlie!

 These boys know how to have fun....and eat smores!  COUSIN LOVE.  And a night at grandma lori's wouldn't be complete without a firepit!

 Sleepover!  AKA -"Camp out"

 Reese has had a little trouble with always being nice to the babies... but this trip she did pretty good!  She had a few situations where she got rough -- but she really does love these little ones!

 Oh. My. Gosh.  can she be any more like me?  She wants to drive the side by side and she is 21 mo.  I just can't!

Just hangin' out without my diaper!

Stylin' for Friday!

In case you wondered if she was a Butcher............

On Friday Renea and Ronda put on a FUN program for Grandma at her first party of the weekend, at the new coffee shop in Holstien (Corner Haus).  It was such a fun venue for this!

I love witnessing the relationshipt that they have with their mother -- they can laugh, cry and pray together and it is so amazing!

I THINK this is an outfit that grandma wore when she was in her 40's...

Then on Saturday we had an organized walk planned with matching T-shirts!  If you know Grandma Butcher - you know she loves to walk!  Excerise is defintely part of her secret recipe for staying so young!

T-shirt front:  "Our Grandma is faster than your Grandma."

T-shirt back:  2 Mile Betty Walk:  Walking in Grandma Butcher's Footsteps"

Grandma Lori walked too - FUN!  Her and Reesie and Baby Charlies!

Posing for a pic -- LOL.

Then we all suprise Grandma - which was a BLAST!  Reese loved walking like a big girl and holding hands :-)

We ended at the Holstien Park (which is an AWESOME park, BTW!) and had pizza and ice cream bars for lunch!

This picture brings joy to my heart!

But the fun didn't end there!  After naps we went out to grandpa Butcher's house for a BBQ and more cousin fun!

On Sunday we went to church and then to Boulders for a beautiful luncheon with the family.  Unfortunately I don't have any picture of Sunday morning/lunch because I was chasing these two around and snapping pics didn't happen.  But I will drop in some pics once I get some from those that did :-)

After the part back to Grandma Lori's house before we had to leave.  Drew got in some gardening time with Grandma!

And just as the trip was coming to an end .... we had ONE little complication!  When leacing for the airport on Monday morning Reese decided to throw a little tantrum and lay on the ground screaming beacuse I didn't let her walk down the stairs by herself.  I grabbed her arm to pull her up and popper her elbow out of socket!  :(

So... pit stop at Urgent Care in Ankeny on the way to the Des Moines airport!  Reese was crying and so was mommy!  But the staff were great and after taking xrays, the nurse practitioner came in and said "Reese, I am gonna just do a little tug on your arm."  And she did... and what did Reese do?

"THERE!"  (actually sounded like "DARE")!  And she smiled and hopped down out of the chair and in 10 seconds was running around like nothing happend.  It amazes me how resiliant kids are!

So after a mad dash to Omaha (we of course missed our Des Moines flight) we finally were on our way home.  Thank goodness Grandpa Butcher was our driver --- he knows how to beat the clock when it comes to driving!

This was one of the most special trips we have taken to Iowa -- so sad that Ronnie couldn't join us.  That was the only bummer!  The kids and I will remember this one forever and it is so special that we could make this trip and celebrate Great Grandma's big big milestone!

Now... the countdown is on to our next Iowa adventure... T-Minus 16 days until Lake Okoboji!