Whew, what a month we have had! Be prepared for a picture filled blog post covering a camping trip with friends, a weekend in St. Louis with family, and a trip down to southern Illinois with my best friends. May was not shy in the memory department!
First up is our camping trip in Pyramid State Park with Brian and Mara. This is the second time we've camped down there with them and I'm already looking forward to doing it again. Saturday was a bit rainy and overcast but we made the most of it with a little fishing/hiking in the morning. Eric and I were unsuccessful in the fishing department, but both Brian and Mara caught fish that day.
It was back to camp for lunch and little nap, and then we were back at it again with a little drinking in Murphysboro, a trip to the spillway, and a pre-dinner snack at Crazy Joe's Fish Shack. I had been to the spillway once before when Eric graduated from Carbondale, but the water was running too much that day to actually climb up it. The water was running when we got there this time, but not enough to stop us from climbing up to the top.
That night we started dinner way too late and ended up eating in the rain that our phones said we weren't going to get. And instead of cooking breakfast the next morning, we might have stopped at a place Eric and I used to visit when we lived in Pinckneyville- The Dixie Cup Cafe. It was just like I remembered, not the best food you'll ever eat, but super cheap and a lot of it. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm already looking forward to another camping trip with those guys.
Last weekend we packed up our van yet again, but this time with Brady and Ashley in tow! We met Erin and Chad, and Nichole, Connor, Grant and Emily in St. Louis for a fun weekend at the zoo and aquarium.
We got to the zoo right when it opened, which was great for some cooler weather and smaller crowds, but not great to see the animals. We walked through River's Edge first, but absolutely none of the animals were out yet, which was a big bummer. So after that we went to the dinosaur exhibit, where we knew the animals would be out (ha!). Brady ate this part up. Ashley was pretty attached to me, but seemed to enjoy it.
Overall, the day was a success! We did get to see plenty of animals, and favorites were some fish for Brayden and the giraffes for Ashley.
We rode the carousal, which I can't decide if it was a flop or not. Brayden would NOT get on any of the animals, so I had to hold him to entire time. Ashley got on an animal and let Connor hold her hand, but showed no emotion the entire ride. At least they didn't cry I guess?
By the end of the day, we were all pooped, and Brayden and Ashley were asleep before we even left the park. It was back to the house for a nice long nap.
After naps we hunted down a park to take the kids to. Brady showed us his love for a good stick, and Ashley enjoyed sitting in the shade. Emily and Grant had fun on all of the equipment though!
Sunday morning we packed up, but made a stop at the aquarium before heading home. Neither of my children were in the best mood this day- I think that they were both still so tired from the full day before. (And I think they were both already cutting some extra teeth that I noticed a few days later.)
Brayden loved seeing all the fish, and Ashley really enjoyed playing in the water and watching the stingrays.
We even rode the big ferris wheel before we left. Standing in line waiting to get on, I was sure that it was going to be a disaster- we had two tired, cranky children on our hands. But once in our car, they did both seem to enjoy it and loved looked out the window.
It was a full weekend of family and fun, and even though the kids were a little cranky at times, I'm already looking forward to getting together with their cousins again and having another adventure!
And then this past weekend I left the babies with Eric and headed down to southern Illinois with my three best friends from high school. We might not get together near as much as we want to, but when we do, it's like we haven't missed a beat. I am blessed beyond measure to have had these girls with me through thick and thin.
Friday we kicked off our trip with the Shawnee Hill Wine Trail! The weather was a little chilly and wet, but we made the most of it.
Saturday we headed to Garden of the Gods and hiked to Camel Rock. We did lots of exploring and climbing all over all the rock formations in the area, and I will admit that I am the scaredy-cat of the group (I'm blaming it on being pregnant ha!).
We enjoyed the views from our own private rock we found.
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