We did it.
We survived a four hour car ride (twice!) with the girls.
And it was great.
We loaded up the car Thursday morning and much to our surprise and delight, we left on time! After a fairly uneventful drive, complete with picnic lunch, we arrived in Columbus earlier than we thought we'd get there. We killed time at a nice mall and then met up with our friends at their home. We all relaxed and enjoyed catching up while the girls explored their new territory. Dinner was had and the next task was daunting - getting the girls to sleep. In an unfamiliar room. In a bed. Together.
After what seemed like forever, they were sleeping like logs.
Friday morning, we rose to take on the challenge of the Columbus Zoo.
The zoo is ginormous. Thankfully, our friend Bill came with us to help navigate and entertain the kids.
We saw the new baby elephant. We loved the aquarium and much time was spent in there, just sitting and watching all of the beautiful fish.
We saw monkeys. Bears. Pumas. A Moose. Penguins. A Lion. A boat ride was had. And of course, the carousel was enjoyed.
The day quite frankly, rocked. The girls, and us adults were pretty well exhausted by the end of the day.
Saturday brought a whole new adventure. Our friends slept in and we slipped out for some breakfast before heading out to the North Market. Simply put, an absolutely amazing place. I could only dream of having something like it close by. The abundance of food and culture that await you there is astounding. With so much to take in, we circled the market a few times before settling on some delectable treats to take home with us. Jeni's Ice Cream was definitely a highlight. Three containers of heaven followed us home. Exquisite fresh ravioli awaits us for tomorrow night's dinner. And, if that wasn't enough, we discovered some tasty confections that will fill our tummies after the girls retire this evening.
I don't know how we made it out of there without consuming or purchasing everything in sight. It was such an amazing experience. One that I am so glad we took the girls to partake in.
After we were full of scents, tastes and dreams of yummy, we dropped our goodies off and scooped up our friends for a shopping trip in Easton. After exhausting ourselves taking in all that was to be offered we returned once again to enjoy dinner and company.
This morning, we rose to make some muffins and pack ourselves up. After unleashing the girls one more time on our friends, we said our goodbyes and headed north. Now that we are home and settled back in, it feels good to be here. For the few days we were gone, it was bliss. Not having to be here, in the 'norm' of things was heavenly. It was so nice to leave everything behind. It made me yearn for some change and a new direction. I can't quite say what that will entail, but it kind of woke me up a little bit.
The girls had an amazing time. And, despite Emma's attempts to secure a new family for herself, we all enjoyed our family time together.
Much thanks and love to our friends, Bill & Melissa. We sincerely appreciate you taking our brood into your home and taking such good care of us. We loved our time with you and can't wait to do it again soon - if you'll have us.
