Summer Vacation 2008 ~ Days 3-5

Days 3-4: Columbia - Days of Rest

We got to Stephen's house on Thursday afternoon. We had called when we were getting close to get exact directions from Steve, so he and Dawn, their 7-month-old daughter, were sitting on the front stoop to greet us when we pulled up. They live at the end of a dirt road, literally. Their house is so cute and it's surrounded completely by woods, so it's really quiet and peaceful. (Have I mentioned how I love lots of trees?) We brought all our bags into the house and then had a good time chatting with Steve and watching the cousins "interact" a little while we waited for Jamie to come home from work. Steve had been working all day to make a delicious dinner... his own special Chili recipe. I must say that it was pretty good, and I was quite impressed!

We spent the next day relaxing with Steve and Dawn. Since Jamie had to work, I decided I'd offer to make lasagna for dinner since Steve had made dinner the night before (plus, I was really in the mood for lasagna). So, we went to Wal-Mart to fulfill a short list of things we'd realized we needed after being on the road for a few days, as well as the ingredients for the lasagna. We ate dinner a little while after Jamie came home from work. The lasagna, garlic bread, and salad definitely hit the spot! Yum!

Dawn was definitely teething and we'd see her little head come up near the corner of the coffee table and she'd try to teethe on the table!

Dawn was very excited about the new board books her cousin, James, gave her. (Notice the crawling position she's in... yes, she's young but she can get around!)

Dawn also gave James the firetruck you see here. He had so much fun playing with it! Uncle Stephen actually brought those big black trunks out of the back room so James could use it to play with his trucks.
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Day 5: Columbia - Riverland Zoo

Thankfully the next day was Saturday, so we were able to all hang out together. We decided going to the Riverland Zoo in Columbia sounded like a lot of fun and we thought the kids would really enjoy seeing the animals. Evidently a lot of other people had the same thoughts because when we got there it was very crowded! It was also an absolutely gorgeous day, with clear blue skies, lots of sunshine, and a cool breeze! We had a great time! Here are some of our favorite shots from our fun-filled day:

James and Dawn looking sharp in their hats! I don't know what they're looking at, but it must be interesting. =o)


Daddy and James pose for a picture on the tiger. James took him down by his ear, with his juice in one hand!

Mommy and James had a great time on the merry-go-round while James rode on the gorilla. This was nothing after taming that lion earlier in the day!

James loved riding on Daddy's shoulders up the trail to the gardens they had at the zoo. The trail was pretty but it definitely went up, up, up to get to the top!

James loved "smelling" the flowers in the gardens.

James loved watching the monkeys swing and play around.

Dawn loved watching her daddy feed the goats. James and his daddy had fun saying "maaaaaa" to the goats!

We also saw the usual elephants, bears, and giraffes:

We had a great time at the zoo! It really was a lot of fun for all of us... little kids as well as big kids! =o) We came home, all took naps, and went to eat dinner at the same BBQ place that Mike Huckabee had gone to when he was in Columbia on the campaign trail... Hudson's Smokehouse BBQ! I must say it was really good! After we went home, we put the kids to bed and had ice cream. It was the perfect end to a great day!