After a week of visiting it was time to return home to our regular lives, leaving here feeling like there was still so much more to do, see and visit but having had a really nice time and a good break from things. Having made the escape I will say that we all feel a little more refreshed and renewed; like maybe we can take on what the coming year has in store. So on this Tuesday morning we prepared to leave. This mostly involves me rounding up the stuff and the troops and then rounding it up again and Rick figuring out how to pack it all in the van once more. Both these jobs are a constant battle as kids keep moving things and unpacking bags and Nathan needs constant supervision anyway. Preparing to leave is a time consuming ordeal. I think we left a pink shoe, by the way, but it’s almost outgrown.
We did keep the kids entertained for a little while in front of my Mom & Dad’s large and beautiful 98 year old home with some sidewalk chalk and bubbles.
We still had plenty of time to keep them occupied before we would be ready to leave.
My sister Rachael came over with Porter to say goodbye quickly. Nathan is still talking about Porter. I can see them becoming best little buddies in the future.
Nathan also decided to help his Grammy out and sweep for her… a chore he loves doing in the kitchen at home whenever he sees dirt or food on the floor.
Here is me with my little nephew, Porter, 17 months old now. I hadn’t seen him since he was 5 months old when he came with his parents to visit me.
My nephews, Greg and Jackson, also stopped by with my sister Molly a few minutes later to say goodbye. I know my kids had a good time with their cousins.
We finally got going, stopped to pick up some white hots to take home in our cooler, some Brad’s Cookies as a friendly gesture for our neighbor who watched our three troublesome little kittens and one elderly cat, and some Wegman’s subs for our picnic lunch on the way home. After we’d been in the car for a little while, Nathan began looking out the window and yelling “Bops! Bops!” I asked him if he missed his Pops. He nodded and said “Bops at work”. He continued telling us that “Bops” was at work for the next little while and indeed Nathan and Rick had dropped my Dad off at work that morning on the way to pick up the subs. (Usually my Dad walks to work). Nathan is apparently very impressed with his Pops. I noticed he liked being around him a lot.
Again I missed all five kids lined up on the blanket who I just happened to find like this! Haley jumped up when she saw me with the camera.
We liked Ottaway Park in Westfield, New York on Lake Erie that our GPS found on the way up so much that we decided to stop there again. The timing is perfect to have a picnic there as it is a several hour drive; therefore lunchtime. The view is great, the breeze is wonderful, the playground is fun. It is neat and clean and we had the place to ourselves. It is right down the road from a little stone lighthouse. If you blink you’ll miss it. And it is literally two minutes off the thruway.
We loved our Wegman’s subs and potato chips. Nathan, after dumping his water bottle all over himself on purpose is already on his final article of clothing without having to dig. He is LOVING his large frosted cookie from Brad’s.
The kids finish up their meal and then go run to play giving them a chance to stretch their legs.
There aren’t too many merry-go-rounds to play on anymore but I remember having great fun on them when I was little. My children were definitely enjoying scaring each other on this but the older ones were very good about being gentle with younger ones on it.
One last push and it was time to pack up for the long haul. We said goodbye to the beautiful view we had of the lake, seen here looking out on the shore and pier to our south. We would spend the next little while following the lake from a distance where we catch occasional glimpses before leaving it behind altogether but this is our last good look at it. Time to go!
This 500 mile trip is 8 1/2 hours without stopping but has gotten a little longer with each child. It has taken 16+ hours in the snow, 13 hours with a nursing baby and now we’re back to 11 1/2 hours in summer weather. Precisely 11 1/2 hours each way this trip. Could we not just fold the map and make this trip a little shorter? Just a thought. Nathan came home with many new and brilliant discoveries like how to blow raspberries at people constantly (thank you cousin Jackson) and how to leap out of bed without a second thought. Kaitlyn left with a new favorite hat and a desire to have some alone time. Tristan left, grateful at having had some male bonding time with his cousins; big and little. Lindsay left with a desire to move northward to be near more horses the first chance she gets. Haley left behind a little more childhood as she was in on a “Girls Night” for the first time, contributing to the discussion and listening until 2:30 a.m. Rick and I left feeling tired but somewhat refreshed, with some purple berries we were looking forward to crushing for jam and dreams of retirement, leaving the Buckeye State again, some day, but not too soon. We’re not in that big of a hurry.
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