Better than Ever in Omaha with Cousins

It is SNOWING!  It is FREEZING!  It is soooo not summer.  And yet...

Let us reminisce about the beautiful warm days we spent in Omaha after our adventures in New York.  The cousins were so very delighted to be reunited in Papa Kay's backyard.

Here's Anders on the zipline.

The little ones are always eager to drag the seat back up the hill.

Eila's turn.


Now Annika's ready for a ride.

Dog pile on NomiAnn!

Anders loved the neighbor's playhouse.

Helping Papa Kay in the garden.

Note the flying squash.

A bountiful harvest.  Did you know most of these are actually zucchini?

Next adventure, bubble blowing.  As a flautist, Callie's got serious skills.

Brooklyn takes a turn.

Go, Anders, go!

Aww, what a sweet bubble couple.

We naturally enjoyed some Omaha excursions as well.  Our vacation would not be complete without another trip to the zoo.  Anders wasn't too keen on the jogger...

...but liked this stroller just fine.

NomiAnn and her big girls.

The desert dome.

Entertained by the silly orangutans.

Last stop, the giant playground.

Good thing Callie's not any taller!

So pretty.

The gardens at the zoo were nearly as beautiful as those at Lauritzen Gardens.

Here we are hunting down gnomes.

This one was easy to spot.

Eila ponders the mini-trains.

A trolley right in front of Central.

Ice cream cones for the perfect finale.

As part of race training, Eli, Talia, Callie, and I ran around Lake Zorinsky one day.  Talia was the fastest, so she ended up running on her own.  Everything was going great until the poor girl tripped.  Good thing she's a tough cookie!

Eli may have seemed tired during our run, but as soon as we were back he had plenty of energy to climb to the top of this play structure.

Anders preferred the swing.

The perfect swing for the big gals.

While I don't have any pictures, one more excursion seems notable--our afternoon at Louisville Lakes.  While the tiniest and the wisest swam, those of us between the ages of 8 and 40 splurged on the Floating Playground.  (Image taken from their website.)

It was a riot.  Callie and I had so much fun, and I'm pretty sure the kids did too.  The next time we are all together in Omaha, we might have to up the age range to 45 so I can do it again.

And now, costumes.  Quite appropriate since it is the day before Halloween.  We raided the basement and found this childhood gem.  Rainbow Brite!  Eila's never looked more 80s.

Callie and her Prince Charming.

A dragon and Minnie Mouse, mesmerized by the TV.

Last but not least, our beautiful princesses.  Oh, how we love our cousins.

Life just doesn't get any better than this.

Eila, Anders, Aunt Callie, NomiAnn, and Papa Kay--thank you for the lovely and relaxed last days in Omaha.  We love you, miss you, and can't wait to meet you there again for Christmas.

The Upside of Road Trips--Fayette, Kirtland, and Chicago

The drive back from New York back to Omaha was lengthy.  Unsurprisingly.  It is, after all, 1300 miles.  In retrospect, the kids and I had an easier time driving home with my Dad than my poor sister had flying back with her youngsters and my Mom.  Between cancelled flights and unexpected delays, their return trip was pretty darn miserable.  Ours may have taken longer, but I dare say we had substantially more fun.  I guess next time we'll have to invest in the fifteen passenger van so we can all drive back together.

Our first stop on the way home was the Whitmer Farm in Fayette, New York.  Back in 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized in the Whitmer's log home.  There were six members.


Since then, church membership has grown to over 16 million.  It was pretty astonishing to see multiple tour buses pulling up to this obscure farmland, just to commemorate this special place.

After the Whitmer Farm, we continued on to the Kirtland Temple.   Dazzlingly white, the temple's brilliance seems reminiscent of the remarkable enlightenment witnessed here in years past.

We spent the night in the cute little town of Munster, Indiana before continuing on to Chicago the next morning. 

In winter, the Windy City can be miserable.  On days like this, it's hard to imagine why anyone would live anywhere else.


Only thing missing was Uncle Lance (who happened to be traveling for work.)

Fortunately for us, Aunt Christy still has Chicago connections.  We were able to use her library card to check out a free pass to the Shedd Aquarium.  I ❤ Public Libraries!

The aquarium was fantastic, living up to its lofty reputation.  While we specifically came to see the dolphins, the beluga whales intrigued us most.  Very social, they love swimming right up to the glass.  Plus, who wouldn't love a beluga baby.

More aquatic adventures with Annika and Eli.

Pausing for a Dippin' Dots break.

While Annika was befriending the dolphins, Brooklyn and Talia were living their dreams close by at the Hamilton Exhibition on Northerly island.  I thought they were going to burst when they boarded the trolley and heard the Schuyler Sisters playing.

Delighted Hamilton junkies.

I'm not throwing away my shot.

Why do you write like you're running out of time?

Splashing their way back after an afternoon well spent. 

Next step is to see the musical.

So long, beautiful Chicago. 

May your days continue to be beautiful and bright, at least when we pass through again.