BEST OF MAQUOKETA CAVES

Mike took vacation days today and yesterday. Thursday, we worked around the house - accomplishing A LOT in the bonus room. Then, Emily came to babysit so that we could sneak away for a DINNER & A MOVIE DATE. (The kids enjoyed applesauce, strawberries and PB&Nutella dinosaur sandwiches while Mike and I enjoyed TONY ROMA'S.)

This morning, we headed down to Maquoketa Caves State Park. It was a beautiful fall day with highs near 50 degrees. There was a light breeze and leaves were falling from the trees. It was lovely.

Sydney was SO EXCITED to go inside a cave! We couldn't drive there fast enough for him. (He knows of caves because some of the Dinosaur Train dinosaurs went into a cave on the show.) We were almost there when he declared "Someday, I wish I could LIVE IN a cave." (Darn it... whenever he announces SOMEDAY, I'm going to..., I write it down for him, creating his bucket list for him. I really don't want him to live IN a cave. Well, I don't really want him to be a giraffe either... maybe just for Halloween. I informed him that IF he lives in a cave, I will likely never come stay WITH HIM.)

We ventured into the first big cave. Then, Mike encouraged that we go deeper into it. (I was SO NERVOUS!) The boys were pretty apprehensive about it at first, too, but Mike convinced Sydney that he saw a dinosaur track in a puddle inside the cave and from there, he wanted to keep going!) I wore my hood on my head because I fear bats. Sydney declared that bats are not HIS favorite either, but they are good because they eat mosquitos for us. (He pays attention!)

We ended up getting LOST, following a trail. (We told Sydney that we were walking to find the playground area and our car.) We ended up on a gravel road and Mike eventually went up to a house, asking if we were headed in the right direction. Thankfully, we were ALMOST back to the park at that time. We found the play area; the kids and I waited there while Mike went to retrieve the stroller from the trailhead, as well as our car.

{Maquoketa Caves State Park was bursting with fall color.}

Sydney was SO EXCITED to go inside of
caves.... until he saw them in real life and
realized how small it made us feel.

Inside the cave. Sydney and Mommy weren't too sure about
going through, but Daddy assured us that he could see light
on the other side. Mommy pulled up her hood (because she
is afraid of bats) and put my brave face on; although, I really
was having a mini-panic attack at first. Spelunking is NOT
my favorite thing in the world, but I did it to show how brave I am!

The kids stayed very close at first.
The three of us were all a bit chicken.
My hood makes me feel "safer" from bats;
although, I did not see any at all.

In one of the caves... wishing I could have gotten the lighting
perfect to show the fall colors bursting out the entrance/exit
of this particular cave; it was spectacular!

A nice woman offered to take our picture for us, telling Mike
that maybe he wont have to pose for Christmas pictures now.
He laughed and announced "Yeah, right!". I informed her that
I tend to take at least 600 pictures per month and that he's
destined to be posed in more pictures between now and then.

Sydney and Mike climb up to peek out of this hole.

The fall colors were INCREDIBLE!!!

Finding a strange caterpillar - moments after we played
in the leaves by tossing handfuls of them up into the air.

Sydney went through the tiny tunnel/cave way, while
Silas and Mommy took the path outside.

I love, Love, LOVE when they hold each other's hands!

Overheard Sydney telling Mike "I am YOUR BUDDY!"

Taking turns... I took Mike's picture, he took mine.
Then, we merged them together in Photoshop for
a near-perfect  FAMILY OF FOUR picture!

Wishing we had something taller to set the camera on so
that we would have caught the incredible fall colors behind
this grassy field. Set the camera on the ground (on my bag
and jacket) and used the self-timer. LOVE getting Family of 4 pics!
(We were still LOST at this point!)

Silas didn't seem to mind too much that we were LOST!

The kids walked A LONG LONG WAY today and did
FANTASTIC! Sometimes, they rode. Here, Silas proudly
wears Daddy's hat. (Mom wished she had remembered to
grab the Kleenex from the car, but we made due as best we could.)

YAY! Found the play area!

Silas has never been through a tunnel like THIS one before.