Exploring our new surroundings

Man, has life gotten busy and time started flying. I can't believe we have already been in Indiana for 2 months and that I am already having to play catch up on what we've been up to. Our house is feeling more like a home now and we are settling into a routine, adjusting to Brian being back in school. We are getting familiar with the area and using the GPS much less now. :) Here are some snapshots of us exploring our new surroundings since we arrived in Indianapolis. 

As we unpacked on one of our first days here, Thomas decided to have a seat like a big boy at Maybrie's table.

Thomas is climbing now, and we found him like this, on top of Maybrie's step stool so he could reach the top of the railing.

Maybrie has decided she likes having her picture taken again. (In the background you can see our van bench that we used as our couch for about a week till we found one on Craigslist.)

Daddy's little helper... Thomas is Brian's shadow and I just smiled when I saw him trying to climb up with daddy. Another note is that Brian's is hanging my curtains here and I need to say how great and helpful it was to have a week of Brian's help getting our home set up before he started school.

Thomas in silly glasses

Maybrie always asks to have her picture taken when we snap one of Thomas. Isn't she cute, and getting so big?!

On Brian's first day of school, Maybrie kept asking for him and when he'd be home and it was obvious Thomas was wondering the same thing. We all got used to having him around 24/7 after his 3 week break between leaving work in WA and starting school. I couldn't get over how cute the kids were standing at the front door watching for daddy to come home!

To help pass the time waiting for daddy to return home we baked cookies... I just love this picture!

After several days of unpacking we started on our "Indy To Do list" and joined some ward members at the Indiana State Fair

Thomas and Daddy

World's Largest Pig (We wondered if it could even walk!)

Little piglets

Maybrie

Maybrie loved sitting on all of the tractors... she picked the pink one first!

Little farm girl

Thomas loved the slide in the playground area

Riding on a tire swing

Liam, Thomas, and Maybrie watching the music box on our way out. 

We had fun walking around, making new friends, and eating some fried fair food- corn dogs and funnel cake!

The next week we went and saw the Saints and Soldiers Monument in downtown Indianapolis. It is a beautiful monument that sits on what they call monument circle, a large walkway made of pavers with the curvature of the surrounding buildings forming a circle. It is really neat. There is a free civil war museum in the base of the monument as well. 

View of the monument from the capitol building a block away

A friend let us borrow her double jogging stroller, since we hadn't replaced ours yet.

Brian in attire from the 1800's inside the museum

Cannon ball preserved in a tree stump

Indiana capitol building

Outside the capitol building we found some furry friends... squirrels! They liked our goldfish crackers, and I think watching them chase and eat them was the kids favorite part of our first trip downtown.

Squirrel watching

At the end of Brian's first week of school we got to go to the Indianapolis Zoo. We have friends with memberships that can get two guests in free, so we have been able to go twice now. Brian came with us on our first visit and we made an effort to see everything. It is a nice zoo, and the kids love it!

 

Thomas

I think Maybrie's favorite animals are the giraffes

Thomas crashed after lunch and missed out on the aquarium

Maybrie loved getting up close to the fish and pointing out Nemo

On our second trip we started at the aquarium so Thomas could see it, and as I suspected he loved the colorful fish and getting right up next to the glass.

The bear came out to play... it was hiding the first time we went

Maybrie checking out her bat wingspan

The kids got a kick out of the tiger circling up to the glass over and over again.

We discovered the best donuts in the world... at least the best we have ever tasted! Long's donuts are seriously divine! 

This is Brian's favorite called a Mariann, it is basically a glorified Ding Dong. Yum!

We have been having fun exploring our new city. There are many fun new things to see and do and we look forward to checking more things off of our "Indy Must-See" list!