Tuesday, April 8, 2008

St. Louis

We packed a lot into our trip to St. Louis. But, I guess you have to when Ryan's vacation days are basically being saved for our adoption trips. But, he did take a half a day and we left after lunch for St. Louis. First, we went to the Magic House. This is St. Louis's children's museum and it is great. Kiara really enjoyed it!
We ate at the Elephant Bar that night. It was good, but it just didn't match up to the first time we ate there. The service wasn't that good and by that time we were all really tired and had a whiney 4 year old with us! The next day, I went to my scrapbooking convention while the rest of the family went to a Cardinals game. I about fainted when Kiara showed me what Ryan bought her at the ball game!!! He bought her a Cardinals Build A Bear!!! For those of you who don't know my husband, he is a HUGE Cubs fan!!
So, while they were at the game I shopped until I dropped! I did take one class, which was a lot of fun, but went way too fast. So, I just finished up the pages when I got home. I learned a few new things, like how to make button flowers!That evening we went to the St. Louis Mills mall, which is really nice. It has a lot to do for kids. It has a carousel, train, play area, minature golf, and a couple of arcades. It also has the NASCAR Speedway, which Ryan and Kiara tried out.The room we stayed in the first night reeked of smoke and there were no other rooms since there were so many scrappers in the hotel, so the second night we stayed in the city. So, for our last day we went to the Zoo. It is a great zoo, especially since it is FREE!! You pay $10 to park unless you find a place on the street. You pay extra to go to the children's zoo area, which I would not recommend, there wasn't a whole lot there. There is a goat pen, where a goat took my map out of my back pocket and proceeded to EAT it!! I don't think I will be going anywhere near a goat for awhile! You also have to pay to ride the train, but at the end of our day someone stopped us and gave us train tickets they weren't going to use! What a blessing!
After the zoo, we made a stop at PF Chang's and were on our way home! PF Chang's was great as always. I get to go back in a couple of weeks because Kiara and I are flying to Phoenix and leaving from St. Louis. I recently discovered a friend in this Uzbek adoption journey lives in this area and I will be meeting her and her new son before we fly out. I am so excited!! St. Louis is a great place to go with kids. There is a lot more I would like to go back and do.

6 comments:

Dani said...

Looks and sounds like you had a great time. Your daughter is beautiful and very photographic. And damn girl if that very pretty woman in the pictures is you, you don't need to lose an ounce!

Tammie said...

Gosh Nichole. Your little Kiara looks just like her Daddy........Glad y'all got to have a little family vacation! Looks like y'all had fun!

Ute said...

Sounds and looks like you had a great time - you deserve it! How about some vacation in New Mexico - it is on the way to Phoenix, hint, hint, hint.

Kiara is a very good looking young lady:) and so is her mother:)

Nichole said...

Dani, you are very kind. I still have baby weight to get off from having Kiara. I don't mind my weight right now, but it is at the point if I gain a few pounds I feel like a heffer and my clothes don't feel right. I would like to have a little bit of a buffer in case I gain a few pounds!

Nichole said...

Tammie, it is unbelievable how much a like they look! You should have seen her when she was born, she was his spitting image. There is a picture from vacation that I didn't post that they look even more alike.

Ute, I wish I had time to make a trip to NM while I am in AZ, but it s a quick trip. But, if you have the urge to come on over to Phoenix, I am sure I could meet up with you somwhere! ;) If only it was that easy.

Ute said...

Nichole, when are you going to Phonex?Maybe when can work something out?