StillwatersIowa

I was going to introduce you to people and wrap up my thoughts on our family trip. However with all the activities and  happenings since we've been home, Jamaica is starting to feel like a memory and it feels like it's time to move on. Winter is still here however it is slipping away and there is still much to be done. The planters are scheduled for the shop over the next two weeks. We are just 6 to 7 weeks away from using them. Mike totally went over his dozer mechanically and is even giving it a new paint job. It should be all ready for spring by the end of next week. Kurt and Emily will be moving to a farm west of Leighton sometime before fall. Kurt and his family have been cleaning up outside including dropping three silos. Emily's dad and helpers have gutted the farm house and are getting it ready for a remodel. A project like this would be so much less feasible without the help and support of family. We met as a family leader board this past wee...

Saturday morning after a Jamaican breakfast including fish in the eggs, fried bananas, and lots of fruit, the guys decided to try their hand at tennis. After a brief time of Brian trying to teach us the game, he gave up and we made up our own rules. We all loaded up on our bus and drove to Dunn River Falls. It's a river coming down a mountain over a series of rocks. The activity was to try and climb up the rocks for about a half a mile up the river. On one occasion the guys climbed straight up a waterfall.    The River Falls wore us out so we went to the ocean where about half of us just hung out and soaked in some sun.   The energetic bunch rented a boat and went out to the breaks in the ocean and went snorkeling.   Sunday morning we had church together as a family along with Pablo, Paula, their girls, Mommy, Faith and Lili, our cooks, and Gayle, our driver. Mark did an excellent job delivering the message. We listened a...

Mark's suburban registered -20 degrees in the low areas as we headed for the Cedar Rapids airport. We had already received a snap chat from the rest of our family who were already boarded on a plane in Des Moines. We were all headed to Ocho Rios,Jamaica via Chicago, Miami, and Kingston to spend a week together as a family celebrating Jan and my upcoming anniversary.   On the way to the airport I received an automated call saying our flight had been cancelled. With the help of 3 cell phones and a tablet we rebooked our flight which now included a voucher for an overnight stay in Miami and a day late final destination. We landed in Miami, found our luggage, and got in the assistance line to cash in on our motel voucher. After a long wait we were told there were no available rooms. After a dozen or more attempts to find a motel on our own we finally realized we were in for a long airport stay. We hurried to grab the last of the personal pan pizzas at the pizza count...