Montrose: Part 3

The first few days we were in Montrose it was about 80 degrees! It was heaven! Especially after driving through snow, well just in Rock Springs, Wy- but still, to get there! We spent about 90% of the first two days outside. We walked through some of the corn field and the kids (and my mom) played on the hammock! Carter and I went bike riding down to the end of the street where there are some horses who we pet. We looked at what was left of my mom's garden. We walked down to the end of their long driveway to show Carter where he could ride his bike to. It was just wonderful, truly!

Matt promised Carter they could do something with just the two of them, so they went bowling and my dad went too. Matt, I think, got 97 the first game with the bumpers up! Carter got a close 85- I think! They had a lot of fun! Carter had been bowling before, but not in a really long time- I am not even sure he could really bowl last time we went. Anyways, so they did that guy thing and then got ice cream after it I am sure. Every time my dad went anywhere with the kids they got ice cream if it was just him, or if it was everyone we had to stop by the gas station to load the kids up with soda and candy! and he took them out almost everyday to either go to the dump, or get gravel for their driveway, which they were regraveling, or something! It seriously took 3 days after leaving their house to have Carter stop asking for ice cream every time we got into the car!!! Thanks Baba!!!!!!

As I mentioned before my parents live in between a corn field(this year- but often is soybean) and a dairy farm. The dairy farm is a little bit away, and I think one house separate them, although that house is related to the dairy farmer. anyways, this summer my sister who lived with my parents, worked at that dairy farm, so my mom asked if she could bring her grandkids by to see the cows being milked! So we went. the milking part wasn't that exciting, but was was fun to see were all the little cows! We saw one that was born just the night before getting bottled feed. We also got to go look at all the new calf's that had been born in the last few weeks! They were cute, relatively speaking. Raymond Dresser, the dairy farmer spent a while talking with us and was so nice! The kids enjoyed looking at the cows, seeing the roosters who were roosting in the tops of the barn and playing on an old tractor. Lincoln even enjoyed it! How can you not enjoy good farm living? Honestly!

Another day we went to a pumpkin patch that has some fun stuff to do there. There was this giant corn "box", like a sand box, but with kernals of corn. The kids loved that! They also had a big playhouse and store which Lincoln and Ella really liked. They also had these bean bag toss games, which I schooled Matt in repeatedly. He tried, but just doesn't have my bean bag throwing ability!

One of the big trips we always make while at my parents is to the John Deere museum in Moline, IL! It is about 2 hours away and it is a long 2 hours cause you go through nothing the whole way there- just farm land! There are so few bathroom stops along the way that Matt actually took Ella into a Bar in some little town cause she had to go and there was NOTHING else for miles!!! Anyways... the kids always love the museum. Lincoln loved being about to sit and "steer"! And Ella was heard to say when asked where she was driving to, "I am going to Kate's house!" Carter's favorite part of the museum is probably the gift shop where we get roped buying lots of stuff! Ella made out like a princess with a Pink John Deere Hat and a blue John Deere "bucket" (she calls it that) with beads for the handle! What could be better? After the museum we went to a Italian steakhouse for dinner and then on back to my parents. But we couldn't get all the way home without stopping for ice cream! Of course!!!

One of my personal highlights of the trip is going to the Mennonite Walmart! It isn't a Walmart, but it is the place to go for anything a Mennonite might ever need- felt hats included! It is a fun place to go, because first you get to gawk at all the Mennonites and Amish and you can buy good food, in bulk, for cheap!!!! So I bought spice for my food storage and candy and some other stuff I didn't need. It is an hour away from where my parents live, but fun to go and see where some of the locals shop. The county next to my parents is actually the poorest county in the state and doesn't have one stop light in the whole county. The majority of the residents are either Amish or Mennonite! the are "poor" because they are all small farmers, but rich in spirit and culture! So interesting. They actually have Amish stores that are lit by kerosene lamps and skylights! We did see some Amish at the true Walmart there closer to my parents and Matt about tripped over himself staring at them. He obviously didn't go to the Mennonite Walmart with my mom and I.

Matt and I were able to go to the temple twice while we were there which was nice. It has been a long time since we were able to go and so nice to go and not worry about getting home to the baby sitters. Both times we ate at the Ivy, either coming or going. Matt is now wanting to open an Ivy here in Utah somewhere. I wouldn't be opposed to it, course I would gain a ton of weight cause they have the best desserts EVER!!! Anyways, ever in Nauvoo go to Fort Madison and eat at the Ivy!!!

So that about wraps up our trip. It was a good one. A little long maybe. A good solid week would be good for next time, but we will see. It has been a year and a half since we had been there last, but not too much had changed. It really is a great grandma and grandpa place, or in our family a Nana and Baba place!

Oh, I just remembered the funniest part of the whole 2 weeks! Let's see if I can write it so that it is funny! We were all eating at a place called Culver's, I think. Anyways.... I had just opened a new straw for Lincoln and after taking the paper off blew through the straw into his face to make him laugh. Well, Carter saw this and thought it would be funny to do to Matt. So Carter took his straw out of his chocolate milk and blew a ton of chocolate milk onto the side of Matt's face. Matt immediately, without thinking, pulled his straw out of his cup and chucked it over my parents head, out of the booth and into the booth in front of us where it hit a girl in the head and then fell on the floor! I looked at the younger girl and mouthed sorry and she was nice about it because I think she thought it had come from one of the children. Matt in the mean time is wiping his face off of chocolate milk and not in the least bit embarrassed for his actions. Following that we gave home the hardest time about what he did. I couldn't believe he did it!