Iowa: 75% Vowels, 100% Awesome

Today I am grateful for rhubarb crisp and friends I trust.  I am also grateful to be a native Iowan.

The words that make up the title of today's post were first seen by me on my nephew Carson's t-shirt when I was visiting home a few weeks ago. 

I hadn't seen that one before, but you have to admit it's clever, whether or not you have Iowa blood.

The biggest contingent of my family remains in Iowa, in the area my siblings and I grew up in. It's an area we get to visit several times a year. Our son Sam loves being out on the farm and Darcy and I appreciate the good company, card-playing, fresh running routes, and much more.

Though I may be partial, the part of Iowa I hail from, northeast Iowa, is the most scenic in the state in my opinion. If you think Iowa is all flat terrain, you obviously haven't been to our part of the state. Rolling hills, thanks to ancient glaciation, give us stunning views and challenging runs. I wouldn't trade either.

Would I wear this sentiment on a t-shirt? You bet I would! As a native Iowan and a resident of the state for 33 years, I can close with "You can take the girl out of Iowa, but you can't take Iowa out of the girl."  Not this girl anyway. My Iowa roots run deep and strong and I am grateful for them.