Brand new ideas

After 8 years of living in Milwaukee, John and I are starting to run low on totally fabulous new things to do when family comes to visit.  We've already shown them our top 80 ideas for this city!  So this past week when my Mom/Dad and Tara/Evan/Quin/Alistair/Zaya/Ivy rolled into Wisconsin for another visit, we made them drive a little farther up the road and together we all toured Madison.  

This is Madison at night, as viewed from our dinner cruise.  It's a really beautiful city. 

Here we are (minus Evan) aboard the dinner cruise.  We counted it a success that none of the kids jumped into Monona Lake!  

We splashed a day away at Noah's Ark, America's largest waterpark

(This is Miss Ivy and my sister Tara)

Benson, Zaya, Cole, and Mom lazying around the lazy river

(I personally didn't join Quin, Alistair, or Tara on the more death-defying rides, simply because I didn't want to have my baby at 32 weeks)

We toured the elaborate Madison capitol building, and after learning so much about Wisconsin's history I think it's clearly the best state in the union

"Good morning, Guv'nor"

We could fit our whole family into Scott Walker's fireplace

We romped, rolled, chased, and ate a picnic on the sprawling Capitol lawn

We stocked up at the famous Madison Farmer's Market

For dinner we went to a lube shop that had been converted into a restaurant.  It was like a man cave paradise.  Please don't tell these boys that they aren't really playing the games unless they put in money!  They don't know.

Back in Milwaukee, we gave trombone lessons to Quin and Alistair

(who think John and I are super cool because we're trombonists-- where were these boys during high school?!)

We raced ducks at the local petting farm

We got dizzy on the wagon rides

And of course, what's a trip to Milwaukee without a complimentary ophthalmology checkup?  

Glad we had such fun visitors!  It's always hard to wave goodbye as my family drives away at the end of their visits.  Thanks for coming M, D, T, E, Q, A, Z, and I!