July-o in Ohio

The kids got to spend a couple of weeks with Oma and Papa in Ohio this summer! Hard to believe it has already been 3 years since our last trip there. They got lots of quality time, learned all about Athens, and did lots of puzzles. I wasn't there, so this post is created from their thoughts and recollections of their time there, along with photos sent from O&P.

They got some outdoor time with a hike to the Rock House in Hocking Hills. They reported that it was very tall and that they saw a lot of names scratched into the rock. And it was a warm day, but the cave was nice and cool.

One day, O&P took them to The Wilds, part of the Columbus Zoo, for a safari tour. They got to see lots of rare and interesting animals from the back of a pickup, including an Asian deer fight. The truck also went off the main roads to get closer to the animals and stopped at the carnivore center to see dholes and cheetahs.

They even got to feed lettuce to the giraffe, Tuffy, and sweet potatoes to the rhino, Suru.

The kids spent a day at Columbus' Center for Science and Industry, which is a science museum for kids. They had fun with water, piston pushing, and blind lego construction with a partner through audible instruction.

They even got to go back to Great Wolf Lodge. Check out how much they've grown in 6 years:

Thanks Oma and Papa, for a fun and memorable July!

Happy Birthday, Miss Independent

It's no coincidence that celebrating independence and this girl go hand-in-hand every year! This year we wised up and held her party on the weekend before the big holiday, so people could actually attend. She wanted a swim party, so we held it at the neighborhood pool. Unfortunately, they had just dipped into the pool when distant thunder rumbled. And for a lifeguard, that means a 30-minute person-free pool! Just what you want at the beginning of a two-hour party... So they ate some snacks and waited as patiently as they could, even playing on the playground in their swimsuits. Then, they could finally get back to swimming and had a blast.

We're not supposed to have parties at our pool unless you go through a reservation process, which is ridiculous, so we headed back to our house for presents and cake. They had fun, even with the awkward thunder-break, and no one wanted to leave. Sweet girls! Most were from her class last year, and hopefully we'll see them again in class next year!

A friend has a side-business of making cakes, so she made us these pretty swirl cupcakes in Hadley's favorite colors. They were beautiful, but also delicious!

When her actual birthday rolled around, she requested the famous chocolate cake again and helped me make it. 9 years old for this big girl! She didn't really have any requests for her birthday other than the party and cake. She's still saving money for her first apartment, though she would also accept Harry Potter legos or books.

We had a low key 4th of July this year with just a few sparklers and fireworks at home.

Then the kids and I ventured out to catch the city's firework show. Happy birthday, 'Merica!