Family Vacation: May 2015

When Brian & I discussed our vacation plans for this summer, we knew we wanted to go with his mom's side of the family & somewhere that nobody has been to. In the 11 years we have been a couple, we haven't been on a vacation with them. So we were very excited to have the chance to spend time with everyone for a few days. We also knew we would only be able to plan a shorter trip because of some families' work commitments, softball tournaments, etc. Our decision was quickly made to go to.....Cincinnati, OH. I was very excited to take the kids to the zoo & aquarium (I heard great reviews on both). My sister-in-law found a hotel just outside of the city that was much cheaper than we expected (awesome for our budget!) plus it was close to many restaurants & shopping. 

Day 1: Brian & I left around lunch on Saturday & made great timing along the way. I packed plenty of snacks & movies for the trip to occupy the kids; not only on the way to & from but also while we were in the hotel room. I also packed some lunch trays for everyone so we wouldn't have to stop for food on the way. Timing was on our side because once the kids finished lunch, Levi fell asleep shortly after. Our drive was about 3 1/2 hours & very pleasant, with only 1 potty stop along the way. :) We were the last to arrive (because I went to STL the day before with my other sisters-in-law to see the NKOTB concert) that afternoon so all we were able to sneak into our evening was dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory & a trip to Bass Pro Shop.

Day 2: Zoo day!!!

Brian, his brother Jim, & 4 of the boys

Jim wasn't as thrilled about the zoo as some of the others

This was the best pic I could get at the end of a long, hot day

Our only family pic taken on vacation

Day 3: Aquarium & touring day

KY Firefighter's memorial

Historic church inside an arboretum we saw on our way back to the hotel

It was a very serene drive

Another chapel hidden in the trees

On Day 4, we packed everything up & headed back to IN. The kids were worn out every night from our daily adventures, swimming, & general play time with all of the cousins. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures (I got caught up in the fun times we had & forgot to take pics...oops!) We enjoyed the time we spent with everyone: Nana, Papaw Rick, Nathan, Chrissy, Taylor, Degan, Jim, Nicki, Lilly, Liam, & Daniel.  This was a big group to get together but I'm so glad we made it work!