Blake's First Grade Artwork

Each year, I hang some of Blake's favorite artwork on a wall in the dining room!  I really want to frame them, but for now, they just hang all over the place...I love them!!!

And summer begins...

Fishing at Busch Wildlife

This is the Thursday before Father's Day and Billy's day off, so we decided to get up early and go to Busch Wildlife to fish.  We stopped in at the office to get our fishing licences and got to see some really cool displays!  We have been visiting the lakes for years and NEVER knew about the neat stuff in the office.

HUGE fish tanks with tons of different fish!!!

Standing on a gigantic map of Missouri!

Peek-a-boo tree

Taylor loved to see the turtles!

Blake found a soft shell turtle hidden under the gravel



My little shooter!



If you can see in the picture above, the turtle got trapped in
a plastic soda wrapper and grew deformed...his name
is peanut and he is there to show kids that
littering really does hurt animals

Taylor loved all the butterflies too!

There is a butterfly garden and ALL the butterflies will let you
come right up to them, Taylor was amazed!

The fishing part was fun at first, but then got hot and rather boring!  It was nice to be out in the sun and getting to see wildlife, but cat fishing is like a torturous way to "try your patience"!  Billy and I decided that we wouldn't take the kids to catfish, just fish with lures where they can actually cast and reel in! 

Taylor was happy b/c we didn't make her "strap in" as we traveled
between lakes within the park

Blake likes just driving around seeing all the roads and lakes

The one second that Billy actually got to fish...he was so
busy putting worms on the kids' poles!!!

Gotta have snacks too!

My little fisher girl

Billy pulled over to hold up a snake for Taylor to touch!

Blake got the fishin bucket as his seat!

Our little fisherman :)

Blake in- Don't Stop Til Ya Get Enough 2011

Blake's Hip Hop Dance

Blake started a hip hop/jazz dance class about a year ago at St. Peters Academy of Dance.  He and his friend, Jacob were nervous to begin with, but now are adventurous little performers!  They got up on stage in front of hundreds of people for two different shows without hesitation...I am sooo proud of him!

Blake ready for picture day...his crazy self!

His class



She is as excited as Blake...going to a concert!



She can dance, too!!!

And she's in costume!





Blake and Nick with sister's getting ready for the second show!

Blake and Jake

What a crazy bunch!!!

Amanda's Visit

My niece, Amanda, came to visit us for a week. I had all this stuff planned…even if it was just hanging by the pool, but it all took a change. Including two visits to hospitals with the kids, record breaking heat, and car trouble that left us without a vehicle. BUT…it was still great! We made the best of it and got in some fun times!

We got to take her to church with us, celebrate Memorial Day with family by the pool, go visit our cousin and her horses, go to dinner and a movie with Aunt Diana, make her eat her first sushi, take Sophie to the dog park, go walking together, I got to teach her how to sell stuff on Craigslist and eBay,we played beach ball in the pool, and even got to go to some yard sales!

Amanda designed the fruit pizza for Memorial Day!

Taylor made decorations

Blake stayed busy making a diary/bingo book!

Amanda is getting Aunt Diana's famous braids

I wish i could braid like that!

She put together the Heath Bar Trifle too!



Aren't they cute?!?!?



She got to ride Buttercup!

Amanda with our cousin, LaVon

Aunt Diana (aka Sissy) brought us Sushi for
Amanda to try for the first time!

Blake loves to use chopsticks

"OHHHHH...I just don't know if I can eat this!!"

"OK....I'm gonna do it!"

First sushi, down the hatch!!! YAY!! 

Taylor loves chopsticks too!

We were outside alot!

At the dog park with Sophie

A tired Sophie on leaning on Amanda!

The entire time Amanda was here, both Blake and Taylor fought for her attention.  They both love her!  Me too!  She left yesterday, but that didn't stop Sophie and Taylor from making their morning trip upstairs to see if she was awake yet...she was gone, they are both sad.  Blake said that he missed her yesterday and she had only been gone a couple of hours.  :( 

The thing that I love most about her is that even though she is a teenager, 16 now...she is still fun to be around...lol!  She is a better kid than I ever was, at that age, and we are blessed to have her in our lives.  It makes me happy that we got to spend some time together, but a little sad that we don't live closer.  We love you, Amanda :)