Uncle Jeff/Aunt Shawn Visit

Uncle Jeff came to visit last weekend on Saturday and we picked Shawn up from Clayton on Sunday where she had spent the previous 3-4 days on business. It was nice to see them again even though we had just spent a week in Costa Rica with them!

Saturday Jeff spent time with Emily building a zip line with yarn around our house for Emily's webkinz. (We zip lined in Costa Rica so we know how/where she came up with the idea!) Jeff also spent time playing Wii wth the kids, Play Doh, and Guitar Hero.

Adam seems to have taken a real liking to Jeff. He woke up before 7 on Sunday and went into Jeff's room and talked to him for awhile before Paul and I realized he was up and had escaped from his room!

Zip Lining!
The Guitar Heroes!Playing Wii! Or as Adam calls it, K-Wii!Play Doh!

Crazy Hair Day! And an earthquake update!

North Glendale Elementary School celebrated the end of the Missouri Assessment Testing (MAP) with crazy hair day! Emily's grade did not particpate in MAP testing, but the second grade (as well as the first grade) celebrated anyway with the rest of the school by participating in crazy hair day.

Here's Emily's crazy hair:

Emily and Annie (she walks to school with Annie in the morning, she's in 4th grade and is ecstatic that MAP testing is OVER!).

EARTHQUAKE UPDATE: A 4.5 aftershock went through around 10:15. I was gabbing to Lisa on the phone and taping up Ninny Kathy's shoes to send to her today (sorry I didn't do it yesterday!) and didn't notice it. How could I not notice that??? Paul said he felt it in Clayton and some friends in Springfield felt it there.

Earthquake!

Amy and I jumped out of bed this morning at 4:36 when the magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit 130 miles east of St. Louis. It was a surreal feeling with a good 20 seconds of shaking - like nothing I've ever felt before. Sounds like there's no damage in this area other than a few pictures knocked off of walls.

On the Road

I'm on the road for a few days this week at a government finance conference. As you might have guessed, it's a crazy, non-stop party (not). The conference is at the Lake of the Ozarks - somewhere I've never been before. I took a drive after our afternoon sessions and checked out the far eastern shores of the lake. It is a lot different from other "lake towns" I've been to before. I guess I would describe it as a Wisconsin Dells feel - lots of shops, restauraunts, and go-kart/miniature golf places.

That's it from here - back to St. Louis tomorrow night.

Attack Sailfish

Here's a video from Costa Rica of an angry sailfish taking a run at the boat. We've got lots of great fishing pictures and video, but I think it might take me about a year to work my way through all of it!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Costa Rica

Here are a few pictures from our vacation in Costa Rica. We had a great time, but are glad to be back home again. (double-click on the pictures for a larger view)