Sparks Family Photos

While we were in town, Chris' mom arranged for us to have family photos taken with her and his brother and sister. It was a fantastic idea and created great keepsakes. Of course the weather turned hot and Savannah didn't feel

like smiling but the photographer

still captured a few good moments. We went to Twin Oaks Park for our photo shoot and took two sets of pictures. One set we were all wearing Cardinals jerseys and the other set a colorful shirt. After pictures we headed back to Vickie's for a "picnic" dinner.

Great-Grammie and Great-Grandpa's Farm

We ended the holiday weekend with a trip to Chris' Grandma and Grandpa's "farm". It isn't really a farm but was prior to Grandma and Grandpa purchasing it so the name stuck. It is actually about 30 acres of land complete with a "barn" (with kitchen, bedrooms, running water and electricity!) a lake, golf hole, golf cart and boats for fishing. Chris was really excited to take Savannah to the farm as he grew up going there every summer. It is only about an hour and half away from his mom's house so a do-able drive with Savannah. We stopped for breakfast and Grandma and Grandpa's favorite little diner along the way. The farm is located out near Herman, Missouri sort of in the middle of no-where...definitely a different environment than we are used to in the desert. The trees, grass and lake certainly had a different kind of beauty to them this time and I think Chris and I both appreciate "green" a little more than we used. Clearly, my allergies agreed as they flared up upon arrival. The farm is always a guaranteed good time of baggo, fishing, hitting golf balls, playing cards and drinking a few beers!

Officially Mobile!

Savannah has been close to crawling for a few weeks now but today was her first day actually crawling! She tried yesterday at the farm, but only moved one knee, today at my mom and dad's she figured it out. She is very slow and purposeful but you can tell with time she is going to be off and running!

St. Louis Zoo and Memorial Day BBQ

Today we went to the St. Louis Zoo with Grandpop and Aunt Kasey! This was Savannah's first zoo trip and she seemed to really enjoy being

able to see the animals. We tried to stick with animals that you could get pretty close to and that are large in size. We went to the elephant house, the monkey house, the penguins, the bears and the Children's Zoo. Inside the Children's Zoo, Savannah got to pet her first goat. The St. Louis Zoo is a place that again Chris and I grew up going to so it is fun 30-some years later to take our daughter! Despite the zoo being very, very crowded on a holiday weekend we had a fantastic time! After the zoo, we went to Vickie's friend, Jean's, house for a Memorial Day Weekend BBQ! Jean has two granddaughters so Savannah had lots of new toys and friends

to play with!

And the Goodbyes Begin...

Sadly, the "good-byes" have begun. Today, my Nana headed back to her home in Florida. It was amazing that she came all the way to St. Louis (by herself...at age 89) to see Savannah, Chris and I. What a dedicated and loving Great-Nana!! Although, she ended up having quite the trip home, including a tornado warning in the airport and spending the night in the Atlanta airport I believe she had a wonderful week and is looking forward to our next trip home.

Butterfly House

Today we went with my Mom, Dad and Nana to the Butterfly House. The Butterfly House is an 8,000 square foot glass conservatory. Inside, the conservatory the butterflies are free to fly as they please. Sometimes they will even land on you. The yellow and black butterflies must have been a fan of my lotion because they kept landing on my feet and legs.

You are also surrounded by beautiful exotic plants and flowers. Outside the Butterfly House you can also visit St. Louis Carousel and park. The Carousel has over 60 hand carved horses and deer. Of course, before we left we had to stop at the playground to swing and Savannah also fed the resident ducks. Today was extra fun because growing up, I remember going to the Butterfly House and Carousel, usually when my Nana and Gramps were in town so it was fun to see my Nana with her great-granddaughter.