New Year's Eve in St. Louis

We were in St. Louis Monday-Friday the week of New Year's.  Steve had to work in St. Louis and we tagged along.  Monday night we stayed in a hotel (which I realize the girls haven't done since Olive was a baby!) and went swimming in their pool.  Very exciting for the girls.  Tuesday while Steve was at work, we checked out the World Bird Sanctuary and Lone Elk Park that were close to our hotel.  And we found a cake!

The condor was huge!

 The world bird sanctuary had two indoor exhibits with all kinds of animals, but most of the birds were on a walking trail.  We only saw a few because it was freezing!  Luckily we could stay in the car in Lone Elk Park.  The drive was really cool and it would be amazing in the fall.

The elk walked right in front of our car!  I think I was the only one excited by this.

Tuesday-Friday we stayed at Casa McGuire.  The McGuires have been hunting for cakes all year long to celebrate St. Louis' 250th birthday.  December 31 was the last day to see cakes, so we made the most of it.  There were lots in one spot...

And we also drove around to get a few more.  FBC: The church traces its roots back to the first protestant church for African-Americans in St. Louis, organized in 1817.

Scott Joplin House:  Joplin's former residence and only museum in the world dedicated to him.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: founded in 1878 by Joseph Pulitzer

This is what we looked like driving around...

After all that cake-hunting we ate at Crown Candy Kitchen- the oldest soda fountain in St. Louis.  I appreciated the history...and the milkshake.

Walter came to St. Louis!  He thought he had only been to their house once and it was before Gwyn was born.  Here he is on their finished tree house.

For New Year's Eve, the McGuires invited some friends over for a fun night of tacos and games.  Here is Taco getting his taco. :)

We divided up into teams for Game Olympics.  One game involved trying to pick up a cereal box without using your hands.  It started as a full box and part of it was cut away each round.  It ended up being the size of a stamp.  Some people (not I) were still able to pick it up.  Most surprising fact of the night: Walter was one of them!

I believe my team finished in 2nd place and Steve's team (including Jane and Walter) took first, but I really can't remember.  Hmmmmm.....maybe I should write these blog posts closer to the event.  That probably should have been my New Year's resolution.

Chillicothe Christmases

We left our house on Christmas Day to go to Chillicothe.  For the first time ever everything was taking place on the same weekend.  Score!  We had a total of six present-opening parties (including our own) over the course of four days.  Whew!  First up was my family on Thursday night.

hilarious book that Grandma and Grandpa got Olive

It was the nicest Christmas weather I remember so we played outside

Marissa and Casey brought a mustache game for everyone to play

Kerr Christmas was at lunch on Saturday.

The great white elephant exchange (plus calendars)

We brought the mustache game, and look at the awesomeness that ensued.  Great-grandma Velma with a sweet stache!

What a sneaky stache!

Susan was really the sneaky stache and I couldn't take a picture fast enough!

After raging for awhile (overtired Olive is not a pleasant Olive), she eventually put herself to sleep in the corner.

A real mustache!

Then back to my parents house for dinner and the Meneely/Schad/Stapp white elephant exchange.  Followed, of course, by an epic family game of Diminishing Words.  It is always super fun to play when my parents and aunt and uncle join in!

Sunday we went to Steve's parents' for Granny and Papa gifts.  Somehow no pictures were taken.  Then we went to great-aunt Peggy's house for Hickman Christmas.  I tried to get some cousin pictures...

Gwendolyn (2) Ainslyn (7) Hannah (5) and Olive (3)

Four generations: Great-grandma Alice, Granny, Steve and Susan, and their girls

After we left Hickman Christmas we drove over to Meadville for my great-aunt and great-uncle's 70th anniversary celebration.  Then on to Chillicothe to visit another great-uncle who was in the hospital.  We saw the lights in Simpson Park before heading for home.

We unpacked our car Sunday night and then Monday (after re-packing!) we were off to St. Louis!  

Christmas

Christmas.  I think it is even more exciting as a parent than a kid.  I couldn't wait for them to open up their gifts.  Apparently they couldn't either because they snuck downstairs and got all the stuff out of their stockings before waking us up.  Hmmm...

The first thing Olive said was, "It's not Christmas!  There isn't snow!"  We read so many Christmas books with snow in them that she couldn't believe we could it could still be Christmas when it was 50 degrees outside.

Four Elsas.  Olive got her dress and immediately put it on.  Hannah had to be talked into it.

As usual opening gifts was a long process.  This year they clocked in at 2 hours 15 minutes.  They played with each present after opening it, and one time that included changing clothes, putting on pads, and moving the cars out of the garage to ride a new skateboard.  Of course she is already better than me.

New science set

The aftermath....which stayed like this for 10 days because we immediately left Christmas afternoon for Chillicothe and then spent the week of New Year's Eve in St. Louis.  I had a small panic attack coming home to this (plus all the Chillicothe gifts).

Hannah's favorites were her skateboard, Goldie Blox zipline, and the baby doll equipment (crib, bouncy seat, etc.)  Olive said she liked the matching Elsa dresses and doll equipment.  Steve and I were surprised the girls weren't more excited about the Barbie doll house.  Luckily we didn't spend any money on it since it was Marissa's old one. :)