My! That's a BIG family!

It has been a great few days in Iowa. We have seen a lot of family, enjoyed mild weather, and had made our way to most of Tom's favorite Sioux City eateries! Here are a few of the family and friends we got to see.

Several years ago Tom and Judy started a collection of the kid's hand prints on stepping stones. This year we managed to add our three kids to the collection...

We rounded off the week with a large family picture today. For about an hour this morning 27 Mahaneys were in one place in Sioux City. The photographer did a great job managing the group and the preliminary shots look great! Tonight we celebrated the August birthdays (and Tom's, since he whined about never getting a birthday party at home) and enjoyed some sparklers after our cake!

Summer in Iowa definitely has a remarkable feel. It is a beautiful year and the mild August temperatures have made it all the better. I'm sure we will all be a little sad to leave tomorrow morning, but we do have a few more exciting stops before our 'big trip' comes to an end!

Eleanor meet Eleanor

We got to town in great time on Tuesday and had enough time to make a very special visit. Eleanor Beacom lived next door to Tom's parents his whole childhood. She was a great friend and mentor in motherhood to his mom and a special person to all the Mahaney kids. As a nurse and mother of 7 boys, she stitched wounds, tended to illnesses and provided a loving, compassionate outlet for them all. She is also who we named our little Eleanor after. At 95 she is bright, extraordinarily active, and still a sweet, gentle woman. We had a lovely visit.

Because we went to see Mrs. Beacom we also got to see Tom's childhood home (although it looks different than it did when he was there...)

When we got back to Tom and Judy's house we were lucky to have a steady train of siblings and neices/nephews visit. It was a really nice first night. We ate some dinner and the kids played cards for a long time.

Tom Sr. and the boys even managed to get a little project done!

Oooooklahoma!

We have had a great week here in the land of beef, wheat, and cheap gas! This weekend we managed to squeeze a wedding shower and a birthday party for four into one marathon Marzuola family day!! The cornerstone of the celebration was Papa's 87th birthday on Saturday. It was a blast to be with everyone, even if it was just for a few hours!

Yesterday, we spent part of the day with my grandparents, bid Jen & Jon good bye, and also got to see one of my good friends from high school and her beautiful family in their new house. We had a really nice dinner (some delicious burgers!) and talk with Andrea and Jared while Lilly and Addison played dress up... nice choice Lil!

Today we went to a family favorite on Route 66. Pops is really a gas station, but their selection of bottled sodas is impressive and their food is pretty darn good too.

After lunch we tried (and failed) to find a swimming pool that was open. You wouldn't think this would be hard in this part of the country this time of year, but apparently it is. We decided to take Lilly to her first movie at the movie theater of my childhood. It was funny to walk into the same lobby and sit in the same seats. We saw Planes and about 25 minutes in she whispered, "Mom, this is really cool!" It was worth it and we all enjoyed the show! Tomorrow we head out for Iowa. We are sad to leave this part of our family behind, but excited for some Mahaney family fun!!

Shawnee, America

We spent today with my sister, Jen, and niece, Julia, at my grandparent's house in Shawnee. It was a lot of fun. The kids played, ate Sonic, rode the law mower and shot the BB gun. Some of them stayed the night! This visit really had me seeing the past and I was flooded with childhood memories most of the day. It is a wonderful home, full of love and two amazing people.

No new states, but we did get 5 new tribal nations today!

Someone In Inman, Kansas Loves Us

Yesterday we went to see our good friends and old neighbors in Inman, KS. We didn't tell Lilly that she was going to see her good friends. So she got quite the surprise as we pulled in the driveway!

We had lunch (a home-cooked meal!) and took a little rest... some of us rested more than others!

It was so nice to see our friends and their new house! We can't wait to see them all again soon!!

We made it to Edmond around dinner time and boy were we beat! A good sleep and a quite morning have been much appreciated! License Plate Game Progress: 45/50 [Still! We need Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia...]