Nebraska Part 2...

Our original plan was to drive to the Omaha zoo (2 hours away) on Wednesday.  We have been there before and it was amazing so we were really excited to go back.  Of course the week that we were there they had super high temps and mixed with the high humidity they had heat warnings.  Not a great idea to spend the day outside in that!  So we had to brainstorm and research to find something inside to do instead.  We decided to go to a children's museum in Sioux City, Iowa (about an hour and a half away).  It was so great!  Super fun exhibits and we were there for about 4 hours!  Kaley was glued to the pretend grocery store and the twins were content to play in the little baby area.  I love children's museums and to get right into all of the fun.  Afterwards we had dinner at Texas Roadhouse which was a little crazy because the kids were restless and tired and the babies especially were not happy about sitting in their chairs.  Thank goodness that that's a loud restaurant anyway... we couldn't help but laugh at the craziness that is our family!  Haha!

 We relaxed on Thursday and that evening Papa took Preston and Tyson for a bike ride and fishing while Angie gave Kaley and Abby makeovers.  We also had to get packed up and ready to leave the next day.  This was seriously one of our best trips to visit them.  We let the kids stay up late and play their hearts out the whole time.  We were just not ready to say goodbye and leave.  Preston especially was sad knowing we would be leaving.  That night Steve and I snuck in a late night movie to see "Dunkirk." After that (it was late!) Steve and I concocted a plan to have Preston stay in Nebraska for an extra week.  We found a direct flight from Omaha to Salt Lake City that he could go on by himself.  We made sure it was ok with Steve's parents and then talked to him about it the next morning to make sure he was ok with the whole plan and not too nervous.  He was so excited to stay and we got all of his stuff ready for him to stay.  We got all packed up and under way, without our Preston!  Not going to lie, this mama got a little choked up as we drove away but I knew he was going to be fine and have so much fun!

Papa and Grammy with all of their grandkids!

My big boy on his Nebraska adventure!

 So it was just Steve and all of the girls heading home.  It was so weird to not have our boy with us! The drive felt long of course and we stopped that night in Casper, Wyoming.  We grabbed some yummy Chipotle for dinner to eat in our hotel room and then call it a night.

The not so exciting drive home!

 That Saturday we finished our drive home and got to drive along the Teton mountains and even drove right next to a herd of buffalo and then drove through Jackson Hole.  After driving through very flat Nebraska and then pretty ugly Wyoming, Idaho was so refreshing and beautiful!  It felt good to be home!  We were happy to be home, especially the babies who were very ready to be out of the car!

On Friday, July 28th Preston got to fly ALL BY HIMSELF!  Yikes, this mama was nervous.  Steve's dad drove him to the airport in Omaha and got to take him all the way to his gate and wait with him until he got on.  He had a flight attendant assigned to him and told us he sat by a nice lady too.  He was also excited about the pretzels and Sprite he got!  Steve left work just a little early to drive down to Salt Lake and get there just in time to meet him at his gate.  Steve said it was like picking up a package because he had to sign for him and everything.  I was so glad that it all went smoothly and he got home safely.  Steve and Preston didn't get home until really late but I stayed up of course.  Preston cuddled with me on the couch while he told me about his day and then fell asleep mid sentence, haha!  I let him sleep in my bed that night and could not get enough hugs out of him! Such a great adventure and good memories for him!

Preston and Tyson, the best two cousins out there!