A Week Filled with Celebration

As a girl from Nebraska, it's been easy for me to miss the far-rolling fields and tree-covered bluffs from my home. South Texas can be found wanting in the natural beauty arena, though they have been blessed with some good rains this year. As a pregnant girl, I've been missing my own Mom and craving a reason to see her. So on June 28 I hopped on a plane from San Antonio to Omaha with two weeks in Nebraska ahead of me! Something to note: Pablo was a trooper and let me make this trip without him. He couldn't take two weeks off work and I know it was hard to watch me go and report back everything going on, but I am grateful for his letting me go:)

I had a list of meals to try and cook, a list of food to eat, people to see, and projects for the baby to sew. I was looking forward to a quiet Fourth of July with my parents, sewing and catching up with everyone. But my sneaky brother and his wife had something better in mind ;)  My mom and I were sitting on some chairs in the garage, enjoying the mild heat of the evening while watching my dad work on his latest wood project, when an SUV pulled up into the driveway. “Who is that?” I asked my mom next to me. She answered with this coy smile on her face that they were just some close friends who wanted to see me. I turned again to the car and saw the driver give me an excited wave as he put the car in Park and shut off the engine. I was still unsure until out popped four kids from the side door and my brother and his wife emerged from the front! All the way from Arizona! I really couldn’t take it all in for a few minutes and everyone had a fun time talking about all the tricks and close-calls everyone experienced as they planned to catch me surprised. Oh boy, you got me:) My Fourth of July week instantly became a crazy fiesta of kids, crafts, swimming and going to the park. I wouldn't have changed any second off it:)

Monday we took the kids downtown to see the great swimmer at the Mutual of Omaha building. The Olympic Swim Qualifiers for swimming are held in Omaha and to celebrate the events the Mutual of Omaha always does something neat. This year, a huge swimmer breaking above the ground for air. 

 

Next we visited the Winter Quarters visitors center and temple grounds. A special place for me because it was the temple I did my first baptisms in age 12, the place I received my endowments, and where my husband and I were sealed for time and eternity. It's a smaller temple, nestled in the most inconspicuous of neighborhoods and on the grounds of the old pioneer cemetry, but it's burrowed itself a home in my heart.

 My nieces and nephews loved the Trail Center! Right away they were transformed into pioneers and told how to pack their wagons, push a handcart, live in a sodhouse and even travel to America in a ship with other immigrants.

Thomas, JoeJoe, Benny and Anna- our little pioneers!

Deciding where they want to serve missions

Sharing a bed on the long voyage to America

Tuesday we went to a new place in Omaha that i've never been to and that would be a lot of fun for everyone: Coco Key Water Resort.

 This place was AMAZING! We must have spent hours there simply going down their slides, floating on the lazy river or laying outside. The slides were a hit. They had three tubes: one that allowed the sunlight through and two that were completely dark. The dark ones were mind-bending- especially when we all thought it would be a great idea to down backwards on the innertube through it. My brother and I loved it the first time and rushed to try it again, only to decide after our second run down backwards in a tube where nothing can be seen that maybe our stomachs needed a break, haha. (We were both back at it about an hour and a half later- though never backwards)

Needless to say, by the time Wednesday and the Fourth dawned, everyone was puckered from the day before. Even the kids, which is saying something! It made for the perfect, relaxing holiday. Grandma (my mom) had paint crafts for everyone to do and Grandpa (my dad) had all his wood-working tools in the garage for the boys to make whatever they wanted. Not even my sister-in-law Vicky, our friend Sarah, and I were left out as my mom had gotten some really cute harvest figures for us to paint.

I had a paint project too:)

Joseph in the garage with Grampa and his tools

We were all sooo tired that day!

Of course, nothing says 4rth of July more than grilling and fireworks- both of which we had plenty. 

Blueberry-rhubarb crumble, courtesy of Vicky and a festive pie made by me

The week before and after the Fourth of July, the nights are filled with boomings and explosions. There's really no need to go sit at a park to see a fireworks show because everyone and their grandma are shooting off real-deal fireworks on your neighborhood streets. It makes Omaha sound like the Revolutionary War is being fought again and fills the streets with smoke and the smell of gunpowder, but I think it's festive and unique to Omaha. The kids thought it was quite something and we had fun with our explosions while watching everyone elses.

Our neighbors had some big ones that were fun to watch

The 5th of July was our girl's/guy's day out. Grampa, Doug and the three boys went off towards Council Bluffs and the Railroad Museum while us girls went shopping (of course!). Gramma suprised little Anna with some cool stuff for her birthday and I was able to pick out some fabric so I could make two toddler blankets.



My mom and Vicky chilling at Noodles and Co. for our girl's day lunch

Friday came all too soon and was the last full day that my brother Doug and his family would be with us:( So we went all out with a day at the Henry Doorly Zoo. We spent 7 hours there and didn't even come close to seeing everything there! I've been lucky enough to have gone to this zoo multiple times growing up, but nothing beats going with your niece and nephews for their first time.

Sooo CUTE!!

This was neat- this gorilla walked up and sat right in front of the kids and stayed there. The kids loved it!

Inside the Lied Jungle

Ben waving to the penguins!

Needless to say, I didn't want my family to leave when Saturday morning came along, but I was grateful for the chance to see them so unexpectedly like that. What a great big brothers I have:) My next week in Omaha focused on finishing the toddler blankets and making a monographed decorated pillow for the nursery, as well as catching up with old friends and having a baby shower. I'll post those pictures next!