A Week Off

Jon was on vacation last week so we were able to get in some great family time. Our original plan had been to get in the car and head out for a road trip, deciding our destination as we went. However, life happened, and our plans changed. We had some things to take care of in the beginning of the week so we stayed around home. Later in the week were able to spend some time in Branson and then a night at my parents' house.

Here is a picture from one night after a bath - the back rub line.


During this trip to Silver Dollar City, Carly was not scared of the two rides she was tall enough to ride. We rode each one a few times.

Old Friends & New Friends

Some old college friends of ours visited this weekend. We were able to catch up and hang out. Jeanette and Gabby are sisters and we all went to Columbia College. Jeanette and I were also roommates the year after I graduated. Carly was able to make a great new friend, Ryan (Jeanette's little boy). He is a year older than Carly and they played very well together. As you can see, they played hard.

Pictures

As most of you have probably heard, Carly's latest infatuation is Elmo. She often wakes up in the morning asking "Where Elmo go," and is frantic until he is found. Elmo marks the first time Carly put three words together, he is a milestone! I have given in to the excitement and fed it with Elmo panties, a sweatshirt, pajamas, and even a Halloween costume. Sesame Street can soothe her in an instant, it is amazing. (We DVR it every day.)



Yet, Elmo has not decreased her addiction to Daddy.


Or sweets . . . Althought this picture isn't convincing, she has gotten better with silverware.

I just stuck these pictures in because I think she looks more and more like a big girl every day.

FG Fall Festival

Every year we anticipate the Fair Grove Fall Festival and working in the "Tater Shack." This year did not disappoint - it was a huge success! One thousand pounds of potatoes were curled, fried, and served in about a day and a half. Yes, the men and women responsible for the Tater Shack work very hard and are exhausted by Sunday evening. However, everyone involved enjoys the abundant laughter, joking, and occasional fire. As usual, lots of the laughs were at someone's (Carl's) expense, but all in good fun.

The finished product was delicious and Carly enjoyed dipping them in ketchup, one of her favorite food groups. Grandma found her a tiara and lots of food that was dipping-friendly. She even got to eat whipped cream for breakfast.

I was also fortunate to bump in to a handful of my fellow '98 graduates. It's always nice to catch up and find out how everyone is doing.

Weekend Trip

My Uncle Floyd, my dad's brother, got married this weekend. The festivities were in St. Louis and it was a fabulous night. His new bride's name is Karen Rae, which is quite a coincidence because my mom's name is also Karen Rae. So, right away we knew she would be a wonderful addition to the family. We didn't get a snapshot of the bride and groom, and not many of our pictures turned out clear. Here are a couple we thought we'd share. Jon is going to try to get a short video of Carly dancing at the reception ready for me to post. She always enjoys the dance floor and the lights!


She needed a quick break, right in the middle of the dance floor.

We also had a couple of hours to spend at the zoo. The penguin and the hippo exhibits are our current favorites.

Movie in the Park

Friday night I packed a picnic and we went downtown to Flat Branch Park to watch The Jungle Book. The Parks and Rec Department has shown a series of movies outdoors and we wanted to catch the last one of the season. We had a really great time. Carly enjoyed the picnic and was in awe of all the other kids. She loves to people watch and there was a nice crowd to observe. It was great because she didn't have to sit still through the whole thing. She was able to play on the blanket and move freely between Jon and me. I can't wait to do it again next year!

End of August

We finished out August with some fun. Here are a couple of highlights . . .

One Monday, when Jon had part of the day off, we decided to check out Going Bonkers. It took Carly a few minutes to get warmed up, but then she had a blast. Going Bonkers is an indoor play area with an arcade and concessions. They have a separate area for kids under three and that is where we hung out. There was a slide and many obstacles to climb over-through-around, and you get the general idea. Needless to say, she took a really nice nap when we got home. It was great!

This past weekend we spent camping at Hermitage. Carly has really enjoyed camping this summer and we are excited that she did so well. This time the sleeping situation was much better. The first time we went this summer she got so upset the first night when we tried to put her to bed that she got sick. This time we made a point to spend a little more time in the camper playing before bed so she could used to being inside. It was a success! We had her to bed and asleep by 9:15 with no tantrum and we didn't hear a peep out of her until 8 am the next morning. I'm not sure how we got that lucky, but we'll take it. My parents came for the afternoon on Saturday. They played with Carly and stayed for dinner. After dinner they took Carly for the night and Jon and I got to enjoy the evening alone. It was a great weekend and we hope to go at least one more time this fall.

Hope everyone's summer is winding down pleasantly. Let's hope for a long, mild fall!