Meet the Machines...

Going into Friday of this weekend we had zero plans...which is a good thing!  That meant we got to do whatever we felt like and weren't held to a specific time schedule.   Friends of ours suggested "Meet the Machines," a festival of large construction equipment...perfect for a family of all 3 boys! 

They were expecting 10,000 people this year, so we had to park quite a ways away and dad was nice enough to pull the wagon...

We finally arrived....and the boys were very excited...

The first 2,000 kids got a free hard hat...

The first thing we saw was the Mack truck...

Then we moved on...

And up...this is Jay and Coleman on top of a high scaffolding...

There was one "ride" there and, of course, Coleman wanted to ride (despite the incredibly long line in almost 90 degree heat)...

While we waited in line for the ride, we did have some entertainment from Louie the Bear...

Cooper and Cal were not so entertained by him...more like lip-quivering scared (notice they're not looking at the camera?  Because they would not take their eyes off him for even a second.) 

But they found some entertainment of their own...rocks!  

There are a million fun things to look at and they want to play with rocks....

And here is Cooper coming to show me his...lord, I'm really trying to understand boys!  

Then something else grabbed our attention...the St. Louis Police Helicopter began to circle the crowd...

And landed right next to the building in front of us...

And finally, we were at the front of the line...

While I stayed back with Cooper and Cal, Jay, Grandma Murch and Coleman got suited up...

And up they went...

As we watched them climb higher...

Very high...

Then after a bit more play...

We needed some lunch (a favorite in the Murchison household these days)...hot dogs! 

After a much needed night of sleep, we woke up and made a yummy apple cinnamon pancakes for  breakfast...

And goofed around with Dad...

Then we went to meet our cousins.  Beckett...

Ben...

And Cohen...

 We met them for, what I thought was, a "big truck" show...turns out I mistakenly looked at the calendar of events wrong and the venue was actually having a "old car" show instead.  (Let's just say, not the best place for kids.)  Handprints on finely polished cars are not liked by owners!

So we got popcorn and stayed for about 30 minutes...

 Plan B...another picnic...

After lunch and a little play, we called it a day due to the heat...

This weekend was nice and although we didn't initially have much planned we managed, as usual, to pack things in.

June is right around the corner and we have so many fun things to look forward to...can't wait to continue making memories of us!

Until we meet again...

A Happy Mother's Day...

This weekend was Mother's Day weekend, and I always love this weekend because I usually get a little pampered and the freedom to do whatever I want.   This year I just wanted to spend time with family and friends...so that exactly what I did! 

It started with my husband (err...I mean my kids) sending me flowers to work... 

And although the card was poorly typed and the boys' names were spelled incorrectly (notice I named my child "Copper"), I thought it was very sweet..

On Friday nights I really don't like to cook, so we generally go out.  Usually it's Mexican night, but this night we opted for something different and it worked out well.  

Gramdpa joined us and the boys loved it... 

And provided some entertainment with his hat...

 And then I pulled out my "bag of tricks" to keep them calm while we waited for the food...

We enjoyed a good dinner and the boys tried Toasted Ravioli for the first time...

And the waiter was nice enough to bring the boys ice cream.  They're starting to get really good with a spoon...

Notice there are no pictures of Coleman, because the kid doesn't like ice cream!  I know, Cooper, I don't understand it either...

I'm honored to be a bridesmaid in Allyson's (my girlfriend from college) upcoming Wedding.   

On Saturday we celebrated by throwing her a shower at a nearby pottery painting shop.   What a great idea!   We all painted tiles that will be mounted around the edges of a mirror that she can keep forever.   I've got to be honest, we have some real talent amongst our friends...

I remember when Jay and I got married (almost 5 years ago!)...it was fun to get all new things for the house and start building our "home" together...so happy for you Ally! 

The whole group...

And just the bridesmaids...

I have three girlfriends that are pregnant right now...and I just can't wait until all of these babies arrive!  Here are Robin and Laura..aren't they the cutest?  

 While I was at the shower, Jay and the boys took advantage of the mild spring day in the Lou and played outside on the playset... 

Their cousin Merrick came over to play...

And Jay pushed them so many times in a circle that when Merrick got off, he was so dizzy that he fell flat on his face.  Hilarious.  Funny thing is, he got right back on and wanted more...

Cooper and Cal are getting so good at swinging on their own...

 That night, I went to spend some well overdue time with my family.  You see, my first cousin, Ali was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 31.  It was stage 2 and very curable and this week she started Chemotherapy.  Unfortunately the doctor told her she would, in fact, lose her hair...

So we all got together to support her while she bravely took the plunge to get used to a shorter look...

and my sister Stefanie, who has a salon in her basement, created a lovely style for her..

 Then, we finished the night with some good wine, food, and laughs together....

The next morning was Mother's day and it was such a beautiful day with sunny and 70 degree weather...we couldn't have asked for a better day!

So we ventured out with a picnic full of goodies for the kids and headed to a STL favorite market to get the adults some gourmet sandwiches for lunch. Coleman got a kick out of the giant pig out front...

We were lucky enough to land a picnic bench in the shade right next to the playground.  So after lunch the boys were ready to play.  Ready, set...go!

Nana and Grandma Murch came along to play...notice Nana's hand coming through the slide? 

No wait, that's not Nana...that's the "Tickle Monster"!  They boys got it good...and I can still the hear the echo of their belly laugh in my mind...

Then everyone had suckers...

Then we rode the carousel...this is them waiting with a look of true excitement and amazement...

Coleman decided he didn't want to ride the horses, so he hopped in the sled...

And afterwards, Nana spoiled each one of them with a balloon each...

And they provided lots of fun, even after we left the park...

Needless to say, they fell right asleep on the car ride home.  Once we got home and napped, they were ready to go again...so they played in the sandbox... 

While daddy grilled...

For all of you Mother's out there...parenting is surely a thankless job, but at least there is one weekend per year where we get reminded of our sacrifices.   

Happy Mother's day to you all!