Thanksgiving in Missouri

For Thanksgiving this year we celebrated with my side of the family in St. Louis, MO. We did this 4 yrs ago. Alayna was only 6 wks old. So it was fun to do it again. Laura and Ryan were barely moved into their new home, so we all got to break it in for them! Thanks for having us.

This is how you survive a 14 hr drive with a 26 month old! The kids really did great traveling all that way and back. The kids and I rode out with mom and dad. Justin drove down from Chicago. It was great being together, all of us.

We spent Wed. morning at the Zoo.

It has been awhile since we've taken the kids, so it was great for all of us. It was a little cool and poor Alayna was fighting a cold but she was such a trooper. Corbin talked a lot about the hippo and the 'epatent' elephant, I laugh every time he says it. The big boys really liked all the different snakes. I preferred the butterflies. We really need to go more often.

Had to post all these. It was way cool. Mom was just standing there in the butterfly center and this one fluttered onto her forehead and then just rested there. It must have lasted a couple of minutes. I got one on my sweatshirt. It was kinda magical watching them all fly and float about.

The hippos were an enjoyment to watch. Swimming back and forth.

Awesome, another girl to play with!

On Friday we to the St. Louis Science Center

We built a few arches...

#1

Lots of help building #2.

Coltin and Dad built #3. Guess that is just what you do in St. Louis! :)

No, we also built towers.

There was so much hands on fun for the kids. It too was a great time.

Let's not forget the dinosaurs...Not sure if you can see the T-rex behind the kids, but he actually moved.

Coltin was chosen to turn the crank and make electricity (different bulbs use different amounts of energy). The one she is pointing to was the easiest to illuminate. He had fun, got a little work out and maybe learned something too.

Oh boy another dinosaur.