Dear Diary,
We woke, showered and packed the car. Then woke Oliver up to feed him and off we went. On the road by 3:30am.
Oliver fell right back to sleep, as we thought he might- YEA. I also was able to get a little more sleep. By 6:30am Oliver was awake as we were driving past Ames, IA. He was wet and getting hungry. With a little slight of hand and world famous distracting techniques Oliver was fairly entertained till we turned onto I-80. We headed into West Des Moines to find Breakfast. After an unsuccessful search to find any breakfast serving restaurants, we stumbled across a Perkins. With food in our tummies and a change out of our PJ's- it's off to Omaha. Planning was the key, and as we headed back out to the freeway Oliver settled in for his morning nap. We arrived around 10:30 am refreshed and eager to explore!Everything in Between:
"the sights"
Did a little research into sights to see in Omaha before we left. As we crossed the river into Omaha we turned off the freeway and headed into Downtown. The Old Market is the site of many of Omaha's Oldest Buildings. Sounded like a fun place to stop and stretch the legs. With many unique shops and restaurants in 12 city blocks, it was a breath of fresh air.Excited to see the other "sights", we piled into the car and took a drive west down Dodge Street. Stopping to see Joslyn Castle, a 35 room Mansion built in 1903. The home was built in just eleven months at a cost of $250,000. The 5.5 acres of formal gardens and landscaping were completed before the home was even built.
Oliver needed time out of the car seat. While driving down Dodge Street we saw the Memorial Park War Memorial. A beautiful green space and a lovely tribute to those who have so bravely served our country.
A hot day but a wonderful Park to see. We found shade and just relaxed till we headed to the hotel to check in.
"The Extended Family"
Reason for the gathering: Craig's wedding on 8.8.08
We traveled the 6 hours to Nebraska to join Marmee's Cousin Craig in the happy celebration of his wedding. Along with my family, a vast majority of the extended family were able to attend. Several were even staying in the same hotel which allowed for even more time to socialize and reconnect.
As Marmee's Cousin Kj would say "O is for..."
Oscar and Oliver met for the first time. I love reading Kj's blog about Oscar and was excited to finally meet him. Plus it's been years since I've visited with Kj and my Aunt Annie.
Oliver brought toys to share with his "cousins" (my cousin's children: so that would make them second cousins or my first cousin once removed- cousins just seems easiest). Toys in the hands of someone else look a lot more fun and he tried very hard to watch who had what and which he could take back.Road trip: in Reverse
A fellow Ice Cream snob/connoisseur told me I had to taste Ted and Wally's before leaving Omaha. 
Since cousin Josie would be keeping us company on the return trip, she joined us on our last adventure to the Old Market. The choices all looked intriguing and since I was in a new town I had to try a new Flavor: Concord grape.
WOW- Very Yummy!
Amazing Ice cream to top off a great trip. Too bad Oliver was sleeping or he might have enjoyed quite the treat. He woke up after all the ice cream was consumed. His conciliation prize: a picture in the old Ice cream parlor wire chair!
And then it was 6 hours of great company and good conversation with a funny 3 mile poopy diaper exit ramp detour. I'll spare you the details.
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