Queen's High Tea

Each time we visit we make a special trip to Versailles to the tea room and the fancy queens high tea. We choose a pot of tea for each of us and are served a wide selection of tiny sweets and savories. With the size of everything one would thing a quick trip through drive thru would be necessary after leaving, but surprisingly we are always full and usually take leftovers home! Because it is a fancy occasion, we made ourselves some fancy fascinations like they wear in England. Here are the girls ready for tea.

 

After tea time we went out to their gardens and took some pictures.

 

 

 

Baby O decided to go Elvis on us with her smile.

 

We had to have one last picture together. However, I had to find someplace to prop my camera. It is sitting precariously on a garden fixture.

Tomorrow we head to the country.... River time, natural springs, floating, fishing, and Jolly Cone!

 

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Birthday Party Water Balloon Fight!!!

 

My brother and his family were here at my Mom and Dad's house this week to visit. All the males went to a Cardinal baseball game one day. Lucky guys. Since the kids aren't near each other to celebrate birthdays through out the year, I thought we should start a yearly birthday party for all of them. We had a giant water balloon fight, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and cake. It was so much fun. Imagine singing the happy birthday song and everyone inserting 6 names at once. Hilarious! Here are pictures of the water balloon fight. We filled 4 coolers with ballons and opened fire. My mom volunteered to be the photographer, so I am actually in some pictures!

 

 

My brother and his typical sense of humor.

Watch in the pictures for random floating water balloons.

 

 

 

Putting a balloon down each others suits was a favorite game.

Here is where Isaak threw one at close range and I faked being shot and collapsed. My nephew giggle so hard. Turns out my few seconds in the grass gained me a tick that I discovered later that night. I don't think I have mentioned yet how bad they are this year. Everyone seems to think it is because of how wet the Spring had been. Needless to say, Brad is not happy about it. He HATES ticks. Sometime I will tell you about how my sister tortures him with ticks.

Ellis had endured many attacks, can you tell?

At one point I had to institute some law and order (remember that control freak thing I have).

No one was safe.

 

When all the balloons were gone, Brad turned on the hose and made a rain storm. Perfect end to a perfect party!

Tomorrow all the girls go to the Queen's high tea.

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I Love Fishing!

I don't think I have ever had the opportunity to say how much I LOVE FISHING!  Now, I know I currently live in Alaska.  Apparently it is the greatest place to fish.  I beg to differ. 

If you have ever fished a Missouri stream, lake or pond, I guarantee that you will understand why they are the best places to fish.  Ever.  There is a peacefulness in fishing.  The breeze bringing the sounds of nature as you sit quietly, your senses open wide and awake.   My Papa's friend has a large lake in the country that we have fished over the years.  Early on Father's Day, I got to go with the "boys" to go fishing.  Really, I just told them I was going too.  I'm just that way.  You should know that by now.

Anyway, my Dad, my Papa, my four kids and our cousin packed up and off we went.  Some went in the boat, some fished the dock.  I stayed on the dock (that is where the fish were).  The moment our worms hit the water, fish were biting!  I was the bait and fish girl.  I don't mind.  I cast out lines, baited hooks and removed caught fish to the stringers.  Between my Papa and myself, we were not without something to do.  I only had time to snap a couple of shots during fishing time (which required me to clean my camera after we finished due to fish guts). 

 

Here Av is getting fishing tips from his great grandpa.  We all learned from Papa.  

 

Baby O's first fishing trip!  She caught the first fish.  (I caught the biggest one.)

This is the only picture I was able to get of someone's fish on the line.  The rest of the time I was a busy girl!

 

 Baby O loved to fish with her Poppy.  My Dad was so patient with her wild beginner casts.  She did not hook a single person. 

 

 

 

 

All the kids packing it up and heading out.  We caught a good mess of fish.  Fried them up a couple of nights later and filled our bellies.  Large mouth bass, blue gill and sun perch make for a wonderful feast! 

Everyone wanted a picture with the fish. 

 

 

 

 

We also had a rule... You catch it, you kiss it.  We almost had Baby O convinced that if you kissed your worm before you cast it out, it would be lucky and catch you a big fish.  She wouldn't buy it.   

The stringer was too heavy for her to lift, so Isaak helped hold it up.

 

 

Isaak almost got close enough to kiss that fish. 

 

 

I always kiss my fish.  Probably why I am a successful fisher-woman.  Probably not, but that is the story I'm sticking with.   

The crew...

I love watching the kids discover and explore the natural spaces around them as well.  Little E and Baby O spent a great deal of time figuring out the floating wood pieces that were washed ashore from recent floods. 

A perfect end to a successful trip... a prairie field full of purple cone flowers.

Father's Day Races

Happy Father's Day! For Father's Day we did 5k and one mile races as a family. Here is our "before" picture.

Here is Little E running his heart out. He came in third for the kids one mile!

Baby O did the 100 meter dash. She was the last race of the morning and was just about done. She cried the whole 100 meters! It was so pitiful. She made it through.

Isaak placed 1st for his age division in the 5k. He is so too cool these days.

Av took 1st overall in the one mile.

Little E took 3rd in the one mile.

Baby O finished and was not happy about running at all. However, she did wear her medal around all day long and insisted on wearing it to pick up pizza as well. Ellis won a door prize of a gift card to the BEST pizza place in Jeff City!

 

Here we are after all the races. I believe Isaak is looking toward the future. The other kids are just crazy faces. Brad and I are just relieved that we didn't collapse on the road and are still able to walk.

Finally we had to make our pitiful faces like baby O did during her race. Looks like Isaak and Av aren't that pitiful.

Tomorrow, fishing!!!!!! Bought my license today. Can't wait.

 

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