DORA LIVE!

"Come on Vamonos, everybody let's go!"

Who would have thought we would be seeing Dora Live at the fabulous FOX theater?? A couple of years ago we had season tickets to the Broadway shows at the FOX theater and absolutely loved it. This year was a little different with about a zillion kids packing the seats anxiously awaiting for DORA!! Jon and I were surprised at what a great show she put on! She actually kept little Ava engaged the whole time. Emma was on her feet dancing to the songs and waving her Star wand....so adorable!!! It was so much fun to see them having a ball and definitely worth the money. Diego and Baby Jaguar made a guest appearance that really got everyone pumped!! So if you have Dora lovers in the house, make it a point to see Dora Live if possible. It really is an amazing show!!!

Wills Family Vacation!!

"No shoes, no shirt, no problem!" That is if you live in Lesterville, MO. As we arrived at the Bear Cat Lodge in Lesterville, MO for the second annual Wills family vacation we had a big laugh! All the men we encountered were extremely nice but no one happened to be wearing a shirt and a few were missing some teeth! It was hard not to compare to last years vacation in the beautiful mountains of Arkansas with fog lifting out of the cliffs right outside our cabin. However, the whole point of our vacation is getting to spend quality time with each other and that we did! We had a fabulous hot tub right outside our door and our cabin was set up on a very steep hill with nothing but beautiful trees and the relaxing peace and quiet of the wilderness. It was so wonderful to be with family and catch up with everyone. We loved seeing the kids play and G-ma Nancy and Papa Charles had an awesome picnic table just for the kiddos. Each family took responsibility for cooking a breakfast and dinner and had a great time creating their meal. We especially enjoyed Uncle Bob's cucumber & cilantro salad creation.....yummo yummo!

We had a crazy rafting trip with lightening and tons of rain and memories made we will never forget! Thanks Chelsea, Dwayne, Jon and Lori for those strong arms that rowed us to safety!! Good Job Uncle Bob and Joey getting your metal canoe out of the water just in time! It was fun playing crochet and cards with everyone. Thanks to all who helped Emma learn the game "go fish". Our last evening we enjoyed a campfire with smores....extra yum and watching Dirty Dancing with Macey and Chelsea. Fun to see them enjoy a movie from back in our day. Thanks again G-ma Nancy and Papa Charles for a wonderful vacation and memories to last a lifetime! We Love You!!

The Windy City!

We had a blast in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend! Emma and Ava enjoyed a visit to the American Girl Doll store and the big Bean. Mom and Dad enjoyed the fabulous shopping and amazing food! We celebrated mom's b-day with brunch at Frontera Grill by Rick Bayless. It was fantastic and definitely worth standing in line at 10:20 am to get in! Rick Bayless is a famous mexican chef and dad's idol :) The girls first stay in a hotel was awesome. They enjoyed the view of Lake Michigan and all the boats!! We also traveled further north to Milwaukee to visit our friends the McAvoys. It's been almost 2yrs since our families have been together and we had a wonderful time!

New Orleans, no kiddos!!

We enjoyed a weekend away without the girls in New Orleans!! Jon had a conference that allowed plenty of rest and relaxation time which is exactly what we needed. It was our first trip away without Emma and Ava but we had no worries! Gma Lor Lor and Baby Jim flew in from Phoenix to take care of the girls and get some one on one time!! Everyone had a fun weekend. Thank you again G-ma and G-pa......you're the BEST!!

Lemonade 10 Cents, Cookies Free!!

We had our annual neighborhood garage sale the beginning of May. It was a great way to get rid of things we don't need or want and make a little cash$$ Emma also decided to make some cash by having her very first lemonade stand! Emma decided to sell her lemonade for 10 cents and cookies were free!! She had a blast chasing down the neighborhood kids to see if they would like some of her delicious lemonade and yummy cookies!!

The Big D!!

It's been almost 2yrs since our last trip to Dallas, so we decided it was definitely time to visit and bring our girls along! Emma and Ava were awesome travelers and excited for a "road trip". Emma kept saying "are we in Texas yet mom?", " i don't see Texas?"....too cute. We started our visit in Sherman with our friends Josh, Krisha and adorable Shepherd Grace! The girls enjoyed playing in their beautiful backyard and the mom's attempted a shopping trip with 3 girls......which ended quickly. My how times have changed when we used to shop all day long without a care in the world! Any visit to Sherman, TX is not complete without a trip to City Limits, where the best and might I add potent "margarita, aka dennyrita" can be found. The kids had fun playing in the dirt by the outdoor tables. Perfect fun for 1 and 2 yr old girls. Thanks Josh and Krisha for the fun times.

We then traveled to Dallas and met up with mom's friends from her first job as a nurse at Baylor Medical Center. We enjoyed an outdoor barn playground at Central Market while mom was able to catch up with Lorrie and Tempy. It was so fun to visit since we have not seen each other for years!

After Central Market, we headed to the airport to pick up dad and then off to Uptown to see Josh
and LE. We had fun driving by and checking out the duplex mom and dad lived in when they were first married. Then off to Taco Diner for dinner and happy hour drinks. It was an evening full of awesome mexican food, michelada's, margaritas, and great friends! Thanks to everyone for coming out and helping entertain the girls!!

Josh and LE were wonderful hosts and made delicious breakfast tacos the next morning. We then headed out to visit Alisa and Ben and check out their new house. It is awesome and Ben has done an amazing job building a new deck. He put it to good use that evening as they hosted a BBQ for everyone. Thanks for a fabulous evening with the best friends ever and awesome food!

The next day was full of more fun as we visited the Johnson family and were able to meet baby Javier for the first time. The girls enjoyed playing with his toys and giving him many kisses. It was fun to visit with Melissa and Fred and catch up on old times. We were then off for a stay with the Watson's. Jill and Ray just built a beautiful new home and it was so awesome to see. Jordan and Jake had so many fun toys to play with, but I think the most fun was had outside with their roller coaster ride! We enjoyed a fun afternoon the next day at an indoor playground called Bonkers. Emma can't stop talking about it!! Thanks Jill and Ray for a wonderful visit!!

The girls were awesome travelers on our 13 hr road trip home to St Louis! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect trip back to the Big D!! Thanks again to all our amazing friends for making our trip so special!! WE MISS YOU!!

Happy Easter!

We had such a fun Easter this year! Dad was off all week. We enjoyed decorating eggs, and an Easter Egg hunt with our friends Mattie and Peyton in Francis Park. Grandma Nancy made our beautiful Easter dresses this year. Thanks G-ma! Emma loves to dance in her "pink dress".