Mini vacation

Last week my niece and nephew spent a good chunk of the time here with us so it was sort of a mini vacation for us too. We did some thing we haven't done in a while or never done before. 

Last Saturday we all got together with my Godparents and their family for a picnic at their family park. Oliver loved the bridge especially running down it. They also had a bouncy house that they had rented which knowing from Sweet Corn days how Oliver tried it we knew he wasn't going to be a fan. 

He went in unwillingly screaming but once in there he had a blast jumping but wouldn't let go of Aunt Colleen. 

Sunday we went out to Big Springs Trout Hatchery to feed the fish and watch them. It was a very cold day, even had to break out the stocking hats for all the kids. 

It had warmed up slightly by late morning so we went into Elkader to the new park which everyone loved. It is 2 stories tall so you have to climb up to the first level and then take a ladder up. Oliver had never done a straight up and down ladder before but after a few time watching his cousins he couldn't be stopped. 

I had to go down the enclosed slide once with him but after that he wanted to do it over and over again but always in the cream colored one because the green slide was "too dark."  

I worked on Monday but my parents stayed home with the kids so they all went to Osborne and had a picnic Oliver told me. 

Tuesday I was off again so we went to Waukon to play on their fort playground.  

Oliver loved the bridge but only when there wasn't anyone else on it. 

And loved the bumblebee when he could steal a turn away from Ian and Annaliese.

Next we went to Decorah to the see the waterfall. I hadn't been to this park since I was a kid and really didn't even remember how beautiful it was. 

We all, kids included, attempted to climb up along side of the waterfall but the dirt was slippery and the kids much rather enjoyed throwing rocks into it.  

There were stairs which were new since we had been there last to climb which took you up to the top to see where the water came out of. Ian and Oliver loved that it was a cave. 

There was of course a lot of time to ride bikes too and for Oliver to "fix" them.  

It was fun to spend some time with Ian and Annaliese before they went to their other Grandparents and fun to take a mini vacation.