This past week has zoomed by!
Last weekend we were up visiting at the farm when my mother-in-law asks me if the girls and I would be up for a trip down to Iowa to visit Ryan's brother, Grady and his wife Jill (who is expecting their first baby in Dec.) Sure! Why not, what else do we have going on in our lives?? So Monday night (Labor Day) we drive back to Warren so I can do a couple loads of laundry, repack our bags so we can leave first thing in the morning. Becky came we packed up the car and headed down to Iowa for the week. It was a great week to spend at their place. It was nice and relaxing, and good to get to know my sister in law better. She hasn't been feeling well with her pregnancy, so maybe it was good to be there to maybe get her mind off of it for a few days. She took us around showing us a little bit of the area, but most of the time we just spent enjoying some nice end of the summer sunshine, and gorgeous evenings. Grady sure know how to cook, we enjoyed some great bbq meals!!
I have to tell you that the girls were troopers! They travelled soo well, I can't complain. Emma didn't cry at all, she looked around, sang, talked some, read some books, played with shoes, took a nap, but didn't fuss at all. Dakota slept alot, she cried about a half hour, but was a great traveller for such a long car ride!! They did great! They are soo precious!
Jill took us to 3M where Grady works, we can't go in, but at least we know where he's at. He brought us home some 3M treats to take home with us, that's fun. They have a few amish folks living down the road from them, so we went shopping at the amish stores in the area, it was fun for me to do that. We picked up a couple amish bonnets for the girls, and they look so cute in them. We enjoyed some delicious cinnamon rolls from the bakery on Sat. morning. What a treat to be there.
We left on Sat. noon, to head up to Jesse and Jessica's place to see their little apartment before the big move up to Roseau. We were planning to drive with them, but it seemed that we always kept just a little bit a head of them. We got home at 11:30pm last night, and we are just hanging low today. we are all pretty pooped from our trip. The girls just woke up from their nap, and I think we'll go for a short walk around, and then to the grocery store, since we are really low on food right now.
I have more to post but it will have to wait for another day.
Emma loves to be outside. I feel bad sometimes when I see her perched in the window, I wonder if she is just wishing she could be outside. One of these days we'll be out of the apartment.
A few pictures from when we went up to Red Lake. Ryan was able to help Jeff out with his garage. I captured him up in the rafters :)
Ryan and Jeff working hard. 
Grandpa Mike and Dakota
We were able to go blueberry picking on Saturday afternoon. I didn't get a picture of the blueberries that we had picked but I got a good one of Derek holding Dakota. Derek baby sat the kids while all the rest of us were in the bush picking. Emma was in the car playing around, Scotty was in the pick up sleeping and here Derek got to hold Dakota for a bit.
After blueberry picking on our way home we made a stop at Pineridge, built a fire had some tea and enjoyed a beautiful evening out as a family. What a great day and evening!! Here is my mom holding Dakota.
Our family picture. Me, Dakota, Ryan and Emma
Just one of the pictures I took from our trip to Iowa. In the picture is Becky, Me, Dakota, Jill, Emma and Grady. We had a nice visit with Grady and Jill. It was nice of them to open their house up to us travellers. Jill and Grady are expecting their first baby beginning of December. 
