Back to KY

So I guess I better update this blog so that I can catch up on all the things we have done since being back. These are some pictures from our little vacation back to KY. My parents and I (Andy went ahead to get to back to school and work...drove 18 hours in one day....CRAZY!) took our time getting back home and stopped along the way. It was wonderful to spend time with them and have the much needed help with the girls. My mom even rode in the back with them....SO GREAT! I took us 4 days of driving and sight-seeing to make it to KY and even when we got here they stayed another week to do some things around Louisville! We miss them and can't wait to be living closer to them again....whenever that will be :)

This is what Hadley did most of the trip. My mom won a DVD player for the car and she watched Dora, Diego, and Cars the whole way. We hardly heard a peep out of her the entire time! Needless to say, for Hadley's birthday, my parents got her one of her own. It is greatly appreciated and will be used a ton!

In Omaha we went to the zoo. (Stacey....I thought about you as we went through!) It is a really nice zoo with a big aquarium building. One of Hadley's other favorite movies is "Penguins" or Happy Feet so she loved the penguins.

They had a petting zoo too but the only animals you could actually touch were the goats. The zoo here has one too and the last time we went, a goat charged us which Hadley has apparently forgotten about because she wasn't scared to try it again.

Joni also loved the aquarium. They have a tunnel you walk through and so the fish are above you and she watched those fish go back and forth.

The merry-go-round which she rode twice and would have stayed on all day if she had anything to say about it.

We stopped in Iowa the first night and the next morning went to this windmill that used to be overseas. When the town wanted it, they took it apart, shipped all the pieces, and put it back together again. It works and you can go up inside it.

Then we continued through Iowa to the Bridges of Madison County.

Just before leaving Iowa we stopped at the Amana Colonies. This is the worlds largest rocking chair they made. Hadley was scared of it.

Oma and Joni having a moment. Such a sweet baby girl! We stayed in hotels every night and so Hadley got to swim (which she loves), Oma got to sit in the hot tub (which she loves), and Opa got a break from driving (which he loves). Two of the nights we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and got to have cinnamon rolls for breakfast (which I love)!
This was a museum we stopped at in Illinois. It has a whole kids section where you could try on hats (my mom liked this one) and color on a table that happens to be a white board. She sat down there the whole time and loved it.
Our last stop before Louisville was Indianapolis. Hadley wanted to see where Lightning McQueen drove so we stopped just to see where they have the Indy 500. They were having a bunch of races the next day so we didn't see much but still, we can say were there.
And because it is free and Hadley loves it, and my dad had never been, we went the Louisville zoo too. It is always a good time and are still very thankful for my parents for getting us the season pass this past year. We try to go every week and every time we do Hadley is still excited. She would rather go to the zoo than go swimming or swinging so that's saying something!
Churchill Downs was on the Louisville to do list last time my parents were here and we didn't get a chance to do it so we made sure to this time. It was actually very interesting after being here for the crazy two weeks before the Derby.

It took us a good 20 minutes to get her off of this. :) Maybe we should buy her a pony?
South of Louisville is Fort Knox and the General Patton Museum which has lots and lots of military tanks.....and this picture taking spot :)
Enjoying a dinner on the river.
My mom loves letting Hadley make a mess....and even better when she can eat it when she's done :)
Thanks Mom and Dad for the wonderfully awesome time! We are fully immersed in the semester with school, work, and play. The fall weather is slowly but surely presenting itself and we are excited for the holidays to spend more time with family. Love to you all!