Wet and Wild

Life is so fun with a daddy {not just any daddy, our daddy} around. Even dentist appointments are better, which is what we did first thing the morning after he came home. 

And then, he got to do chores and fix stuff around the house...welcome home, baby!!!! I even broke something extra while he was home...just so he'd have enough to do! Love you, baby!

Saturday was busy...as we squeezed in one last swim, covered the pool, packed, sort of cleaned for our gracious houseguests {with minimal yelling, I might add...sweet victory} and went to church.

Sunday morning, with an 8+ hour drive ahead of us, we left on time {hallelu!} with everything we needed {double hallelu!} Because I make lists obsessively and stayed awake most of the night before leaving, thinking to myself don't forget to, I even remembered to pick Bean's precious watermelon {which was a plant start from Cedar Falls adventures} and safely nestled it in the van.

Having Sweet Daddy traveling with us over the road was wonderful {usually he's travelling in the air.} He suggested that we have a little extra fun...stop at one of those Great Hairy-Beary/Cuckoo Key waterpark places. And you know me, I'm a sucker for such adventures. But as we drove {well, I slept, read, or knit...no driving for me this time} and contemplated driving two hours out of our way...Sweet Man had a {'nother} fantastic idea...about 8 hours into the drive:: we'd merely make a pit stop at G. J. Mecherle Park {aka:: St8 Pharm Park.} 

What a place...bike trails, tennis & volleyball courts, picnic shelters, and a waterpark...but wait, because it is the corporate mothership, our admission was free. No pressure...stay and play as little or long as we wanted. Both babes jumped off a diving board for the first time...at first, with me treading water under the board...and later, smiling proudly from the side of the pool. After two and a half hours, we were sufficiently sunburned worn out. 

We landed for the night in Coralville, IA {familiar territory as the kids and I enjoyed the Children's Museum there in May} and had a great night's sleep.

Now it's home, sweet, Des Moines. Our hotel room is huge...Sweet Man and I have our own room....We're unpacked and still have empty spaces. No pool here, but we need to give Bean's hair time to recover from the daily summer chlorine bath anyway...it feels like she's not only the Hair Club for Dolls president; she's also a client. 

So, my afternoon will be spent belly-up to this laptop, researching the area...playgrounds, grocery stores, Chik-Fil-A...all the necessities.