Best. Weekend. Ever.

This past weekend we took our first "family vacation". No, it wasn't to the sandy beaches of Florida or to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado--we simply drove 2 hours to Omaha and stayed for a couple of days. We had a blast and it was the perfect little getaway for our family. We left around noon on Friday and spent a couple of hours at the Children's Museum. The kids could have stayed there all day, and thanks to our zoo membership here, we got in free!

 

 Sage wanted nothing to do with the stick bug, but Drew got right up close--so close that we thought he was going to smash the poor thing.

 We climbed to the top of the ant farm. The museum was so neat and hands-on for the kids!

 After the museum, we checked into our hotel and luckily were able to upgrade our single room to a two-room suite. It worked perfectly for nap time and bed time. There was also a water park attached that we spent countless hours in. The water was really warm and Sage and Drew loved the slides. There was a smaller, toddler-friendly area that they spent most of their time in. It was perfect.

 We started Saturday at the zoo. Our double-stroller and plethora of snacks kept the kids happy all day. It had rained over night so the weather was beautiful when we got there. By noon it was 103 degrees, but we kept cool in the shade and indoor exhibits. The kids weren't phased at all by the heat. 

 The gorillas were highly-entertaining!

Sage and Drew loved the walking tunnel through the aquarium. They were amazed by the sharks, giant turtles, sting rays and multitude of colorful fish. Drew kept asking for "more".

 After lunch and a long nap, we came across an unexpected treasure near Old Market. It is called Heartland Park--the perfect afternoon stroll along the lake, enjoying nature (and, again, lots of snacks and our double-stroller). 

 A block up from the park was this double-slide in the Old Market area. The regulars used waxed paper and cardboard to make the most of their slide down. 

 Sage learned quickly about friction, before we bummed a piece of cardboard and then she couldn't get enough. She went down on her own time and time again.

Drew was fearless and loved sliding down with Ross. We had to talk them into mac n' cheese and "cow" yogurt at Panera to get them to want to leave.

Saturday night we grabbed dinner and went back to the hotel to enjoy the water park. Both kids zonked out as soon as they hit their beds that night.  Sunday we drove back home after breakfast. It was the best weekend ever... with kids! :) :)