Geographical Center of Ohio and Camping Out

Happy Saturday! Hope you are having a good weekend so far. Here it is HOT and HUMID! The weather has not stopped us from having some fun though. 

Thursday, I did end up taking the kids to Centerburg to their Memorial Park. This park has the geographical center of Ohio in it and is an access point for the Heart of Ohio bike trail. The kids thought it was neat that we were smack in the middle of Ohio. 

We ended up walking 2 miles on the Heart of Ohio Trail. It is such a pretty path. 

After our walk, the kids enjoyed the swings at the park before we headed back home.

 

Thursday Bill and I had a very low key anniversary. We got Mexican take-out for dinner and quietly celebrated. Truth be told I wasn't feeling the greatest and I went to bed early. 

Yesterday, the kids and I ventured out to Walmart in the morning. I needed to get some more of my Crystal Lite stuff and I wanted to see if they had any tents (which they didn't as they were sold out). When we got there they had only one entrance open and they were handing out disposable masks to all those who did not have one. (The kids and I had ours on.) Our local Walmart decided to enact the mandatory mask policy early. (Our local Kroger, Aldi, and Lowes have also enacted their policies earlier than the national guidelines by the stores). Several people I know are furious that they have to wear masks, etc. To them I just want to say "Put the damn mask on and shut up!" That is just all I am going to say about that. 

Last night was our annual summer camping night at my parents' house. Typically we do this in conjunction with my birthday (which is at the end of July) but this weekend was the best for everyone to be in town so this weekend it was. We had a yummy cookout.

After dark we got a nice fire going. Kids made s'mores and enjoyed that. I enjoyed some lovely alcoholic beverages--I discovered Red Apple Ale Peach when I took my sister and her girlfriend out to get some alcohol. We had lots of laughs around the fire. There were tons of stars out and we saw the international space station flyby. 

We heard lots of animals calling in the night. The boys went to bed around midnight.  Rebecca and I shared a tent-- she was going to sleep under the stars, but then heard several coyotes in the distance and that freaked her out. The boys slept in one of my dad's tents and Lacie slept in a tent by herself. My dad and I were the last to go to bed around 3:15ish this morning. Everyone else went into the house to sleep. LOL 

This morning the boys were up super early. It was already hot and humid when I took down our tent and gathered our stuff. I have a nagging headache (probably due to the number of Red Apple Ales...oops!) and am exhausted. The rest of today is going to be slow going. I have gotten the kids lunch. I have taken my shower, and gotten the boys showered. Rebecca is upstairs in her room talking to her friend and playing her ukelele. The boys are watching "Frozen 2" and I am just relaxing and drinking lots of water. Lesson learned I am not as young as I used to be! LOL! Bill is upstairs taking a nap. 

It is going to be a low key kind of day! 

    What are you up to this Saturday? Do you enjoy camping?

150+ Year Old Oak Tree, 15th Wedding Anniversary, and more

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a good day! Today is mine and Bill's 15th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it has been 15 years. Some days it seems like just yesterday, and other days it feels like the whole 15 years! Not sure what fun we will get into today to celebrate other than we are supposed to get takeout from our favorite Mexican place for dinner. I can't wait. 

But wait I must and take care of the kiddos I must. I am not sure yet what we are going to get into today either. 

Yesterday, we had a busy day in the morning as we went to a new to us trail area. We have gone to the Brown Family Environmental Center many times so far this Summer. The last time we were there I happened to pick up a trail map to see if there were other trails we hadn't walked. Lo and Behold there was an entire area that I never knew existed. This area included a pond trail, and other trails. So yesterday I decided to head out to hike a couple of these trails. 

We found the pond....

AND an oak tree that predates the Civil War, which means it is over 150 years old! It was massive and gorgeous! 

It was a hot, humid walk, but so peaceful. I find such peace outside. Maybe I should take them on another walk today.... maybe we will go find the center of Ohio....Not sure yet but the natives are getting restless so I need to get off of here and make some decision about what we are doing! Hope everyone has a good Thursday! 

Walking and Painting Rocks

Happy Wednesday! I am a little later getting this typed us today as I was busy with the kids earlier, then watched our Governor give a press conference, then I just wasn't really feeling well so I took a shower to see if I would feel better. I think I am just mentally, emotionally exhausted. But life goes on and so what have we been up to? 

Well, Monday the kids and I headed out on another walk on the bike path and surrounding trails. We had a great walk including seeing a snake at the environmental center, a "teenage" deer that crossed the path right in front of us, and a mama deer with 3 fawns. The mom was in a field eating with one of the babies close by her. Then we happened to look in the foliage right below the bike path and I saw 2 other babies hiding in the weeds/overgrowth. It was so cute to see. The other reason we went hiking in this area was to look for some rocks to paint and the kids each found a couple that were perfect. 

Yesterday, Rebecca had a friend over since her mom had to go have an MRI done. (Thankfully, the news was great from the MRI!) Jacob, Ben, Lacie, Ethan and I spent most of the day painting rocks and pictures and having an at home day!

Jacob's rocks 

Jacob's rocks 

Lacie's rocks

Ethan's rocks

Ben's rocks

 

I even got into the painting. I love to make art, however I don't take the time to do it. I ended up painting 2 different rocks using acrylic paint and a small paintbrush. The first one my inspiration came from our walks... I included the river, bike path, bridge, tower and the forests that we hike.

The second was because of my love of sloths and I wanted to remind myself that moving in the right direction is most important. 

It was much needed art therapy after a few difficult mental days. All this constant barrage of gloom and doom and the frustrations over COVID-19 and mask wearing, etc. has become way too much. 

Today, the kids and I went hiking this morning in a new to us area. I will save those pictures for tomorrow or Friday! Hope everyone has had a good Wednesday! 

 

Lots of hiking, a dam, waterfalls and a bald eagle!

Happy Monday! This post is a little later getting put up as I have been busy today with the kids and am just getting an opportunity to sit down to type out a post before I need to go start making dinner. 

This is after a busy weekend with lots of walking and hiking involved! Saturday evening was a somewhat better evening than how the day started. We ended up going out to get ice cream with the 
kids and then went hiking out at Brown Family Environmental Center.

We ended up hiking 3.4 miles. This was partly due to getting anger and frustration out and after arguing/yelling at Bill. Just keeping it real. I felt better after our hike. 

Sunday, we were up and out of the house pretty early. I stopped at Tim Horton's as a bribe/incentive to get up and out of the house for an activity. The kids enjoyed their donuts. We went to Mohican State Park to hike. I wanted to hike the waterfall trail. Mohican State Park has the Lyons Falls trail which I decided we could do. It was very beautiful scenery. We parked at the Pleasant Hill Dam and entered the park from there. The kids found it funny that they were saying that they were walking the dam trail. LOL 

Almost immediately on our hike we spotted a black squirrel. These are not common around here so it was cool to see. We also saw about a million chipmunks on our hike. (Ok not that many but there was a ton!) 

We spotted the 2 waterfalls. The Little Lyons Falls and the Big Lyons Fall. Both were beautiful. 

We came across the Clearfork-Mohican River. There was beautiful scenery! 

We saw some funny looking rocks and lots of trees and flowers. 

The hike to the falls wasn't too bad, but the hike back to the van was A.W.F.U.L.! Almost completely uphill and my legs were killing me! In the end we only ended up hiking a little over 2 miles but it was most definitely a workout! 

When we got home, I happened to be looking out the kitchen window and saw a large bird flying toward the house. I started yelling and pointing... an eagle, an eagle! It was a bald eagle. Just the other day I was telling Rebecca and a friend that I had never seen a bald eagle in the wild-- I have seen them in the zoo but never in the wild. Our county has several bald eagle nests and people have regularly seen eagles flying around, but I had not. It was so freaking cool to see... and outside my kitchen window no less. I saw it again at lunch time when I went in to make the kids' lunches. 

After lunch, I did some yard work--- mowed the grass and did a little maintenance in the back. Felt good to get that done. That shower after felt really good! 

The rest of yesterday was just relaxing. I made dinner---brats, fresh steamed green beans and corn. 

Overall, it was a very good Sunday! I need to stop this here as I need to go cook dinner and then head to the grocery store. Hope everyone has had a decent Monday! :)