Hilarious Gift for Mom

While shopping this weekend in KC, I came across this coaster. How fitting for Mom now that she is feeling better. She got a kick out of it! It even looks like her. There will be Mist and Pepsi's sitting on this coaster in no time!

Road Trip!!

Valerie aka Bus Driver
What to do with 5 kids before a basketball game? Have a beverage! (We even got carded??!!)What were we thinking bringing all these guys??!!

Val brought the markers so waiting for dinner was a breeze!

Taylor and Grace concentrating on their designs.

Gav and Griff...

Val and I wanted to go to the KSU NIT game vs Illinois State but our hubby's had to work so we decided to go without them! Val and I set off with Gavin, Griffin, Grace, Jake and my neighbor Taylor yesterday afternoon for a little spring break road trip! We stopped at Target and ate at Old Chicago...sorry pound plunge team, I had a heaping helping of tortellini with Italian sausage and garlic bread! It was worth it! The kids were great and the game was awesome. Grace and Taylor even made the Jumbo tron dancing in the isles! It was well worth the late night! Way to go 'Cats!

OVERTIME!!!!!!!

The Wildcats trying to give me a heart attack...5 more minutes of game!

Jake had enough...took himself a nice nap for the rest of the game. It was so loud Griff was covering his ears, but Jake seemed to be fine with the noise.

What do ya do when you are nervous? Eat licorice of course!! They ate a giant bag full, glad I have a big purse to load with bribes!

WE WON!!! ...After much confusion and 3 timeouts with 1 second left.

Willie and all the players went around the Bram and high-fived everyone after the victory. It was so fun! I hope we can do it again on Friday!

Spring Break Memories...

Griffin was obsessed with the white tiger.
Here is the entrance...welcome to the creepiest place on earth. Beware!

Here is an example of the enclosures...just doors with padlocks. This is where the alligators were kept.

Here is the alligator that obviously has had an accident.
Below is the sign on the shark tank...huge sharks located inside this tank and they are worried about the cost to fix the window?! Hello?

Since the only vacation we are going on this Spring Break is a short trip to Kansas City, I will post about some great memories of past Spring Breaks. Chris' family has a time share at Table Rock Lake outside of Branson and it is beautiful!! We go at least once a year (10 years in a row) and have done almost everything in Branson! Our favorite thing is Predator World! It is the SCARIEST place on earth...but we keep going back because it is absolutely frightening and fascinating at the same time. It is a zoo with a HUGE collection of poisonous snakes, tigers, sharks, etc. The first time we went it was located in a gas station (NO JOKE) and the lion was kept in the garage with the door open and a fence around it. The sharks and sting rays were in baby pools...scary enough but they let you feed them. So we heard they moved so we went back again with the Willey's a couple of years later. It had more animals, still scary enclosures! I had to take pictures this time, the first time I was too scared. I was literally watching for animals to attack me and couldn't get my camera out. While we were there the goats in the petting zoo got out by jumping on other animals. We were laughing so hard! The workers were getting in with the tigers and playing with them and we were waiting for something horrible to happen. (I guess an employee was attacked in August of '08...not surprising!) Gavin got to hold a snake, no one else had the guts. I just read some of the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com and they are HILARIOUS!!! Everyone has strong opinions on Predator World. It is a must see in Branson! I know the Stoeckleins are all going in May...you gotta see it. Memories for a lifetime!

Let's Go State!

I have been watching basketball all day...my 'Cats have a huge game tomorrow and I am already nervous. (That says a lot about the stress in my life...thank goodness not a lot to worry about!) These pics are from a game last year. We got to sit court side (Thanks Sheryl!) and the kids thought that was awesome. We get to see football up close but are a little further up for the basketball games! I am hoping for a win tomorrow vs Texas...then we will move on to Round 3! GO CATS!!!!!

**UPDATE** WE LOST!!! :-(

Hoover Prom '09

It wouldn't be Prom without corsages!
The guys...Chris, Chris and Paul.

Kelli and Elodie...

Laura, me and Elodie... Lovin' the bangs Laura!!

We moved a year and a half ago to Hoover Drive because we loved the house. We had no idea we would love our neighborhood more! We have the craziest neighbors and we love them to death. After a few (dozen) cocktails Friday night, we were making plans for Saturday. Well, that turned into planning a neighborhood Prom of sorts, complete with original Prom attire and all. We went all out and it was a blast. I can't believe the amount of hairspray it took to pull off our gorgeous hair! ! My dress is actually Renae's from 1991? (I couldn't get any of my originals all the way zipped! It is hell to get old.) Chris' get-up is a Van original! Nice! The night also included a fierce Newlywed Game...which Chris and I lost miserably. We have already made plans for Hoover Prom '10! I can't wait.

Finally...

We have been waiting for Mom to get back to normal for a while now, and she is finally on the road to recovery. Her surgery was this morning and it all went well. I am sure she will have a long couple of weeks ahead of her but relief is in sight. Dad asked the doctor when she could golf again...and he said 6 weeks!! Only Mom could have brain surgery and not miss a Ladie's Night at the Club! Let's hope for a speedy recovery!