Summer Vacation 2009

One of my favorite pics from the summer:
Em and Viggo who is NOT allowed on Grandma's furniture.
I found them in the bed that DH and I use in the guest room, when I went to check on Emma.


The M.ontgomery Inn
DH and his family used to go to the original inn in Cincinnati when DH was a kid. He introduced me to their yummmmy ribs when we were dating. We were thrilled to learn the inn opened a new location only 25 minutes from my parent's house! Grandma and Grandpa kindly watched Emma, while DH, my sister Laurel and I headed to the M.ontgomery Inn for some ribs and then to the Harry Potter 6 movie.


Lal loving her onion straws


DH (note the scenic river view out the window)


DH's full rack of ribs. (Lal and I only ate half racks. They were delicious!)


Me with my bib and half rack.


Exterior of the Inn.

Family:
The best part of our Ohio trips is getting to spend extended time with my family. We stay at my parent's house. We eat my Mom's home cooked meals. We run and play in their huge yard. We totally impose on them...and I love them for letting us! Em soaks up Grandma and Grandpa time and loves being there. From lightning bugs to seeing cows and corn when we drive around, Em gets to experience Ohio. And DH and I get to recapture things Florida doesn't have that make us nostalgic about our childhoods.


Em acting like a monkey while my sisters and I do the "Speak no evil" (Laurel,) "Hear no evil" (me,) and "See no evil" (Michelle)



Family portrait


I haven't cropped this yet...we used the timer on my camera to capture all of us.


DH took this photo. Front: Em, Laurel, Michelle
Back: Me, My Mom and Dad

Swimming Lessons:
Em took Beginner Swim Lessons at the pool my younger sis and I learned to swim in...



Each day they'd start out in the "baby pool," then move on to the large pool area



Em's Special Baby attended her 1st day of lessons with her


Em received a certificate and book on her last day of class.


Young's Dairy Farm
This is the 2nd summer we've been able to meet our friends the P family at this wonderful dairy farm. We met Joe and Mary Ann when they lived here in Jacksonville. They moved to Indiana a few years ago. We miss them dearly!

Dairy cows being fed


Em feeding a goat (while wearing DH's hat)


Em loved to 'milk' the wooden cow in the children's play area


This year the farm has a new tricycle track, featuring a variety of John Deere tricycles


Katie on a trike


Nick on a John Deere scooter

Another neat new feature was a large "corn box" area where kids could scoop corn and play in the corn. (Much easier to clean off than sand!)

Nick playing with trucks in the corn


Katie and Em in the large corn box


DH and I


MaryAnn and Joe

Being a dairy farm, one of the things Young's is known for is it's delicious ice cream...


Katie


Zack


Emma during...


...and after.


Katie and Em with their kids meal sunglasses. (Note Em's are over her regular glasses. Smiles.)


Nick with his kid's meal prize.

I'm kicking myself for not getting a picture of the entire P family together, or one of all 4 kiddos together. Oops!

The Ohio Deli:

This summer, I unintentionally learned a trick...
DH does not usually like to be photographed. However, I learned that if food, especially food challenges are involved, he's all smiles.

After viewing the challenge on the T.ravel Channel show, "Man Versus Food," DH ate an entire Dagwood sandwich AND 1 pound of fries in 17 minutes. (Time limit to meet the challenge was 30 minutes or less.) (My Mom, sister and I wanted to barf at the amount of food consumed in such a short time. Bleck!) The sandwich eating occurred at the O.hio Deli located on High Street in downtown Columbus, OH.


DH posing with his Dagwood and fries platter


Free t-shirt he won after demolishing his food platter.



Em was tickled they hung her artwork up on the deli display case.


C.OSI: The Center of Science and In.dustry Museum in Columbus

Emma spent a lot of time at this touch-screen art station.


I loved the "Emma I *heart* you Mom" she made


Summy, Emma, and Jack (We met Aunt Meghan and Em's cousins at the museum. For more Summy and Jack updates, check out Meghan's blog at: The Adventures of Tader Baby)


Em loved having fun with her 2 year old cousins.


Jack


Summy


The neat ocean area at the museum


Em playing with a large water squirter


Em and DH rode in a small space ship simulation ride


DH acted as a news anchor


Then I was the anchor (photographing myself as I appeared on the TV)


My sister Lal was our film crew


Hilliard Fire Department
Em and I joined my friend Shannon and her kiddos and their MOPS group, as they toured a fire station. Em was tickled to be able to go inside a fire truck and an ambulance.




Em poses after stepping out of the fire truck

The Columbus Zoo
After DH returned to Florida, Em, Lal and I spent some time at the zoo.






Whew! I think that's our trip in a nutshell...
I loved meeting up with friends for playdates while we were there, but I don't have pictures to share...

One neat encounter was reconnecting with Bethany. She was the first friend I ever had. We met as 3-year-old neighbors. Bethany and I had lost touch a few years after my '98 wedding. We reconnected via F.acebook and were able to have a super playdate with Em and Bethany's 2 daughters (who are 5 and 6.)

We were able to visit with my friend Shannon and her family 2 times and with my college roommate Michelle and her kiddos. (They had visited us here in Florida this spring and Em plays SOOOOO well with Michelle's daughter who is only 10 days older than Em.)

Em loves playing with the 3 kiddos who live next door to my parents. She spent a few afternoons enjoying their company.

We visited Uncle David, Aunt Meghan and their boys at their lovely new home. Em LOVES playing with her cousins and enjoyed their outdoor swingset and inside playroom.

I am at a good place emotionally. I was able to read the first 6 (and a bit of the 7th) Harry Potter books while I was in Ohio. I did NO school work. I was able to not dwell on miscarriages and/or babymaking and....gulp...dare I say it??? Move on a bit. My parents kindly watched Emma a few times so DH and I were able to get away and have some "us" time. As the summer comes to a close, I am greatful for a wonderful family, and I'm ready for new beginings, whatever they may entail.