Give Me Five Monday

Becca says, "Give Me Five things you have been busy with in the last 2 weeks since the last GM5!"

1. Ali's 6th birthday, which seemed to last a week. :-) She had her actual birthday on Wednesday and two parties on the weekend. Crazy busy!

2. I took Josh to meet with the speech pathologist at the public school for an evaluation. I am hopeful that his speech problems are age appropriate, but she still needs to see him one more time (this Wednesday) before I will know more.

3. Accountability~I meet with a wonderful group of ladies once a month, and we help each other stay accountable in different areas of our lives.

4. Made a birthday card for my Aunt, as well as goodie bags for Ali's party and a "star-of-the-week" board for Ali's school. My Cricut machine got a ton of use here lately.

5. Started my Bloggy contest for a Bridgewater candle, which is actually ending this Friday. Come check it out!

Wanna join in on Give Me 5 Monday?? Go here!

Manic Monday

Who is the black sheep in your family/group? Me? I kind of always felt like the black sheep because we lived far away from our family, but I definitely don't feel my family ever saw me as the black sheep.

If you were a character from a book, what character would you be? I would love to be Kinsey Milhone from the Sue Grafton series. She is just such a free-spirit, feisty, and works as a detective.

What's your favorite accent? I like sweet southern accents. On some they simply sound obnoxious, but on others they are just too cute. Oh, and I absolutely adore British and Australian accents. Apparently I like many accents, but maybe that is because I don't have one. ;-)

Post your Manic Monday answers here.

Our Menu for 4/28/08 to 05/04/08

Monday~Baked Pork Chops with Brown Rice
Tuesday~Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday~Chicken Burgers with Corn
Thursday~Mustgoes
Friday~Spaghetti Pie with Garlic Bread
Saturday~Pizza for the kids & Date Night for Me & Jeff
Sunday~Ham & Cheese Omelet Roll

Share your menu at orgjunkie.com.

Friday's Feast...Served Late

Appetizer~Name something you would categorize as weird. Actually liking anchovies on your pizza, or anything, is just plain weird!

Soup~What color was the last piece of food you ate? Ummmmm???? I can't even think of what I ate. Oh yeah, now I remember. That would be orange. Doritos are orange, right?

Salad~On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone? Generally, I would have to say a 6. If I am overstimulated though, this number is going to be much lower.

Main Course~Fill in the blank: I will always vote for Pepsi in a taste test.

Dessert~Describe your sleeping habits. I usually go to bed between 10:30 and 11:30, and I tend to wake up between 6:30 and 7:00. Oh how times have changed! I tend to sleep pretty well, but I make it impossible for my husband with my snoring. His snoring doesn't bother me nearly as much, but I think that is because I am more tolerant than him. ;-)

Join in on Friday's Feast here.

Join in on Friday's Feast here.

I Miss Blogging!

Oh*My*Gosh, I have not blogged in 4 days!!! Now, I am not apologizing for this, because I have nothing to apologize for. I simply am posting this because I have missed blogging so much! It has just been a crazy-busy week. Ali was star of the week at school, so I had little things to do for her, and I got to stay with her at school all day (well, she only goes half-day) on Wednesday. Then for church I had small group Tuesday night, Bible study Thursday morning, and our mom's group on Friday morning. I also went to a friend's Pampered Chef party Monday night, attended Ali's school carnival Friday night, and had Ali's birthday party for her friends today. Tomorrow is her party with the family. Whew!! Not to mention that I watched my niece once...or twice...this week. I can't even remember. Plus, she is no trouble at all. She just plays really well with my kids. Can I just say that I am so glad life isn't always this busy! Anyway, I am hoping that starting Monday, or maybe before, I can get back to my blogging. It's amazing how much I miss doing it when life gets in the way. :-)

Tuesday Toot

I am pretty proud of myself. I did a darn good job keeping up with the house last week without much help from my mom. Plus, I have gotten a lot of things done for Ali's birthday party, which is this Saturday. Goodie bags are done, crafts are organized and ready to go, and decorations have been bought. I am on the ball. Toot, Toot!

Share your Tuesday Toot here.

Ten On Tuesday~10 Things I Love About My Life

Yano said, "Sometimes we’re so busy moaning and groaning about the stresses in our lives, wishing for things we can’t have or the life we should have had that we forget to appreciate how lucky we are to be alive. So what makes your life wonderful?"

Well, let's see.......

1. My family!! I love my husband, my kids, my mom, my aunts, uncles & cousins, as well as all my in-laws (mother, father, sisters). I love 'em all!

2. I have some pretty darn awesome friends! Y'all know who you are! :-)

3. I love the fact that I can be a stay-at-home parent. It isn't always easy to raise a family on one income, but I have a husband that is a great provider.

4. Along those financial lines, I love that I am at a place in my life where I can go to the grocery store without my calculator. This doesn't mean I can just go crazy, but I literally had to take my calculator in college so I wouldn't bounce a check. I don't miss those days!

5. My mom! Sure she is technically in my #1, but she deserves a number all to herself. She is very helpful to me and keeps me sane. I love that she lives closer to us now.

6. I love that I have Jesus in my life. I remember what my life was like without Him, and I am thankful that I don't have to endure that again.

7. I can honestly say that our local library makes my life wonderful. Sure, I know that sounds silly, but I do love the library. I love to read, and if I go too long without reading (like lately), I start to literally crave a good read. I have been trying to read "Searching for Spice" by Megan DiMaria for almost a month now, but life keeps getting in the darn way. I am about to lock myself in my room so that I can give it the attention it deserves.

8. Television, movies and the DVR all make my life wonderful. I really like to escape from life, which is one reason that I love to read so much. TV & movies are another way to do this, and the DVR helps me to do it when I have time. Gotta love that!

9. The internet has also made my life wonderful. I have met some wonderful ladies through the internet, and I have been friends with some of them for almost 5 years now. I also truly enjoy blogging. It is a wonderful outlet for me.

10. Last, but not least, I love that my daughter and I like some of the same music. It makes car rides so fun to turn up the music and belt out the words. I can't even tell you how much joy I get out of that simple thing. :-)

Share your Ten on Tuesday here.

Heads Or Tails

This week I get to pick Heads or Tails, and I am going to choose heads, which is 'direction.' I can honestly say that I am not great with directions. Sure, if someone tells me to turn left, I can handle that. However, please don't tell me to head west. I have no clue which way that would be. My husband, being the thrifty man he is, decided we didn't need a van that told me which direction I was traveling. I so need to buy myself a compass! :-)

Head east on Internet Parkway to the home of Heads or Tails so that you too can be a HoTtie.

Time Travel Tuesday~Cooking Mishaps

Annie said, "So, I was thinking about not doing a time travel this week… because I hadn’t really thought about it and I don’t have any thoughts right now. BUT, the first thing that popped in my head is funny cooking mishaps. I don’t have many of those these days, but in the beginning there were some laughs.

How about you? Did you have any crazy cooking mishaps when you were learning to cook? Can you remember the first meal you attempted to make? Was it a success or a joke? Link up and share your story as you travel back to your cooking mishap."

Well, when I was in 6th grade we had an assignment to plan a nutritious meal for our family and prepare it ourselves. I decided I would make scalloped potatoes in ham, since I am a huge scalloped potato fan. I am really not good with a knife...even today. So, it took me a long time to make this meal. I remember my dad asking if we were ever going to eat, and he finally sent my mom into the kitchen to help me. I don't remember what time it was that we finally ate, but it was late!

Then when I was in college and living by myself, I decided to make myself hamburger chop suey one night. Things went smoothly as I cooked the meal, but as I was eating it I started to get a horrible stomach ache. When I looked at the counter it was quickly apparent what I had done wrong. I had used baking soda instead of cornstarch to thicken. That meal got thrown in the garbage, which was a shame because I love hamburger chop suey.

I am sure there are many other kitchen mishaps I am forgetting. Oh wait! How about the time a little grease fire started in my oven. I panicked and ran to get the fire extinguisher, but my mom stepped in and handled the situation much calmer. That was just last year. I am sure my husband can think of many others, but thankfully he is not here right now. ;-)

How about you? Do you have any cooking mishaps to share? Head on over to Annie's blog or leave me a comment. I am always up for a good laugh. :-)

Our Menu For 4/21/08 to 4/27/08

Monday~Pizza
Tuesday~Beef Stroganoff over Egg Noodles
Wednesday~Tacos...Ali chose this as her special birthday dinner. :-)
Thursday~Shepherd's Pie
Friday~Dinner at Ali's school carnival
Saturday~Mustgoes
Sunday~Chili Dogs, Doritos, Cake & Ice Cream...Ali's family birthday party!!

***Food Holidays This Week***

21st~Chocolate Covered Cashew Truffle Day
22nd~National Jelly Bean Day
23rd~National Cherry Cheesecake Day
24th~National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day
25th~National Zucchini Bread Day
26th~National Pretzel Day
27th~National Prime Rib Day

Two Bible Verses

For my accountability group I picked two Bible verses to learn. They are...

Create in my a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.~Psalm 51:10

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?~Matthew 7:3

Well, I have the first one memorized, and it is time to start working on the second. While I was memorizing the first, I felt this nudging to get back to my daily quiet times with God. They can't always be long, because I am a mom of three young kiddos, but I need to be in constant connection with Him. Without that connection I can feel myself becoming the more dominant force in my life. I don't want to be. I want God to be in charge.

I already know that second verse is going to speak volumes to me. I can already feel it coming. I just wonder what exactly He will say to me as I reflect on and memorize Matthew 7:3. :-)

Spring Fever Hullabaloo~Week 3

This week is all about 'Culinary Creations,' because summer is such a fun time to cook. This first recipe is one that I love in summer, because all of the fruits taste so delicious.

Creamy Fruit Dip

Ingredients

1 jar marshmallow cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
fruit (bananas, strawberries, grapes, melons, etc.)

Directions

Mix the marshmallow cream and cream cheese very well. Take your favorite fruit and dip into the cream mixture.

I like to make fruit pizza using the above recipe. I just take refrigerated sugar cookie dough and bake that. When it cools, I spread the fruit dip on top, and then I place the cut up fruit all over the pizza. So easy and so yummy!

Also, you can freeze the fruit dip. You just use the aluminum cupcake holders to section it out. I believe it lasts a couple of weeks in the freezer. I love doing this for little snacks for my kids.

Join me back here between the 24th and the 30th for the final Spring Fever Hullabaloo. That one will be all about 'Past Pleasures.' :-)

Saturday Special Meme

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~An Hour, A Day, A Month, A Year~

1. How many hours a day do you watch TV?: Well, that really depends, but on average I would have to say 1.5. I usually watch two one-hour shows, but thanks to the DVR I can cut out most commercials.

2. How many days in a week do you cook at home?: Are we talking dinners? If so, that would be about 6 nights a week. I might even go so far as to say 7 on some weeks. The problem is my idea of cooking some nights might be a frozen pizza or cereal. It all depends on the day! ;-)

3. How many times a month do you go to the movies?: About 1 or 2 times a month...if that.

4. How many vacations do you take a year?: Sadly, our idea of a vacation is going to visit family, and we probably only do that 2 or 3 times. Not that we don't have a good time, but I wish we could also work in a real get-away-from-it-all kind of vacation. I want to go places I have never seen before. Hopefully before I die I will get to see the Virgin Islands and Disney World!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join in on The Saturday Special Meme here.

Favorite Ingredients Friday~Spreads & Dips Edition

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 (6.5 ounce) jars artichoke hearts, chopped
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a shallow baking dish, combine the artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and mayonnaise. Bake for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve hot with tortilla chips or crackers.

**I posted a Neiman Marcus Dip here today, in case you are interested.**

Friday's Feast

Appetizer~Name a color you find soothing. blue and sage green

Soup~Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience. My dad took me out. I almost wrecked the car, and he said to my mom, "You teach her!"

Salad~What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of? cotton

Main Course~Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see? Ummm, nobody! It's not that there aren't people I like to listen to, but I am really just not a concert kind of person. I am especially not a camp outside all night waiting for tickets kind of person.

Dessert~What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)? A & E tie with two of each. They even tie if I add in my maiden name, because then I have three of each.

Tasty Thursday~Neiman Marcus Dip

Mix together....

1 1/2 pounds bacon, fried and crumbled
4-6 green onions, cut fine
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 little packs of pecans, chopped
Miracle Whip (enough to moisten and bind)

...and Enjoy!!

Share your recipes over at The Pumpkin Patch!

My Pantry

Today I organized my pantry and cleaned it up a bit. I wish I would have taken before shots, but I didn't think to do that. Here is what it looks like afterwards, as well as some things I learned while cleaning.

First of all, I learned that my pantry is not big enough for a kitchen gadget Queen/cookbook collecting fool. I am not complaining though, because before we added on to our home I didn't even have a pantry. So, I am just going to remain thankful!

Here is my cookbook collection. It took me quite a while to organize this and make it look halfway decent. I learned that A) I have too many cookbooks and B) I I don't have enough cookbooks. Odd right? That's how you know you are a true collector of something. Deep down I know that I have way more than I need, but yet I am always on the lookout for a new one. I start to think that I need to weed through my collection, but then I find myself not able to get rid of any of them. Yikes! Someday my pantry may be all cookbooks. LOL!

The rest of these pictures are my food stash. Mind you there are only two adults and three children in my home, but apparently I am ready for an army to visit. My mom used to stock up because we lived pretty far from the grocery store, but I think her habits have stayed with me. Of course, I live within a 15 minute drive to 6 different grocery stores, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't be prepared. Plus there are some things you definitely don't want to run out of, and toilet paper is at the top of that list. Note the stash of TP and paper towels in the picture above. We are set!

Earlier today I was discussing with friends how much we spend at the grocery store. I said that I spend about $125/week on average, but that is just a guess. Looking at my pantry tells me why. I just keep stocking up! I will say that the $125 does include diapers, wipes, health & beauty items, and other odds & ends. I guess I just never realized how much I have on hand. One thing is for sure...I am prepared for just about anything. ;-)

Pepsi Addicts

I admit that I am a die-hard Pepsi addict. I love it and don't every wanna give it up! Well, it looks like my kids might feel the same way. Here are my mom, Josh & Ali sharing a Pepsi. They took three straws and just kept sucking. If this were a contest, I think Ali would have been the winner. I don't think she even took a breath while she was drinking. Pepsi is actually a special treat around here. Well, for the kids anyway. So, I think that might be why they looked so eager to suck up as much as they could.

Karate Kids

This photo op started with my mom putting a piece of paper on Meghan's head and calling her 'The Karate Kid.' Who knew you could have to much fun with a Yogo Roller wrapper?? I sure didn't! Meghan didn't seem to think it was a whole lot of fun though.

Ali, however, was eager to show off her karate moves.

Josh kept yelling, "My turn!" So, I guess he was pretty eager too. Look how serious he looks in these photos.

Funny thing was that after Ali & Josh had their turns Meghan wanted another one. I think she finally figured out what she was supposed to do with that silly thing on her head. It looks like she is giving a slight bow here.

She really had some funky moves.

This whole post is to prove that kids don't need fancy high-tech gadgets. They simply need to be allowed to use their imaginations. :-)

Time Travel Tuesday~Prom Edition

The only Prom I got to attend was my Junior year in high school. I wasn't allowed to attend my Senior Prom because I graduated early. Well, I could have went with a current student, but that wouldn't have gone over well with my boyfriend. Looking back now, I should have ditched the boyfriend and found someone to go with. :-) Darn that hindsight!

Actually, come to think of it I did attend another Prom. However, I was 20 or 21 at the time. I went with my friend, Steve, to his Senior Prom. I wish I had found that picture when I was digging through my pile of memories.

Anyway, this picture is from my Junior Prom. This is me and my date Andy. He was a Sophomore, as were most of my close friends. We were just friends, but I had such a crush on him. Apparently we made better friends than boyfriend/girlfriend, because we could never seem to get past the friend thing.

I remember my parents taking me shopping for that dress. I had such a hard time finding something I liked that didn't cost a fortune. Well, I also had a hard time finding something that looked good on my body. Funny because I remember being much bigger than I look in this darn picture. Either my image of myself was distorted back then or my memory is fuzzy. I'm thinking I didn't see myself the way I truly was, but rather I was probably constantly comparing myself to others. Oops, I got off track. I remember that dress cost us $110. Of course, that doesn't include the shoes, jewelry, or money spent on getting my hair fixed.

I remember Andy and I going out to dinner, but I can't remember where we went exactly. I do, however, remember being so nervous. I think most of my nervousness came from the excitement of being all dressed up and doing something so out of the norm. I specifically remember reading the menu out loud, "Beef tips slow roasted." Except I didn't say slow right. When it came out of my mouth it rhymed with cow instead of grow. I was extremely embarrassed because Andy was such a smart guy. Of course, I wasn't dumb by any means, but nerves sure were shot.

We had a decent time at the dance, but I can't remember it being super exciting. I had to get Andy home early, because he had a track meet the next day. My parents would have shot me, but I actually let him drive my car most of the way home even though he didn't have his license. (Hopefully my mom isn't reading this!)

After I dropped him off, I met up with my friend Laura and went to after-Prom. The only thing I remember about that is Laura driving through the Wendy's drive-thru backwards. Heck, I still struggle to drive in reverse, but she seemed to have it down even back then.

So, those are my Prom memories. I wonder what Andy is up to these days. I hope he is as happy in life as I am.

Join in on Time Travel Tuesday here.

Heads or Tails~Sip

This week I picked Tails, which is anything that rhymes with 'tip.' So, sip it is! Lately I have been craving smoothies. I even treated myself to one last Friday at Smoothie King.

Here is a recipe that I haven't made in a while, but I used to love it a lot. I need to get the ingredients and make it soon for me and my kids.

Fruit Smoothies

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) plain yogurt
1 small banana, cut up
1 cup frozen or fresh whole strawberries
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple packed with juice, chilled
1 cup ice cubes

Blend it all together. So simple! You can even garnish with extra fruit. :-)

Tuesday Toot

Okay, for about two years now my mom has pretty much been running my home. She always seems to do things better than me anyway, so I would just let her. Then it seemed the more she did the less I even wanted to do, because she was just going to come over and do it later. I felt like I reverted back to being a child, but that isn't good when you are a wife and mom of 3.

Well, no more! My mom should not have to take care of my home. I'm stepping up! I realize that my home may not be up to her standards, but that is okay. I want her to come over and hang out. You know, stop by and have a cup of coffee. Go on picnics with me and the kids. Go to Bingo with me. Not clean! I guess I want to enjoy her more and work her less. That is a good thing!

So, yesterday I did everything on my to-do list except two things. I did the dishes, the laundry, gave Josh his medicines, changed all the sheets in the house, dusted the 4 bedrooms, watered the plants in my room, and made a birthday card. Toot-Toot!!! I did not vacuum the bedrooms or change the light bulb in Josh's room. My mom did help me by watching my kids while I went to Accountability Group, and she also did one or two loads of laundry, as well as did the dishes. I don't feel bad about that, because I didn't let the majority of the work fall on her shoulders. She is my mom, and she is likely going to help me out from time to time. I just want her to work less and enjoy life more.

Plus, I don't want my kids to look back on these days and think that I did nothing. :-) I can see Ali as a grown woman thinking, "How did my mom manage to get everything done around the house with all three of us running around? Oh yeah, she didn't. Mamook did!" Nope! I am the mom, and she is the grandma. It's time we get back to those roles. For her sake, as well as mine.

Christmas In April!

Yesterday was my lucky day! My friend, Sue, dropped off a box of cookbooks that she was getting rid of. It truly was like Christmas for me, since I collect cookbooks and love to just sit and thumb through them.

Look at all of these books. Yahoo!

Of course, I look forward to looking through them all, but here are a few that really caught my eye.

I am all about short, easy (and good) recipes.

I like to plan my menus out, so I am interested in seeing what this book has to offer.

The title of this one just cracks me up!

I really like Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks, and I absolutely love one-dish meals.

Here is another BH&G, but this one is all about Christmas. I love Christmas, and I seem to gravitate towards Christmas cookbooks. I recently bought the cookbook called 'Christmas with Paula Deen.' Anyway, I think this book will be especially nice because it also has crafts.

So, a huge "Thank You!" goes out to Sue!!! You are wonderful! :-)

Manic Monday

Is there anything for which you would willingly give your life? I believe that I would willingly give my life to save or protect my children. There is something about being a mother. It really brings out the protective side of a person.

How would you communicate with someone if you didn't share a common language? Charades! I would just start acting things out. I would pray that while I look stupid I am at least getting the message across.

Where is your ideal place/location to have a wedding? In my younger years, I thought getting married in this very spot would be ideal. This picture is from Giant City State Park in southern Illinois. Obviously this would have to be a small ceremony, but I just think this park is beautiful.

Click here to play along.

Our Menu for 4/14/08 to 4/20/08

Monday~Pizza
Tuesday~Ham Steaks w/glaze, Corn Casserole, & Applesauce
Wednesday~Tacos
Thursday~Mustgoes
Friday~Shepherd's Pie
Saturday~Eggplant Parmesan
Sunday~Beer Can Chicken, Lima Beans, Scalloped Potatoes, & Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

**Food Holidays This Week**

14th~National Pecan Day
15th~National Glazed Spiral-Ham Day
16th~National Eggs Benedict Day, Day Of The Mushroom
17th~National Cheeseball Day
18th~Animal Crackers Birthday
19th~Garlic Day, National Amaretto Day
20th~National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day

Photo Hunt~Twisted

I spotted this 'twisted' light fixture outside of our hotel last weekend.

The Saturday Special Meme

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Creative Adventure XII~ Fill in the blanks~

1. While walking in my neighborhood I notice a dead end street that I haven't seen before. My curiosity getting the best of me I decide to walk down to the end. While almost at the end I notice __________?:

a gigantic castle with beautifully manicured grounds.

2. In the garden there is a maze. Thinking it would be fun I decide to __________?:

try to make my way through the maze. Fear of being caught trespassing causes me to look around to make sure nobody is watching me. When I am convinced I am alone, I quickly run to the entrance of the maze.

3. Now a little worried that I might be lost in the maze I turn the next row and see a __________?:

map with my name at the top. I realize that my visit has not been a coincidence at all. This weirds me out a bit, but I push those thoughts aside as I can now make my way out of the extremely difficult maze.

4. Relieved and walking back home I think to myself _________?:

that there is a reason one should never hesitate. I turn to look back at the street, but it is no longer visible. I realize that someone has had some fun at my expense today, but who? I will probably never know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Share your Saturday Special post here.

Favorite Ingredients Friday

I have been craving eggplant lately, so here is my Eggplant Parmesan recipe.

Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
Parmesan cheese
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
Italian flavored bread crumbs

Slice eggplant and dip in egg and then roll in bread crumbs. Brown all of eggplant in a frying pan. Put sauce on bottom of an 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan. Layer browned eggplant, then mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover with sauce and repeat the layers. Bake at 375 degrees until browned.

Spring Fever Hullabaloo~Week 2

This week is about Desirable Destinations. Denise asks us, "Where are you going on vacation this year? Where would you go on vacation if circumstances were in your favor? Wanna share a place you have visited before and it was totally great? Or not so great?"

There are really two locations that I would like to take my kids this summer. One of them is St. Louis.

There is just so much to see and do in St. Louis. There is the zoo, the arch, Grant's farm, City Museum, the Magic House, a Cardinal's game, the Science Center, and much more. I would love for the kids to be able to go and experience all of these things. Of course, I know we can't do it all in one visit, but that is the nice thing about living less than a three hour drive from there.

My other destination I would like to take them this summer is Chicago.

We go to the suburbs to see family, but I would love to take the kids downtown to the museums. I know I could name a thousand fun things for the kids to do in Chicago, but right now I would like to focus specifically on The Field Museum and The Museum of Science & Industry. Heck, while we are there maybe we could throw in the Kohl Children's Museum in Wilmette, Illinois. I know they would love it there!

We really are very lucky that we live fairly close to both of these cities. If I wanted to torture myself, I could make these day trips. However, I prefer not to run myself ragged, so I think I would opt for a cozy hotel room. :-)

If money were absolutely no object, and I wasn't scared that Meghan was way too young, I would love to take the kids to Disney World.

Do I really need to even explain why I would want to go here? It's where a kid can be a kid. Enough said!

When I was about 19, my parents took me to Mackinac Island. I loved it, and Jeff and I actually went there on our honeymoon.
I would love to road trip with the kids to Mackinac Island someday. We could stop at fun places along the way, and just take our time getting there and back.

Join in on The Spring Fever Hullabaloo over at Denise's place, and check back here between the 17th & 23rd for my next Spring Fever Hullabaloo post. That one is all about Cool Culinary Creations.