We are looking forward to another year and hope 2018 is a healthy and happy one for all of us. You have definitely changed in a years time, and keep the parenting surprises to a very minimum. Thank you for that. It makes it very easy to spoil you, so I'm hoping we are setting you up for some sort of success!
Looking back and asking you to recall some of your favorites from last year lasted all of 2 minutes before you were recalling favorites from other years past! Yes, the canoe trip with my cousins left a lasting impression on the both of you, but you had some other firsts with your cousins.
Kansas City Steeler game
Not sure what the highlight was, the Steelers winning, or you in the moment? You were absorbing every play, questioning every call, and not wanting to take your eyes off of the field. That made the game special. The weather and close parking spot complete with a more than ideal tailgating spot was pretty dang near perfect.
Remember when I made you get out of the van to go and see the Steeler players boarding their bus for the game? Remember when we were entering the parking lot and the players’ bus was escorted with the motorcycle police...or when you saw other Steeler fans tailgating and we dared you to yell go Steelers out the window?
Aquarium
Remember when you were brave enough to ask the worker to help you catch the shrimp so you could touch it? Remember when you got to pick out your stuffed animals from the gift shop? Rememer that the sea turtle had one leg shorter than the other one? Remember when we rode the shuttle to find a restaurant to see that so were hundreds of other people and we managed to get a huge amount of food from Bar Louie’s and dad’s appetizer was soooo big.
Buster
Once again this dog has brought so much laughter to our house and has joined the cuddle club! He’s pretty helpful waking you guys up in the morning with a couple licks on the face. He doesn’t have much slobber, thank goodness!
Who knew he was going to be such a good dog for our family. I wasn’t sure.
Remember when he let you walk him on a leash but he wouldn’t get in our van? Remember when he came to check you out as soon as he saw you petting his friend?
Six Flags
This trip had you wanting to go back for more! Cross our fingers you will get to go to an amusement park this summer in either St. Louis or Pennsylvania. I don’t think your dad and I have in us to go to Cedar Pointe again, that’s what we will leave at “before kids” and hopefully it will fly! Let’s shoot for the Grand Canyon or NYC instead.
You were willing to try anything, well anything that Caleb would do with you! Julia, something about you and face painting, tattoos or makeup. Is this a sign of what you’ll be into when you are eighteen?
I think you are ready for a new stop in case it’s 100 degrees in STL this summer! City Museum is calling my name, that is with a couple willing cousins to tag along!
We didn’t make it to any concerts this year, or out to Pennsylvania, but I have a feeling we will make that up this spring/summer. Hoping for a healthy school year so we can skip school in May before it gets too hot!
Alice Avenue
This spot is still one of my favorites. Aside from its 3 star charm and craftsmanship, it boasts a lot of opportunity to be outdoors and not be so cramped indoors.This spring, your dad and I had many dates on the pond in a paddle boat attempting to boost its rating for charm and “lakeside” view! It actually helped, too!
The property keeps getting better. Who would have guessed that we’d be getting new neighbors in a years time. Not to mention neighbors that bring two more children your age. Now I’d say that’s worth a couple thousand dollars off the price of the house!
All in all this location has given us more experiences that we might not have experienced otherwise, if we were across town on a busy street. It promotes family visits, impromptu gatherings on the deck, movie nights, your first friend sleepover, a teeny tiny hill to sled down, breathtaking sunsets, one of our first real firework shows and hopefully not the last, summer days and fall afternoons to get lost out in nature, and so much that is waiting to unravel.
Your dad has done so much to make it better, all out of love for you both. I’m so glad we had a chance to enjoy it this year and look forward to many more!
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