Spending Time with Noah

Last Thursday and Friday, Westerville elementary and middle schools were off for Parent/Teacher Conferences. The weather was amazing and I encouraged Noah to spend time outside. Our original plans for last Thursday were to spend the day at the zoo with friends, but when the day arrived, Noah decided on another option. We chose, after errands and lunch, to go for a relaxing bike ride at Sharon Woods followed by a short walk to Lake Sharon, and a rest while watching the geese. It was a lovely afternoon spent with my Noah--I only wish Alexander had been off school too.

"Ready to roll"...we rode on the bike path throughout Sharon Woods. Shockingly, there are several steep hills, but we didn't let the hills stop us from enjoying our ride.

I stopped on the bridge to take the above shot and while I was taking the picture, Noah read, in a somewhat panicked voice, "danger: no stopping on bridge". We were at the bottom of a long hill that started with the sign, "Check Your Brakes". Oh well, I guess I was paying more attention to the beauty around us than the signs. Below, is a picture of the sledding hills that I anticipate will soon be in use.

After navigating up and down several hills, we opted for a short rest, before continuing on with our ride.

After our ride, we managed to stow the bikes inside the car and then drove to the rear of the park to enjoy Lake Sharon. Most of the leaves have fallen to the ground, but one tree still had enough yellow remaining to create a stunning reflection in the water.

We sat together, on the top of a picnic table, talking and just enjoying the sights around us. The geese quickly appeared and we giggled and laughed as we watched them round the bend. We could hear them splashing before they finally appeared through the trees...goodness, they can be noisy. Noah, thanks for a peaceful, calm afternoon together--what a beautiful memory.