More Sioux City Hot Spots

We are continuing on with our adventures around Sioux City this week with two more sites.

The Sioux City Public Museum and the Sergeant Floyd Monument.

On a rainy afternoon what better activity than a free museum and yummy sweets from the Sugar Shack Bakery?

First we stopped at the bakery and picked up some unbelievable treats with oh-so-much frosting to enjoy. Andy was able to sneak away from paperwork for an hour or two so we picked him up along the way.

Bennett loved the fire truck airplane in the museum of course.

 

The museum shared history of what makes Sioux City unique as well as highlighting significant events in its history.

 The newest feature is the "Big Dig." 

Here the kids are allowed to go into a pit with a brush and act as paleontologists digging for dinosaur bones. We spent most of our time here.

This was a great way to spend a few hours and I am sure we will be going back this winter when it's way too cold to enjoy the outdoors.

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On a warm, sunny, and wind-free day we stopped at the Sergeant Floyd Monument with a picnic. 

The kids are always talking about "the big pencil" but we have never actually taken them to it.

After picking up a few happy meals, we settled in on the lawn near the monument for a picnic. 

 They spent their time learning about the Lewis and Clark exhibition, climbing the steps around the monument, chasing butterflies & grasshoppers, and scaling as many walls as they could find.

 Once at the top of the hill they were surprised at all they could see - the cars, trucks, river, and skyline. It was quite the view!

Helping Hand

Out of the past 76 hours or so Andy has been working nearly 68 of them...insane.

I knew between moonlighting and his call schedule on top of clinic this weekend I was going to need some help. So, like usual, I called Grandma Nel to come give me a hand. 

The kids LOVE having visitors stay overnight. They are convinced that the overnight say is about 100% better than just a day visit.  So on Saturday morning we were greeted by Grandma Nel and her dog Sammy.  

Our weekend was full of fun while poor Dad was working or sleeping.  He is such a hard worker and I will never understand how he does it. 

We managed to do a little back to school shopping for Marie, go to the new Planes: Fire and Rescue movie, church, swimming, and ice cream. 

The kids loved the movie and one again I was impressed by how well Bennett sat for it - popcorn and skittles did help however.

Thank you to Grandma Nel for the great weekend - it was much better with you here to help out!

Saddle Up!

 Sunday was one of those perfect days.

 We were able to go visit and ride a horse on Chris' farm for an entire afternoon.

 The kids all took turns riding together and on their own.

 Every time Marie got off she was sad and worried she wouldn't get another chance to ride.

 Chris fashioned some reigns for us to use and Marie did a pretty good job trying to steer the horse in the right direction.

 Even I got to ride - something I haven't done in years but it all came back.

 We had such a wonderful day.

Thanks to Uncle Chris for being so patient and letting us all get our turn!

Plymouth County Fair

 Our family loves a good fair - the food, the animals, and the rides.

On Saturday we went to the fair in Le Mars with some friends.

First things first - everyone had to climb on the tractors!

Bennett loved this part of the fair more than anyone else.

 He also got a chance to try his hand at milking a plastic cow - harder than it looks.

 The kids enjoyed petting many animals and walking through all the animal barns. 

We also got to watch a horse show for awhile - the kids did a good job staying quiet.

 Unfortunately after lunch the rain started.  So instead of rides we went for ice cream at the Blue Bunny ice cream parlor. 

We all were ready for a sweet treat and had no trouble picking out exactly what we wanted to eat!

 Marie & Alexander have been in the same class this year and have become great friends. His mom is another family medicine resident in Sioux City.

Everyone had a great fair day!

Airplane Tour

 Since we only have 1 year left in Sioux City we are trying to visit all the places on our wish list.

One of them was the aviation museum near the airport. 

 Bennett is really into transportation right now. Trucks, airplanes, tractors, fire trucks, ambulances, buses, pretty much anything that moves will catch his attention.

We didn't know what to expect for this museum but we were pleasantly surprised at all the history and hands-on experiences for the kids.

They were able to climb in different planes and helicopters as well as watch different videos. 

Andy & I found the information on Flight 232 which crashed in Sioux City particularly interesting.

All in all it was a great experience and we are glad we were able to experience it together.

Mueting Farm Party

On Saturday we drove down to Lincoln, NE to spend time with the extended Mueting family. Whenever we all get together you know 3 things are going to happen: it will be loud, you will laugh a lot, and you will come home exhausted!

As soon as we pulled up the farm the kid jumped out and scattered to find their cousins. 

The afternoon and night were filled with fun activities:

bouncy houses, water balloons, water guns, three legged races, food, ice cream, karaoke, fireworks, and a rousing game of wiffle ball.

Like I said, exhausted! We were there for about 6 hours and I'm pretty sure the kids sat down for a total of 20 minutes.

It was a great day and so much fun seeing everyone again. 

On Sunday after sleeping in and breakfast, we took off for Sioux City with 2 very tired kiddos and 2 very tired parents. 

Until next year!

Nature Center Adventures

One afternoon last week we decided to hike around the nature center near Sioux City.

The kids were able to see hawks, bees, and learn about different animals in the area.  

After the indoor fun we headed outside to the trails and play center.

 They both had a great time climbing, hiking, running, and digging.

This was a completely free activity which everyone loved!

We will definitely go again!