Labor Day Weekend

Columbus is surrounded by big and small nature preserves called "Metro Parks." These parks provide places for picnicking, biking, walking along nature trails, boating, swimming, visiting working farms, etc. It is so neat to be surrounded by these places that give us a small taste of what we miss in Utah. We had heard that there was a beach at Alum Creek, but hadn't ever gone to visit. After making plans to go several times this summer, we were finally able to put a plan into action. Saturday after Jolie's nap we headed just north of Columbus to Delaware. The girls were delighted to find a soft sand playground that met us just outside of the parking lot.


And a few steps away was the lapping of waves onto a sand and pebble beach.


I loved watching the girls play in the water, shovel sand into their buckets, smash my sand castles as soon as I would build them, and dig their feet into the sand.








It was a fun and relaxing time. I wish we hadn't taken so long to come visit.





Sunday at Church things were great. We've been taking Jolie into nursery for an hour on and off the past few weeks. This past Sunday Eric stayed with her during Sunday School and I stayed with her during Priesthood/Relief Society. I loved sitting and chatting with another mom and playing with the kids. We pretended we were on a boat (a folded-up table on the floor) and sang all three verses to "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Then I pretended to be an alligator and "snap" whoever wasn't inside the boat. I'm sure having kids helps you learn how to enjoy playing those things, but I really had a lot of fun! Currently we only have one couple as nursery workers, and I know the bishopric is working on getting some more. I had a fleeting thought that I could be called to nursery, but then I remembered that I have my calling to play piano in Relief Society. Oh yeah, and I'm a teacher. :) I'll just have to keep "subbing" during Sunday School.

Sunday afternoon we all took naps (HOORAY!), but Eric's was short because he got up to prepare dinner for our friends that we had over. The girls enjoyed the evening with our friends, and wanted to play the grown-up games with us. Of course we didn't last long. They got really cranky, so our friends left so we could put them to bed, but instead they ended up looking like this:




Eventually, they went to bed, as well as Eric, but I couldn't sleep. So I stayed up reading "Twilight," for the, uh, third time. I'm getting really excited for the movie! Yeah, SO excited. It's so silly how obsessed I am.

It was so wonderful to have a three-day weekend. Monday morning we were trying to decide what to do with our day. We had found out that Upper Arlington has an annual Art Festival on Labor Day. I have felt on numerous occasions that it isn't worth it to take my kids out to fairs or festivals because it's a lot of work and not much fun. Who wants to fight crowds, stand out in the hot sun, be far away from bathrooms, and wait for the kids to get tired and irritable? But as the girls get older and enjoy different things, I find that we all enjoy our time more at community events. So, we went right as it got started and had a great time. The girls did some art crafts: decorating mini beach balls, making booklets with foam stickers, and making drums out of a wood frame and clear packing tape. Who would've thought?




They liked playing the "real" instruments too.



We got to hear the UA Marching Band play, a Columbus orchestra, and see Irish dancing. That was a lot of fun! Just listening to the music makes we want to get up and move! The girls enjoyed the time at the playground as well. It was so convenient to have everything there that made them happy.

We went swimming in the pool for the afternoon. I forgot to bring the camera, again, to the pool. We were at the pool almost every day last summer, so I thought we'd still have plenty of opportunities to photograph the fun. I'll get some shots in the next two weeks so I can say I documented it.

Last night, as the finishing touch to our great weekend, we put the girls to bed at 7:30 and watched "Penelope." We really enjoyed it, and I loved James McAvoy in it. But, I must say, I might have enjoyed watching the sneak peek for "Twilight" even more that watching "Penelope..." I know. I'm hopeless.

Can't wait for the next mini-vacation we get, whether it's another three-day weekend, or our trip to Utah for Christmas. We love spending the time together as a family.