Majernik's Annual Great Minivan Trek Across Iowa (MAGMTAI)

We are back from our trip to Iowa. As usual, we had a great time but it was nice to finally get home. We are such slaves to routine around here that it's kind of hard to just pack up and travel for a week. The girls were great travelers and we saw lots of friends and family.

First stop...my hometown of Clarion, Iowa. We arrived at Grandma Ruth's house late Saturday afternoon. We unpacked, ate supper, and got the kids into bed. I was also able to visit with my friend Heidi that night. Then it was back to Mom's house to await the Easter Bunny.

He came while we were asleep. The kids were so excited that the Easter Bunny knew they were staying at Grandma's. He left each of them a basket with a nightgown, a pair of flip flops, and a pair of sunglasses. And he hid Easter eggs all over Grandma's house.

We went to sunrise service at Grandma's church, then downstairs to breakfast. Next came Sunday School where Allie was reunited with her best Clarion friend, Natalie. Another church service, this one with contemporary music, followed. Then back to Grandma's for lunch and a much needed nap. After naps, we went out to Natalie's Grandma's farm where there was an Easter Egg Hunt with Natalie, her cousin, Cale, and her little brother, Colin.



The girls, with the help of Natalie's uncle, had been playing with some makeup before this picture was taken. Here's a close up of their makeovers. Uncle Dean...the blush goes on their cheeks, not their noses and foreheads. But then again, if you knew that, I'd be worried 'bout cha!


By Monday morning, we were back on the road, headed for Iowa City. We stopped to pick up some new Iowa Hawkeye gear for the whole family. Here are the kids posing with Herky.

Finally, we made it to Altmanville, our home away from home. Colleen is my bestest friend in the whole wide world. She was Matron of Honor at my wedding and I've know her for 16 years or so. Colleen and her husband, Tom, have 3 boys and our kids have grown up together, seeing each other at least twice a year since they were babes. When we come for a visit, we just move right in and do whatever they do. Tom had just gotten a new camera and I had lots of fun playing with it. Here are some of my photos.

That's Tom,

Colleen,

Kale (7), Nash (5), and Dade (3).

We had so much fun. The kids played and played and played. The moms talked and talked and napped. Colleen took us to a ceramics place where the kids were able to paint a pottery piece. Allie chose a seahorse and Meredith made a cupcake.

Next stop...an evening with the Panzler's. Lovi Panzler (her name has been changed to protect her anonymity) is a wonderful friend that Jason and I met back in our days at the VA Spa. She was a pharmacist there while Jason was in college and I worked in the lab, and I use the word "worked" loosely. She's married to Jay and has 3 kids; Ted, Holly, and Eli. And also, the newest member of the family that I had the pleasure of meeting, Louie the dog.

Sadly, our time in Iowa had come to an end. I stopped at the grocery store and stocked up on the two things we cannot get here in Wisconsin...beer and dairy products. Crazy huh? But one of Jason's favorite beers comes from a little brewery in the Amana Colonies and my favorite yogurt is made in Iowa.

On our way back to Wisconsin, we stopped to see my Dad's big brother...Uncle Art, Aunt Billie, and Cousin Deb just outside of Dubuque. And to my surprise, my Cousin Jim, who lives in Minnesota, was there too. It had been far too long since I'd seen him.

We had lunch, chatted, and tried our best to keep Meredith safe from all of Aunt Billie's killer ladybugs. It was naptime so we had to get back on the road if we were to make it home by dark. The kids slept a good share of the way. And we got home just in time for supper, Jason had a pizza waiting for us when we pulled in the drive.

It was a wonderful trip and I thank everyone who made it so enjoyable for us. See you again next spring, if not before!!

The Morning News with Allie

Here's Allie's Morning News for Friday, March 21st.

I feel like drawing a little Morning News myself. Here goes...

The girls and I were supposed to leave this morning for our Spring Break trip to Iowa. But since there is a Winter Storm Warning for much of central Wisconsin & Minnesota, we are going to leave tomorrow instead.

Teddy Bear Clinic

Allie's class has been studying the human body. Yesterday they took a field trip to the hospital and I was invited to come along. Each child brought along a teddy bear who was sick or injured.

When we first arrived, we got to see the MediVac helicopter and talk to the pilot and the paramedic who fly in it.

Once inside the hospital's ER area, a nurse talked to the kids about all the tools that are used to make a sick person feel better like a stethoscope, a thermometer, a blood pressure cuff, and an IV bag full of medicine. She also explained what happens when you get stitches and why it's so important to wear a helmet when riding a bike. She showed them a model of the human brain and of the heart and they even got to see a "real live skeleton".

Then each child got to bring their bear in to see the "doctor". There were three hospital volunteers who checked each bear, gave them shots, bandaged them up, and wrote out a prescription.

Allie's bear had a broken arm. The doctor gave her a shot for the pain and bandaged up her arm. Her bear has a little cast and Allie was able to write her name on it. We have to leave the cast on for 5 days and also give the bear (or the bear's owner) two M&M's each day for 5 days.

My Brother-in-Law, the Sculptor

Allie is not the only artist in our family. My brother-in-law, Todd, created this magnificent mini snowman yesterday. The beer bottle was strictly used to show the scale of the sculpture...and to provide the snowman with a hat.

Cat Shows and Cafes

Uncle Todd, Aunt Kendra, and I took the 4 cousins to the Central Wisconsin Cat Club's Annual Spring Show in Wausau today (Jason had to work). We walked around and saw lots of unusual breeds of cats.

The breeders were very happy to show us their cats, let us pet them, and tell us lots of information about them.

There was one cat in particular that caught my eye. It was hard not to notice him, he was HUGE. He was about the size of a small tiger. He looked kind of like this...

In fact, I think this a picture of his father. The owner/breeder lives near Madison, Wisconsin. This breed is called a Maine Coon and they are known as the "gentle giant" among domesticated cats. They are friendly, loyal, good with kids and other pets, and very smart. Sounds great! So how much does a cat like this cost a fella? Not for showing or breeding or anything, just for keeping as a house cat...$600!

I asked Jason if I could buy a $600 cat. He said "no"!

After the cat show, we all went downtown to my favorite restaurant, The Mint Cafe.

See the stools?

That's Allie and Livie,

Me and Deefers,

And Uncle Todd, Millsie, and Aunt Kendra.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We had conferences this week and we received good news on Allie's progress. She's reading at the highest level, along with 4 other students, in her class. She's mastered all the necessary words that a kindergartener should know and has moved on to learning 1st grade words. She's a good listener and a kind friend. We are so proud!

The Morning News with Allie

Here's your Friday "Morning News".

This one is dedicated to my mom, whose birthday is on Sunday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Our Trip to Chicago

We spent the weekend in Naperville, Illinois, visiting the McDonald family and celebrating little CJ's first birthday. It was an interesting party. There were the usual things you'd find at a one year old's birthday party...balloons, cake, clowns, pinatas. And there was something not usually found at a kid's party, namely a quarter barrel keg of Bud Light. I think it was there to keep all the dads, grandpas, and husbands happy (not to worry, there was wine for the moms, grandmas, and wives).

The birthday boy, CJ, is the youngest son of Sean, Jason's friend from his hometown of Streator. Here's a picture of CJ, enjoying his birthday cake. Doesn't that look delicious?

Jason was able to catch up with another high school friend, Mouse. Here's a picture of Mouse, Sean, and Jason. I must say, Streator does produce some handsome fellas.

Mouse has a couple of kids too. One of which is the cutest little girl I've ever seen, next to my own of course. Here she is with Meredith and Allie and their many balloons.

Speaking of balloons, CJ's Grandma Denise spent a lot of time blowing up balloons. CJ's other Grandma, his Mom, and I spent a lot of time arranging the balloons in just the right spots. Here's CJ's big brother after the kids managed to tangle up all the neatly arranged balloons in to one big balloon knot!


We had a great time and we thank the host and hostess for inviting us to visit! They are like family to us...the weird cousins that you don't talk to much, but family none the less.