Our Great Expectations: August

So, in the month of August I took over 1000 photos. I chose to share with you 111. If I would have gone through them as meticulously as normal, taken the time to crop, color correct, etc. and resize and sharpen for the web (I did resize and sharpen but by batching), it probably would have taken me 3-4 hours for this one post. So far, selecting, resizing and posting will take me an hour, or so. Please don't think less of me...

With the intention of posting quickly (6 months later), I even shot in jpeg rather than my normal format which REQUIRES me to do some editing before even thinking of posting.

Anyway, no more excuses for myself. On to a WHOLE MONTH with family!!!!

We started out in Kansas City with Union Station and the trains (of course!!).

We immensely enjoyed our time with Aunt Rachel, as well as Mimi and Aunt Tinney.

Aunt Tinney chasing Aaron...

Mimi chasing Delaney.

Lake time!!! It was 100 degrees when we arrived.

Outside time with Aunt Kami and Noah and our new cousin Charlotte.

Then on to Deanna Rose.

Good thing they had water spouting. It was very hot and this was a welcome surprise!

Kansas City has a new aquarium and a Legoland. So we had an entire day of fun downtown.

This darn thing!! I can't imagine how Aaron is sitting on it. I hit my head on it's snout (?) and had a bruise on my head for weeks. And I cried.

Mimi bought all the boys a little Lego Cars car to put together. Aaron's first real Lego!

While Delaney and Charlotte enjoyed time together.

Then we made it to St. Louis. Grandma and Grandpa had come into a bike perfect size for Aaron. Let's just say he LOVED it and got tons of use out of it the two weeks we were there.

And Delaney got a new baby and a stroller. She named her baby Pinto.

See the monster we've created? This was only the beginning. I can't even tell you how many miles he's put on this bike let alone his own bike here.

Then we went to the zoo. This was before we realized he wasn't supposed to climb on the sculpture.

And they have a new sea lion exhibit. We didn't actually even see the exhibit, we only saw the show.

Mommy playing with her silly lens.

Lots of park time.

Aaron playing with a stroller from when I was a kid.

We paid a visit to the transportation museum.

I think Delaney wanted to help clean.

Then it was Purina Farms. I hadn't been here in ages!!!

Aaron got to help milk a cow.

And then we got to see a dog show.

Good thing Aunt Dana didn't mind climbing through these tunnels. Not sure if Delaney would have found her way out the other end.

Last thing of the day was a tractor ride around the grounds with our friends Anna and Eleanor.

That night we went to Delaney's first baseball game!! Aunt Dana really wanted to gift the kids with their own Cardinal's build-a-bears.

The next day we went to Grant's Farm. Also hadn't been here in ages!! We got to see lots of animals while we were in St. Louis this time around!!

Got to see a bird show.

And feed a camel.

And eat fun food!!

And drink free beer. :)

We also had a lot of downtime when it was nice out in the evenings.

More park time with Anna and Eleanor. I got to see lots of friends. Normally I spent time trying to see aunts and uncles and such, but this time my focus was friends because I rarely get to see them enough. I got to see my best friends twice each. It was awesome!

Me and the kids with Grandpa and Nellie.

And Delaney and the two women she looks like most.

Then it was time to go back to Kansas City. We met up with Kami, Preston and the KIDS (I'm so used to saying "the boys"!) so I could take one picture for them.