Vacation 2011

This year we took a low key family vacation. We headed to St Louis to see family and spend more then just one day with them. We headed over Wednesday after Hailey's dance class so we didn't leave until about 8:00 pm but it worked out PERFECT because the girls were up for about an hour and then slept until we got there. We got to Aunt MeMe's house around 12:30 am. The girls woke up when we got them out of the car and then they were wired :) Ready to party!!!! We finally got them to bed around 1:30.

The five days we were there were so nice. I felt like we lived there because we got to go to my cousin's baseball games, spend time at Aunt DiDi's pool, cook out, go shopping with my cousin and just be with my family.

The girls loved being spoiled by everyone! I mean where else can you spend five days and have NO bedtime, maybe take a nap, and get to have M&M's at 11 o'clock at night. It was every little kids dream.

I had a hard time when we came home, I have missed my family SO much! If only the state of Illinois could be placed somewhere else in the US we could make many more trips to St Louis!

We did do some tourist things while we were there, we took a trip to Grants Farm. It was a great thing to do with a 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 year old, we were there for about 4 hours and we saw everything. I was afraid if we went to the zoo it would be too much on the girls and we would see all of it!
Grant's Farm has so much hands on things to do, first on the list was to feed the goats a bottle of milk. Hailey wasn't so sure about it because the goats tried eating her shirt.
They moved to the outside of the fence and things seemed much better. St Louis has so many things to do that are very inexpensive, Grants Farm was only $11 to get in a car load!

Enjoying some much needed snow cones, it was 100 degrees out that day!!


Feeding a camel and LOVING it!

Kiley was SO sleepy and she loved all the cuddle time she got from Ash







A vacation just isn't complete without some pool time!







Monday before we left Chris and my Uncle Matt took a tour of the Budweiser brewery. They both seemed to really enjoy it!


We had a wonderful vacation and I loved being with my family!!!

Mother's Day

We had a great Mother's Day this year. It started off with the girls bringing me their handmade cards and gifts while I was getting ready for church. Hailey made me a painted flower pot and I got a book of some of Kiley's artwork in it, so cute. They both colored me cards and those are the best kind of cards to get! Then it was off to church, the girls had a very big day at church today they sang on the BIG STAGE!!!

When Kiley saw my mom and I sitting in the front row she took off to the edge of the stage. I was sure after that she would be having a complete melt down BUT instead she just decided to sit, not one word came out of her mouth. I'm ok with that though because she didn't cry, now that is a good Mother's day present :)

After church we headed home so the girls could nap and Chris and I could get the house ready for my family to come over for a get together! Every year Chris and I host Mother's day and I am just waiting for the day that my mom host it again, because that means the weather is nice enough to be in the pool.

We had a great day celebrating my mom! I'm so thankful for the example she has set for me. I know I don't show or tell her enough how important she is to me but she IS!!! So glad I could spend the day with my mom and Chris' mom was never far from my thoughts. I'm always so happy to spend Mother's day with my girls and my mom but I'm also so sad that we don't get to spend it with Lauren. She is never far from me or the girls and we have the best angel watching over us daily. Thank you mom and Lauren for being such great moms!!!!

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter this year! We started our day nice and early with Hailey waking us at 7:30 am, she was very excited that the Easter bunny had left an egg outside her and Kiley's bedroom doors. We woke Kiley up at 8:00 so we could go downstairs and see what kind of goodies the bunny left. The girls were very excited that the bunny hid so many eggs, they had a blast looking for all of them. The Easter bunny also hid their Easter baskets. I'm pretty sure Kiley walked pasted where her Easter basket was hidden about five times before noticing that her basket was there! It took no time at all for Hailey to find her Easter basket, hidden behind our recliner!





After bunny fun we headed to church, my mom went to church with us on Easter and I was so happy to be there with her. We had a great church service and it was wonderful to be celebrating the real reason for Easter! He is Risen!!!!!!
After church we came home ate lunch and then all the girls in the house took a nap before heading to my parents for dinner and family time! And yes the above statement is correct I TOOK A NAP!!!! We had a delicious Easter dinner of ham, green beans, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, corn casserole, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs and rolls, it was all so good! After dinner Mia hid eggs in my mom and dad's living room for all the little kids. It is a little sad that Mia is hiding the eggs now, getting too big for Easter egg hunts :(













Hope everyone had a great Easter!!