We had a great time in Iowa! Hubby and I drove to Independance and Muscatine last week. I got to see my dad's grave. It was very humbling. I can't begin to describe the feeling of actually seeing your dad's name on a head stone. Later that day we drove to see where my grandmother's farm was (notice I said was) and my great-grandmother's house. You will see a picture of the original water well that I remember grandma used to send me out to get water when I wanted a bath. Ha! try filling up a claw foot tub with water you pump from a well and heat on the stove! I remember doing that once, only once!

We went to the courthouse and did some family research trying to find some info on my dad's biological dad. It is an incredible feeling seeing the actual marriage certificate of your great-grandparents and fascinating to learn what family has died of over the years. I learned my dad's dad was a blacksmith, fancy that! But he died of lung cancer. Hubby says it's part of the trade.

We spent Thanksgiving in Muscatine. That was great! I got to have my first Thanksgiving in YEARS with family. All our years in the military we weren't able to spend Holidays with family, so this was nice.

And you know, I prayed all the way there...14 hours worth, and while we were there for good weather. Wednesday it was drizzling and really cold - the day I was at the cemetary, then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were sunny and great! I was praising God each day. Friday and Saturday I didn't even need a jacket!

One last note before I sign off. I found out my grandfather (my mom's dad) worked in the button factory in Muscatine. Now this is not JUST a button factory, they made 37% of the buttons made at the time. There is a few pictures of what I could get in the museum. The Pearl Button Museum was closed but praise God for glass windows. Then we ate lunch in the factory. It has been converted into a restaurant. How fun is that! I love buttons. Chris boought me a watch while we were stationed in NC, that is made from buttons from a Victorian dress. Each one is listed in the Big Button book. Something fun about me! :-)

Off to cook dinner and get to a meetin'. Enjoy the pictures.

Peace,

Dee

Our "Japanese" style dinner in the hotel. Two pillows and a cooler :-) With Taco salad served!

My great-grandmother's house...very renovated. Did they have vinyl and side porches in the early 1900's?


The original water well pump.


Thanksgiving..cousins, friends, family.

My Uncle and guess who?

My Aunt & Uncle.

The back side of the Pearl Button Factory.

Inside the restaurant, what used to be the factory. Plastic took over from the real pearl buttons, hence the factory closed down.
A glimpse in history of the clams racked in to make buttons.

One of the machines to make the buttons. I was told that each person had their own button cutter.


A bazillion pearl buttons in a glass case.

What you would see in the store.

I love covered bridges. This one is somewhere in Illinois.

To bad the driver of a truck didn't read this as he zipped through, almost hitting me!
An old barn on the drive home. I like old barnes too.

Geese flying over us as we drove.

God's glory in color.

And the rest of the pictures

Here are the rest of our pictures from our off road trip. These one's are of our truck. Drake's daughter took these..isn't she a great photographer.

Both trucks before inching (is that a word? it is today!) down the trail.

Dee walking over to assess the trail with the others.
Oh my...THAT'S THE TRAIL?


Working our way through the hill side.

Howdy!!

Climbing rocks.

The stinky water puddle, um no, lake. It came up the top of the truck hood, and smelled like it had been there for 20 years. YUCK! Was is fun, yep, only because we didn't get stuck and have to get out in it!!

Straddling ruts.

We'll be comin' down the mountain when we come...(insert music jingle here LOL)

We had a good time, but I don't look forward to it again real soon. I'm thinking...ice skating sounds like fun. I hear Pittsburgh has an ice rink and it's an hour from here. Anyone up for ice skating??

Have a great weekend! We are getting ready for a road trip on Tuesday. God willing we will be back on Sunday. Our first "vacation" in years. No dogs, no kids. Kind of scary, kinda of exciting. Going to be paying respects, doing some ancestry research and some adventuring.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you Peace,

Dee