Too funny not to post...

HAPPY HOUR In AFRICA

This is a real video from a French documentary about Africa. You may not understand French, but you don't need to understand what they're saying to get a kick out of the video.

There are trees that grow in Africa which, once a year, produce very juicy fruit that contain a high percentage of alcohol.

The tree is known as the "Elephant Tree," because elephants have a fondness for the fruit. Because there is a shortage of water in that area, as soon as the fruits are ripe, animals come there to help relieve themselves of the heat.

Watch the elephants knock the fruit out of the tree and all the animals eat it off the ground.

You will easily know who had over-indulged...on purpose or not!

PS. The tree is the Maura tree.

"Amarula," liqueur is made with the fruit and cream

2nd soccer game

We switched over to CYC soccer this year, in hopes that Morgan would get on a team and grow with them. So she's back on an all girls team this year.

Today was their second game and wow...it was a fun game to watch. Morgan scored 1 goal, played goalie for a bit and played her heart out. Four team members were gone on Girl Scout weekend, so it was a long game for the girls that played. Morgan was tired at the end but when the ball came her way, she hustled, even though you could tell she was DONE! I think her goal was the second to last of the game! I believe the final score was 6-0.

And see...here is a picture AND a video of her playing....

Oh wait...I didn't take any....at least they were in the stroller and not at home. And I am sure I had a few upset parents with me. The little boy decided to charge onto the field twice and I wasn't quite fast enough to get him. Oh well...too busy watching the game I guess. :)

Here are a few random pictures from my girlfriend's and my trip to Puerto Vallarta. We had such a good time. Dreams was just that...a dream. Lots of giggling, chatting and girly time. We were basically pool/beach bums for the entire time. Eat, drink and be merry were we!

A view from our room

Just the two of us

A little friend from the area joined us for dinner

And completely off the topic....here's a picture of Boomer. He's about 60-65 lbs now. He still has a bit of the poodle cut (which I can't stand) but he's still cute anyway!

Labor Day weekend and other stuff

Yesterday, we had a spur of the moment BBQ at the neighbors house. It was rather chilly in the shade, as it was only in the low 70s. The kiddos were able to run around for several hours while the parents watched and chatted amongst themselves. A good time was had by all.

Let's see...recap of weeks past...

On our second week of vacation, Bob ended up in the hospital for a twisted bowel, which thankfully untwisted by itself and ended up having one of two hernias removed. Let's just say it was a long week...

Then Bob had a colonoscopy, endoscopy and catheter test to check out his heart. Endoscopy showed Celiac's, which has to be confirmed by a blood test. The look into his heart, show a little bit of plaque and that's all...whew....! Looks like he going to be around for a LONG time!!

The kids and I went to Eckert's with Oma and Bepaw one weekend and picked peaches and ran around acting silly. The children's play area wasn't open, which we thought was unusual, but we played there anyway for a bit. Since we were there last, they built a stage in the play area, for little productions, I gather and Morgan and Brody "performed" for us. It was very cute! The also add a HUGE market area and converted the old market to enlarge the restaurant. We spent a good deal of the time in the market and getting ice cream before we left. We went there specifically to get peaches for peach pie...in which my husband specifically requested...guess I will have to find a gluten free pie crust recipe. Fingers crossed. Mom also said she had her grandmother's recipe for peach custard pie. That one sounds yummy too!! So, I have probably 10 lbs of peaches cut up and frozen in the freezer.

Morgan has started soccer practice again. She will be playing on the Catholic league this year. I wanted to find her a team in which she could grow with the same girls. After speaking with her coach, it seems he's been with most of the same girls since kindergarten. So, that shows promise. Morgan also found at the first practice she went to preschool with two of her teammates. So it was kind of old home week for her. Those two girls go to ICD for school instead of public school.

Morgan is still progressing very well with violin. I love to hear her practice...I know my grandma is smiling down from heaven very time she plays violin. Morgan is reading music very well and sounds as though she has been playing for more than two months. Mama is very proud!!

Brody is partaking in the gymbus again and also started JumpBunch, which is a sports/fitness activity, both through school. JumpBunch is supposed to promote eye/hand coordination as well as gross motor activity through 70 different sports and fitness activities. What this entails....we shall see.

Probably after the soccer season, we will put both kiddos in swimming lessons. I am ready for a good laugh watching Brody!!

I emptied the pool this last week, had it completely dried out to pull it inside for the winter....and the dog chewed a hole in it too large to be fixed. So Bob spent some time yesterday, cutting it up and putting in the trash. Don't you just love puppies!!

I am in the final leg of my last few days before going on a girls only vacation. My best friend and I are heading to Dreams Resort in Puerto Vallarta for five nights/six days. I will miss everyone terribly, but also looking forward to some girlie time. Yes we will use precaution and we will be safe. The resort is all inclusive, so we won't have to leave the premises if we don't want. Here
if you want to a lookee see. We leave in 1 day/22hrs/4min/45sec.

Staycation

We had a busy and a amazingly fun time on our staycation!

Friday
We went to the City Museum and had a blast....and I forgot the cameras! Brody and Morgan LOVED LOVED LOVED the climbing and the slides...we were all worn out by the end of the day. Never in the million years would I have thought we would have stayed it there FIVE HOURS with both kids. I knew Morgan would make it but I wasn't so sure about Brody without taking a nap! But WOW we had fun!! If you haven't been there...you HAVE to go!! There are slides and climbing galore! They have an aquarium area with stingrays, sharks, Doctor fish which Morgan LOVED! Check it out here. Should I mention that we all went down the 10 story slide?

Saturday

We hung out around the house until the afternoon, when we met Uncle Dick, Renee, Don and Olivia in Ste. Genevieve. For a little over an hour, we swam at the city's indoor pool. All the kiddos were water babies. They had a HUGE slide in which you had to be 48 inches tall. Let's just say, Brody wasn't very happy since he couldn't go down it. Morgan on the other hand, went down several times. After drying off we headed off the the Anvil to meet Mom and Tom for an early dinner! Lots of giggles and good food...everyone had a good time!! We definitely need to get together more often! AHEM...you know who you are!!!

Sunday
On Sunday, Brody went to Oma's for the day for a full day of playing and swimming in their pool while Bob, Morgan and I went to the Cards game. We were able to get tickets through Morgan's school with an added bonus of a hot dog and a soda for a really good price. So we invited soem friends to come along. IT WAS HOT...oh so HOT outside! But as you can see, we are in the shade!! We were sweating like to no tomorrow, but had a good time. Dana, Chris and the girls had a busy day after the game, but we all had a good time while they were there. We left after the middle of the 8th. Cards won the game! Morgan's first Cards game!!

Monday
On Sunday after the baseball game, Bob went over and picked up Nolan. We figured since we were doing lots of kids stuff, we would invite him to go along especially for the days in which Brody wouldn't be able to join us as we were doing some things that weren't quite age appropriate for him just yet. So, on MOnday, we went to Lesterville, MO to head down the Black River (both Bob's and my favorite) for a 6 mile float.

Here's a sunscreen shout out...Badger organic sunscreen . LOVE it!! We were on the river from 10:00 until 5:30 and none of us burned. Obviously Nolan is a brown bean already yet we still slathered him up too with sunscreen.

Lots and lots of tadpoles caught...and no Mom...no kissing of tadpoles this trip.

Float trips aren't complete until I am covered in bruises.

Tuesday
We went to Purina Farms for the morning. Brody came along with us on this trip. We were only there for about two hours, but it was HOT! The kids and I were able to milk a cow, play in the straw and corn tables, see the sheep, horses and dog show. The kids were able to pet the chickens, bunnies, and guinea pigs.

Brody loves Yee Haaassss...(that's what he calls horses)

My favorite part was the dog show.





While the kiddos rested for a few hours, Bob and I were in the pool. Once the kids got up, they joined us in the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

Wednesday
The five of us got up and headed to Grant's farm.

Brody was still a little sleepy when we arrived...

...but eventually livened up once he saw the baby goats.
Everyone had fun feeding the babies...then the kiddos rode the carousel.

Feeding the camels...this was the nicer of the two camels.

Running through the "misters"

Yep...I am on vacation.

Blue tongues after snow cones.

Three extremely worn out kids. I am not sure who had more fun this week...the kids or the adults.

Friday
I had been giving Bob a hard time about him not taking me fishing. I love to fish and he will go with my uncle or he'll take Morgan...but I am left behind. So we took the kids to daycare and Bob and I went cat fishing. We caught probably 14 in total but only allowed to keep 8. Bob had been checking the fishing reports for Busch Wildlife and on Thursday they had stocked the lakes with new farm breed fish.

Here is our lot...after Bob and I went to the final Harry Potter movie, we picked up the kids and then Bob cleaned the fish and made cornmeal catfish for dinner. It was YUMMY!