Final Day of Vacation 2014

Well, that's it. My fall vacation is over. It was a good one! We had another beautiful fall weather day. We spent the morning at home while Action Electric wired the garage and installed two motion-detector security lights. At 1 p.m., the boys and I went to the dentist for cleanings. Then we picked up Violet from daycare, just as they were all getting up from naptime, and took her to the Des Moines Botanical Gardens with us.

They're at the end of a $26 million renovation project and I was excited to see all the new stuff. Unfortunately, the new stuff is all outside and those exhibits closed on Oct. 1 until next spring. But we saw them from afar, and enjoyed the inside exhibits. Mazy thought it was too hot. Bo and Violet kept fighting. I suppose it was a fitting reminder that all good things must come to an end. :)

We spent the rest of the afternoon at home, doing laundry, watching Curious George and making tacos for supper.

Here are some pics from Wednesday's adventure to Boone.

First, a photo of Mazy's latest Zombie Burger choice: World War B -- burger, four slices of bacon, bacon mayo, bacon cheese, bacon something else, bacon, bacon, bacon. He ate the entire thing...

Sneak peek of Violet's Halloween costume. She wants to be a princess bunny. What Violet wants, Violet gets. :)

Now the Boone photos:

Three gigantic blow-up monsters greet you when entering Boone. 

Me and the boys on the train

Bo with the valley behind him. We were on a 168-foot trestle bridge, the tallest single trestle bridge in the U.S. 

Mazy enjoying the view from the top. I'm so glad we paid a little extra to get "valley view" open-air seating. it was the perfect day for it.

This picture doesn't do the fall colors justice. Everything is just beginning to turn!

We were at the end of the train, only the caboose was behind us. 

If you didn't know, Mazy loves trains again. He went through a train stage when he was 3 or 4 and is going through another one now. He was totally excited to be on the train.

He was also very excited to drive the model trains in the museum. 

More of the train museum.

The Rock Island Caboose

Bo was less impressed with the trains but I think he had a good time. 

Here's the depot where you enter the trains.

Before our 1:30 p.m. train ride, we stopped for lunch at the Pizza Ranch. I wanted to eat somewhere local but the boys cannot resist the lure of the vending machines at most Pizza Ranches... 

Full after eating their pizza and chicken

Bo was way more excited with his vending machine prizes than the treat of riding on the train....

Back to work tomorrow. I'm on the Family Fest committee and we're decorating the office after work tomorrow so I figured I might as well work. The Family Fest is on Saturday from 10 to noon. We have a bouncy castle, balloon artist, face painter, five awesome crafts, a ball pit, carnival game with prizes (I was in charge of it!), pizza and cookies, and three special guests -- including a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. I can't wait to see Violet's reaction to him!

Have a great Friday, everyone!