Saturday morning after our big Fourth of July adventure, Russ and I decided we would take Millie Janalee to Missouri Botanical Garden.  The weather was beautiful, and I always hate to waste a good holiday weekend.  Ha!  Russ worked til noon, and we headed out soon after.  The last time Russ and I were at a Botanical Garden was in Memphis pre-baby.  In fact, it was the week before we found out about Millie Janalee.  We were looking forward to a beautiful stroll and some time for Millie Janalee to get out and play.

In the Missouri Botanical Garden, there is a Children's Garden area.  It costs money to get in after age two.  Millie Janalee barely made the cutoff!  She had a ball exploring the Children's Garden!  Oh my!  There were so many fun areas, and we didn't get to see them all.  I guess that means we need to make another trip.  The first thing she found was the giant beehive where our little "busy bee" raced around the giant flowers to pollinate them.  Inside each flower, there were bells and other sounds when the children "pollinated" or played with the ropes coming out of them.  And, as she does everywhere we go, Millie Janalee found a friend immediately.  They enjoyed chasing each other around the flowers for a while.

Finally Russ and I talked Millie Janalee into seeing what else the Children's Garden had to offer.  We found the General Store just around the corner where the children were shopping for fresh fruits and veggies, checking out with the "clerks", and putting all their food into baskets.  Millie Janalee did a great job of locating foods when we called them out.  Her favorite part was filling her basket!  Of course, there was another little girl who kept it interesting by shopping out of Millie Janalee's basket. Ha!  The carrots held her attention the most as she kept holding it up to her eye like a telescope.  I suppose she was trying to be like Olaf from Frozen.  It was quite funny.

Leaving this area took a little more encouragement.  It helped that she needed a diaper change, so I just picked her up and headed toward a bathroom.  We returned to a outdoor musical paradise for this girl.  She has music wherever she goes!  Nonstop singing.  I love it!  She loved playing the xylophone with her Daddy.  Russ plays pretty much everything by ear.  It has always amazed me.  So he showed out a bit by playing some Little Mermaid "Under the Sea" for us.

Of course Millie Janalee took the opportunity to turn hers into a microphone.  Probably singing "Let it Go!"  Everything can be turned into a microphone.  Didn't you know that?

While my musical talents spent some quality time together, I found a rock and took a moment to eat my lunch.  Since I was the one packing the bags and getting Millie Janalee ready, I was the one who didn't eat before we left.  It didn't take long for my sweet Miss Priss to walk over asking for "a biiiite."  So I had to share my little Uncrustable.

We found so many fun areas to play and explore, including a rope bridge that I volunteered to carry Millie Janalee across.  I didn't realize until we got on there that it was more like a tight rope walk with nets!  Oh my.  Ha!

The Children's Garden closed at 4 pm, so we left this area and began our stroll through the grounds.  It was beautiful and relaxing to see all the variations of plants and flowers.  We saw ducks, geese, and huge fish in the water.  We let Millie Janalee walk some and find her own special places along the way.  Her favorite thing to do right now is to sniff the flowers and make a big dramatic sneeze.  My brother finally figured out that she picked it up from Olaf on Frozen.  Little sponge!

We also found a wedding venue preparing for a wedding during our stroll.  We could see the guests beginning to arrive.  (We could tell by the way they were dressed.)  We also found the reception area. I wish I had taken a picture, because it was lovely!  Little to no decoration needed when you are getting married in the Missouri Botanical Garden!  A fabulous idea!  When we left, we saw the wedding guest checkin where guests picked up their own little wooden umbrella for the sun.  It was so perfect.

Our Saturday was full of fun and fresh flowers!  I love that we are able to experience these things with our little family...right here at our back door!

St Louis Fourth

Talk about falling off the wagon!  [Did I use that saying correctly?  Or did I even word it right?]  Basically, I just mean that I have not blogged here in over a month!  Absolutely nothing about our new Missouri life. You may not care.  I don't even know if I have readers left.  Ha!  Nonetheless, we have been so busy having fun! I want to record as much as I can for our own "family story" if for no other reason.  I have overused Facebook and Instagram since we moved blowing up everyone's newsfeed with pictures each day.  I guess that was my way of updating our family and friends in lieu of the blog.  But I'm gonna try to do better!

Backing up to July 4th weekend!

Russ and I don't know many people here still.  And when we first moved here, we really didn't know anyone except one sweet couple who invited us over for dinner one night.  I need to remember how kind that gesture is for new residents in an area.  Since we didn't have many connections, we didn't have plans for the Fourth.  So we decided to make our own!

We mentioned in passing that we should find fireworks somewhere.  Then I saw a special about Fair St. Louis on the news, and I talked Russ into taking our little family of three to Forest Park to enjoy the festivities.  This was the first year it was held at Forest Park, and there were lots of tutorials about where to park and how to get there.  They designated parking depending on where you were coming from.  And since we didn't know anything about anything, we followed the directions.  And rode the Metro.  Ummm...an experience in and of itself.  Situations like that certainly change when you are responsible for a precious little person. We survived and are still alive though.  Ha!

Once we got into the park, it was wonderful!  A beautiful day.  People everywhere.  We grabbed a corn dog for lunch and some Dippin' Dots for dessert while Millie Janalee enjoyed her little veggie pack and snacks.  We strolled the grounds before stopping at the Grand Basin to watch the Lake St. Louis Water Ski Club perform.  It was fascinating to watch, and Millie Janalee just pretty much wanted to jump in the water and ski with them.  Ha!  She loves the "warsh."

After the water show, we made our way over to one of the stages to enjoy some of the free concerts.  We laid our blanket out thinking Millie Janalee would fall asleep since it was past her bedtime.  I should have known that the excitement of her very first outdoor concert was too much to nap!  Russ may or may not have closed his eyes for awhile.  Ha!  We enjoyed hearing Mary Lambert perform.  But I was most excited about Gavin Degraw!  Yes please!  Millie Janalee shared my love for Gavin too.  She danced, waved her American flags, caught the attention of the camera man (of course), and played all over our blanket during his concert.  I loved it too!  It brought back memories from college when I saw him in concert for the first time.

We had already decided that we would catch the Metro back to our car before dark.  We didn't even consider doing anything after dark.  Next time, we will have to research the best way to get there.  Leaving, we were able to see just how insanely crowded the Metro had gotten.  Which, oddly, made me feel safer.  It was crazy!  Millie Janalee was asleep by this point.  Plus we were getting on with Cardinal fans heading to the ballgame too.  I never felt unsafe on the way back.

We arrived home in time for Russ to grill us a yummy dinner.  We immediately headed out to the fireworks in our own little town.  [We don't actually live in the St. Louis city limits.]  We drove 1/4 a mile from our home and lined the grass with the rest of the crowd to enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks.  It was a proper ending to a big St. Louis Fourth of July.

Our first St. Louis Fourth!

How Our Beach Vacation Went Down

I have finally made my way to the last post from our beach vacation over a month ago!  Are y'all still with me?  Ha!  But, I do love looking back on our wonderful and memorable week...

My little Miss Priss had gotten quite used to the beach life.  She could sit back and relax with the best of us.  Did I mention that veggie sticks were our secret weapon?  I had to get two big bags - one for me and one for her!

Just relaxin' with Buck and She She

She She and Millie Janalee coordinated again!

Family vacations.  In case you haven't been around for long (and it doesn't take very long), Russ and I and my family absolutely love family vacations.  We travel in packs.  We celebrate in groups.  We cry together too.

Russ and I want family vacations to be a big part of our own family's memory box.  So many of my favorite childhood memories are wrapped up in some trip taken as a family - usually things going far from the way they should!  Ha!  In my opinion, it is so important for families to get away from life together, have fun together, enjoy one another, and get to know one another again...better.  It doesn't have to be big trip.  You can travel on a budget.  Keep your vacation fund in the kitchen and let everyone contribute.  Everyone staying in the same room with 6 family members will probably produce LOTS of memories for years to come anyway! Ha!

Because you only get one chance to make a memory.  Make it now or lose it.

Soon these days will be gone.  And all you will have left are the memories of squeals of joy as the waves crash over her, the giggles as she runs toward her daddy to lift her up, the tiny splash of her jumping in the pool, little footprints in the sand...

And, for heaven's sake...take pictures of it all!!!  Ha!

Second beach trip as a family of three!

My Tips for a Family Beach Trip:

1.) Enjoy the naps.

2.) Play and giggle.

3.) Lay back and relax.

4.) Notice the wonder of the ocean.  Stand in aww.

5.) Love the ones you're with.

And that, my friends, is how our beach trip went down.  Perfectly!

Day 5 on the Beach

So, I don't know if I mentioned this or not.  It rained...actually POURED a few days of our vacation.  Remember how I said I don't go up.  I meant it.  One of the days (I can't remember which day it was) Clancy and I were on the beach with the babies and Clancy's friend.  Everyone else had gone up for lunch or gone to get something real fast.  Meaning they left all their belongings at their chairs because  they were coming right back.  And the bottom fell out!  Millie Janalee was asleep on me, and Clancy ran under the umbrella with Selah Grace.  The wind was blowing belongings everywhere, and whoever left their things in their chairs...well, it just got soaked.  Because mamas left alone in such situations don't care about all the other stuff.  LOL!  The rain stopped as Russ came running onto the beach to help.  He said, "I just knew I would come down and find you frantic.  But you are just chillin'."  Ha!  It actually was nice to sit under an umbrella during a rainstorm with a sleeping baby on your chest.  Not enough to bring me inside for sure.  Seconds later, the sun was shining and we were back at it!

Beach business as usual.

There was one day when the lifeguards made us go inside so they could put all the umbrellas and chair cushions up.  I'll just say Clancy and I were NOT happy about that.  So we stood under the awning and watched the storm.  It was later in the afternoon, so we ended up going on up for the day.

Since the weather was unpredictable, we SOAKED in the sunny moments!  Literally.  I think Lee kept Hughes this day, so Kristin could come down and play.  I had grown accustomed to relaxing under the umbrella, but rekindled my love of sitting in the sun with my feet in the ocean.  Heavenly!  Those moments are few and far between for the next several years I know.

How was I able to manage that?  Oh, we just left the boys in charge for a while.  "Three Men and a Baby" style!

Cornhole games commenced...around the little monkey in the middle.  Millie Janalee enjoyed chasing the bean bags back and forth as they threw them.  Once she was able to get her hand on one, she was off to throw it in the hole.

Thankfully, I had one last distraction left in my wagon.  A bubble machine!  But, did you know that bubble machines run out of bubbles quite fast?  They do.  It was fun while it lasted.

We loved when Selah Grace woke up and played in the pool.  Millie Janalee did too.  She even shared her bonnet.  We only share our bonnets with special people.

Once our distractions ran our or Selah Grace began napping, we took some walks on the beach.  And Millie Janalee adored racing toward the waves for her Daddy to throw her in the air.  She would've done that all day!

Russ and I took Millie Janalee down to the beach later that evening for some pictures.  We ended up having a wonderful time just sitting on the beach chairs as the sun set, the ocean waves crashed, and the wind blew.  Millie Janalee and I savored some snuggle time before saying "Nigh nigh!" to the beach.

Until the  next day...