Break A Leg Sophie!

Sophie's last day of school is tomorrow and The Goddard School had a end of year Summer Concert for all of the classes. Our little girl has grown up so much since starting in February and her teachers take so much of the credit! Along with her classmates and with Ms. Leslie and Ms. Dana, her teachers, they kicked off the concert in style singing "All The Little Fishies" We are so proud of her!!! She only tried to dart off stage once!!! Thanks to Uncle Mike for joining us! It was a really special moment for us as parents!!!

Monday starts Summer Camp for the pride of Golden Orchard Drive which includes all kind of nature and water activities along with more learning for her.

VIDEOS!

Table Rock Weekend

A nice family trip to Table Rock Lake this past weekend with Mike and Kayla. Sophie's first adventure on a boat (that we know of) went well.. She loved it. After just 5 minutes of our run she was asleep on the back bench! The swimming in the lake was a different story. Water was a tad cold and she lasted about 2 minutes.
The weather turned to crud on Sunday and Monday so we hit Branson, went to the freaky zoo there and just bummed around town. Sunday night there was a break in the weather and we were able to hit the lake on the boat to watch fireworks. Sophie loved those!
Sophie has also transitioned over to big girl panties. She is doing VERY well with them. We do pull-ups at nap and bed, but all in all the potty training is progressing nicely.
It's a short week and we have a big weekend coming up. It is the 11th annual cancer survivorship walk and Team Sarcoma is ready to go again with 64 team members. We ALWAYS have the biggest team!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone at Creve Couer Park Saturday morning.

Ready for fun in the sun!

We found a toad with Uncle Mike!

Great photo of the girls!

Just the three of us!

I'm on a boat with Mommy. Lovin' my stylish life jacket!

Yayla (Kayla) and Mike. It is so cute to here her say their names.

First dip in the lake. Sophie, not to keen on it. As you can see.

Ok, this had to rank as the second most bizarre zoo we have been to (Ha Noi takes the cake), but Sophie loved feeding the deer.

Sleeping like an ostrich during nap..

All bundled up on the boat after watching fireworks. She wanted to go night-night so she laid on the floor with some life jackets and went to sleep.

Yes...Sophie is only 1 1/2" tall :-)

The giant banjo in Branson..

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend is not about BBQs and having people over to celebrate. It is day to remember all those brave men and women who paid the ultimate price in defense of this wonderful nation, and fighting for those freedoms that we all so often take for granted. Fly your flag outside your home. So few houses do this anymore. After 9/11 it was hard NOT to see the Stars and Stripes at a house or office. Now it is a challenge! This Memorial Day I honor Lt. William Thomas "Tom" Costen, United States Navy and his partner Lt. Charlie Turner. Tom grew up in the house behind us in St. Louis. I remember playing wiffle ball with him and running behind the "bug man" smog truck on summer evenings after dinner. Not the smartest of ideas since it was a mosquito killing fog, but hey you were a kid and everyone else did it. Tom's father was also a great friend to the family as well as an Orthopedic Surgeon to a few of of us.

Tom and Charlie Turner were assigned to Attack Squadron 155 at Whidby Island, Washington. Their unit shipped out to the Middle East on board the USS RANGER when U.S. military buildup began there in January 1991. Tom and Charlie had been in the region only ten days when hostilities began and they were asked to fly combat missions on Iraqi military targets in the first wave of offensive strikes of the war the opening night of the Gulf War. Tom was the pilot of an FA6 Intruder, and Charlie his BN (bomdadier/navigator). Both failed to return from missions on the morning of Friday, January 18, 1991.

Later reports revealed that two emergency radio beeper signals were picked up indicating that both Tom and Charlie ejected safely from their aircraft. Both were returning to the USS Ranger after a bombing mission over Baghdad.

On January 20, both Tom and Charlie were officially listed as MIA by the Pentagon. It was not until almost two months after the end of Operation Desert Storm that the Iraqis handed over the remains of 14 United States soldiers. One of those was Tom.

Lt. WilliamThomas Costen

Lt. Charlie Turner

Happy Birthday Poppa!

Happy 37th birfhday Poppa. Eye lu you!