Omaha - Part 3

The next few days in Omaha we spent seeing some of the local sites/museums.

We went to the drive through wild animal park affiliated with the zoo where we got to see lots of elk, deer, buffalo and bald eagles up close.

We then headed over to another favorite spot of the trip - the Durham Museum. This gorgeous museum is located in the old Union Station which was build in the 1920's with amazing art deco style architecture. The museum is HUGE and you could spend so much time there and miss half of it (like we did). The museum basically contains the entire history of the state. They have old train cars and buses on the platform you can walk through as well as several walk through exhibits including a life-size teepee, covered wagon, Indian hut, old schoolhouse, country stores and homes, as well as an exhibit of historic documents and coins and the cities photo archive.

They also had the old soda fountain counter still up and running - so we couldn't pass up getting a banana split

Which Abby sure enjoyed

Later that night we went to downtown Omaha and walked around the Old Market area which is just a set of old buildings with fun little shops and restaurants in them

then we walked on the worlds largest pedestrian bridge which crosses the Missouri River into Iowa

The next day (Sunday) we went to the Winter Quarters visitor's center and learned all about the pioneers as well as the old tabernacle. We also went to the Mt. Vernon Gardens which, despite their name and description, looked nothing like Mt. Vernon (although it was still pretty). 

And of course, we couldn't pass up visiting the little city of Benson:

Omaha - Part 2

The second day in Omaha we went to the zoo - it was so amazing. The trip was worth this alone, but silly me I forgot my camera. I almost cried about it because I'd heard so many amazing things about the zoo and  it was Abby's first time going to a zoo...but, I didn't cry and we all had an amazing time. We spend all.day. there (open to close) and still didn't see everything.

After the zoo, Benson's mom and dad wanted to go to the Temple so we dropped them off there and had a picnic in the park where we took 10 billion pictures of Abby and I made Benson push me on the merry-go-round.  These were my favorite growing up - then Arizona got all pious about their playground equipment and decided they were too dangerous for our playgrounds and took them out. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to ride it for old times sake. Yes, I looked like a complete fool - but I was a very happy fool.

This hairstyle has been officially dubbed my "humidity hair"

These next two pictures are quite possibly my favorites of all time. Story of my life right here.

 



This was definitely an exciting night for me - I had commented to Benson the night before that the only thing that could have made Omaha prettier was fireflies. As we got back to the Temple at dusk just before their session ended, we decided to walk over to the nearby graveyard on a hill and watch the fireworks that were being set off from neighboring houses - as I approached the hill I freaked.out. because I saw FIREFLIES. You have to understand that there are certain things I can be really mature about - and other things I just can't help but act like a 7 year old girl. Disneyland, fun parks and fireflies fit into the latter category. I was literally giddy sitting in the grass atop a hill with my two loves in the twilight watching fireworks AND fireflies. Seriously - I could have stayed there all night.

The Fourth Year

Today marks FOUR YEARS of marriage for us two and it was a big year for us!

After graduating Benson started working with the Edson Student Entrepreneurship Initiative at ASU and started two businesses.


We spent a fun week in a cabin in Greer


Benson installed new flooring and baseboards in our house AND painted


We spent some time in California & Disneyland


Benson painted the bedroom for our new baby


We dressed up for Halloween parties


Then this girl came into our lives and we both fell in love


We took our first family picture


We celebrated Christmas


And new years


Ran the color run


Swam


Camped


Vacationed


 Benson started working at ASU for the Venture Catalyst program (which he loves) and I am staying home with Abby (which I love). We have many more great years ahead of us but I don't know if many will bring all the excitement and change that this one brought! Happy Anniversary to us! :)

Omaha - A Side Story

Abby is still young, and as first time parents we get very proud and excited at the little new things she learns and discovers so if you read this and think "why is she telling me this?", well, it's because I think she is awesome and genius for doing something so amazing as..... drinking from a water fountain.

This girl loves water and hearing her own echo - so the fact that the first water fountain she ever discovered was in a room that echoed her shrieks of delight meant that she was in heaven. She knew exactly what to do right away which impressed us, then she really blew us away when, after Benson let go of the lever that made the water come out before she had decided she was finished, she walked her own little feet up the side and pressed it herself and played for another few minutes.

Omaha - Part One

Everyone we told we were going to Omaha for vacation either laughed or looked really confused - that's an actual vacation destination? Well, not really, but we went anyway and had SUCH a good time. We've already decided to go back one day - just at a nicer time of year (it was HOT).

Benson, Abby and I all got there a day earlier than everyone else, so our first day was spent driving around and exploring the suburbs. It is BEAUTIFUL there and we found at least a dozen houses we would love living in. We stopped at a roadside stand and got some delicious peaches and honey sticks to snack on as we drove, then we headed to Mahoney State Park in Ashland and spent some time driving through the gorgeous park, watching people fish from the bridge, watching horses run in the pasture and walking through the gardens and greenhouse.

Benson came straight from work and we accidentally packed his normal shoes in the suitcase that was coming later with his parents. He spent half the day like this and I spent half the day laughing (even though it was totally my fault). He still likes me though.

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After his mom and dad arrived and we checked into our hotel, we decided to take them back to the park so they could see how pretty it was and we could see the observation tower we had missed earlier. We were so happy we went back so we could see this gorgeous view of Ashland and the Platte River. There was even a little coal train chugging through those trees.

This was another highlight of my day (I am easily amused) but as we drove back to the city we saw this lighthouse on the side of the road.


as we came up to the spot where it stood we looked and saw this:



a little "beach" full of happy swimmers complete with a Lobster Shack!