Days 20 & 21--Grand Rapids and the De Wits!

We left Princeton to get to our easternmost destination of Grand Rapids, Michigan to hang out with our good friend Khara and Stephen and their two boys, Jude and Laz.  We lost an hour due to the time change and got in around 2:30 pm.  It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.

Stephen and Khara took us for a walk around their neighborhood and we stopped at the park and picked up food to cook for dinner at their local produce market.  Laz was wondering who was the lovely girl next to him in the stroller.

 Jude showed us his climbing abilities.

 Aurelia went down the big slide with daddy.

 Jude played fetch with a doggy at the park.

The rest of the day was spent chatting while we chopped up veggies, steak, and chicken; marinated everything; made skewers; and grilled them.  We ate alot and sat around the fire pit in the back yard until almost 2 in the morning.  You're going to have to take our word for it--munching on the delicious grilled food all night long prevented us from having clean fingers with which to take pictures.

 The next day was Happy Dutch Day as we went around Holland, Michigan.  Here we are at De Boer's bakery to get some almond patties and some other cookies.

 Phil fulfilled a lifelong dream of jumping into one of the great lakes.

 Laz loves the camera...

Jude was captured by the beach machinery, which actually had the name of "beachcleaner" on the side of it.

 Here is downtown Holland.  We ate and had some drinks at the New Holland Brewing Company, where they also distill some whiskeys, vodkas, rums, and a gin.

 Jude found his inner rhythm,

 ...and then needed a nap.

 The kiddies had a bath,

 then jumped on the bed!  Aurelia wasn't too sure about the boys...

Aunty Khara protected her from being trampled and also shielded her from the evil spirits that were floating around.

Day 19--Des Moines to Princeton Illinois

Another morning begins with Aurelia playing; this morning she had to play by herself though because new BFF Anya had to head to church early to clean up with her mom and dad.

Beth decided to start her blog post and here's the scene after 5 hours...

Had a good time at Kristen & Jon's church.  We came on a great day and had a potluck, score!  Today being our last day in Des Moines meant for a sad goodbye with Aunty Kristen.

I think Anya got bored of my conversation with her.  We were discussing the Syriac Orthodox church liturgy and she seemed really interested but I looked over at her and...

Bah! I've got the rest of my life to bore her.  We did wake her up to take a nice family photo.

Hawaii  Gangstas!  We said goodbye after lunch and headed to our next destination, Princeton Illinois.  Essentially a town half-way between Des Moines and Grand Rapids with a hotel for $50 for the night.  Can't complain.  About an hour and a half outside of Des Moines we noticed these lovely clouds in the distance...

Beautiful!  Then 5 minutes later they looked like this...

Apparently we were headed into a huge thunderstorm system.  We passed a blown over semi (I kid you not) about 15 minutes down the road from when this picture was taken.  I was just too shocked to take a picture in time.  The storm was medium scary then lightened up as hit Davenport.

We arrived in Princeton around 5:30, checked into the hotel then headed to walmart to buy vegetables for dinner.  Sunday potlucks are great in Iowa, but I think they only grow plants for cows to eat there or something.

Anyway the rest of the evening was spent eating dinner and calming Beth because that same storm system was hitting us again.  Tornado watch till 9!  Here's the view outside our window.

Anyway, hopefully we'll be in Grand Rapids to see Aunty Khara and Uncle Stephan and two potential suitors for Aurelia's hand just after lunch.  If there's no post tomorrow check the news to make sure an F-3 or higher Tornado didn't pass through Princeton.

Day 18--Ankeny/Des Moines fun day

We awoke to more rain and so decided to try the Des Moines Farmer's Market later in the day hoping the weather would clear up.  Instead, we went to stuff our faces at "The Machine Shed," a truly Iowa-style breakfast buffet.  What else can I say?  It was an Iowa breakfast buffet.

The big girls sat in high chairs...

 ...and rode the tractors.

Since it is the Midwest, it quickly became sunny and 80 degrees, providing great weather to walk around the Farmer's Market.  It was a really good market, covering about 7 blocks, and crowded with people and puppies.  Who doesn't love some Iowa-grown beef?

Aurelia was having a lot of fun...can't you tell? 

 Here's Jon, Kristen, and Anastasia in line for a Bubble[less] Tea drink.  $4 and 25 minutes later, we realized that the vendor had run out of the tapioca balls when they handed us our not-bubble strawberry smoothie!  Oh well, it was still refreshing.

Next on the agenda--back to Ankeny for Facetime with Grandpa and Nana Nishimoto.  Then Jon got in a good nap while Kristen, Phil, BTong, the kiddos, and I went outside for some slacklining and play time.

Here's Bethany T.

 ...and Phil

 ...Bethany G.

 ...and Kristen, who picked it up so fast as a first-time slackliner.

Aurelia flew.

Then we played volleyball while Anastasia and Aurelia worked on their tans and gossiped.

After the hard work of play, we cooled down with some slushies from Sonic and sat around the house.  We had some Papa John's pizza for dinner before BTong had to head back to Minneapolis.  Then the babies got a bath before bedtime, and we all went to sleep tired and happy.

Day 17--More Des Moines

We woke up to thunderstorms, which was kinda neat since we don't get those often in California.  Needless to say it was mostly an indoor day.  Aurelia and Anya played for a bit in the morning.

Then Kristen, Beth, and Anya all went to TJ Maxx.  I picked up my cross and willingly watched Aurelia while she slept at the house.  Jon has an old Raps Hawaii DVD which was hilarious to watch; 'not too sweet, not too rancid, but just right eh!' or 'willie maunawilli' running for office.  And after that I read for a bit (http://www.amazon.com/History-Christianity-Diarmaid-MacCulloch/dp/0713998695) awesome awesome book.

Afterwards we went and visited Jon at the bookstore on the Faith Bible College campus.  I found volume 2 of Walter Bruegemmann's commentary on Jeremiah for $10.  Holla.  The girls decided to play on the pool table.

The college mascot is the Eagles and the student lounge was called "The Eagles Nest."  We couldn't help but think...

It was a cool place to hang out though and we're thankful for the open campus.  Beth and I shot a basketball around for a bit while Kristen worked out in the weight room WHILE watching the babies.  I wish I would have gotten a picture of her on a bicycle machine with Anya on her lap and playing peek-a-boo with Aurelia in her car seat on the floor just to the side of her.  Classic Kristen.

We had a nice dinner at home and then we all played settlers together.  Good friend Bethany Tong met up with us last night to hang out.  The ensuing result....

LOL Asians.

It was a fun night.  I kicked everyone's butt at settlers.  Up next tomorrow is the farmers market and a breakfast BU-FAY.

Day 16--more Ankeny/Des Moines

Phil and I had Aurelia and Anastasia for the morning, so we played at home then went out for a walk to Starbucks.  Having two children is exponentially harder than one!

Kristen got off work early so that we could hang out.  We went to the East Village of Des Moines to check out the hip part of the city.  And it was hip--all four blocks of it!  The first shop we went into was a very cool spice shop.  They not only had any spice you could think of, but also a variety of infused balsamic vinegars and olive oils.

Next door, there was a shirt store that screened all their shirts right in the shop.  They were humorous messages and prints.  One of my favorites had an outline of the state of Iowa and said "Ohio, the great potato state!"

We had some sushi.  Aurelia enjoyed some rice and Anastasia chowed down on the avocado.

Aurelia has some road trip wounds--a scratch that she gave herself sometime in the night and a slightly purple bruise from a table hitting her head.

Here is a cafe that allegedly makes chocolate cookies that Obama likes and gets flown in to the White House.

We saw the capital building then headed home with two tired babies.

Once Jon came home from classes and work, we went out for BBQ at Bandana's.  Their ribs were awesome!!  Phil says they're the best he's ever had.  The babies agreed.