Eckert's Fun Farm and Apple Picking

We met up with my sister and her family for some good ol' times down on the farm! Henry took a spin in the apples, visited the petting zoo, enjoyed some ice cream, and had a front row seat at the pig races. But the best part of all was the apple picking! You can't beat a nice, bouncy wagon ride, of course. Then, Henry was lifted up on Daddy's shoulder to pick his first apple. And...he bit right in! He's never eaten an apple like this before, and we were all quite surprised! As a friend of mine said, maybe he just needed to know where they came from. His apple kept him occupied for the rest of our time in the orchard. Such a sweetie! To have some farm fun of your own you can check out Eckert's at www.eckerts.com

MoRe PiCtUrEs

Riding Spin the Apple!

Henry is trying hard to eat his apple one-handed.

A Little Rain Must Fall

Since Henry loves airplanes, we thought a trip to the air show would be quite enjoyable. The plan was to see the planes on display and leave before the noisy flying and stunts began. Unfortunately, we ended up there on a rainy Sunday, and Henry's expression seemed to reflect the day. Every picture I took he had the same face. He even cried when we tried to put him in a plane. So much for our #1 pilot. Maybe next year...

First Carousel Ride

Here are some pictures from Henry's maiden voyage on the carousel at the St. Louis Zoo (at least I'm pretty sure he was a first-timer. I have no other photographic evidence of said event). We were there last weekend with my sister and her family. Such a fantastic experience! His face really lit up when we started moving!

A Day at Play

We made plans this past Saturday with our friends Kevin and Jen and their kids Reiley, Ainsley, and Sawyer. We met up at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis for a picnic and some playground fun. It was pretty much the most beautiful weather ever, so we really lucked out. I am thankful we were able to enjoy this day together! Conspiring over cookies. Henry loves the ladies.

Taking it all in! Embracing the freedom!

I could always get Henry to smile when Reiley was nearby!

He loved the pop-up fountain, and so did we!

Soaking it all in at the wade pool.

A Visit from Camp Tecumseh Friends

Last week we spent some time with old friends from Camp Tecumseh (Camp T is the large, year-round YMCA camp we lived at in Indiana). Luke, Jamie, and their son Mark (who is 2 months younger than Henry) paid us a visit. They were passing through on their way to a vacation in the Ozarks. Our little boys sure had fun together. Here are a few pictures from the Science Center and one outside Imo's Pizza. We're glad they stopped by to catch up!

Our Jackson, MO Summer Vacation 2009

We decided (sort of last minute) to vacation at my parent's house in Jackson, MO. My sister and her family live just two blocks away. I called it a "staycation" as we visited some local attractions and just enjoyed our time together. I found out there are some real advantages to this type of trip. We didn't spend much money, we weren't tied to any tight schedule, and we weren't exhausted from air or road travel when we got home. It was really quite pleasant all around. We loved spending time with family, especially Henry! He's so fond of his Nonni and Papa, Aunt Brooke, Uncle Bob, and cousins Eva, Eli, and Lily. Here are some pictures:

Henry in a deer stand at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. Not a pastime I would encourage, but I couldn't resist the photo op.

Exploring the beaver dam with Daddy.

Checking out nature.

Pondering deep thoughts at the pool with crazy donkey floatie.

Trying to catch a "throwed" roll at the famous Lambert's Cafe (actually he was pointing at the train that went around the ceiling).

Sitting in a wagon outside Lambert's.

Adventures at the creek, a favorite play spot for the Clubbs' family.

Playing with Lily, one of his best baby pals.

Not pictured are all the great meals and treats we shared with family, me losing my mind at the Carter's Outlet store, Chad and I catching a movie on our afternoon date, and Henry having a ball and being charming at every opportunity!

Thanks to Mom, Dad, and the Clubbs family for hosting our wonderful staycation!

Goin' to Grant's Farm

One week ago we took a nice little trip to Grant's Farm. It's such a great spot to visit, very laid back (we missed the huge crowd later in the day). It's not too big, so you get to see everything pretty easily, and we had great weather. We went to the elephant show, ate lunch, and saw lots of donkies, ponies, birds, and other animals. I think Henry was surprised by the "friendliness" of the goats. We got the little bottle of milk to feed them, and he wasn't quite convinced he shouldn't have a little too. For me? No? Are you sure? We also spent some time looking at a guinea pig he found fascinating. On our way out we stopped by to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. Overall, a lovely time (and I think Papa Bill would be quite fond of this place).

We've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Henry turned 16 months old this past Monday (now about 33 inches tall and 27 lbs). You may have noticed I stopped my "month" blog updates at 12 months, well, because I just hate being tied down to one thing in particular. But, hey, what a difference 4 months can make! He is really turning into quite the toddler (although always my baby)...walking, running, talking (even some two-word combos), and playing. He is Mr. Social working on those self-help skills and becoming more independent. Bottles and baby food are things of the past. Little tantrums and saying "no" have entered the scene, along with, dare I say, time-outs. It's amazing to watch him master new tasks, discover things, and interact with his environment in different ways. I always marvel at how we get from one stage to the next sometimes without even realizing it. What a cool journey. There are surely frustrations, but most of the time sweet Henry makes me so proud. And he definitely makes me laugh (especially with his new quiet-growling monster). I'll sign off as Henry would with a "buh-bye," a wave, and a "mwah" as he blows you a kiss!

P.S. Don't you wish we adults could make such big accomplishments happen in such a short amount of time?!

4th of July Weekend

We had an eventful weekend! On Friday afternoon we headed to the St. Louis Zoo. It was busy and tough to find a free parking spot, but when we did it was like winning the lottery! We pet the stingrays at the new exhibit and enjoyed seeing the zoo from Henry's ever changing perspective. Chad took some video this time, so that's why I don't have any pictures with the animals, just a pirate hat and a stroller shot. We hosted my family for the 4th of July cookout on Saturday. You can see Henry and some of his cousins (Eva, Eli, and baby Lily) and his Aunt Brooke. We also went to the Grizzlies baseball game before the fireworks. Oh, but wait, our town's fireworks were postponed until Sunday night :( Instead we watched some little (and slightly unpredictable) fireworks purchased by Uncle Bob and some of our neighbors most likely illegal larger displays. Fun times! Today (Sunday) we went out to lunch with my sister and her family before they had to head back home. And now it's time to get ready to watch the big show from our driveway! We hope everyone celebrated a great Independence Day!