Get ready, get set. . .

Granpa!

We are enjoying a visit with family this week. My boys especially enjoy having Granpa Bill visit! First things first, they erupt in a friendly rooting competition. I did ask Dad if he would help us fill the P.E. void by going over some sports basics with the boys. Rooting wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but. . .

Bible study in the front yard with Granpa.

We love to do day trips when Dad visits. We made a stop at the Durham Western Heritage Museum at Omaha's Historic Union Station.

W.O.W.

This was so much fun.

Wow.

We love living in Nebraska - look at these awesome, sensible Omaha proverbs.

Hands-and-feet-on displays are always popular with my bunch.

Moo!

Amazement.

More Amazement.

And it gets even better with a real train that we were able to run through.

I mean, we walked through it.

I know you are all tired of hearing how much I love Starbucks, and really Starbucks has nothing to do with this picture - other than the fact that this would be the perfect spot for a Starbucks because I could sip 2 or 3 lattes before my boys ever tired of watching the mini-train.

Langston would run from one end of the LONG display to the next to keep up with the train. Hey, we could have P.E. here!

The boys could run while I drink coffee and grade them on running form.

Hmmm...

Inside a train car.

This wonderful volunteer spent so much time teaching us the history of the railroad in the Omaha area. Ryland freaked out when he began speaking- he thought this nice gentlemen was an 'electric statue'! He's still talking about it.

A chocolate phosphate at the diner inside the museum.

Almost as good as Starbucks.

I wandered into the Aksarben Royalty Gown display and apparently took a little too long. I heard all sorts of laughing and noise and upon investigating found my bunch making hand shadows during the video that talks about the pretty gowns. Apparently they are not all that impressed with royal gowns and had to do something to pass the time away.

There must have been a hundred gowns here.

It was so pretty until the movie area got loud.

The beautiful main hall of the Union Station.

On the way home from the Durham we stopped at the cutest pumpkin patch in Avoca, Nebraska.

Granpa remarked that he had never picked a pumpkin in 92` weather before.

Then I was reminded that this same weekend one year ago it was snowing here.

That's Nebraska for you!

Our one guideline when selecting a pumpkin is if you can't carry it yourself you can't keep it.

Ryland thought the pumpkin patch farmers would enjoy having a pumpkin barricade built and set to work 'helping' the farmers at once.

{show-off}

So much fun!

The farm's version of a sandbox - the cornbox.

More fun with Granpa, and a geography lesson, too.

I just can't get away from learning, no matter how hard I try to take a week off from studies.

Life is too much fun!