These are from before the move to Massachusetts when we were still in Iowa. I haven't been able to find my missing phone pictures, which makes me sad (and mad at Shutterfly), but I have the few that I'd put on Facebook. I'm glad I was still taking most of my pictures with my actual camera.
A cute owl from one of the free calendars that I'm always getting in the mail from various charity groups. I donate the calendars to Goodwill but I had to take a picture of this little guy first!
These were sweet heartfelt notes from two of Sam's friends (that made me feel so sad!).
"I will remember all of our fun times. You are my top 10 favorite guy. I am sorry you have to move. I will remember you even when I die." 💔
The mother of one of Sam's friends is one of the nicest people I've ever known and she threw a goodbye party for Sam with his four best friends from school. They loved playing Terraria and Minecraft together (and real-life playing with each other too!). It was so kind of her and it meant so much to Sam!
We got together with two of John's friends from church at a trampoline park in Cedar Rapids.
My last slice of chocolate mousse cake from the Co-op. I LOVE AND MISS THIS CAKE SO MUCH!
John went to Camp Wapsie for a few summers with some of his friends from school. It was the perfect classic summer camp and he had so much fun there. It reminded me of the summer camp where long-lost twin sisters Sharon and Susan meet each other in one of my favorite movies, The Parent Trap (the one with Hayley Mills).
There's John standing next to the tree with the boys from his cabin. Look how short he is compared to the other guys! So cute (don't tell him I said that). And check out the guy in the purple shirt on the left with his hair over his face. 😆
I had to wear a compression stocking for all of June because of that (worthless) leg vein surgery I'd gotten in May. So not cool (literally!).
We lived in a hotel for about ten days after we had to close on our house and before it was time to drive out to Massachusetts. The boys enjoyed using the pool and hot tub there. I couldn't use either of them because of my darn leg!
Our cars as seen from the hotel room window. We both had silver Toyotas.
I thought this house was so cute. It was right up the street from our church and I had to take a picture of it on our last Sunday there. I want to live in a house like this when I'm old.
My stack of spiritual power.
I couldn't leave Iowa without a shopping trip to Von Maur. I wish I'd discovered that wonderful department store sooner.
The boys and I spent a fun day at Adventureland outside of Des Moines. Rain was in the forecast but luckily it stayed away!
That's Sam on that super-steep waterslide! John is at the top, waiting to go next.
We went to the Coral Ridge Mall and rode on the carousel that they'd been going on ever since they were very little boys.
Our hotel room/suite. It was nice. We actually had two of them that were connected by a door.
The view was of Longhorn Steakhouse. We ate one of our last dinners in Iowa there.
And this concludes my last Iowa post, at least for the time that we lived there. It's the end of an era, both in my life and on the blog!
