A Bit of Randomness.....

There was much to see and enjoy on our travels.....the beauty of the National Parks.

The unusual.....

The impressive..... Temple at Salt Lake

The fun.....Georgetown Loop in Colorado

A bit of my Dutch heritage at Pella Iowa....

Where Dutch lace curtains made me lonely for my lace curtains at home....

The joy of bakeries for breakfast....

Friendly smiles and lots of yummy treats.....

The pristine beauty of the Amanna Colonies in Iowa.....

The Amanna colonies were based on religious freedom and a lifestyle that centered around God, work, crafting and communal meals.

They still serve the communal meals...this was our breakfast. They load the table with an abundance of food, then come back and ask if we want seconds of anything. Ok, I admit, I said YES. It was our vacation after all!!!!

We saw endless miles of farmlands that seem unchanged by time.....

We made a stop at one of the farms....and did a cheese tasting of the yummiest cheeses ever.

We came home with some to share.....the best Blue Cheese !!!!

We dodged tornadoes.....

....and spent the happiest four days with our loved ones in Chicago. A few years back Jill and I had a chance to visit the Art Museum where I took a picture of Jill in front of this famous painting. Now our bitty girl was there too, and my heart overflows with the joy of it all.

I had to share my favorite painting.....the tender love of mother and child.

My two boys on an evening walk.....

....and my cutest ever SIL who got to meet Clare for the first time.

Why do I love Barb so much...because she finds the perfect gifts that make us smile!!!

I will never forget the balmy nights, our walks thru the park and how Chicago lights up in the evening like the most beautiful of Christmas trees!!!!

We got to drive by our Chicago home.....hmmmm, it is for sale. We loved our house.

A final bakery breakfast...this one was in honor of my Mom. This was her favorite bakery in Chicago, and it was just as good as we remembered!!!!

We brought Mom a bitty box of chocolates....to let her know how much we missed her.

So I have shared some of our favorite moments from the trip. Tomorrow is ALL about quilts and quilt shops, and there were LOTS of wonderful shops to see.