Our month started off with a bang. We left August 2nd to drive to St. Louis. We made the drive all in one day and I loved doing it that way. It was just nice to eliminate the second day of driving. Even though the second day of driving is always shorter, it always feels long to me, and I would rather have one really long day...15 hours...than two days of driving. Everyone handled the drive well. Kimball got a little antsy the last few hours, but that's understandable.
Dinner in a VERY colorful Mexican restaurant.
Day 1: Cliff Cave Park
We went with Grammy and the Coleman cousins to Cliff Cave Park. We hadn't been there before, but the walking paths were really nice. We had to go at a slower pace for the little ones, but we still walked about an hour.
Christian and Lincoln.
I needed a picture with all of the cousins that were similar in size.
The Mississippi River is in the background.
Day 2 Bowling
My kids have great memories of bowling when we visit Grammy and Heather so it has become a yearly St. Louis outing, even though we can go bowling at home in NY. It helps that it's air conditioned so we don't melt every day in the St. Louis heat.
Eden and Christian were good little buddies. They were holding hands in a lot of the pictures throughout the week. Watch for it...
Day 3 Splash pad and tour of my school campus
Chandra and I met at a park/splash pad so our kids could play. They had so much fun. We don't have a lot of experience with splash pads, so I wasn't prepared for Lincoln to be soaked. I hadn't even brought a towel!
Eden pushing Ruby.
My school campus has changed SO much in the 20+ years since I graduated. I can't believe all of the additions that have been made and the nice baseball and football stadiums that are there now. I would have liked to have walked inside, but I'm sure that wouldn't have been allowed. School security wasn't a concern when I was in school.
High school.
Middle School
The tour also included the house we lived in until I was 11.
The tour ended with a stop at Bob's Drive-In for an ice cream cone!
Annika with a 100 piece puzzle that she put together multiple times.
Day 4 Waterpark
Sewing with Grammy. Rebecah and Grammy made a pillowcase together.
We celebrated Kimball's birthday. My mom gave him the big white dog that she had made for my dad years ago. Kimball was SO excited.
Family Pictures
I have great sisters! I wish I could see all of them each year, but I am glad I got to spend time with Heather and Chandra. Two years is too long to go without seeing them!
On our way home we did stop for the night in Conneaut, Ohio. It's a small town, but it was right on Lake Erie. We went to a park on the beach so we could view the water.
Dad drove with us to St. Louis, but I took him to the airport early the next morning so he could attend the Wanda Coffey family reunion with his aunts, uncles, and some cousins. He had a fun time seeing extended family that he hadn't seen in years.
Ice cream with his parents.
A quick stop at the Logan temple.
Grandpa with Great-grandma Coffey
Three generations.
Lincoln and Annika did a little sewing one day while I was making a few face masks. It was fun watching them thread needles and work on their creations.
Annika's sewing interest bloomed and she decided to make a little pillow. She did all of the sewing by hand. I would help her knot her thread and tie it off. I think she did great for a 6 year old.
I finally made it to the temple after 17 months because the temple closed due to Covid. It was so wonderful to be back in the temple. This month marked my 20 year temple anniversary.
Joseph took the little kids to Flat Rock Beach on Lake Ontario.
Central New York gets a lot of rain, but we received 5-6 inches of rain within 3 days and there was a fair amount of flooding. I have never seen flooding like this in the nine years we have lived here.
We celebrated Kimball's 14th birthday. We are glad he's part of our family. He also started football practice on his birthday so that is now keeping him busy.
We met some friends at the school playground before going on school tours. I had to document this
"O Captain! My Captain!" moment.
We have received the school schedules and teacher assignments. We have gone shopping for school supplies and clothes and are prepping for school to start on September 8th!
