Ohio

Some highlights from our Ohio trip include: 

A morning with the fab Carr family, the kids loved playing together and we loved having a chance to catch-up with old, dear friends.  It is always fun to chat with friends that have known your spouse for a long, long time.  Kevin remembers Mark back in the day insisting he would never marry a "girly-girl." How did that work out for you, Mark?

Paul and Cully came back early from Indiana so we could have one more night together. We enjoy every chance we have to spend time with them and the kids adore Matt and Abby. What a privilege to get the chance to watch them grow into young adults and what a pleasure to watch Matt turn into a little kid again playing cars with Ben.

Dad Watson ended our trip with a magic show.  The kids were enchanted with all his tricks, especially the encore which finished with candy in their hands.  Grandpa Watson even made a personalized trick with our family photos where we start out at home and end up at church.  

Clara and Mara had a night owl party one evening, staying up late together laughing and playing. To witness their pajama clad magical mutual delight is a memory we will hold onto for a long time.  The only time Clara cried on our long road trip home was when she realized we were leaving Mara. 

A lowlight that turned into an "all's well that end's well" moment...there was construction going on at the lodges where we stayed and ended up with three nails in our tires.  Thankfully, we discovered this on Friday and had time to get new tires before heading back to NC and the lodges paid for them, so we can't complain too much.  It did mean that the kids missed out on a trip to the Columbus Science Center.  

The kids were incredible travelers, through plans changing, cold, cold weather, lots of time in the car and just being off schedule, they were troopers.  We are most thankful that Ben and Clara continue to be our favorite people to be with. No matter where we are, if we are together, we are home.