First Trip to HP

We had to document the moment..... first time we had a deadline to be somewhere AND WE LEFT EARLIER THAN PLANNED!! That doesn't happen often for me anymore. Running around trying to get myself and the kids ready and last minute things I think of, I'm almost never early. And don't forget the snack sack, it goes everywhere with us. Ha! 

Ryan's always on time or wants to be early. I try really hard to say "we will leave by ____" and make it earlier than needed. It's not usual for us to leave 5 minutes late but we aren't usually late to the activity. 

I couldn't believe we were 20 early for 9am photos in Ames.  

Oh these mushrooms..... anytime we go to the Ames house the last couple months, Addison talks about these mushrooms. She helped my dad put them in the rocks one weekend she was hanging out with them. She was talking about them a ton. Ha! We had to take the photo to send to them. 

After much deliberation, we decided to go to Hickory Park for lunch after our family photos. I say it was much deliberation because we hadn't gone out since COVID started. I was super nervous and paranoid. Restaurants had opened back up after being closed, but I was still nervous. HP had new owners but I was most confident in their services than most restaurants. So we gave it a shot. 

And since we didn't get to go to HP for Addy's birthday, they let us celebrate 6 weeks later. She was pretty excited. We got the Turtle Sundae, it might be a new go-to for Ryan. I can't wait for November so I can get a Peanut-Butter Chocolate Malt :) 

Questioning the cherry. I don't blame you kid. YUCK. ha! 

This was the first trip to HP for us in 4-5 months and first time for Mason. It was different than normal, but it was good. Everyone wore masks and they had a certain flow/direction you had to go. Paper menus, condiments in cups, etc. The condiments in cups were annoying, we love our condiments and use a ton. They never give enough. Good thing the rest of the Julius family wasn't there...... those waitresses would have been pouring condiments the whole time! 

We drove around campus that day. I was wanting to get out and walk around but Ryan just wanted to drive. I did make him pull over at Lake LaVerne, I wanted Addison to see our swans Lancelot and Elaine. They are very tiny in the background. Of course they were right by the bank but were across the lake by the time we got out of the car. 

She got back in the car and told Ryan "I saw something in that lake" Ryan and I laughed, knowing the wide range of items that can be found in that lake...... 

 I made Ryan stop the car again..... we were driving through Slater and found this phone booth. We were surprised! We had to take their photo with a phone booth. We didn't try it but the sign says it works - ha! 

I really try to make things "special" and come up with activities for Addison. She gets so excited. And she loves to go places, she doesn't like staying home and doesn't want to go home if we are out. COVID really put a damper on our activities so we do things like stop at a dirty lake and a phone booth - ha! She loves it though, that's all that matters.