The land up north!

We had a great time with Todd's side of the family on a trip last week. First we stopped in Toledo, where we attended the Lucas County Fair with Grandma Karen and returned to the Toledo Zoo for a visit with Dora and, of course, our favorite animals. Then we went on to Michigan's Irish Hills area, where Papa Norm and Grandma Sheila have a cottage on a lake. We were treated to boat rides and trips to the state park, where Emma enjoyed the beach by building sand castles and ducking her head underneath the waves. She also loved jumping off the dock at the cottage! We also took a trip to The Cascades in Jackson, Michigan, where a 5-tiered, man-made waterfall flashes lights in time to music. Since we went on family night, Emma also got a balloon, face painting (complete with glitter!), and a picture with Aladdin and Jasmine. Back in Toledo at the end of the week, we visited with Karen's side of the family, who were visiting from North Carolina, Dayton, and Texas, so needless to say, it was a special visit. Emma enjoyed the trip so much that when we told her we were heading home on Sunday, she replied, "Can I stay here at Grandma's just a little bit longer?!"

More Fun with Gramma and Papa Isch!

Emma enjoyed another visit with Grandma and Grandpa Isch the week before last, with no less drama and excitement than the first visit in June! First we visited Shefphley Gardens about an hour north of their house. The beautiful flowers and music-themed playground entertained Emma for hours! Next, we returned to Lake Erie, this time going to the Vermilion area, where we had a picnic lunch in the harbor while we watched the boats come in and out. After a nap in the car, we drove to the beach, but a dirty beach and thunder prevented us from swimming. The next day we made up for the beach incident by going to Pleasant Hill Lake near their house. Mom and Dad had both taken trips to this lake as kids, and they brought us there as well, so it seemed fitting that Emma get a turn! It was a hot day, so we all enjoyed having Emma swim between us before returning to the beach to build a sand castle. After Emma's nap back at Gramma and Papa's, we went to the Loudonville Library again, where Emma enjoyed the playhouse and shopping carts again! The next day, after returning home to Daddy, we went to Aunt Kristen and Uncle Jason's new apartment. At the end of the evening, we went to Graeter's Ice Cream, which has an indoor ice-cream-themed playground!

Splashing in the Heath City Water Park!

Emma has always loved the water, and just this summer, she's had swimming experiences at several pools. However, our favorite place to enjoy the water is the Heath City Water Park just five minutes from home. Emma has a "history" with this pool...Mommy swam laps in the pool here while Emma was "in Mommy's pouch" (Emma's words), and Emma announced her impending arrival while Mommy was swimming the last day of the season, 2007! With its fenced-in baby pool, water playground ("Splashground"), wading pool (at 2 1/2 feet deep, perfect for Emma's size), olympic-sized pool, and water slides, it's not only a great place to practice swimming skills, but it also serves as a mini-vacation! (BTW, if you're looking for Emma in the "Splashground" picture, that's not her...she ran out of the shot when the bucket dumped!)

Mountain Memories

Emma had a great time on our trip to the mountains! We spent a week in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, where Todd and I have gone skiing for years. Two years ago, we introduced my family and Karen to our beautiful retreat with a summer trip when Emma was just 10 months old. On that visit, we stayed in a cabin at the state park. Although it was nice, we hunted around and found a slopeside vacation house to rent. Dubbed "The Tree Haus," (a name which Emma quickly began to use), it was actually a beautiful home with large windows looking onto the slopes, which are more of a meadow in the summer months. With 5 bedrooms, 3 TVs, and a hot tub, we were hardly "roughing it!"
More importantly, though, was the opportunity to spend quality time with family. Many of our visits with family members feel rushed when we only have a day together, so it was a rare treat to get to spend the week together. Grandma Karen rode down with us (a 4 1/2 hour drive), while Great Aunt Linda and Grandma Coe met us down there on our first day. Two evenings later, Gramma and Papa Isch and Aunt Kristen joined us (Kristen finally able to get away at the tail end of her move with Jason to a new apartment). Finally, Kristen's boyfriend, Eric, came for a couple of nights at the end of our stay. Notice Uncle Jason wasn't able to come...work obligations and the move made it virtually impossible for him to break away. Hopefully we took enough pictures to help you feel like you went with us in spirit, Uncle Jay!!!
It would be impossible to tell everything we did on the trip, but here are the highlights:
Emma enjoyed two trips to the horse stables, where she was able to see many different animals at the petting zoo as well as to experience two horseback rides!
We all enjoyed an outdoor concert put on by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Although Emma had to go back to the house for a nap halfway through, she enjoyed the patriotic music!
We saw a beautiful fireworks display in a nearby town. The traffic jam afterwards was worse than any "Big" town fireworks display we'd ever seen, so thank goodness for the DVD player!
At the Wind Fest held at Canaan Valley State Park on the 4th, we got to see an 80 foot long kite fly, and Emma even got to decorate and fly her own kite (with a little help).
Emma rode on the chairlift, which runs on weekends during the summer for scenic rides. Although it was her first time, she loved it and the height didn't bother her at all!
We spent a couple afternoons at the outdoor pool, which had a view more beautiful than any beach scene!
On our last evening together, we had a marshmallow roast around a campfire at the state park lodge, although Emma preferred plain graham crackers to s'mores (which was just fine with Mom). Several deer walked by us, and a fox crept out of the woods and down the hill no more than 30 feet away!
Emma really enjoyed herself throughout the whole trip, and she never once asked when we were going to go home...she even started calling "The Tree Haus" "home"...literally!!! She's right...it really felt like a second home!