St. Louis 2015

We had so much fun in St. Louis last year that we decided to go back again this year. We had SO MUCH FUN! Our first stop was The Magic House children's museum. Natalie couldn't talk or walk last year, and I think she really enjoyed exploring it a lot more this year. We saw a few of the same things that were there last year, but most of what we saw this year was new to us! 

Nat loved opening the windows to see what was behind each letter.

Ben and Charlotte in a bubble

Nat liked the sand table

She didn't like the tire mulch. "No, Mimi. Dirt."

The large sandcastle area wasn't open, but the girls
liked this smaller sandbox just as much.

Jacks in the Beanstalk

President Charlotte

Hopefully she'd take real jury duty more seriously :)

After dinner at Denny's it was time to check out the hotel pool. The girls were so excited to wear their new bumble bee and lady bug swimsuits! The pool was pretty cold, so the girls didn't last too long before they were ready to get out. This was Natalie's first time sleeping in a big bed, and the girls' first time sharing a room (without an adult with them), and they did great! They were both worn out after such a busy day and fell asleep in about 10 minutes. Natalie fell out of bed once in the middle of the night, but went right back to sleep when I put her back in bed. No falls the second night! :)

a little playground time after breakfast

The kids loved the indoor playground area at the hotel!

 The next day, we went to the City Museum downtown. We got there around 10 and it was PACKED with kids on field trips. We tried fighting the crowds for about an hour and then decided it might be best to do something else for a few hours and come back after the field trippers went back to school. We tried going to the IKEA we spotted on our way, only to find that it's still under construction :( We found another mall nearby and went there for lunch & to play at the indoor play place, since it was cold and raining outside.
We got back around 2:30 and the crowds had died down considerably, thank goodness! The City Museum has tons of places to climb and crawl and scoot and explore. The kids loved it. I think it will be even more fun for them when they can do more on their own. There were so many tight spaces there, Ben and I were afraid the kids would squeeze in somewhere & we wouldn't be able to follow after to retrieve them.

Nat had a snack while Charlotte had a nap :)

creeping and climbing all around

Ben followed Charlotte up a coil into the ceiling 

Natalie loved this eagle statue!

Charlotte was a big fan of her first cotton candy!

Natalie had some tummy trouble that second evening (we think due to swallowing pool water the night before), so Ben took Charlotte to the pool after dinner and I stayed in the room with Nat. She was so disappointed and demanding "bumble bee (s)wim, Mimi!!" and handing me her suit and floaties. So I filled the tub and made the best out of a crummy situation. :)

The 3rd day, we took the kids to the St. Louis Zoo. A little boy told Charlotte about the huge carousel while we were at Chick-fil-a, and she was so pumped for it. But it was closed because the grounds around it were being repaved. :( But luckily, the train was running just fine and Charlotte and Natalie were excited to ride that, too.

Nat waving at the goat

Jellyfish

Charlotte's current favorite animals - flamingos! 

The kids loved watching these orangutans playing

Rhinos

 Before heading home, we stopped at Imo's for pizza. The kids weren't huge fans and shared a hot ham & cheese sandwich instead. :) We stopped at a rest stop on the way home & the kids got to run around one more time before the final leg.

We had such a great time - the perfect kickoff for our summertime adventures! The kids are at such fun ages - it's so much fun watching them explore new places!

Mother's Day 2015

"Tomorrow is your special day, Mommy. Natalie and Daddy and me will do nice things for you while you lay on the couch."

"Ooohh. Can I watch CBS Sunday Morning while we eat breakfast?"

"Yep! And I won't even complain about it."

That's how much my baby girl loves me! Haha!

Mother's Day turned out to be very special for me. Ben got up with the kids, helped Charlotte make a card for me, made a delicious breakfast (complete with mimosas!), and took care of the kids for the afternoon while I did some shopping and went to the gym. I got to go for a walk with the girls before we went out for dinner, and then we stopped at a playground before it was time for baths. 

While I was out, Ben took the kids to the store since Charlotte wanted to pick out a gift for me. He said they looked around for a little bit before Charlotte found just the perfect gift. 

"Mommy will love this!"

It's the most beautify soap pump I've ever seen!

She was so proud of the soap pump!! She couldn't wait to wrap it & had to give it to me in the bag right after she woke up from her nap. She has also asked to wash her hands a record number of times today. :) 

My girls and their dad have really made me feel pretty special today. I'm extremely grateful for the time I got to spend both with them, and the time I got to spend on my own today. I used my "time off" to shop for some new workout clothes. I'm determined that 2015 will be the year I lose all of the baby weight I've gained over the last 4+ years. I've lost almost 25 pounds since Christmas, and plan to lose another 25-30, maybe more. It feels good to be getting back into my own skin again, after loaning out my body to these beauties for a few years. 

I'm so grateful for my little blessings.

And I'm also grateful for the time I got to spend with my own mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother-in-law yesterday at a *real* tea party at the Tea Room in Mackinaw yesterday. I'm so fortunate to have these lovely ladies in my life, and my girls' lives. 

I know several friends have moms watching over them from Heaven, as well as moms who have angel babies, or are still waiting to become moms. I hope that all of you were able to spend some time remembering your loved ones, and hope your prayers for children will be answered soon. 

Tomorrow will be another day (although I'm guessing with slightly more-than-usual hand washing). Potty assistance, diapers, boogies, naps, sticky fingers, playground adventures, and stalling at bedtime. But tonight, I'm celebrating having the best job in the world. 

Playing under the table at dinner

Natalie is fearless!