Zoo Time

We spent Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo with Uncle Adam and Aunt Erin and Mamaw and Papaw. Here are some of our favorite moments for the day...

The great thing about this zoo are the live animals all around. The kids and daddy loved playing with these tortoises.

Tate said this statue was like "me and daddy"...

This is one of my favorite pics. Tate walked up to this gator and decided he would put himself in his jaws. Too funny!!!

And of course, Lily needed a moment with her Aunt Erin...

The greatest part of the whole day was definitely in the manatee tank. It happened to be feeding time!!! So the kids were able to watch the scuba divers feed and clean their tanks.

The first thing Tate said to this lady was "Hey...isn't he supposed to be sleeping?" Leave it to my brilliant six year old to know that owls are nocturnal...

We missed the giraffe feeding, but the kids loved how close they could get to them.

And of course mom and dad have to have their moment with the elephants...

Of course, a 12 hour day at Kings Island and a napless day at the zoo, does leave us a little unpleasant at times...

But, all in all, it was an awesome day with our wonderful family.

48 inches...

Last summer we weren't quite there...

We begged and even cried some...

But it didn't really get us anywhere...

The sign says..."You must be 48 inches to ride this ride"

So "ride" we did. Tate finally reached that magical marker...the stepping stone of all amusement park visitors...the coveted 48 inch mark that said "I'm a big boy and I wanna ride THAT!!!"

I have to admit I was pretty shocked that he wanted to ride them all, but there was no persuading on my part. He was going to conquer THE BEAST.

He even threw in the Vortex for good measure, and for those of you that don't know...this is a full-fledged loopdy loop, only for your real thrillseeking roller coaster ride. And man, did he love it!!

What is an amusement park without good friends??

We recruited Meyer, Brooke and Tanner, as well as our faithful Virg to join us for 12 hours of Kings Island excitement.

We waterparked, ice creamed, roller coastered, and fireworked.

And at the end of the night, while the kids fell asleep in my lap in the car, my heart was swelling with pure love and joy from a wonderful day together.

Special Note to my faithful blog reader, Virg, who will also now be referred to as "Tate's trusty roller coaster sidekick". Thanks for making memories for my little guy. As you could see on his face, it meant the world to him.

Beach Bums

There are not many places that are "real" to me. Of course, I have my favorite destinations, but there are few places that I feel "swell my soul". Wilmington, NC just happens to be one of that for me. I don't know exactly what it is. I know the people that live there have something to do with it since the Khourys are one of my favorite families, but its more than that. It only takes me a deep, cleansing breath on the riverwalk to cleanse my soul and bring me to a place of pure serenity. I love shopping at Cotton Exchange, pineapple salsa from Flaming Amy's, and watching my favorite fishermen from the dock at JoJo's...not to mention the awesome fish tacos from K38. I just gotta say...I love every square inch of that place...the sights, sounds, smells...just love it!!!

Its been a few years since we have been able to go, so we decided there was no better way to celebrate Nonny's 30th birthday than to take her to the beach.

And what better gift could I give her then my most special place on this earth...

The Khourys/Hurleys were our gracious hosts and what hosts they were...

We enjoyed a shrimp boil at JoJo's, bocchi ball at Wrightsville beach, and a Dave Matthews cover band on the pier. What more could you ask for???

So...happy birthday Nonny and thank you Khoury/Hurley gang. I found my soul somewhere near the ice cream shop. Looking forward to next time...

Happy Birthday Bobo

When we were younger, our parents let us pick the place we wanted to eat for our birthday dinner. This was always excrutiating because the boys would always pick Chuck E Cheese or Arbys. Gotta love it!

I remember one year Rusty decided to branch out and go to Red Lobster. I think he had watched a commercial and thought it looked like a fun place. I will never forget the look on my father's face when he ordered lobster!!!! It was second only to the look that Rusty gave the waiter when he delivered his lobster and Rusty realized that it was an actual living thing at one time. He was traumatized and I think dad finished the lobster for him since he decided it was "cruel" to eat it.

Tonight, we drove to Knoxville to meet the new Willemsens for the first time since the wedding. The kids were super excited to celebrate Bobo's birthday. It was a special treat because RobBob actually let the birthday boy pick the venue for his birthday celebration. No...not Red Lobster...CARRABBAS (and of course some birthday ice cream afterwards). Below are some pics (Note Lily girl's cute new hair cut)...

Happy Birthday Bobo! And as Tate would say, "You're my MAN OF MANS!!!"

In the Meantime...

That's it! A day of blogging and we're officially caught up! Read the posts below to see what we've been up to. For an appetizer, here's some other events from April and May celebrating friends, both new and old...

The Mlinarichs come to visit from Michigan and we have a "Make Your Own Pizza Party" with the kids. Amazing that I have enough aprons for everyone.



My first CHS prom at the Fillauer Mansion. Here is a pic of me and my AP, Lisa...a wonderful new friend of mine.

Of course, we must celebrate the birthdays of our friends, IMOM and DDK.

And my first CHS graduation, what a thrill! Below is a pic of Zach, who I have known since he was a little boy.

It sure has been an exciting and busy spring (read below if you need every detail). Looking forward to a summer filled with getting the house settled, family golf and some weekend water getaways.

What a beautiful life we live...

Mr. and Mrs. Igglers

I have pressed the "backspace" button several times over the past few weeks as I've tried to write this post. And, of course, every other day, I would receive my reminder, "UPDATE THE BLOG". It usually came from the newlyweds in central Tennessee. So, here goes...

Recently, my mother sent me a copy of a letter I had sent to my baby brother. It was written over 12 years ago while I was trying to start my career and he was trying to complete high school. An excerpt is below:

"I'm so proud of the guy that you have become. You have come so far in bball, etc...and I know that as long as you put your mind to it, you will go far."

The letter is written on Winnie the Pooh stationary and signed with a heart symbol and my name. It is amazing that it was written 12 years ago when things were incredibly different, but they seem all too familiar at the same time. Nothing brings me more joy and pride than the picture below...

And how about that photographer catching me and my sweetie in the act???

To see that brother of mine marry that girl brought me to a place of pure bliss. She is a perfect piece that he has been missing for years. To feel their joy and sense the comfort of their love is so refreshing and sweet, it made everyone want to celebrate...and celebrate we did. On May 8th, we gathered in Lebanon, TN to celebrate the union of two of my favorite people. Normally, folks would say "the pictures don't do it justice", but in this case, thanks to a very talented photographer, I think they do.
One of the beautiful parts of the day were the kids. Bobo and Iggs in their truest form, found a way to include all of the nephews and Lily and boy they sure did not disappoint.

My sweet nephew Jaxson charmed the ladies with that intense gaze...

Speaking of intense, this is probably my favorite picture from the whole day. It reminds me of a time in church when I bribed my brother, Tony, with jelly beans in order to behave. Whatever Lily was saying, it worked.

And the crowning moment when the doors opened and the trumpets sounded (and we all held our breath)...

After the 3 little angels walked down the aisle, the doors opened again and there she stood (and yes, I think she looks like an angel too)...

And then there was a moment I will forever cherish. My son stood before a congregation of over 200 people and read I Corinthians. I was so proud of him and couldn't help to be reminded of that excerpt from the letter..."put your mind to it. You will go far." Reminds me of another little red-headed guy from years ago...

Once all of the formalities were over, we headed to the reception for some true celebrating. Here is a pic of the mother of the bride and her girl taking a well-deserved rest...

And of course there wasn't a dry eye in the place as daddies danced with their girls to "Butterfly Kisses".

And check out that grandpa of mine and Aunt Peg breaking it down Mooney style. Gotta love those moves...

We danced until we couldn't dance anymore...

and we sent them on their way to "put their minds to it and go far" (with a brief stop in Jamaica, of course). Congratulations Bobo and Iggs! Enjoy a beautiful life together!

The Texas Ranger and His Beautiful Ballerina...

And so it begins...

Bleacher Sittin'

Ball Hittin'

Sunflower Spittin'

Not to be compared to the...

Toes Pointed and Whirlin'

Tutu Twirlin'

Swan Lake Swirlin'

There's is no greater feeling than watching your kids do something they love. Well maybe there's one...

This picture melts my heart every time! I would say that Robbie and I are their biggest fans, but I would be lying. I think they are each other's and that warms my heart even more!