Midsummer in the Midwest

Although we did some incredible traveling last summer, we keep saying how nice it is to just take it easy this time around. Here are some highlights from July:

Des Moines is famous for its many bridges. Recently, a new pedestrian bridge was completed near the downtown river walk, so of course we had to check it out. The air felt about 15 degrees cooler with the breeze over the water, and the view was equally lovely.

My aunt Carol was in town at the time, and we had just had an amazing (and filling) dinner with her at Alba, so it felt good to walk around a little afterward.
Em and I made sure to fit in a quick sister shot.

There are always many fun events in Des Moines during the summer, including the annual Shakespeare on the Lawn, which we attended with Brian’s parents. Between our camp chairs and travel wine glasses, we were all set.
You can’t ask for a much better backdrop for a Shakespeare performance than the historic Salisbury House; it was a perfect evening, too.
This year the play was The Merry Wives of Windsor, which we’d never seen or even read before. It was absolutely hilarious, and we were very impressed with the acting (and the costumes).

In mid-July, the Fifields drove down to Kansas City for the wedding of family friend Ben Renkoski. We had a great time, even though it was a quick trip. Here’s a photo from the reception. (Nice color coordination!)

At the end of the month, we spent about five days in cabins Brian’s family had reserved at Lake Wapello State Park. I had never been to this part of southern Iowa before, but it was beautiful, quiet, and very relaxing. Here’s a shot looking down toward the lake on the first night.

Brian’s brother, Eric, came with us, and he and Brian served up an old Jungman favorite: foil dinners. Yum!

Eric’s dogs had fun swimming in the lake; here’s Toby happily paddling around.
Marley was content just to wade in the shallower water.
Both dogs got hosed off in the back of Eric’s truck after the fun was over.

Our two cabins were on either side of a small dock, which meant we took the canoe out just about every day. One of our biggest regrets from last summer was that we didn’t even canoe once, so we tried to make up for that this time. The rest of the family got in the spirit, too. Here’s Brian and his dad coming in from a midday excursion.
I love this photo of Brian holding his mom’s binoculars as she zips up her life jacket later that evening. Such a dutiful son.
Jeff and Carol heading out on the lake.

On Sunday we drove over to the new Honey Creek lodge at Lake Rathbun for brunch. At one point, we were milling around in the lobby; I looked over to where Brian was sitting and noticed that something seemed…odd. (Brian, however, was unconcerned.)

Eric’s girlfriend, Emily, and her daughter, Bailey, also joined us on the trip.
Bailey is adorable, and there were several cute photo-ops throughout the week. In this one, she was hiding with Brian and Eric behind a big tree, so the rest of us couldn’t see them. I tiptoed around to find them all sitting very seriously and playing with sticks.
This shot is after I was discovered.
One of my favorite moments was watching Bailey help Brian and Eric build the campfire. She listened so carefully as Brian explained each step.
From laying the kindling…
…to blowing on the first sparks.
She even helped Brian gather more firewood—such a good little assistant!
I’d say she more than earned her smores.

Looking back at the photos I’ve posted, it could appear we were busy the whole trip; however, Brian and I spent most of our time reading our books and following the shade.
It really was a wonderful week. Here’s a picture of the whole crew.
We did several takes, until Bailey subtly informed us that she’d had enough photos for a while. :)