Yesterday we returned to Oregon from our trip to Indiana. We were lucky enough to be able to take ten days for fun and family. Grandpa Smith lives there along with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Smith, Great Uncle Dave, Great Aunt Barb, and lots of cousins. The last time we had seen them was over a year ago when Elias was five and a half months old… so we were past due for a visit.
Elias playing in the sand at Lake Michigan
There is so much I want to say about our visit. I’ll probably write like 8 blog posts (I’m hardly joking). The trip was a bit hard on Elias because of the time change and “meeting” so many new people. But he also had a lot of fun and warmed up to everyone in his own time. I’m just so thankful we were able to take the time for him to see all of his Indiana family.
Both plane rides went well. We flew direct on Alaska from Portland to Chicago. The flight there went very smoothly. It was under four hours, and Elias slept for a bit over an hour of it. He got many compliments from surrounding passengers. The way home was a bit tougher because we were on the plane for an hour or so before even taking off. Then Elias didn’t sleep at all, and because we were going against the jet stream, the flight was longer. However, Elias still got compliments from surrounding passengers so we thought it was a success.
First Popcorn! He loved it!
Our trip consisted of trips to five different states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Kentucky). Nathan drove over 1200 miles in the ten days we were there. Highlights included spending two Sundays with family, a day trip to Lake Michigan, and a trip to Cincinatti to see the Reds play the Braves. Elias even had his first appearance on a jumbo-tron!
Elias also got a few new experiences under his belt. He tried popcorn and M&Ms for the first time. He walked across a suspension bridge, sat in his first Major League Ball Park, saw his first manatee, and got to stay in Grandpa Smith’s house.
Walking across the suspension bridge at Turkey Run State Park
There are many more words and pictures to come from our trip, but for now I’m signing off. There are still clothes to be unpacked, and it’s late…especially in Indiana.