Brothers

We're starting to have more sweet, un-prompted moments like this where the boys cuddle up and read or do projects together, and it's been heart-meltingly awesome.

After that, the boys wanted to pose for some pictures of their own:

 

  

More Iowa

We had one more important stop to make in Iowa and went to the cemetery where my dad, his dad, and many other relatives are buried.
 

It was the first visit for the boys, and they were very helpful with putting out flowers.
 

They also enjoyed working with their second cousins to pick up some little apples.
 

 

 

Here's the farmhouse where my dad and his dad grew up.  It's not in the family anymore, but it'll always be what I think of when I remember our annual summer visits to Iowa.
 

We attempted to get a picture of Grandma with almost all of her great-grandchildren--just missing Summer!  

Back 40 Playground

The boys had an awesome time with my cousins, my cousins' kids, my aunt, Migi, and their great grandmother at the Back 40 Playground, which seemed to have all of the best components of every pumpkin patch we've ever been to all combined into one great place.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids put corn in the buckets and used pulleys to raise the corn up to the platforms where the goats were eagerly awaiting their treats:
 

 

Science Center of Iowa

After a morning of travelling, the boys had a blast burning energy at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you forget the iPad for the plane...

For our trip to Iowa (where I'd planned to let Grant watch movies on the iPad while I entertained Hayes BUT I forgot the iPad), I was glad we had lots of empty seats around us for building tents on the airplane: