The first couple of days of the year were very chill. Jacob was still in town, so we mostly alternated our time between playing Magic and going for walks around the castle. We went out after dark one evening and got some really cool pictures of the moon!
We did, however, make time for a trip to Bath! Yes, it was in part so Joel and Jacob could play in a Magic tournament at a local store, but we also took a trip to the University of Bath campus. Jacob is considering coming to school here, so we had a look around! We then had a delicious dinner at a local restaurant, and then I spent a few hours having some tea and reading a book while the guys went to go play. It was a good day.
After Jacob left us on the 4th, I dove back into work, trying to get a lot done before my trip to Iowa in just a week and a half. I don’t have many photos from this time because we honestly didn’t do much! And then, before I knew it, I was off! I flew from London to Dublin and Dublin to Minneapolis. That second flight was the emptiest I have ever seen a flight since 2020. Each row of 6 had only 1 person in it, if that. I’m pretty sure a plan that could fit 400 only had about 40 people on it. It was nice to have a whole row to myself and the food and drink service was very fast!
Upon landing in Minneapolis, I picked up my rental car and headed to the Magnuson’s for the evening. Rony has been buying collectible items in the UK and sending them to us, so I had a delivery to make, and it was fun to see everyone. Elly was able to bring all of her littles this year so I finally met them all! The next morning there was the most amazing sunrise, though red in the morning means bad weather to come!
On Thursday, I went to Ames for the day and got Mexican food with the Woerth’s and my brother-in-law, then visited Nicole at the church and plotted out her visit to us this summer. I also stopped at Gilger to get some jewelry cleaned/fixed and, of course, had a ton of magic cards to pick up from Brian. Somehow, despite seeing lots of friends, the only photo I took was one to send to Joel when I got stuck at the train tracks, not once, but twice!
After that, it was off to my parents for the next week and a half. We didn’t get nearly the amount of snow I was hoping for, though we did get a bit. It was soft and light enough that dad cleared it with the leaf blower instead of the snow blower!
On Saturday the 17th we went to the newly re-opened Ingersoll Dinner Theatre.
There was some drama with the seating (seats that had been labelled ADA accessible were not) but the customer service was excellent and we ended up with choice seats on the ground floor (it was actually the owner’s table!)
The show was fun - a tribute to Elvis - and the food was excellent. The best part was this super cute chocolate piano dessert!
On Sunday we went to church at Walnut Hills and it was fun to see people and the ways the church continues to change and grow. I especially love this newly painted mural!
For lunch we made pizza pot pies and while the look a little messy, they were delicious!
On Monday I got a hair cut, and then I spent some time with the ladies in my covenant group. We had actually fallen out of touch for a bit, so it was good to get back in contact. Somehow I didn’t get any pictures of this! I’ve really fallen out of the habit, need to get back into it.
On Tuesday I went out for Mexican food with the family, to a place in Waukee called Cancun. I ordered the Tacos de Charola and they were hands down the best tacos I have ever had in my life!
On Wednesday I went back to the Ingersoll! Due to the mix-up with seating on Saturday, as part of the apology, one of the managers of the venue invited me back for a personal behind the scenes tour. I spent a couple of years when I was very young dancing in The Nutcracker at the Ingersoll, so it was fun to see the space 30 years later and practically all brand-new!
The green room is still tiny, but it’s all new flooring and lighting and looks amazing. They did keep one old mural they found on the wall that they think dates back to the 60s.
On Thursday I met up with Heather for lunch at a hibachi grill. I haven’t eaten at one of those in ages so it was super fun! We didn’t get any pics together, but I did get this one of our chef.
While I was there, the weather got super cold. The high one day was -4F/-20C! It was so cold that this was the inside of the window in my room.
Thankfully, my parents have a gas fireplace so it’s easy to have a nice warm fire going whenever you want!
On my last full day in Iowa, we decided to attend church online. I enjoyed watching the livestream in my slippers in front of the fire. Nate had gone to Minneapolis that week when a call was put out for clergy, and he talked about what he witnessed there and we prayed for everything going on in the city.
Lunch was homemade pizza with four different kinds of pepperoni - I didn’t get a photo of the final product, but here is a sampling of the pepperoni styles! This is my favourite pizza topping and I loved having so many different kinds.
After that, it was a reverse journey on Monday. I stopped in Ames for some final Mexican food, then drove to Minneapolis, flew to Dublin (on a very empty plane again) then flew to London where Joel picked me up for the two-hour drive home. I was exhausted, so I made Joel wait a whole extra day before we dug into all the Magic loot I brought home!
We had a ton of Secret Lairs waiting for us, but my favourite by far was The Office themed ones. This is why I love Magic!
I had just two days at home before setting off to Milton Keynes for six days to work with the DOV2 Committee. The only pictures I took were of the out of order lift and the one I sent to Joel showing that I had brought the wrong plugs with me, so I will spare you those!
All in all January was very cold, but full of heart-warming visits with family and friends. A good start to the new year!
XOXO, Bethany