Back Home Again in Indiana {Part 1}

This time last month, we were flying out the desert and into the great Hoosier state!  It had been over five years since the last time I had been in Indiana, and boy did I ever miss it and the hospitality of the wonderful people who live there.

While David and the girls were only out in Indiana for five days, I was lucky to spend an extra week out there by myself visiting some of the greatest people the Midwest has to offer up.

The first of our adventures {as a family} had us flying into Indianapolis and meeting up with my parents and a former classmate of mine who flew into Indianapolis on the same connecting flight that my parents were on.  You've got to love the small world we live in. It was so cute watching his two kids interact with my two kids.  I wish I had gotten a picture of the little Mini-Mes hugging each other as we left the airport.

We stayed the first night with my very dear friend, Diann, and just had the BEST time catching up with her.  Sydney was absolutely smitten with her...and that is really saying a lot.

When we landed at the airport, I texted my friend Julie to see if she would want to meet up with us at the Children's Museum the next day on our way down to Columbus.  We got a later start leaving Diann's because David had some business to take care of, but I'm so glad we were still able to get together.  Julie is the sweetest thing, and it was so nice hanging out with her and her daughter even if it was a short time.

The Indianapolis Children's Museum is such a cool place for kids.  Our girls had an absolute blast at every exhibit.  We were lucky enough to go back up a few days later after our trip to Columbus for Sarah's wedding and explore some more exhibits.  

{Pictures below from a few days later when we got to meet up with Cole and her daughter, Victoria!}

➹ Is this picture not the greatest?! Secrets of the Sewer?  Pretty sure the secret is that it stinks! ➹

A trip to Indianapolis with my girls would not be complete without visiting my friend Natalie and her two super spunky kiddos!  Natalie won the Hostess with the Mostest award for making us homemade Strawberry Shortcake {with homemade vanilla ice cream}, loaning David a screwdriver to help him fix his broken laptop, and having matching Indiana shirts waiting at our AZ house when the girls got back home!  Love my Hoosier friends! 

I was so proud of Olivia and Sydney the whole trip -- they met so many new people and were never in one spot for too long and they just adapted so well.  I'm thinking we may need to go back to Indiana sooner than later....

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3...