Rachel's Dance

My dear niece, Rachel, shares her heart and soul every time she dances.  It is poetry in motion.  We were so happy to be able to go to Cedar Falls to watch her in her spring recital a couple of weeks ago.  It was doubly important because she and her husband, Stephen, are moving this very weekend back to Oklahoma where Stephen has accepted a new job.  Although we are happy for them and their return to their home area of Oklahoma, we have to admit that we got very used to having them close enough to come visit several times throughout the year.

Jackson was at camp with Brianna, so missed the weekend.  But, Jonathan, Marvin, and I traveled up on a Friday afternoon.  As we were pulling into our hotel, Stephen texted us and wondered what time we would arrive.  Perfect timing!  We were able to meet up with him for dinner, which was wonderful.  He then took us for a drive around the area, including a stop at the Cedar River, a lovely area.

Marvin, Stephen, and Jonathan 

Marvin and Laura

Kerry, Candace, Hannah, and Susanna were driving up from OK so we didn't see them until breakfast the next morning at the hotel.  Candace and I laughed when we realized we were wearing the exact same shirt.  You can tell where we shop!   :)

Updated to include a photo from Saturday night showing that Candace and I are wearing the same shirt (although different colors) and our fellas are wearing similar plaid shirts!   :)

We spent the morning taking a walking tour of the campus there in Cedar Falls.  Daddy and Mama moved there in 1959 when Julie and Kerry were very small.  They left behind their pretty little house that they had built here to wind up living in a corrugated tin building (married student housing at the time) with a front door that froze on the inside.  A little depressing, actually.  Daddy remembers making the long, cold walk through the tunnel from their apartment to the campus where he was doing research with radioactive isotopes.  It was that time and those experiences that helped him determine that he really wanted to teach, not do research.  

Jonathan, Susanna, Hannah, Candace, Marvin, and Kerry at the tunnel

This view sort of reminded me of Truman

We stopped for lunch at a place called 'Pizza Ranch' which was a hit!  I would love to have one of these here at home!  It was a pizza buffet with wonderful and unique pizza options available, as well as more 'homestyle' offerings like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, meatloaf, etc.  They also had gluten free pizzas for the OK crew.  Great place!!  

After lunch we made a quick stop at the Hartman Nature Reserve.  What a beautiful place tucked away in the midst of Cedar Falls!  You literally drive down through a quaint neighborhood, on winding roads, then suddenly you are at a nature preserve with many beautiful trails and exhibits!  Incredible!

Marvin, Candace, Kerry, Stephen, Hannah, Jonathan 

Then it was on to the dance recital, which was held in the performing arts center on campus.  We had good seats and enjoyed the recital thoroughly.  It was based around the theme of 'An American Story' and told our nation's history through music and dance.  Truly, I was riveted.  And of course, I cried when I saw dear Rachel.  (I always do...)   :)

Rachel and Candace

Rachel and Kerry 

Rachel and Stephen

Susanna, Rachel, and Susanna 

Susanna, Rachel, Stephen, Hannah, Candace, Kerry

Laura, Rachel, Marvin, Jonathan 

Rachel and Hannah 

Jonathan, Marvin, and Kerry 

After the recital we headed downtown to a neat little place restaurant known for their sushi and tapas.  I ordered stuffed mushrooms and tequila chicken kabobs, both of which were quite tasty.  It was right next to a beautifully historic hotel and we enjoyed a few brief moments of gawking while en route to the bathroom.  :)  

Hannah, Susanna, Jonathan 

Laura, Rachel, Stephen 

Kerry, Candace, Marvin, Rachel  

Sunday morning, which also happened to be Father's Day, we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at the hotel with everyone, then set off for home.  We arrived home just in time to have dinner with Mama and Daddy at the lake restaurant.  (The day before they left for their trip out west.)   A terrific weekend!

Lo and behold... we wore the same shirt
(although different colors) on the 2nd day, too!   :)  Too funny!

Candace, Stephen, Kerry, Rachel, Hannah, Susanna, Jonathan, Laura, Marvin.
The whole group at the hotel.

One final memory of our trip up to Iowa.  Marvin and I so enjoyed seeing all the neatly kept farms and farm homes, the quilt paintings decorating so many barns, the rolling countryside and farmland; all so beautiful and picturesque.  Iowans are a uniquely friendly group, as well.  In fact, as we were traveling north on a highway, I became aware that a car that was passing me had sort of slowed down beside our car.  I nervously looked that way, wondering what to expect, when the driver smiled great big and give a huge 'thumbs up' sign.  It took me a minute, but then I realized that he was doing that for Marvin because of our Purple Heart license plate.  What a lovely gesture!  (and not the one you might usually get in other states!!)   ;)

Here is a link to an entire album of photos from our weekend.