Our Last Visitors in Ohio!

Last week we said goodbye to our final visitors in Ohio. We've had 17 visits from friends and family over the last three years ... many of whom had never been to the States before. It's been a great opportunity to show them what life is like for us and for them to get to know what was our 'new' home town.

Mark's parents flew back to the UK on Wednesday after a few weeks of fun! As well as a break at the lake we got up to a lot more mischief together. Their first weekend we got to celebrate the completion of a friends aircraft project for Missions Beyond Aviation. They are third generation missionaries to Mexico and this is the beginning of an exciting time for the Shields family, so we're glad we were able to be there to share that.

The annual week long Coshocton County Fair also took place during Grandma and Gramps's first week. We had fun on the rides at the fair (from above & below) and bumped into some friends for one ride too! We checked out most of the animals, craft exhibits, agricultural show entries and much more. We also worked the gates for one morning, stamping hands and used our free tickets to go on a 'date' to the rough trucks while Grandma and Gramps looked after the girls!

We went up to Amish country with Grandma and Gramps once and they went without us a couple of times too! There is a small area that looks like you're in the Swiss Alps with a cheese factory. As you can see we 'did the tourist thing'!

We also took a trip to the Zoo with them (We love our annual memberships ... so many free fun days there this year!). We enjoyed face painting, watching a scuba diver in the aquarium feeding the fish, lots of animals and much more!

While they were here, we set Grandma and Gramps a license plate challenge. Something we've been doing on long journey's. Trying to spot a license plate from each of the 50 States. We knew that Alaska and Hawaii might be a little bit much to expect while they were here but on the way back to the car that day we found an Alaska plate ... this car had obviously travelled a long way for a visit to the zoo!! 

Lots of silliness went on at home as well ... including Grandma's antics on the trampoline!

Grandma also kept a close eye on Naomi and her play doh ... it was only the second time she's played with it and so far, she just likes to pull it apart into little pieces rather than make something. At least she's stopped eating everything she picks up now! Abigail made something a lot more edible with Grandma later on that day!

The girls enjoyed having Grandma and Gramps here, as well as the fun stuff, snuggles on the sofa were also on the cards ... 

... that is until Gramps started playing silly's again (which happened often!). For the record, the photo below is one of our favourites from the whole visit!!!

We were able to make some trips to the park. Sometimes all together or sometimes Abigail went off with Grandma and Gramps on her own for some fun! Naomi is getting so much more confident, trying to follow her sister everywhere. She even went down the spiral slide, again and again even though it seemed to freak her out each time ... obviously going to be a real thrill seeker later in life!

Gramps made us a pair of Cornhole boards while they were here. It's a garden game we discovered during our time in Ohio ... and to make your own set is WAY cheaper than buying one! It kept Gramps out of trouble for a little while, doing something he loves ... wood work! Then we had fun playing it. It just needs a lick of paint and it will be ready to pack up with all our belongings to ship to Tanzania!

On their final weekend here, we popped out to a friends wedding for the afternoon. Abigail's best buddy was the flowergirl, so she was happy to spend time playing with her. When we got home Abigail stole Jenny's shoes and Naomi stole Abigail's ... and the pair of them acted like fools in the living room!

That same weekend we also enjoyed another cultural festival in town, the Apple Butter Stirring at Roscoe Village. It was fun to wander up and down to see all the stalls and handicrafts ... and the giant pumpkin caterpillars of course!

As you can see we had fun during Grandma and Gramps's time here. Their last visit Stateside. Now that they have gone and with only a couple of months left, we can start the task of packing up our lives in Ohio. It seems very strange to write that but it's the reality of the next stage of our lives.