This year instead of a fun beach vacation we got a minivan. When our van died and we had to put a bunch of money into it and then ended up needing to get a different one when our engine blew we had to kiss a fun summer vacation good bye. To say that Drew was sad that he didn't get to go back to Florida would be an understatement. About daily since we got home from Florida last summer he has been asking when we were going back. We had to explain to him a few times before he got it that we got a minivan instead of a vacation. It was a good lesson for him about how we have to save money to get fun things.
We still wanted to do some fun things with the boys and have a little staycation. On day one we went to Independence. We had lunch at a deli in town we'd never been to and then went to Heartland Acres. They have animals, classic cars, lots of tractors and farming and history items. The boys really liked the tractors and animals and got bored quickly with the museum type items. Once we left there we recharged our batteries with some ice cream and a pit stop at home and then went to the aquatic center in Cedar Falls. It was our first time being there and the boys loved it. We were even able to have Aunt Amanda come and join us for a swim. We wrapped up our day eating at a new place on the hill that had just opened. Lets say that we were praying that none of us got sick. It was the worst food we have ever had anywhere.
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| Drew by one of his favorite tractors |
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| Boys by Big Bud |
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| When Drew saw this TV he asked what it was. I almost died laughing that he had no clue that it was a TV. |
Day two had us stopping in Dyersville for a yummy breakfast and then heading to Dubuque. We went and watched a barge at the lock and dam but we only could only stay for about 30 minutes. The days we did our staycation had 110 heat index so we didn't want to be outside for very long because we were just melting. Then we headed to the National Mississippi River Museum. We had a lot of fun walking around seeing the different animals and exhibits. I thought we were going to die walking around on the boat outside though. It was 2:30 in the blazing hot sun and my clothes could have been wrung out after about 2 minutes. It really started to feel like Mitch was trying to torture us making us look at all of the outside exhibits. Lets just say that I hate being that hot. A quick walk through of the next building and we were ready to be on our way. We had some snacks to re-energize headed to Crystal Lake Cave. It was a nice change to be down where it was like 55 degrees. Drew really liked it and did so awesome leading the way and making sure I knew what was ahead of me. He followed all the rules and was very careful not to touch the sides of the cave. Mace was a little challenging to carry around in the parts that I had to bend to get through. Cade was a real challenge there. He wanted to walk but when Mitch put him down he would splash in the puddles and touch the walls. It was a pretty confined place for a two year old but he did pretty well. After the tour we headed to have some dinner and then stopped by Aunt Shantel's house. The boys always enjoy getting to visit her puppy. After that we headed home and all slept like babies after a hot day walking around
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| Looking at some turtles |
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| Mace in the cave |
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| Cade enjoying his freedom in the cave |
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