Ohio visit (from a week ago):The longest post with too many pictures

Left for Columbus Saturday morning Sept 2.
I read an entire book on the way.
Alison Clement's - Twenty Questions
Loved it, got totally absorbed.
Started watching the OSU NIU game at my mothers.
Ate stuffed squash and peach cobbler.
Then finished the game at my sisters and ate City BBQ for dinner.
Home to my moms to sleep. Dylan and Ben spent the night over at mom's.

Sunday Sept 3
Woke up with my 2 nephews Dylan and Ben and watched Road to El Dorado on the Cartoon Network. Then Ben wanted to go to his favorite new park Orange Park. He came in our room to ask if we could go, he was so excited all we head was "side" "towel" and "park" the rest was a blur. He meant that he likes the slide but early in the morning it still has dew and they wipe it down with a towel.

Car on the way to the park




Park play







Mom and I played on that thing the girls are on. I kept knocking her feet off, its a standing see-saw kinda thing





Then we dropped the boys off at my sisters. Went to Waffle House for brunch. I LOVE WAFFLE HOUSE!
Went to the mall just to walk around. My sister met us up there.
Then went home to change and go see my nephew Dylan play in the first season football game.



My niece Ensley wanted the people next to her to notice how awesome and cool she was and they weren't talking to her. She even walked around with a little shopping bag wanting people to ask her about it but no one bit. She was watching some little girls take pictures of themselves as she was inching closer to them. She wanted them to take her picture, so when I took my camera out and got her attention her face just lit up and she worked it.





Then we went to a church fair at St. Michaels, again just to walk around, look at people. The best part was the bake sale!! Mom got pecan pie, and I got a pumpkin roll. Delicious!
We picked up Donato's pizza for dinner, to bring back to my sisters.
I gave Ben and Ensley their birthday gifts early so we could watch them open and play with them. They both have September birthdays. The gifts went over very well. We sat on the floor and played.

Then we went out to shoot off bottle rockets. I'm not good at explaining this part. Water, pressure, pumped into 2 liter bottles and it shoots off.





The kids drove the equipment in their truck. Ben kicks major ass as a driver. Super fast, maneuvering around like a maniac.



Monday Sept 4
Went to the Upper Arlington Art Fair
Everyone at that place bought Amish brooms




Mom got roasted almonds




Then we went to my sisters to get together and take their boat out to go boating and tubing.







Dylan mostly played his gameboy.



Had Skyline Chili for dinner at my sisters. I like the 4-way with onion.

Then went back to my mom's. Her neighbor Jean was having a Labor Day party we went to. Had some cake and watching everyone play bean toss....except...in Columbus they call it the Corn Hole Toss. Ew.

Tues Sept 5
Went to Tim Horton's for breakfast.
Then met up with some old work friends of Brad's, Jen & Marianne at their work. We sat and talked at the Starbucks for about 2 hours. They are the cutest sweetest girls, and funny as hell.
We drove by our old house. The trees we planted are HUGE!!





Went to Nazareth Deli for lunch.

The owner, Hany, is such a character and just the nicest person.

Went to my sisters to watch the kids while she took Dylan to a dentist appt.

Then Brad and I went to Krema Nuts They sell peanut butter sandwiches now so we had to try one.

Went to the French Loaf so I could get the chocolate croissants I grew up on.

Went to Stauf's Bought some coffee and sat outside under the awning watching the rain and reading local papers. Then mom came by and joined us there after she got off work.

Went to Whole Foods for dinner, just to pick off the food bar, then back to my sisters. Mom, Sunny and I had some good talk time.

Weds Sept 6
Drove to Toledo.
Stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast, got a Starbucks iced coffee and listened to Brad sing along with the U2 cd.

Went to Brad's parents place and then went out for hot dogs at Rudy's Hot Dog.
Went shopping going in and out of several places. Then met up with his sister and her family at Happy Rose Buffet for dinner. They had the best sushi buffet I have been to. Lots of different kinds out, but only a small amount of each to keep them fresh and moving.

Thurs Sept 7
Brad's mom ordered a new queen size bed to e delivered while we were there, but when it came this morning, they couldnt fit the box spring up the stairs. She was bummed.
Had breakfast out in the backyard.

Ran around like to Barnes and Noble just to nose around and get a coffee. Anderson's, grocery store stuff like that.

Went to Tony Packo's for dinner.







Then headed over for a Mud Hens baseball game. Tim (brother in law, joined us)










Fri Sept 8
Went to Doc Watson's for breakfast. Shopping at the local outdoor mall Lewis Commons, and grocery shopping. We gave Bev her birthday gift a little early, she also has a Sept birthday. We set her up with a few months of Blockbuster movies.
Had wax bean sandwiches, a special thing he ate growing up and its really pretty good.
Went across the street for our nephew Shawn to show us his moves on his Razor Scooter.





Then Brad had to try too.





I got distracted with a hawk that landed nearby and had to go see, but then he flew away and then found a caterpillar eating a leaf on the way back for me to play with.

Went for a late night McDonald's run, and to Wal-mart just to get out for a bit.

Sat Sept 9
Went to the Toledo Zoo!!
I love their zoo.



















Shawn and I rode 2 different carousels.



We had lunch where the lion cages used to be. They made it into a food court, and you can sit in the cages. Shawn likes lemons....







We went to visit old friends of Brads, Steve & Cathy. Steve was in our wedding and Brad was in his.







Went to Brad's sisters to celebrate Bev's (Brad's mom) birthday. Lisa picked her up a doughnut cake. I have never heard of such a thing. It isn't round with a hole in it, or a bunch of doughnuts put together either. It's one big sheet cake made out of doughnut and then iced and it is WONDERFUL!!







Then watched the OSU Texas game.

Sunday Sept 10
Drove home.

Taking the week off with Brad and splitting it up with our families turned out really great.
Got a lot of stuff in, and just felt better after it all.