ANOTHER OHIO DISCOVERY - PATRIOTISM

This post is a little backdated - but important to our memories, nonetheless.

Our friends Downi and Boyce invited us to go to the 4th of July parade in town. We heard that the parade was a huge deal here - but we really weren't expecting much. To our surprise - they weren't kidding. Seriously, two days before the parade - people line up their lawn chairs along the streets. And it's completely safe -no worries about stealing or anything. You don't see that everyday.

Well, the day of the parade - we saw for ourselves just how big this event is to the community. First of all - it was raining the entire day. I thought surely the parade would be cancelled. Nope. You should have seen the street - people were lined up for miles despite the cold and soggy day! I wish I could have gotten an ariel shot to show the size of the crowd. And not only did they "go on with the show" but it was the longest parade I have ever seen in my life! It lasted about an hour and a half - maybe a little longer.

Brian and I were commenting on how huge the 4th of July celebration is here. Nothing like we have ever seen. Along with the parade and the usual festivities - there was a huge block party, the streets, the people and their houses were decorated in red, white and blue and most business were closed for the day. I was telling my dad about the day and about how people here are very into the holiday - and he pretty much summed it up. It's not because it's a small town with nothing to do - as someone might assume. But it's because the folks here are community-oriented, centered in traditions and history, very patriotic and very much proud to be American.

Please excuse the photo quality. My trusty little camera was almost out of batteries. I got what I could - isn't that what counts?

We had a great setup - we used our plastic paint drop cloth over both of our umbrellas and Brighton's stroller - so we were the only ones who stayed dry the entire time! I would highly recommend this makeshift tent for rainy day parade watching!

Wow, I knew this was big - but seriously, how do you book Abe Lincoln for a parade?
Whoa! First Abe, now Darth Vador? Am I missing the theme here?

The funny thing about this was that I heard something above us (thinking it was just another plane - which is common around here). And then I see Brian's eyes about the size of meatballs - exclaiming to me "Oh my gosh - check it out! It's the replica of the Wright Brother's flyer!" Seriously, this rare side of Brian is too funny. Did I mention how much he loves airplanes? And yes, this was part of the parade. And obviously Brian's favorite part.

I will definitely be coming back to see this house at Christmas!

Here is little B waiving his flag so proudly. What a great day.

AN OHIO DISCOVERY - SPLASH PARKS

In our explorations of Ohio thus far - the number one find has been the vast amounts of parks and other recreation sites they have for children. Brighton hit the jackpot for sure. One of our favorite places to go to is the splash park next to our house. It's great - especially for his age group. No worries about him falling into the pool. And it's free. Of course he loves it there, not only because of the water features, but if you notice in one of the photos - there's a huge playground there as well. This is his favorite place to go - obviously. We can't even let him see the place if we're driving past it. We hear there are actually quite a few of these nearby and I'm sure we'll be making our rounds. Here are some photos from our last visit:

BEST BUDDIES

Before we left Arizona, our good friends Emily & Jason threw us a little going away party with a group of Brighton's best friends. Basically, we've gotten to know these couples very well because our kiddos (specifically the boys) are exactly three weeks apart and we were always having to walk around with them in the hallways during church.

We were completely surprised when we got there. Not only did she cater the party, but when we walked into the kitchen there were beautiful flower bouquets AND get this - photos of the three of us everywhere! That totally caught us off guard. I kept thinking - where in the world did she get all of our old photos from? And then it dawned on me - she had taken the time to go to our family website and printed her favorite ones. Very sneaky! Em is the most wonderful friend anyone could have.

To give you the background - she and I spent a ton of time together because we'd go walking with the boys every morning. Those two are the best of friends. The boys would eat their snacks and babble the entire way. And obviously so would we. Well, not the eating part. You obviously get to know someone very well, when you see them everyday. There were quite a few moments I can remember doubling over, laughing at one of her stories. She is hilarious. And patient. And super organized. And fun. And caring. And as Em likes to say - "and blah, blah, blah..."

In fact, one day I heard the doorbell ring and Brighton and I rushed downstairs to find this at the doorstep...

What a great friend!

The three boys along with quite a few other kids in the ward are all the same age and became very good friends. We joke and say that we hope we all stay put so that when the kids start school they'll all be in the same class. That would be so much fun.

Here are a few photos from the party as well as some older photos I found of the two boys hanging out. I know Brighton misses his friends! And we miss all of you guys, too. See you soon!

This is my favorite one. I always laugh because I'm like, where are their little legs? Plus, I love how they look like they're really into deep conversation. Too funny.

OUR NOT-SO-NEW NEIGHBORS

One of the great things about moving to Ohio is that two of our good friends from school are living next to us! One family is in Cincinnati and the other is literally, about 500 feet from our home. How great is that?! So, we decided to take a drive down to Cincinnati to check out the town and to visit with our friends. We ended up staying the weekend with them and had so much fun reminiscing and hanging out, as we used to in California. A few highlights were visiting this downtown park, which overlooks the river. The cool thing is the fountain that Brian is walking next to (photo below) actually becomes a skating rink in the winter! If that's not an indication of the weather to come - yikes! We took a trip down memory lane and ate lots of good home cooking (thanks M), ate like a billion M&M's (a staple for us), and shopped and ate at Ikea (our hangout), while Brighton played with their two boys - which he absolutely loved. It's nice to have such great friends around.

Uh oh, another Brangelina in the making... I especially like how Brighton looks like he's in deep thought. Hmm...

PART TWO

Great news! I've managed to get some help around the house and things are really "moving" around here. Can't you tell? It's amazing at how hard my new employee works whenever I turn my back. I'm starting to think that by the time we finish unpacking, it'll be time to start packing up again. Sheesh!

REASONS WHY WE HAVEN'T FINISHED UNPACKING...PART ONE

TO MARKET, TO MARKET...

One thing that Ohio is certainly not lacking in - is farmer's markets. We love hitting up the local markets, especially with the current economy, and we came across this market downtown. Suprisingly, it had a lot to offer - from ostrich "products" to Amish produce to Thai food - you name it. My favorite was the booth that was selling about a billion spices. I can't remember everything we bought there, but a few included - one of the spices (Herbs de Provence - my favorite), fresh sun-dried tomato focaccia, golden raisins, and peaches (for you know who). This place will definitely be one of our regular stops.

And don't worry, we do have shoes for him.