Shopping for Furry Hats

Check These Out!

They're Pretty Neat!

Nice and Cozy Warm

and Very Cool



Although this Style isn't for Everyone



And Definitely Not for Some People

But Don't Let That Stop You :)

Kalahari Vacation

Taking a little break from the cold to have some family fun at an indoor water park!

Joe learns to body board with some help from the instructor.

Sarah Beth and Rebecca pose for a buddy picture

Sarah Beth gets comfy in a hollowed-out tree

Rebecca and Joe (you can't tell it but they're fighting over the chocolate)

Sarah Beth wears a t-shirt over her swimsuit/life jacket looking a bit like Quasimodo

Grandpa and Joe are twins



SB and I smile for the camera

Visiting the Zoo Part 1

A couple of weeks ago I did something that I haven’t done in a long time. It was both nostalgic and exciting. Mom, Luke, Sarah Beth and I visited the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison. It was the “perfect fall day” and we enjoyed every bit of it! After eating a small picnic in the warm sunshine and beautiful colors we walked through the zoo’s front gate. I’d been to this zoo before some years back and I quickly began to get my bearings. To our left were the concession stands and the gift shop where Katie and I bought cute socks, hers with giraffes and mine with elephants. Dad had always bought us a couple of miniature toy animals every time we visited a zoo. We’d built up quite a menagerie of our own; visiting the zoo was a favorite family activity. Every year Mom & Dad would use money from our Grandparents to buy our family season passes to one of the zoos or museums. This day we passed by the commercialized plastic and stuffed products heading straight for the real animals.

The first creature we saw was a large orangutan. He lazily half sat, half hung from the fence of his habituate, we rushed up and leant on our own fence. We all stared at each other: he with a bored expression, absently eating grass in a round cow – like chew; we fascinated and curious. The stare war continued. We found him every so amusing and he, well I couldn’t say what he thought, but taking a clue from his deadpan expression we were nothing new or exciting to this impassive ape. Sarah Beth broke the silence exasperated and confused she demanded “Why don’t He SAY something???”

Having just watch The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe on DVD and then coming face to face with an animal displaying such strong expressions and looking at us so candidly, it seemed only right that he should open his mouth and speak! Poor Sarah Beth! One thing became very clear: it had been much too long since we’ve visited the zoo.

Summer Shots

Mother's Day

My Miracle Mother

Mom, I look at you
and see a walking miracle.




Your unfailing love without limit,
your ability to soothe my every hurt,
the way you are on duty, unselfishly,
every hour, every day,
makes me so grateful
that I am yours, and you are mine.



With open arms and open heart,
with enduring patience and inner strength,
you gave so much for me,
sometimes at your expense.



You are my teacher,
my comforter, my encourager,
appreciating all, forgiving all.
Sometimes I took you for granted, Mom,
but I don’t now, and I never will again.




I know that everything I am today
relates to you and your loving care.



I gaze in wonder
as I watch you being you—
my miracle, my mother.
By Joanna Fuchs

Happy Mother's Day!

I love you Mommy!

Relaxation

Spring Training

This was one of Lukie's favorite part of our vacation. So he's going to blog about it for me.

Hi everybody this is Luke! We got to go to a baseball game. AND guess who was playing!!!!

THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Some of the highlight of the day for me were....

Seeing Albert Pujols play!!!!!!!!!!!

He was REALLY close!

Getting some autographs from the players!
One of them was Dave Duncan the pitching coach!!!!

When the players saw Sarah Beth they wanted to give her their autographs,
because she was so cute in her St. Louis Cardinals dress :)


I also really liked the yummy Lemon Chill slushy and eating my hot dog!
I was a little sad that Yadier Molina wasn't playing that day because he was playing with Puerto Rico.
We got really sunburned!

We had a VERY fun time!

Bye everybody!!!

Luke age 7

The Atlantic

After leaving the turtle hospital we headed East.
Some of us wanted to get our feet wet.




Even Sarah Beth.



Some of us got more then just our feet wet.

Some of us just watched from the beach.

And enjoyed the sunshine.



Yay! For a day at the beach!

* Sniff sniff*

The Pink Princess...

...turns 3 yrs. old today!

Happy Birthday Sarah Beth!

Little Bitty Liddy

Happy 18th Birthday Lydia!


Love Ya!