Harlem Lovebirds: O-H-I-O 2013

It's been 2 years since we were back in Ohio for the Ohio State Fair, and with my Grandma Mary and my Lil Lovebird sharing August birthdays it was important that we return. We had a packed trip of family and friends to visit, and I'm so glad we got to see so many loved ones in essentially two full days - I'm a super efficient visitor!

After a nearly 2 hour delay she was more than ready to go! She hopped right in her seat and buckled herself in - I was quite impressed since she hasn't been on a plane since flying back from Nigeria in January '12.

We stayed with my Aunt Angela and Uncle Willie during our trip - our late arrival meant we received an awesome rental car upgrade! When we arrived at our family's home Nia immediately looked up at the sky and exclaimed, "Mama, the stars!" She was in awe, and I may have had watery eyes as a result. Definitely something I forget about living in the city!

Up early!

It was a perfect day for the Ohio State Fair with my Aunt Angela, her sons and Grandma Mary . . .

She was so immensely frustrated here and abandoned the tractor to do another activity then came back to it several minutes later to complete the maze - I was a proud mama!

And of course no trip to the Ohio State Fair is complete without a visit to the Dairy Barn to see the sacred Butter Cow and to get some yummy ice cream:

That night we stopped by my Great Aunt Thelma's for a visit . . .

Then it was off to my middle/upper school alma mater nearby for a young alumnae reception . . .

Nia wasn't a fan of the mascot - the "angry unicorn," as she called it//I loved seeing the new pool facility; I think I would've been more eager to fulfill the swimming requirement if this had been the pool!

It was a strange feeling to see Nia walk up these iconic stairs; she was curious about my former teachers on the wall - the one in the bow tie by her head was one of my favorites, Jack Guy (the reason why I listen to NPR, love bananas and limit my "pop" intake)

After we picked up some yummy snacks, and we had family over my aunt and uncle's for an open house then we were up early again the following morning to visit Julie, my BFF (since 5th grade!) and her kids out in the country . . .

We were up the next morning at 3a.m. to make our 6a.m. (non-delayed YAY!) flight back to NYC. Nia wasn't too thrilled, but hey, it was an $844/ticket we got on Priceline for only $282/ticket!

Thank you to my family and friends for making it such a wonderful visit for me and Nia - we hope to be back next year with Mr. Lovebird in tow!