Home Sweet Home

It’s good to be home - and I’m secretly excited that this week’s blog post gets to be short and sweet because we have far fewer pictures to catch up on.

So, what have we been up to?  First up, Eila wanted to spend some quality time with her sister and her exersaucer.

Sharing is caring.  It hasn’t taken Zoe long to appreciate that the tray in her exersaucer is often filled with delicious Cheerios.

 Enjoying the gorgeous weather, we decided to eat al fresco.  Eila still seems to have a few things to learn about how to do consume a meal.

Why can’t I taste the squash?

 The rest of Adam’s Father’s Day present finally arrived while we were gone (the hood of the baby backpack) so of course we needed to get out and put it through its paces.  I think Adam and I may have enjoyed our “fence jumping” tour of Chambers Bay a bit more than Eila.

I’m “SO tired."

 But...

I’m “SO Big!"

Mostly, though, we’ve just been hanging around the house.  

Sorry folks, no time to sit and chat, I’ve got places to be!

Nebraska 2015

We made it!  Back to the midwest, that is.  Unlike our 2013 westward adventure, we were extremely blessed to have good traveling weather, a functioning van, and blissfully little to blog about regarding our return trip.  Even the munchkins were great travelers, though they were all more than ready to get out of the van and get some wiggles out.

What better place to welcome ourselves back to Omaha than at the downtown slides?  

I think Eila’s Uncle Jason was excited to have his family back.  He was also willing to safely escort Eila on her inaugural ride down the famous slides.  

As usual, what looked like many days on the calendar indeed turned out to feel awfully brief as we lived it.  In hopes of capitalizing on every moment, we began with a family favorite; the zoo!  While the weather was exhaustingly hot - a ride on the train lifted everyone’s spirits.

Eli also made a new friend from the positively cutest tortoise ever!

Looking good for being the smallest species of tortoise in existence.

About a week later we all returned to the Henry Doorly Zoo on Members Day.  With special activities all around, it was a super fun way to enjoy some of the behind the scenes of this amazing place.

Kara and Annie check out the shark tank on our behind the aquarium tour.

Papa Kay teaches Eila all about rays and filtration systems.

Membership day meant free passes on the rides for everyone!  Talia was a wonderful Skyfari companion to Eila and I as we flew over the Rhinos and soon to be completed Africa exhibit.

My inner monologue beneath the smile:
“Don’t drop the baby.  Don’t drop the baby.  Don’t drop the baby!"

Back safely on land, it was time for some playtime and ice-cream.

Cousins!

Since it seemed a bit crowded with everyone on the sculptured turtle, the three oldest Wheeler kids finally took their camel ride that we’d given them for Christmas last year.

Camels have really cute faces - but they can’t compete with those munchkins!

Speaking of cuteness - how about some penguin fun?

Eila wonders if she should be learning to walk like a penguin.

 And finally some one on one time with a kid...the goat variety, that is.

"Can I ride it?” asks Eila

Sisters and a niece 

Lest you believe that we never actually left the zoo at all, here are some of the other wonderful memories we made together while I invaded the Wheeler/Andrus life.

YMCA- If you had told Kara and I back in high school that we would voluntarily spend our time together as adults working out we would have laughed at you.  Yet now it just wouldn’t be a visit if I wasn’t chasing my sister around a gym floor or trying to keep up on a jog. 

What better way to celebrate the end of a workout than with a family swim?

Brooklyn patiently introduced Eila to the pool.

It took a little while, but Eila eventually decided we weren’t trying to drown her and figured out how much fun it was to kick in the water.  I love the extra kid feet in this picture.  

Kaneko Museum

I’m often surprised when I return to Omaha by something new that has been added or renovated in my former hometown.  Visiting the Kaneko with its Play! exhibit was such a fun, new experience for us.  It was full of kid and kid-at-heart friendly toys and activities.  I honestly could have spent hours there happily playing around.

I'll leave you to try and decipher this chaos.

Ridin’ the pony!

Hangin’ at Home:

Whether I’m bumming around the Wheeler digs downtown or hearkening back to childlike ways in West Omaha, coming back to the Midwest always brings out the kid in me.  It’s possible the condition is contagious.

Check out that ruffle bum!  I apparently wore this bunny-filled ensemble as a tot.  I’m afraid it didn’t make the cut to return to the Northwest.  Good thing Eila makes everything cuter.

One of the more adorable phenomena we all got to witness throughout my extended stay with the Wheelers was Annika’s regression towards infancy while Eila was around.  Okay, I thought it was adorable, but I bet Annika’s mum would have preferred her potty training two year old not have been mimicking Eila in quite so many ways while we were around.  

Binky Buddies!

If I sitz I fitz!

Kara and Jason’s friends from Illinois Bruce and Brittney stopped over on their way back to Pittsburgh and we got to meet their three beautiful youngsters.  It was quite the sight to behold when we asked for a table for 7 adults and 8 children 10 and under.  Their youngest is just three months old - but already bigger than our tiny Eila. 

My gorgeous sister and baby Hazel.

Handsome Eli awaits his turn on the zipline.

Papa Kay asures Eila that she’ll get a turn on the zipline when she’s old enough to hold on.

Once again, and all too quickly, it was time for Eila and I to orchestrate our exit from the Midwest for the summer. 

Brooklyn and Talia give Eila one last snuggle before they head off for a day at Zorinsky pools.

NomiAnn cuddles in for one last sniff before heading to work.  School starts so early in Nebraska!

Papa Kay and Eli teach Eila how to properly adorn oneself at Firehouse Subs before driving us to the airport.

Eila says “See you soon!” to all of her Omaha loved ones.  

And she’s right!  It’s just four short months until Christmas.  See you in the snow!

Lake George 2015

Many of my fondest childhood memories are set in the beautiful Adirondacks at Lake George, New York.  My Aunt Janet and her lovely family invited us all to come and stay for a while - no easy invitation when you start to add up the number of people that entails.  Crowded and comfy all at the same time, I wouldn’t trade the chaos of our summer vacation home for anything.  Since my pictures didn’t upload in chronological order, I’ll go ahead and group our pics by activity:

The Lake: Obviously.
While I’ve grown into a big old baby in my later years and shy away from swimming in the chilly waters myself, I’m not above sending my firstborn for a swim!

Safety first!  Zoe’s ready for something fun.

Swimming with papa!

It’s a good thing we were able to toss Zoe in for a swim since Eila was completely unwilling to go for a dip herself.  All in due time, I say.

While initially uninterested in exploring the lake much herself, cousin Alesia worked her angel magic and eventually convinced Annika to enjoy playing in the shallow waters off of the dock.

Check out that diaper!  I hope you left some water in the lake, Annika!  Kara did some “science-ing” a bit later by squashing the full diaper to see what the insides actually look like.  Thank goodness we were able to convince her to put it inside of a plastic bag, first. 

Papa Kay had the amazing idea to rent paddle boards for a day.  We had a great time splashing about and falling off with grace (or not.)

Brooklyn and Talia seem to have gotten the hang of it!  We found that the lower the center of gravity - the easier it was to stay afloat.

Papa Kay shows off his mad skills.  There’s no dismount quite as graceful or entertaining as one from Papa Kay.  He is a great example of persistence and good humor.  

Even Zoe got in on the action!  She was a perfect, if somewhat unwilling, passenger.  

The Falls:
A trip to Lake George would feel incomplete without a trip to “The Falls.”  This year we kept tradition alive, though somewhat modified as we approached from the top of the falls from the parking lot instead of from the bottom, via boat as usual.

Personally, I enjoyed the hike.

The family that hikes together smiles together...especially in Adventure Capris. 

Following the water towards the falls.

Brooklyn is SO good with her little sister.  Look at the love and trust!

Eila’s enjoying nature with her dad. 

Finding newts - another Wells tradition.

A peek at the falls...and some of my favorite people.  

The Minne-ha-ha

The Wheelers treated us all to a wonderful ride on the famous steamboat Minne-Ha-Ha.  Complete with calliope and steam boilers, she provided a beautiful, alternative perspective of Lake George

NomiAnn, Eila, and I waiting for the ships departure.

Cousins picture!

Such pretty people...now don’t forget your camera, Kara!

Family:
While the lake is gorgeous, the toys hilarious, and the food fabulous - the real reason we come to Lake George is to spend time with our family.  They are such wonderful, generous examples of strength and fortitude.  If only I could simply wish away the miles that separate us on a daily basis.

I mentioned the food, right?  Cousins Greg, Kate, and Alesia have adorned themselves deliciously. 

Kara’s listening to my thoughts.  

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Enjoying cousin Katie’s amazing musical talents.  I LOVE those headphones on Eli. 

NomiAnn enjoys a snuggle with her two newest babes.

Angel Alesia works her magic with Eila.  

Campfire and Smores - is there any better way to spend a final evening on the lake?

A Few Firsts:

Lake George was good for Eila.  With the exception of her assumption of a firm “no nap” stance, she truly enjoyed herself.  Aunt Kara was the one to discover Eila’s first tooth while Eila was gnawing on her fingers.  Eila also finally discovered a way to use her body to propel herself FORWARD!  Gone are the days of pure reverse - we are working on a pretty effective inchworm that gets her were she wants to go.

Eila also tried her first popsicle.

I think she liked it!

 As with all fairytale vacations, ours eventually had to come to an end and we were forced to say goodbye to our dear ones.  Facing a 22 hour car ride in a very full minivan, I think Eila’s face expressed everyone’s sentiments.