First Summer Weekend!

Our first weekend of the summer was great fun!!  We have a tradition every Memorial Day weekend.  We attend Celebration at the Station and I look forward to it all Spring!  The Kansas City Symphony puts on a free concert outside of Union Station.  The audience sits on the hill overlooking Union Station.  We bring lots of food, blankets, chairs and games.  This year we brought some friends to experience it for their first time!  The children searched out their parents' electronic devices...no surprise. ;) 

Once the sun set, this children played with glow sticks and flashlights!  It was great watching the lights projected on Union Station and enjoying the KC skyline.   Eventually we turned out chairs around and watched the wonderful fireworks display over the WWI Memorial.  Quinn did NOT enjoy the fireworks at all, poor girl.  Too noisy!!  But she had done an amazing job all night considering how late she was up!  It was an awesome evening!

We also took our first dip in one of the neighborhood pools!  There had been quite a thunderstorm just a day before and the water was still chilly!  But Kennedy was still her normal fishy self - loving every minute in the water!  As I suspected, Quinn is going to be quite the handful at the pool this summer!  She thinks she can just run anywhere and go in the big pool at any time!  She will absolutely be wearing a flotation device all summer!  

Hooray for summer!!!

We can now cross off a few things from of Summer Bucket List!!!

#58: Go to a Free Concert

#38: Visit Multiple Pools (this was pool #1)

Memorial Day 2012

We had a busy Memorial Day Weekend this year!  Our actual Memorial Day was filled with family time!!  We had a grilled turkey burger lunch at the Miles' and the Kennedy, Logan, Quinn and Zia enjoyed some time in the sprinkler!!

Isn't she cute?!

First sprinkler action of the year!

Logan preparing to run through the sprinkler!

In the morning we went to the Louisburg cemetery and caught part of the ceremony.  Papa Lou, Aunt Barb and Great Papa Henry came as well.  We all spend some time at Sam and Great Grandma Helen's graves.  Then we all went to Miss B's Cafe for brunch. 

Three generations! All in blue!

Papa shows Kennedy the gravesites of other relatives. Quinn says "Wait for me!"

Rare family photo...it was super windy!

Quinn with Great Papa Henry.

It was a great day!

Christmas Recap #2

You can find the first half of our Christmas celebrations at this post!   After our Christmas morning in our jammies, we headed to Mema's house for our traditional Cornish Hen Feast!!!!   YUM!! Aren't you jealous?!

The kids did a great job of eating and then playing before the present opening began!

And isn't my elf a cutie?!

And of course Miss Q and Miss Z were adorable in their holiday outfits!    But now it is on to the GIFTS!

I just LOVE these photos!  Mema gave each family a Wii for Christmas!  Check out the look on EVERYONE'S faces!!!

Yeah, HUGE HIT FOR SURE!  We have been playing Wii a ton over the break!  I think once school begins again we may need to put a time limit in place!  

Christmas Recap #1

Christmas was pretty low key this year....I guess that is what the sickies will do.  Jeff, Quinn and I all passed around a flu bug.  So, the pictures are pretty ho-hum and I didn't take many.  Bummer.  Just felt too yucky.  


Christmas Eve was at our home with Jeff's sisters' family, Papa Lou, Aunt Barb, Cousin Michael and Great Papa Henry.  This was the night I felt the worst...I didn't even eat dinner.   
Here is Great Papa with Barbe and Zia...sleeping.

Jeff and Quinn watching others open gifts.

Lou got a photo of his mom and aunt...such a treasure.

Both Jeff and Lou got Cotton Bowl t-shirts. Go Cats!

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The next morning was just the four of us at home.   It was such a change from last year for Quinn.  She wasn't sitting up alone yet but this year she actually opened her own gifts!

This series of photos reminds me so much of Kennedy when she had her 2nd Christmas.  Papa Doug and Grandma Jodie got them ride on toys and both girls were thrilled!

Pretty cute, huh?

This is Kennedy opening her BIG gift from Santa.  A Nintendo DS!  Wonder if she liked it?

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas!   The rest of our Christmas photos will be in the next post!

Good Bye Elfie!

Wouldn't you know Elfie would make his final day with us a memorable one?!  What a surprise it was when Kennedy woke up and was TrApPeD in her room!!!!

 

And Kennedy was not too thrilled about it either.   She wasn't really sure she was allowed to break through the barrier.  Unfortunately Quinn had been sick with the flu all night long so Mommy and Daddy were very tired and not feeling so hot either.  We all just kind of sat there for a bit.  Kennedy peeking at us through the streamers and the rest of us in the hall, half asleep.  By the way, do you see Elfie in the bottom corner with a gift for her?!

 

Finally Kennedy got the courage to run through her door!  I wish I had had the energy to get a photo of that!  Elfie left the girls 2 nice notes.  One about how well behaved they had been all year and how he would miss this so so so much until he returns next Christmas.  The other was a reward for their good behavior - they were allowed to hold Elfie ALL DAY!!!!  Do you think Quinn enjoyed that??

We already miss our elf friend to pieces! But we know he is working hard with Santa in the North Pole, preparing for Christmas 2012!!!  Thanks for following Elfie's adventures with us this season!

Mr. Elfie Strikes Again

Today Elfie left ELF DONTUS for the girls to eat!

Today Elfie hid in a cup in the cupboard and left a note!!!

On this day Elfie hung out with the snowman Mom made last year!!

Hmmm...we aren't so sure what Elfie was doing today.  Possibly bungee jumping??

More Elfie Adventures

Day 11

Silly Elfie!  He TP'ed the bathroom!!!

Day 12

Who knew elves could drive cars?!?!  Elfie must have gone for a joyride in the minivan last night!  I hope he drives better than he parks!!!

Day 13

Today Elfie kept watch over us in the kitchen!

 

 Day 14

WOOAAHH!!  This was one of the craziest things he has done yet!  He put Post-It notes ALL OVER THE PLAYROOM!!!!

 (Please don't mind my empty frames and the mess of toys.  Our house is very :lived in!")

 

Day 15

You will NOT believe this, but Elfie didn't move today!  We were a bit worried that someone had touched him without our knowledge and lost his magic.  But the next day we breathed a huge sigh of relief when he found a new place!

Day 16

Elfie knew that he had made us so worried!  So he stayed by Kennedy's bed. He left her a sweet note and a little present!!

More to come!!!!