Slacker

Ok, I have been a major slacker when it comes to keeping up with the blog. As we near 2008, I am making it my goal to be a consistent blogger.....we'll see.
As we settled into life in Iowa City we have done some really neat stuff, met some great people and had visits from family. I will try to chronicle 4 months worth of festivities into this post.

WINDSURFING

Who would have thought that we'd learn to windsurf in I-O-W-A? Believe it or not, we did. AND, belive it or not, I was better at this aquatic sport than Niles. Really, that is all you need to know about the adventure.....OK, not all but in my humble opinion it is the most important thing of which you should take note.

The orthodontic program director is an amateur wind surfer. Niles, being up for all things adventurous, told him that we'd like to learn. When the stars were alligned and the wind was at perfect learning speed (10 knots, coming from the North) we were phoned, given all directions, and within 45 minutes were at Lake McBride for our first wind surfing lesson.

Now, before you go thinking that we drug the board and sail into the water and hopped on, let me correct your thinking. The first 45 minutes of the lesson were spent on land. "Practicing" the moves we would do once we were in the water. We each climbed on the board, pulled up the sail and rehearsed over and over what to do once floating in the cool water as sweat dripped from our foreheads underneath our "crash helmets" and long sleeved sun protection.

We really did have a great time and learned new words like tack, jibe, starboard, port, rig, mast and boom.

VISITORS!

At the end of September mom and dad made the trek to I.C. They were able to: see my school, bask in the coziness of our cottage style bungalow, stroll around downtown Iowa City and the pedmall, feast their eyes upon the fresh produce and much more at the farmer's market, eat breakfast at The Hamburg Inn, experience german life at the Amana Colonies, shop at Kalona's Stringtown Grocery with the Amish, pick a "perfectly crisp apple" at Wilson's apple orchard, join us at our church, take Bailey to the dog park and even saw a Clydesdale foal!

I knew I was homesick, but I did not realize just how sick for home I truely was until they came. It was a much needed visit and I loved every minute of it! I think that my favorite quote from the weekend was when I took mom and dad to the school and Brooke's students saw them walking toward the front with me. (Let me interject for a moment--we all go by our first names, and love it! read: major sacrasm) As we walked toward the building, Xavier announced to Brooke's class, "Look, its Mr. and Mrs. Sarah!" Enough said.

As I write this and relive the memories we made during their first trip to the Hawkeye state, I remember with much joy what a truely great time we had! Thanks mom and dad for visiting, I can't wait until we do it again--I dare you to come in the winter :).

The Hamburg Inn, Saturday morning

Shopping at the Farmer's market

Festive Fall Foliage at Amana


Movie Stars we met in Amana

You know you're not in the south anymore....a bakery in Amana that spelled Y'all as any yankee would...Ya All

Scenic countryside, only 15 miles outside of Iowa City!

Amish owned, Stringtown Grocery

Kalona's locals

Mom's quest for "an apple that snaps when you bite it"

What a great hubby, Niles hates apples!

Sampling the fruits of their labor

Clydesdale foal and her mama

This is horsepower!

SISTER, SISTER!
I don't even know what to say. My best friend in the whole world came to see me! As usual the weekend was WAY too short. It seems like as soon as Katie arrived she had to turn around and head home. She was a trooper, sleeping on the couch and sharing the only bathroom. She even had the joy of moving her hands between the hot water spicket and the cold water spicket in the bathroom to create a temperate mix of water to wash her face!

Of course, we shopped. We also made a trip to Kalona and stocked up at Stringtown Grocery. Katie was able to meet Brooke, and even some of my students since she accompanied us to the school's Harvest Festival. She was able to see it all, and as she says, she can now put a mental picture with our many, many phone conversations. One highlight of our trip was the I-80 Truckstop. This was a "must see" according to dad. We did not make it inside but did have many laughs trying to get the photo underneath the sign.

Look closely, we really are there!

CHICAGO

There really is life in the midwest--its in Chicago! For Brooke's birthday we made the trip to Chicago for a good dose of southern drawl from Paula Deen. Michigan Avenue was trimmed in holiday beauty, the shops were a buzz with people and great deals-- it was a great way to kick off the 2007 Christmas shopping season!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

So, my years as a 20 something are nearing an end, much to my dismay. This year I celebrated my 29th birthday in grand style. Niles sent an amazing bouquet of my favorite flowers (Star Gazer Lillies) to school and despite his hectic class schedule he made time to take me to Taste on Melrose with Brooke and Kate. For now, I am 29 and holding....

LET IT SNOW

Since we returned from Georgia at Thanksgiving there has been snow on the ground. It really is beautiful to wake up on Saturday morning to complete quiet with the streets covered in a blanket of white. It does not take long however, for the picture perfect scenario to really get on your nerves! With the beauty comes ice covered streets, shoveling snow, de-icing the car, huge--very unattractive coats, gloves, mittens, long underwear...the list goes on! But, for that one brief moment it truely is amazingly pristine.

Bailey loves the white, fluffy stuff. He finds great joy in running after the ball and then as he brings it back he purposefully drops it in the snow so that he can dig for it. It is so fun to watch! He does not love the salt we have to put on our walk...poor puppy, the salt stings his feet. Never fear, Bailey, we will be back on the beach before you know it!