You're famous!

{that's for my mother in law}. Though, I think my mother and mother in law might be the only people still faithfully checking in on the ol' blog. Guess readers expect a {witty, fun} return on their click to my page. Sigh. I just can never seem to get it all done.

Side note. I find that I get overwhelmed when I get behind on the blog. The slew of pictures needing to be uploaded, (and the huge headache that blogger makes it to upload said slew of pictures) and the smart, thought provoking post I try to provide (or, slap some words on the screen, whatever) just leaves me putting it off. Then the pictures and memories grow (I try to be a fun mom like that). Then I'm more behind. It's a vicious cycle, I tell ya. I will beat this thing though! I have too many important milestones to cover. (This is also my apology to my reader (s?) for a bad summer of blogging. :)

So, we went to St. Louis to visit Chris' side of the family the first week of July. It had been a while since our last trip {I'm ashamed to say, about 18 months!}. Clearly, we were well overdue. Anyway, the kids had been looking forward to the trip all summer. We left after a particularly long work week for Chris, (He went in at regular time, 6:30 am and only got home before 10 pm one night that week. And went in on Saturday. Poor guy.) so we all were anticipating a fun time to be together. The time away was improved on as we ate at our favorite pizza place in our college town on our way through. Yes, both ways. :)

The vacation did not disappoint! We went out for some yummy dinners, saw a lot of extended family, went to the zoo, train museum, and the girls got manicures. We were jam packed with activity. Anna-Kate had an especially good times with Mimi (whom she has taken to calling, "Meems").

On Friday we spent the day recuperating from the reeeally long drive. The boys went to a park while the girls got manicures. We all then met at a little deli. That night, Chris' grandparents came over for some steaks. This was the kids meeting Ganni and Grandpa for the first time (Chris' dads' parents).



I was worried the kids would be shy, but Anna-Kate immediately took to Ganni. :)



On Saturday we drove out to Chris' cousins' house. Many of his cousins with young kids were there and they were able to play and have a yummy chickfila picnic!
The big kids...Andrew, Kirsten, Anna-Kate.



The whole group of them.



On Sunday we went to church, then afterwards I took Jack back to the house for his nap (and watched an excellent documentary on Simon Weisenthal. I highly recommend it!). Everyone else went to the train museum. It was hot (ie, I chose wisely!). The kids had the.best.time.ever!!











I was so thankful to be able to catch up with my best friend from high school, Allison! It was so fun to see her, Matt and Noah--and their new house!



We all loved seeing the penguins.



Some of us enjoyed seeing peacocks. Some of us who do not like birds may or may not have kept our children in between us and the peacocks. (Don't judge).



The guerrilla exhibit was awesome! We got to be really close. One of them was even playing peek-a-boo with a blanket right by the glass.



The kids got a kick out of seeing the camels and thinking about the wise men riding them to find baby Jesus. :)



Even though it drizzled some, it was nice as there were light crowds and it wasn't quite as hot and humid as normal!



Watching the stingrays



They were watching one of the zoo people show how to feed the stingrays and nurse sharks.



Waiting to feel the stingrays and nurse sharks (Ryan never did. Anna-Kate felt the stingray, but every time a shark swam close she jumped off the ledge and screamed "GET YOUR HANDS OUT!! IT'S A SHARK!" Funny only the first time.



On our trek to find the hippos. Anna-Kate asked Mimi to trade umbrellas since hers was too small and she was getting wet. Mimi graciously obliged. LOL.



She is crazy about hippos for some reason. We stayed way late and walked forever out of the way so she could visit the big things, but she was a happy little girl after that!



My sweet all-American Jack...eating a cheeseburger next to an Anheiser Busch box on the 4th of July. :)



Uncle John and Aunt Anna shared their fantastic pool and had a great lunch for us! (and, you're welcome, for not posting swimming pictures).



Back at the house. Mimi produced a ton of bubbles, water guns and a styrofoam airplane. Such simple fun!





They climbed their first trees! (or, this was their first experience around trees older than they are).



Gosh, he's handsome! Just sitting there chill-axin'.





The whole gang.



Silly "Meems" and "Oomps"



Too bad I forgot to take an after shot. Shortly after this picture, Ryan fell out of the tree. His tooth almost made it through his lip. :) We had an uneventful ride home (I might have put Baby Einstein on repeat play for Jack.).

Thanks, Mimi and Oompa for making our trip special! :)