Across the Mississippi

We spent the end of our Midwest trip across the Mississippi River at Grandma and Grandpa's Farmersburg house.  It has been quite a while since we have visited and it was so wonderful to spend some great quality time with them.

Grandpa Vern suffered a hip break this past year so our days were spent mostly indoors talking, laughing, watching football, playing with Lily and eating cookies.

One thing that Bob and I noticed right away is that it is COLD out there on the wide open priarie!  Oy was it cold.  Yes we were crazy and brave enough to run 3 times while visiting.  The first morning we woke up to 11 degrees with a below zero windchill, PERFECT running conditions.

The wide open highway was our trail and we ran 6.5 miles on the wicked hills.  The other days were shorter around 5 miles and 3, but the last day we just had to stop in town and take a picture.  We ran in 1 degree and who knows what the windchill was.

Don't know if you can tell, but our breath was frozen on our jacket collars and face.  I know you are wondering.....the baby LOVED it.  What a trooper.

Lily was simply a doll and both Great Grandma and Great Grandpa fell in love with her.  She brings so much life wherever she is.  I unfortunately was still not feeling the greatest, but fortunately had lots of people to lighten the load and take some time.  Lily helped Gramma Jill and GG Joyce in the kitchen and simply loved showing everyone her bunny slippers and playing with everything she could find.

The old farmhouse had a bunch of these little black bugs that were taking up shelter from the bitter cold inside and Lily found it her personal mission to find every single one.  She was so concerned about bugs that whether they were on the floor, bed, window or ceiling, she found 5-8 a day and watched them like a hawk until they were safely gone.  What a cutie.

Bob has such special memories with his Grandpa and it is hard to see his health take away some of those things.

Even though we didn't get to go ice fishing or have a fish fry, Bob and Grandpa cooked dinner with Uncle Steve, watched a Bears game together and Grandpa even made his famous blueberry pancakes one morning.

I will tell you, the pancakes were most definitely a hit with Lily.  I think she ate about 4 of them.  That was a special morning to be sure.

We, of course, had christmas #3 and Lily got a bushel of additional gifts.

Both of the Great Grandparents were simply in love with Lily and we really did have such a wonderful time with all of them.  It was a wonderful way to close out 2012 and ring in 2013.