Swisher, Solon, and Sensational Family Time

Who wants to take on this crew for some 3 on 3?

 Bailey and her uncles

Me & Marie :)

 Butch & Chris

 Emma made a movie trailer video about the Kasparek men. It was a big hit watching it next to the fire pit after dinner.

 Early Saturday morning we headed to Solon for Beef Days. Here are our favorite runners

 Cool Miss B is ready to cheer

  Strong finishes by both kiddos!

Resting with dad post-race

Uptown for the parade we found Grandma Rose

Aunt V and B are ready to get some candy

 Brotherly love

 Grandma Rose's blessings

 We love Casey!

 Waiting patiently...

 Waving at some parade royalty

We saw cousin Kevin on main street after the parade

 Onto Swisher for moving prep.  Yes, after 41 years living at 200 Swisher View Drive, the Kaspareks are moving. 

 All the grandkids hanging out in the backyard one last time

They'll cherish the memories in this house forever!

 

Evening hoops back in Iowa City.  Tim just rejected Camden BIG TIME!

We spent a rainy Sunday morning playing at the Iowa Children's Museum

 Celebrating National Ice Cream Day!

Iowa City 2016 - Part 1

It's now time for some fun with the Kasparek cousins!
 Cole was attending wilderness day camp the first week we were in Iowa City. Lori, Bailey, Emma, Camden, and I enjoyed some adventures around town.

Beach day, Iowa style at Kent Park

 

 We visited Babi at work and took some pictures with all the Iowa Football trophies. Here isFloyd and the kids.

Look who we got to meet?!?!? Iowa's star quarterback: CJ Beathard

Then Head Coach Kirk Ferentz!

 Playing at the park downtown

 Recreating one of our favorite pics of Camden outside the Old Capitol

      Who is this adorable senator?

 Scary polar bears at the Natural History Museum

 Next Stop: Cole-Train Productions

Hanging out in the Tiny Tailgater

 Tim's latest masterpiece: a tiny house

 Cousins taking a break from shooting hoops

 On Emma's "Must do in the USA List": 

Ordering pizza and having it delivered.  Thanks Papa Johns!

 Pizza picnic in the front yard

 A few hours later,  a surprise visitor walked in the house!

Chris is here!

On to Iowa!

After 2 weeks of fun in North Carolina & Florida, it was time to head to the great state of Iowa.  The first few days were filled with fun in Winterset.

 We met Aunt Sue for lunch at one of my favorite Des Moines restaurants: Jethro's BBQ. The kids wanted to order a full rack of ribs and loved every bite of their American lunch!

Aunt Sue, me, and Mom

 On Friday night I met up with some of my high school classmates to start planning our 20th class reunion in 2017. Jason, Abby, Jessie, Jennifer, and I had a great time catching up and making plans.

Some extra special visitors made a trip to Winterset from Wichita just to see us.  Harrison was only a few months old when they moved from Naples and Arianna is so grown up now!  Amanda is still her fabulous self. ;) We hope to have another reunion (with Chris & Ron included) in Boston sometime in the future!

Emma & Arianna peeking out of Clark's Tower

Afternoon wagon ride

On Sunday morning, Camden helped grandpa cut down some branches

Then we went out to the Winterset airport and watched the Des Moines Skydiving Club

Do you think these 2 are related???

 Love this goofy boy!

 A fun afternoon watching the colorful parachutes make their way down to the ground

 Camden & Grandpa played some foosball at the new Winterset Cidery while I sampled some of their yummy ciders

No trip to Nana & Grandpa's is complete without playing games!

 On our way to the eastern side of the state we stopped for lunch with the Kalcevich family.  Matt and Chris worked together in Yokosuka while Kristin and I both taught at Ikego.  Matt is now working for Des Moines Park & Recreation. I haven't seen them since they left Japan in 2006!

Emma & Matt

 Me & Kristin

Kalcevich & Kasparek Kiddos:

William, Camden, Emma, and Rhys