Water Park

Another fun thing we did while in St. Louis was go to the water park with Mom (Grandma) M and Maddie, our niece. It wasn't a huge park, but it was really nice. There were 3 pools and all of them had the gradual walk-in, kind of like a beach (no stairs). The baby pool was as big as a regular pool and at it's deepest about 3 feet. We had a BLAST and Nolan loved every second. Maddie went down the waterslide numerous times and then Brian and I went down the 'big' water slide. I was actually pretty scared, but a certain person who will remain nameless (but his name rhymes with lion) called me a chicken and I couldn't have that so I went through with it and it was lots of fun. Maybe not so fun for the cars driving by who saw more of my bottom than I would have liked when I stood up, but hey, it was a very steep, very fast slide and gravity usually wins. Here are some pics (of the park, not my bottom):

Grant's Farm

One of the fun things we did while we were in St. Louis was go to Grant's Farm with my parents, who live practically next door. In case you are one of my non-St. Louis-native's reading the blog, here's a snippet of info about Grant's Farm I got from their website: There are many exciting animal encounters possible at Grant's Farm, the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, located just south of the city of St. Louis. The Farm is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 100 different species from six continents. Grant's Farm, operated by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., has been a St. Louis tradition for over five decades. More than 24 million guests have visited this popular family attraction during its history. The Farm takes its name from our 18th President of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. In the 1850s, Grant founded and farmed a portion of the 281 acres. Today, this land is home to Grant's Farm and is preserved as a living symbol of the Busch family's love for animals and Anheuser-Busch's commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation. We started the day off with a train ride to the animals and then we let Nolan feed the goats. These are some tough (and hungry) goats. I have pictures of Brian and I both as kids where the goats are chomping on our shorts. Time has not made these goats any less pushy, but they didn't seem to bother Nolan whatsoever. He just giggled as they swarmed around him for nibble at the "baby" bottle full of goat milk. Then we wandered around for a bit, looked at different animals and then went to a show, where they do cool animal tricks. Nolan was interested for most of it, but near the end was done...I can't blame him. So we headed to the garden area and had a free beer (anyone 21 or over can get 2 free beers). Mom and Dad treated us to lunch and then we played some more and headed home! Nolan was asleep before we left the parking lot. On the train with Grammie & Grampie: Feeding the goats:

Looking at chickens, I think and oddly enough a Guinea pig!

Ooh, Daddy, I can see the elephant from here, your shoulders are the best seat in the house!

Beautiful Bride

The reason we planned our trip/vacation to St. Louis was for Meghan and Ryan's big day on June 23rd. The wedding was gorgeous and the reception was exquisite! We had such a good time!!!

The gorgeous bride at her house before the wedding:

Here is Meghan in the loft of the church prior to the ceremony:Mary, Meghan, Colleen & Stacey: Me:

Nolan, Momma & Daddy:Schmeghan (our nicknames for each other) & Ryan on the bus/trolly:The garden where cocktail hour was held, it was sooo pretty! The first dance:Father/Daughter dance: