We dropped Sophie off with Tyson and Rachel on Saturday morning as we headed out of town. Ava did such a good job riding in the car, however just outside of Des Moines traffic was backed up for miles, so instead of sitting in traffic for who knows how long, we decided to take a slight detour. (Hence the lunch from Casey's below.)
Taking a break in the grass on the way to Omaha.
Daddy loading up on snacks.
Ava and Mommy sharing Casey's chicken strips. We are good parents.
Once we arrived in Omaha, we headed to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, that goes over the Missouri river, connecting Omaha to Council Bluffs. We were all ready for some fresh air and to get out of the car, so we went for a walk. It was a gorgeous day!
Daddy and Ava getting ready to take a walk!
Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge
Mommy painted Ava's toes for the vacation!
Mommy and Ava on the bridge, where Nebraska meets Iowa.
We then went and checked in to our hotel, which wasn't too far from the Pedestrian Bridge and the Old Market. We relaxed for a little bit in the hotel and then got ready to head to the Old Market for the evening. Our hotel offered a shuttle anywhere within three miles so we got a ride so we wouldn't have to worry about parking. Again, we were good parents and Ava rode on our lap. She looked at us like, "uh... aren't I supposed to be in my car seat?"
We had dinner at Spaghetti Works, one of our favorites! Ava and I shared some spaghetti and she even go to try some Italian Soda! Of course, she loved it!
Hmmmm.... what should I get for dinner?
This looks good, Mommy!
After dinner, we walked around to many of the shops in the Old Market. We even found an old fashioned candy store and Darren purchased Star Trek PEZ dispensers! Since we weren't driving we then stopped at this really cool Margarita restaurant and bar and had a drink before walking down to the fountain.
The next day we headed to the zoo. It was perfect weather! Ava was so good riding around in her stroller all day! She took a nap in her stroller after we had lunch. Later in the afternoon after she woke up we took a ride on the train that goes around the entire zoo. She loved it and wasn't even scared when they blew the loud whistle! She was clapping and shaking her legs during the whole ride. Everyone kept commenting all day on how cute she was! Our last stop before we left the zoo for the day was at the aquarium. I just knew she would love the fish and I was right. She especially loved the bright colored fish and wouldn't take her eyes off of them!
Desert Dome
Inside the Desert Dome
The zoo is exhausting!
Sleepy girl!
Train Ride!
Riding the train!
Ava's favorite fish.
Happy girl at the zoo!
After the zoo, we ate dinner at Fridays and we ordered off the kids menu for the first time! Ava had mac & cheese with a side of mandarin oranges and loved every bite! After dinner, we attempted to go to the mall to do a little shopping, but we forgot that it was Sunday and they closed too early. So instead, we headed back to the hotel to take Ava swimming, but the water was frigid and almost put us into shock. Swimming lasted approximately a minute and a half!
On our way home on Monday, Ava showing off the penguin she got at the zoo!
Looks like everyone had fun...and Sophie got some much needed attention from Uncle Tyson and Aunt Rachel!
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