Final Days in Columbus....

As soon as we got back from the beach, we immediately got ready to go to Nate's graduation party.  It was fun to see a bunch of the people Nate gets to hang out with on a daily basis and meet some of his professors.  The party was held at the Park of Roses, one of our favs.

 Fellas with Dr. Fishbauch.

 Again, fellas with "Fish" and Dr. Sharples...I got to sit by these 2 for dinner and can see why the fellas liked them so much, such funny guys :)

And a fun few shots from the PAR-TAY of some folks we love dearly...

 And now, onto the moving.  I HATE it.  It is such a long process, and when you have to make it across the country, again, it makes it even worse...not to mention expensive!  It's crazy how emotional this move is, it has been such a great/stressful/fulfilling/exciting time of life!  I have known this move was temporary, but it doesn't make it any easier.

 Somehow we managed to cram our entire lives into 14 feet of space (2 feet over what we paid for).  I thought it was quite impressive!

We only had one mishap in the packing process.  As Nate was on the ladder getting boxes in the loft above our garage, he slipped and caught his leg in the rung of the ladder.  He also whacked his head on the side of the garage.  I was terrified when I heard him yelling, "My leg!" but luckily the damage was minimal....only a few bruises.

 Hole left in the side of our garage from Nate's head...

The parks in Columbus are indescribable.  It seems as though there is a large park every other block.  Not only that, but they are all so different and very well maintained.  They are not just a piece of grass with playground equipment, each has it's own personality.  This one is a fun one to walk around--the Topiary Gardens at the Old Blind and Deaf School.

And then there is the Park of Roses...such a beautiful place to walk in the Spring/Summertime.  

 Poor Gray had to miss out on the fun because he fell asleep in the stroller, so no pics of little man :)

 And we are going to miss our walking path dearly.  We loved our walks around it everyday.  Grayson loved running as Tuck rode his bike.  The duckpond and park was always a favorite as well.

 We couldn't leave Columbus without visiting some of our favorite restaurants one last time, so Nate's family was great to tagalong and taste some of the best C-bus has to offer...Da Vinci Cafe, Ritas, Schmidt's Sausage House, Olive Tree, Hot Head Burrito, and of course Jeni's Ice Cream.  These places are filled with great memories with friends, and fabulous food.  Can't wait until we can head back to a few of these!

We have loved getting to know all the owners at Caffe Da Vinci and appreciate how they always knew us when we came in.  We love their homemade pasta--especially the blackened chicken and gelateria.

 The first sweet treat we tried in Columbus came from Ritas 4 years ago.  Since then, many gelatis have been enjoyed by our fam :)

And lets just say I crave the healthy Mediterranean food at the Olive Tree every weekend.  I am sure hoping I can find a replacement!  Again, I loved the owner of this place...always walking around and meeting his customers.  I hope I can make falafel as good as him one day!

 Cream puff heaven....thank you Schmidts!

 Oh Jeni's, you will be missed....everything from your pistachio honey, to Buckeye State, and even sweet corn and blackberry.  Lets not forget Tuck's favorite the Milkiest Chocolate in the World.

And going along with the Buckeye State treats, here is Gray enjoying a homemade Buckeye brought over by my visiting teacher on our last day at our house.  I think he liked it :)

Here is our favorite book store.  32 rooms full of books, each with it's own theme and music right in the middle of German Village.  You never know where to go next through the maze of books and skinny corridors.  Not to mention the discount books are always a plus!  

 We love our Columbus with all its beauty and the thousands of things to do and see!

And lastly, what would our time in Ohio have been without these people?!  We love our Ohio family dearly and can't wait to see these families grow.  With this group we have supported each other through births, deaths, long weeks when our hubbys were gone on rotations, spent holidays together, shared birthday celebrations, gone out to countless dinners, babysat each others kids, vacationed, have shed a tear or two hard times, and laughed harder than ever in the good times :)

Here we are, one last meal together at the Homestead Park.

Adios Columbus, it's been more than real :)