Butterfly House

Despite the fact that it is technically spring, winter has decided to set up shop and stay in town a bit longer. I am so sick and tired of cold weather!! It is about 20 degrees today, gag. I am longing for warm weather and sunshiny days. I decided we needed a trip to the tropics so after donning our winter coats, we headed out to the Butterfly House where we could pretend we were somewhere toasty and beautiful, even if it were only temporary.

The Butterfly House is another wonderful local attraction in our city. It is literally a house full of butterflies, about 3,000 at any given time. As you enter the house you are greeted by not only warm and humid temps, but your senses are overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding you. Butterflies of all shapes and sizes and colors flutter around you. Tropical flowers adorn the entire facility and gentle waterfalls can be heard in the background. It is a truly magnificent experience. In addition to the actual butterfly house you can also view a variety of insects such as hissing cockroaches and millipedes and other creepy crawlies that freak me out, but totally entertain my boys. It is an afternoon well spent! Enjoy the beautiful pictures!

This is one of the 250 birthday cakes throughout the city in honor of our 250th birthday. 

Blue Morpho on a flower.

I don't know this species, but its markings were gorgeous.

Do you see the blue butterfly in flight?

Blue Morpho Butterfly

I love this little waterfall!

Another Blue Morpho Butterfly, I love her colors!

These are all Blue Morphos inside a little tree "cave". 

A Blue Morpho with his wings closed. 

Enjoying a lunch of rotting fruit, yum?!

See if you can click on this picture to make it bigger, the details on the wings are amazing.

Hibiscus Flower

No clue what this flower is, but it is so pretty!

Please do not copy or use my photos, thank you!

With a Chick Chick Here and a Chick Chick There

It's a girl! Times six! We are official chicken owners as of yesterday afternoon. If you had asked me 15 years ago what I would be doing with my life I can say with certainty that playing chicken farmer was NOT on that list! How things have changed.

Our friend, Greg, lives on three acres not too far from us. He enjoys wildlife and is a country boy at heart. He approached us a few weeks ago, asking if we'd like to get some baby chicks. We'll keep them in our home in a brooder until they are ready for the coop he is making (which is quite the coop!). We have six chicks here and our other family friends have six more chicks. Together we'll have 12 chickens to lay eggs. You know my stance on animals therefore none of these babies will ever been harmed or used for meat. They will live a long, happy life eating an all natural diet and will have access to sunlight and clean water and they'll be free to roam when they want and of course they have access to lots of love (hehe!). Yes, I realize how hippie that sounds, but if you have no idea of the horrid conditions chickens are exposed to in mass farming, please educate your self right away. The deplorable conditions are not only inhumane, but they pose a serious health concern to both the animal and the consumer.

Here are my sweet girls: Shelly, Sandy, Emily, Lola, Hippie Chick and Betty White. Aren't they precious?! They are so sweet and love to play with us. I have a feeling we'll miss these little darlings when they graduate to the coop, but luckily we are close enough that we can visit a few times a week.

Is It Worth It?

It is 11:11pm on a Saturday night. The house is silent and still. I sit here by the glow of the computer going through my paperwork, trying to place 77 preschool students into prospective classes for the upcoming school year. I have already physically worked a 40 hour work week in my early childhood program. As the teacher and director, I work a double load. After my kids go to bed each night I sit up answering emails, writing lessons, going over employee needs, all of the things I couldn't do while teaching. I am tired and wearing thin, yet I love my job. My sweet Alex claimed to have a bellyache earlier so he is sprawled out on the couch next to me. I look at his little face as he slumbers away and I wonder if this is all worth it. Sure, my salary double this year and I've been able to provide my boys with so much more. Yes, I have job security as far as I know. True, I work in a very positive, healthy environment as opposed to what I walked away from. I love my staff, my students, my families and the foundation of what has become in my program. I can say with 99% certainty that I "heart" my job. Yet, I cannot help but wonder if my kids are suffering. They are in school full time now so working makes sense. I miss a lot of special events like last Thursday when Brennan read a petition at the all school Mass. Or the days when they had a noon dismissal and I needed our college aged sitter to get them from school. Part of me thinks, "They love Danielle and had fun, it was ONLY three hours!" The other part of me thinks, "You should be the one they come running to each day, not a babysitter!" I look at Alex's sweet features and wonder if I am screwing up my kids. Is this job and all the work all worth it in the end? One day they will be all grown up and won't need me when they have a bellyache at 10:00pm. That really pulls at my ol' heart strings. How do I know if I am making the "right" choice for my family?

Augusta

I absolutely love the little town of Augusta! I would move there in a heartbeat if we could find the perfect house (and sell ours of course!). In August we took the boys blackberry picking at my favorite local farm, Centennial Farms. Bryan and I made the decision to spend our 10 year wedding anniversary at a bed & breakfast in Augusta complete with plans to hit up all the wineries and breweries as well as explore the stores and shops. Sadly we didn't get the opportunity to do this and we had to cancel the reservations at the B&B. I was so upset, but we had a family obligation that we just couldn't pass. We took the boys apple picking in mid-August at Eckert's. Due to the extreme weather we had this past winter, spring and summer, the apple crops were ready weeks ahead of schedule. When we went apple picking it was really hot so it didn't even feel like the traditional apple picking we usually do each season. The temps have finally cooled a bit and the later blooming apple varieties are still in season so I loaded everyone up and we headed back out to Centennial Farms for some more apple picking!

We pretty much had the farm to ourselves when we arrived. Our first stop was looking at the bee hive inside the old farmhouse. There must have been hundreds of bees hard at work to make honey. There is a little tube outside the house that allows the bees to travel in and out of their nest. We tried to find the queen but there were just too many bees!

Next we headed out to the tractor. We had to wait a few minutes for the tractor, but this neat little tree kept the boys occupied with questions. We found an old rotted apple in the grass next to the Johnny Appleseed tree so Bryan cut it open and Brennan collected the seeds in his pocket. We are going to plant the seed, keep it indoors over the winter and see about planting it in the backyard next to our apple tree.

 The tractor with the hay ride finally arrived so we boarded the wagon and headed off to the apple orchards. What a cute little bunch of apple pickers! Here's a rare shot of me with the boys! I hate having my picture taken, but this was just too fun of a day to stay hidden behind the camera.

The boys were crazy excited to get into the fields and start picking apples. Today we picked Empire, Golden Delicious and Jonathan varieties.

After we picked our apples we headed over to the play land. It was free this weekend, but in two weeks it will be transformed into a pumpkin land. Again, we had the whole play area pretty much to ourselves. The boys had fun going through the mazes, sliding down the slides and climbing the hay bales.

After the played we decided to take a stroll through the town of Augusta. I fell in love with this quaint little B&B! Look at how pretty this little place is! I want to see the inside of this home, I bet it is beautiful!

 The next few pictures are just some random houses around the town of Augusta. I think one of them is another B&B, but I am not positive. I just love how old and beautiful these homes look. This little town is so rich in history and beauty.

Look at this amazing church! It dates back to the 1800's! The structure still looked in great shape after all these years. Alex wanted his picture taken on the steps of the church.

After our little stroll through Augusta we headed back to the car and took a drive through the winding roads. I know many people who hear the word "Missouri" and they snottily turn up their noses at the idea of stepping foot in the state. Who could resist this serene country side view? I would love to live on this farm! These two pictures do not do the land justice! Thank you Augusta for yet another memorable time in your beautiful land! I cannot wait  to return in October when the air is crisper & cooler, the leaves are hues of red, yellow & orange and the pumpkins are ready for picking!

I know my family is awfully good looking, but please do not copy/reprint/reproduce our pictures! Thank you!

Around Town

Believe it or not, my summer is quickly coming to an end. Next week is my last full week of summer vacation, then it is back to school meetings on August 2nd. This summer went by too damn fast for me!! I want to rewind to June and replay my summer in slow motion!

As much as I hate to admit that my summer is slipping away, I cannot help but think about what lies ahead  (it is the teacher in me!). Before we know it, the boys and I will start back to school and our lives will fall into that mundane Monday-Friday schedule. I decided to create family fun weekends around town in an effort to not only break up the busy work/school week, but to also make awesome family memories with the boys.

We are very lucky to live in such a great state. Missouri has so much to see and to explore and many of the attractions are free or low cost. With the boys older, we can drive father distances and they can engage in a lot more than in years past. I cannot wait to start our little "go and see it" activities! So far I have planned:

1. Big Cedar Lodge: We've never been here before, but I seriously cannot wait to get here! There is everything from horseback riding to hiking to campfires to fishing to stargazing. Even if they didn't have a single event available, the pictures alone of this place would have sold me! Several friends have stayed here and said it was worth every penny spent.

2. Elephant Rock State Park: Elephant Rock is part of the Missouri State Parks. I remember going here with my parents when I was a little girl; my brother and I had great fun climbing over and in between these giant boulders. There are trails and hiking, something the boys really enjoy. I want to go here when the leaves are at their peak colors so we can capture some great pictures.

3. Lambert's Cafe: I really want to go here, but I need to call and check about food allergies first. Fingers crossed that we will be able to eat here! This is the famous "home of the throwed rolls" restaurant. Bryan has been here with his family many years ago and would love to return. The menu is a very southern style menu offering massive amounts of food such as fried chicken, BBQ ribs, country ham, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, fried okra and black eyed peas. And of course, throwed rolls!

4. Endangered Wolf Center: Alex is obsessed with wolves and coyotes. I happily discovered the Endangered Wolf Center offers an evening event called "Campfire Wolf Howl". During this time visitors walk 1/2 mile around the center and try to get the wolves to howl back plus you get to hear stories around a campfire. Alex is going to LOVE this, I cannot wait to take him!

5. Apple & Pumpkin Picking: We always visit several farms such as Centennial Farms, Eckert's Stuckmeyer's Farm and Thies Farm. I cannot get enough of the autumn activities so I try to visit as many of these local farms as possible!

6. Haunted Hayride: Eckert's offers a kid friendly haunted hayride on Friday and Saturday nights from mid-September through Halloween. The boys love Halloween so I think they will really like this event.

7. Camping: We try to go camping each year. I am not into camping, in fact I usually only last about 16-20 hours, but I am trying! I like camping at Klondike Park in Augusta because it is close to home so if we need to return it is a quick drive down 94. I love the little trails in Klondikes, we always have great fun exploring. I hope I make it to the 24 hour mark this year!

8. Haunted Alton: OK, this is one a kid-free event! There is a local author named Troy Taylor who has written several books on the history of cities and states. I've read a few of his books and I just love them. I am a history nerd so these books are right up my alley. In addition to history, Troy talks about the local legends of ghosts and hauntings. He offers ghost tours in Alton, IL and I want to go this year! I went on a haunted tour two years ago with some work friends and we had a blast! This time I want to try Troy's tour with a big group of our friends. There is nothing better than starting off the Halloween season with spooks and scares!

I am still working on finding some more fun things to do on our weekends. Luckily Brennan is not playing fall ball so we are not committed to any games or leagues this year. While I never want to wish my summers away, I cannot help but feel a bit excited for what lies ahead of us!!

Blackberry Pickin'

Last week we packed the kids in the car and headed out Highway 94 to beautiful Augusta. It was a hot, sunny summer afternoon, the kind of day where sweat rolls down your back and you've only walked from the house to the car. Despite the heat and humidity we were all excited to get out in the farm fields and get busy picking berries. As we pulled into the gravel lot we were greeted by Suzy the farm dog. Alex didn't care much for her, but Brennan remembered her from past visits and had a great time petting her. Suzy is a big, floppy, lazy farm dog! She gave out lots of sloppy doggy kisses in exchange for lots of ear scratching and belly rubs. I think Brennan would have taken her home if we let him!

The farm owner gave us some plastic baskets and soon we were on our way into the berry patch. These blackberries were huge! The boys were eating straight from the vines. There is something about farm fresh foods! I cannot begin to think of anything better than a fruit or vegetable eaten right off the plant. I finally had to tell the boys no more berries because I was afraid they may get sick. The blackberries were the sweetest I've ever eaten; I couldn't wait to get home and make a cobbler. In time we were all sweaty, sticky messes and our baskets were overflowing with berries so we headed back to the market area.

Inside the market area was sweet corn, ripe peaches, squash, zucchini and potatoes as well as items like relishes, jams and flavored honey. If were were going back home I would have loaded up on farm fresh produce, but I didn't want any of it to get bruised and ruined between our next stop. Luckily Bryan and I are returning in August for our anniversary so I will load up then. Here are some pictures of our afternoon at Centennial Farms. My only regret is I was taking all the pictures and I didn't get a single shot of me and boys together :( Please do not use any of my pictures of my children without permission. Thank you!

This is farm/market place. Look at how old is it!

Brennan & Suzy the farm dog, so sweet!

Brennan picking blackberries.

Alex filling up his basket.

You cannot tell from the pictures, but these berries are HUGE!

Look at the beautiful colors. This is nature at its finest!

This is part of the red barn. The landscaping is really pretty.

Welcome to the town of Augusta! I wish I lived here!