Destination 20: Ames, Iowa

We drove to Ames, Iowa for a very short but pleasant visit with some good friends of the family. Right around dinner time, we drove up to Kevin and Laurie Willson's house where the kids immediately ran off to the basement of fun while we sat in the living room and caught up. Before Mom and Dad got married in 1998, Dad and Kevin used to be roommates. They told stories about eating whole pies from Marie Calendars in one sitting, having messy rooms, being chased by a bird, etc.

[Laurie and her daughter, Rianna, tending to their horses]

Later, others friends, including Dad's roommate from 1981, showed up for a hot dog and sloppy joe dinner. Simple, fast and in good company...the perfect way to end a long day of driving.

[Just hanging out and chatting]

[Karis and Mary downstairs in the basement]

While they continued chatting after dinner, I joined the kids downstairs and learned how to jump on a pogo stick! Perhaps pogo sticks are a common thing to the average child, but not to me. Up until that evening, I never tried! Anyway, I was hopping all over the place for a good 10 minutes while the other kids kind of sat there and just watched. They weren't laughing along with me. In fact, they were probably thinking, "Who is this weird person? And why is she so laughing so hard?!"

The night was so mellow and it ended perfectly with the most beautiful lightning storm. Every 2 or 3 seconds, the sky lit up with large bolts of lightning. It probably lasted for an hour. I've never seen anything like it.

[A beautiful sunset and the clouds rolling in]

Finally at 10 p.m., it was time to part. After a few wonderful hours of relaxing, catching up and exchanging life stories, we left fully content. Satisfied and sleepy, we made our way to the hotel for a good night's rest before the next destination.