Ethan is Walking!

What More Can Happen to Iowa????

Let's sum up our stay in Iowa City thus far...multiple tornado warnings last summer/fall. OK, no touch downs so that was not a big deal. Sixty inches of snow in the winter. It was awful, beyond words awful, but we survived. This spring, a "500 year flood" that is predicted to be WORSE than the 1993 Iowa River flood. We all remember the 1993 Mississippi River flood and how legendary that is. On June 19, the Iowa River water level is supposed to be crest at 33 feet (anything above 22 feet is considered a flood). For those of you who have visited us, you know that the Iowa River flows down the middle of Iowa City. Our house should be fine, but we are worried about access to main roads and the water supply (if the flood water breaches the sandbag levee around the water supply we are in big trouble). The good news is that our house is being packed up on Friday and I am returning to Springfield on Saturday. We should be able to make it out safely, but Joe needs to remain in the house until the end of the month. He may be canoeing to work! We believe that a swarm of locusts is due to hit Iowa in July....

When there is a legendary event in your town, what do you do? You go see it! It was probably not the smartest thing that we could have done, but the kids, my mom (who is here to help with the move), and I ventured over a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Iowa River. The sight was unbelievable, and the noise was deafening. We were not the only people that went sightseeing, as the bridge was busy with people toting cameras and videocameras. Here is Olivia checking out the water levels. She really was mesmerized by the water and wasn't at all scared walking around on the bridge and viewing decks. Mom and I, on the other hand, were white-knuckled by the end.


I realize that it may have been a bit strange to smile at the camera with such an awful event happening in the background, but I guess it was habit. Ethan was in the stroller for his own safety - he is too much of a wiggle-worm these days!

This is not supposed to be a river. This is supposed to be a forest next to the river. It was a terrible yet awesome sight to witness this flooding. On a side note, the Devonian Fossil Gorge (see blog posts from 9/20/07 and 8/27/07) is now completely underwater and will probably emerge changed. The floods of 1993 is what revealed the Gorge, and I wonder what will be revealed after this flood recedes?

Flower Girl, Take 2

This past Saturday Olivia was a flower girl for (Joe's stepbrother) Uncle Tim and (now) Aunt Jen. Olivia was pretty excited about getting to wear a fancy dress and hairdo again, and, once again, loved watching the bride in her fancy white dress. It was a fun filled weekend in Nashville, IL with Joe's family. On a side note, some of the photos are dark and/or blurry. It was not easy to take good pics in a large church or in a dark reception hall!

Olivia showing off her flower girl status - the hair, the dress, the flowers in her hair, her special purse. The shoes she is wearing, however, did not make it down the aisle. She was frequently telling me how much they were pinching her feet, so she ended up walking down the aisle in only her socks.


Olivia and the bride, Jen, having pictures taken before the ceremony.

Olivia and Ethan having some fun with mirrors while waiting for the big moment. Olivia loved this mirror - I think she was having a good time seeing herself so dressed up.

This is pretty much what Olivia did during the ceremony. Unlike the first time she was a flower girl, this time she stood at the altar the entire time (thankfully it was not a very long ceremony). While the best man had Skittles in his pocket to bribe the ring bearers with, the bridesmaids did not really have a place to hide bribes. Olivia ended up sitting on the steps and periodically throwing her bouquet into the air throughout the ceremony. She stayed relatively still and quiet (for a 3 year old!).

Joe and his siblings - Cory, David, Meghann, Matt, Tim (the groom), Joe, and Brennan. It is not often that all seven of them are in the same place as they are scattered from California to Colorado to Michigan to Illnois, so many pictures were taken of this event.

All dressed up with a place to go! Joe was an usher at the wedding, thus the tux.

Joe and his fellow usher, Brennan, showing how they would handle disruptive guests.

The wedding party having fun before entering the reception hall. The wedding theme was along the lines of a Florida beach (where the bride and groom met), thus the straw hats on the guys.

One more picture before the sun completely set - Grandpa, Olivia, Grandma, Ethan, Kate, Joe, Grammy, and Grandpa Brett.

Awwww....

Joe and Olivia dancing together. Olivia was very tired by the time the dancing started so we did not have a chance to stay long and enjoy the great band that played (a band that Tim is a member of - he plays the sax).

Mom and Olivia having a quick moment together.

Grammy and Ethan showing us their dance moves.