Racoon River Beach

We went to the beach with some friends today. It's about time too. We hadn't been to the beach all summer and I don't know why because the kids love it and I love relaxing at the beach while they play. We finally made it!

Ellie spent the entire time digging in the sand. She filled buckets and frisbees with Nelson. And of course ended up covered in wet sand from head to toe.

Surprisingly, Cole stayed in the water the whole time. It was cloudy and threatening rain and he is cold blooded so I thought he would end up on my lap wrapped in a towel after a few minutes. He toughed it out though. I guess he was having too much fun with Morgan, Anna, Spencer, Katelyn and Kylie!

Cole looks like he is mad in the pictures, but he was just in his dinosaur mode and if you know Cole you know he doesn't break character easily.

We all had a blast at the beach today! Elise with her sand, Cole with his friends, and Mommy relaxing and talking with the girls. Why don't we do this more often?!

Adel Sweet Corn Festival

Today we went to the Adel Sweet Corn Festival...one of our favorite things about Iowa!

Cole loves the parade with all the tractors and trucks. We even saw a train this year! Elise liked the horses the most.

After the parade we made our way to get our all-you-can-eat sweet corn. The process is pretty amazing. The night before hundreds of volunteers shuck all the corn. The corn is stored in the back of a big semi, then it is sent down a conveyor belt to be lowered into the boiling water, then another conveyor belt to the tables where volunteers distribute it. Ben asked for 5 and they gave him 8. He did his best, but he only made it through 6 :)

To beat the heat the local fire departments set up a game for the kids. There is a can strung up high along a rope. Two kids stand on either side of the rope and use small hoses to try to spray the can to the opposite end of the rope. Cole went up against Morgan. They needed a little help, and Cole got a little more help than Morgan so he was able to get the can to her side. The kids had fun until they were soaking wet and freezing cold.

This year we found a Life Flight helicopter and we were able to get a look inside. Cole has been obsessed with helicopters lately so this was a real treat for him.

There was also an ambulance and a police car that the kids were able to look at. Cole got to turn on the siren and all the kids sat in the back like they were arrested...hopefully for the first and last time!

Can you see why we love the Corn Festival so much?!

As usual we had a fun filled day at the festival this year. Days like this help me remember why I love Iowa so much!

Indianola Hot Air Balloon Festival

We went to see the hot air balloons tonight with our friends the Pfeiffers. It was fun to watch the balloons suddenly appear in the sky. At one point there were over 30 balloons in the sky above us. It was an amazing sight!

It was very hot and humid. The kids were soaked by the time the balloons were finished. It was worth it though :) Shortly after the balloons were done it cooled off and we were able to enjoy a nice evening playing at the park, followed by a small fireworks show. What a fun night!

Union Park

We went to Union Park with some friends today. It is our favorite park in Des Moines. We love the carousel. Ellie was a little nervous today for some reason, but I did get her on a bear for one ride. Cole over came his fears last year and asks to go to the carousel park almost every day. He was so excited that we finally got to go!

There is also a fun splash pad for the kids. Cole loves it because it's not deeper than his knees so he can run around everywhere. It's a good time for everyone!

We are so lucky to have such fun parks...and even luckier to have great friends to share them with :)