Wordless Wednesday (Instagram style)

Summer Fun (the farm)

   I'll finish my Summer Fun posts with our visit to Matt's family farm.  It was actually one of the most
        "fun" things we did all summer (although we could have done without the 100 + degree
                                                                       temperatures).

We started off with the horses.  They actually just sat on them because it was just too hot for the

horses to go for a ride.  They all  took turns sitting on Makenzie and Brody's horse, "Ginger".

I believe it was Rahel's first time being by a horse and she did awesome.

Double bareback for the cousins.

Then we got into the farm vehicles (not sure exactly what they are called)

and drove around the farm.

They let them drive young on a farm.  ;-)

we drove around the farm

visited the cows

my girls driving farm vehicles

then Matt took all the kids for a ride on the big tractor 

I think the girls had a really good adventure.

After leaving the farm we got ice-cream and headed for the park.

After all, it was only 104 degrees.

we did swinging under the shade trees

4 sweet sisters

and cheer practicing

besides all the activities we were able to do on this trip,

we also crammed in a lot of tree house and back porch picnics.

We had such a great time visiting Kelly, Matt and the kids.

Thank you for having us all at your house and especially thank you

Matt for having to stay at the farm every night while we were there

so there would be enough room.

Thank you Gail, Jessica, and girls for coming on this adventure with me.

Thank you Carrie for using your vacation time to come and help.

Love you girls.

I'm looking forward to doing a trip in the future with the boy cousins.

(in a few years from now.  ha)

Remembering to be grateful in all things:

779.  tree house picnics

780.  hard working farmers

781.  parks with shade trees

782.  pictures of my new nephew in Ethiopia

783.  a sleepover with Dylan watching Elf (even though it's summer)

784.  a dinner guest the brought summer tomatoes

785.  homemade apple pie

786.  pony rides

787.  farm cows

788.  Kelly and Matt

789.  cousins spending summers together

790.  dvd players for long car rides

791.  sweet nieces who travel well

Joining Ann's place for Multitudes on Mondays.

Summer Fun (continued)

 After we left the American Girl store we decided to try to get in a few quick sights before heading back to Illinois.  We drove past the St. Louis Arch and onto Union Station.

It was overcast and slightly smoggy that day but we didn't mind because he gave much needed

relief from the over 100 degree temperatures.  

Makenzie and Mom feeding fish                              Carrie and the older girls   

Jessica and her girls

(I always have a heck of a time getting Caroline to look at the camera)

Will the adults were shopping, the littles passed time scrolling through my pictures on my phone.

What beautiful sisters.

Candy shoppes.  Need I say more.

The man at the fudge shoppe was hysterical and put on a show for the crowd.

The girls really like his presentation and his present of free fudge.

I caught the girls trying to get "free money that someone had dropped".

I explained that it represented someones wishes and they quickly stopped.

The looks on their faces were so funny.

I asked my girls for a picture of the both of them before we left.  

If you knew my girls you would know how this photo perfectly fits their personalities.

****************************

Makenzie's Birthday Party

What better place to have a princess party than a her mom's pink ballet studio.

Kelly put rhinestones on the "silverware".

such a sweet group of girls

these two were such a big help

Activities

The princess bouncy house

Musical Rings

Had the camera on the wrong setting so it's blurred but the reaction of the girls when they were out was priceless.

The agony of defeat.

No tears though!

Coloring Princess pages

Hair styling and nail painting.

This was a favorite.

Karaoke

Games and dancing

Time for cake

Cute princess favor boxes with princess rings and princess lip balms

All the girls gave such sweet and thoughtful gifts.

The Princess group shot

(minus Meron)

The pose they wanted to do.

I took hundreds of shot so it was hard pinning it down to a few.

I'll do a birthday post just for her later. 

Kelly did a great job.  Her studio is the perfect place for little girl parties.

I feel so blessed to be able to spend this special time with my family.

Thanks honey for "sponsoring" my trip.  

;-)

Tomorrow is the last leg of our trip.

The Farm

************************

Remembering to be grateful in all things:

769.  a good nights sleep

770.  Jessica holding her new son in Ethiopia

771.  a little boy and his Poppy

772.  kids at stores getting school supplies being excited about school

773.  my parents returning home safely from a road trip

774.   the inventor of the DVR

775.  Koby

776.  phone calls with my brother

777.  sweet older cousins who help the little ones without being asked

778.  my hard working son who never complains

Joining Ann's place for Multitudes on Mondays.