St. Louis Zoo

Sammie, Tyler and I met Dad and my brother and some of my sister in law’s family for a trip to the zoo.  I always forget to take many pictures of things like this.  I’m too busy herding kids usually.  (Still lost Tyler once- very traumatic)

Luckily, Spencer and Thomas went to the movies instead because it was VERY crowded due to the hot air balloon festival going on at forest park that weekend.  He would not have been happy. 

The movies would have been less smelly and less walking, but not as much fun for the kids. 

Here are a few of the pictures I got of the event:

I can’t remember what they were posing in front of.  Some kind of lizard I think.  Doesn’t Tyler look thrilled?

They were thrilled with their long armed monkey’s from the gift shop.  Spencer got a blue one that he carries around everywhere he goes.  This was the favorite way to carry them.

 

The kids and grandpa.

I love catching things like this on camera. 

Quiet Sunday Morning

I love quiet Sunday mornings.  It is 9 am here and it is still quiet.  I’ll have to wake the natives here soon to get ready for church, but for now I am enjoying the peace and quiet that comes when the children are sleeping.  I can think, ponder, pray.  I can focus on what today represents for this country.

When my little people wake up it is constant noise and demands.  Tyler needs noise.  If he isn’t involved in a conversation or interaction he will just make his little boy noises of zooming, fighting and saving the world.  Sammie sings or hums ALL DAY LONG.  Spencer is my quiet one- content to just sit and watch it all happen so we make him move around and make noise. 

I love all of that too. 

Water Play

The day after my mom’s funeral we thought the kids deserved a quick trip to the park before we got back to the work that needs to be done the week of a funeral.  We took them to a local sprinkler park.  As you can see I’m trying to catch up on pictures!  These are a little out of order because this happened before Nauvoo, but I forgot I had them.  Oops!

Spencer preferred to stay dry.

Lexi, Anna’s baby, just turned 1!  I can’t believe it.  She is so big now and just as adorable.  They were with us at the park, but I didn’t get any good pictures of them.  Shame on me.

Grandpa Burnett and his grandkids.  My goal for family photos is that they are all in one place and that you can see faces.  It makes things much less stressful.  Especially when Spencer only allows one before running away screaming.  Oh, and there’s Anna and Lexi in the background.  Perfect!

Be sure to get my good side

I saw Tyler out of the front window yesterday sitting on the car watching Sammie ride her bike and thought he looked pretty cute:

Then he said “Be sure to get my good side mom”

It is a pretty good side.  Lookin good Ty!

Nauvoo Illinois

The Nauvoo Temple:

Spencer learning how to make a rope.

Sammie’s turn:

The pioneer show:

Sammie with some of the cast

The visitor’s center and gardens:

Comforting Spencer after the photo shoot.  Robert took a lot of family pictures.  I’ll post ours when I get it.

Tyler dressing up in his interpretation of a pioneer.  Looks more like a pirate to me:

Road Trip

Thomas’ immediate family had a reunion of sorts in Nauvoo, Illinois for all of the immediate family.  I think that with the addition of my dad it was about 20 people.  Pretty big immediate family huh?  That was with missing at least 4 families!

It was a really fun time.  With it coming so soon after my mother’s death I wasn’t sure if I’d have energy to go or want to be that social, but I really enjoyed myself.  Having family around during this time has been a great comfort and Nauvoo always has a special spirit about it. 

Here are a few pictures from the road trip.  I sat in the back with Tyler and made funny faces at him the whole drive and we took these silly pictures.  That and blasting the MP3 player made the trip up full of energy! 

We got some close ups!  We’ll keep some of these small because otherwise it’s just freaky.

This one is super cute if only he didn’t have gum in his mouth:

Grandpa got in on the action as well!

Finally, I couldn’t resist some of the beauty that was out my window.  I love the landscape of Illinois.

All of the old farm houses you see along the road.

And of course the beautiful corn.  I’m weird I know.  I’ve always thought corn was pretty.

 

Anniversaries

Today is my parent’s 41st wedding anniversary.  My mom missed it by a week.  She passed away last Monday, August 15th, 2011 at 4:30 am at St. John’s hospital in Springfield, IL.  The day of her parents wedding anniversary.  All of us in the family have wedding anniversaries in the same month and now we have the anniversary of my mother’s death as well. 

This is my favorite picture of my parents. It was taken a few years ago. This is what my mom looked like all of the time, smiling, happy, full of life and energy. She will be greatly missed.