Through the Cornfields to Grandmother's House

We did it! We drove 1,600 miles round trip with our 16 month old to Northwest Iowa.

Samson saw the following relatives for the first time:

* Great Grandmother Ellen
* Great Great Aunt & Uncle Anges & Vernie
* Great Aunt & Uncle Mary & David
* Second Cousin once removed Kristi
* Second Cousins Rachel & her husband Greg

Along the way we stopped at my alma mater, Wartburg College. The new chapel is the most beautiful addition.

We also stopped in Emmetsburg, Iowa, my birthplace. I lived there until I was 7 years old. Not much has changed except the new casino sitting just on the edge of town in a cornfield. The house we lived in burned down a few years ago. A new home has been built on the foundation.

Samson did pretty well in the car. These car seats are great for safety but terrible for comfort for the child. He could only take it for about 6 hours a day in the car. So, we took our time on that 1,600 mile trip.

I've never seen so many fields of corn. The price of corn has been going up and there's finally money to be made with corn.