I is for...

...insanely incessant winds and inevitable snow days. Yep, it's still winter in Iowa. Yet I choose to sit in front of my fireplace in sweats, SmartWool socks, and a cozy blanket to blog about summertime.

Places to go that start with I:
*Iowa! :) (or a neighboring state like Illinois)
*towns/cities starting with I, such as Iowa City (you may pick up a theme in this post)
*IHOP (a.k.a. International House of Pancakes)
*Incredible Pizza Company
*Iowa Beef Steakhouse (grill your own steaks - yum)
*Iowa Machine Shed Restaurant (down home, artery-clogging goodness)
*I-Cubs baseball games
*IKEA (this may require a road trip, but even the kids would enjoy it)
*IMAX theatre (ours in located in the science center)
*Iowa Arboretum near Madrid
*Iowa Children's Museum in Coralville
*Iowa Public Television (check online for events or schedule a tour)
*Iowa School of Beauty (for cheap manis, pedis, massages, etc.... oh, that may be just for moms) ;)
*Iowa State University campus

Things to do that begin with I:
*play I Spy
*read books starting with I ("If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" - or any of the books in that series, "I Love You, Stinky Face," "Is Your Mama a Llama?")
*watch movies starting with I (The Incredibles, Ice Age, etc.)
*have playdates with Isabella, Ingrid, or other friends starting with I
*watch TV shows like Imagination Movers
*listen to songs starting with I like Newsboys' "I Am Free," Justin Roberts' "If You Got 1, "I Chalk," "It's Your Birthday," "In the Car," and "Is It You?" or Red Grammer's "I Think You're Wonderful"
*find an ice cream truck or an old fashioned ice cream social
*make ice cream
*go ice skating indoors (Metro Ice Facility)
*use your imagination (maybe create an imaginary friend)
*wear indigo or ivory
*indoor swimming lessons (YMCA, Urbandale public swimming pool, or other indoor pool)
*play on inflatables at an indoor playground (Playground for Kids or Monkey Joe's)
*search for insects
*find an international food fair
*tour the Iowa state capital
*play with whatever apple products you have (iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc.)
*check out the IPT Reading Roadtrip at a local library
*find irises (in photos or a garden)
*watch a YouTube video of the Isiserettes (local drum corps)
*draw or find isosceles triangles
*measure items in inches

Foods that start with I:
ice cream
Icee
iceberg lettuce
icing (you may have to bake something on which to place the icing)
Idaho potatoes
Irish soda bread
Italian anything

Favorite "I" Bible verses:
"If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies." 1 Peter 3:10
"It is a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel." Proverbs 20:3
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

And finally, during L's ABC photography summer, we primarily stuck to uppercase letters. We did find one lowercase I that we couldn't resist, though. It was the handle of my file cabinet. :) The others are a door hinge, the mortar between stones on our front porch, and a dumbbell.

Not only is letter J coming up, but I've also begun working on the scrapbook layout for last year's ABC summer! I'll get them posted as I finish them. So excited!

*For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.*