4th of July Weekend Fun

The fourth of July weekend was a blast! Hung out with friends and family and loved every minute of it! Went over to Beau's mom's house and the boys played together in the hammocks that were there. They had so much fun.



Landon actually took this picture of me and I was surprised when I was looking through the film. He actually did a good job! When little Beau was taking pictures I ended up with a lot of crotch and chest shots. It was funny. So this was Landon's best picture of the night.


They had little frogs that came out at night and the boys had a blast when they found one! So cute!


The boys chilling in front of the mini fireplace thing... loved this picture. :)


The night before the 4th and watching fireworks in the backyard... can you see how happy Landon was? He's smiling so big his eyes are closed shut!

Fruit Rollup Accident hahaha


Wheat field we were parked by for an hour and a half when we were on our way to Paloose Falls.

The stergion that most likely did the gentleman in... one was only an inch under the length of when he would have to throw it back in because it was too big. WOW!

The wife of the gentleman who blacked out while driving and she had to pull the vehicle into the field and get to the brake. She was SOOO glad we came by right about that time because we were seriously out in the middle of no where and she didn't have reception on her cell. So Beau called 911 and I chatted it up (and monitored) the gentleman. Gave them our phone numbers but haven't heard from them yet. It took the ambulance an hour and a half to get there! The sheriff took 30 minutes.

The boys when they were knocked out just before we made it to the Falls! Landon was even reading the christmas book that his Grandpa and Grandma Fullmer gave him. The cowboy book. I can't think of the name now, but the southern twisted Cinderella book. :)



Finally at the Falls and the boys immediately crawl up on the first thing they can and look over it at the water down below. I don't think I'll ever understand why boys have to climb on EVERYTHING or ANYTHING, but I will just have to accept it as unsolvable. lol




The falls were beautiful.





We passed by this railroad track right before we made it to the park/falls. So we walked up there so I could get a picture with my camera. I loved this!

I knight thee, Sir Stick! lol Sorry had to put what I was thinking because Landon would NOT put down the stick for this picture!

Boys knocked out again on the way home and when I looked around little Beau had not just one car seat belt on but 2! Funny boy! :)

Landon and Baby Drake! Blue eye knock outs!


Mom with the younger 3 daughters.


Playing cards with the kids. The memory game that she scratched the rules in so everyone got something. :) That's what Grandmas do right?!?!?!




The boys put a firecracker behind Leon as he was lighting fire crackers and they all thought it was funny! lol It was!

Linzey helping Landon with his sparkler! This was one of my favorite pictures of the night!




The absolutely amazing sunset that I DID NOT touch with editing. It was just too perfect that it didn't need any extra care. Beautiful. Makes you thankful for God's blessings and gifts to us.


The 4th was fun, beautiful, exciting, and made me grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and the chances we have to do what we want, when we want to, with those we choose to. I am very thankful to those who continue to serve this blessed country and thankful to those that died to make it free.
God Bless America.

Reunion in St. Louis :)

I finally made a trip to St. Louis, Missouri where I spent 3 years in Junior High! It had been over 10 years since I've seen some of the friends and family I have over there. It was so good to go back and spend some time in my old places. :) But one thing I didn't remember the clearest was the humidity and how it intensifies the heat! lol I'll touch on that later.

I started out my visit touring St. Louis. There were two places I wanted to go: Union Station and the St. Louis Arch. I remember visiting those with my mom when we lived there once and never forgot either. So I wanted to revisit those places and take pictures and video to enjoy and show Leah and Mom when I got back to Washington.

First we stopped at Union Station and right when we got there they were finishing up making the fudge and cutting it, so we walked around for a while and looked at the different shops and art in the Station. Then we came back and things were just getting started on the next batch and the next "show" was starting. The gentleman who made the fudge was very interactive and loved to feed off the crowd that was ALWAYS around him when he makes fudge. He sang, chanted, yelled, and did some tricks. I am going to try to upload a video that I have of him entertaining us and doing some tricks that I remember as a girl. But to me this was awesome. I would have to say that now it's not as mesmerizing as when I was a little girl, but still memorable and entertaining.

This is the guy who was making the fudge and making us laugh.


Then we went a couple miles down to the arch! It was awesome. I wanted to go up it again because I remember when Mom, Leah and I did.


These are the TINY capsules that take you up. They fit 5 people, but if you're claustrophobic I don't think you could handle this. We had 4 people going up and it still felt too small.


In the Museum under the arch they had a history of the Cardinals and baseball in general. It was so cool to walk through and see the different styles of baseballs and how they have evolved into what they play with today. Plus to get the history of baseball and how it all came to be was very interesting and I have to say that I still have a soft spot for the Cardinals. ^_^

This was the arch at a distance. :) It was beautiful to walk up to. Definitely a masterpiece of work that will be here for decades and centuries to come.


This was the view of the Cardinal Stadium from the top of the arch! It was awesome to look down and see all these things!


I took a picture of the legs of the arch from the top. This was one of my favorite pictures actually. lol I really don't know why besides the fact that you couldn't SEE this with your own eyes because I had to tilt my camera over the observation window just right to get it. ;)


Then the wedding day was upon us and we headed out in a VERY hot day to attend Julie and Bruce's wedding! I went up and saw Julie but there was so much going on that I left and took Tenley (my cousin Angie's daughter) and she found 2 decoys (plastic ducks used for hunting purposes) and some frogs that she was getting very close to the water trying to catch.

Uncle Johnny and Julie coming down the isle. She was beautiful. Loved her hair and you could tell she was just beaming!
Finally Married! :)
I totally have to put a comment in there about how hot it was that day! lol
During the wedding as the Bishop was speaking, he had to stop and put down his book to grab his handkerchief out of his pocket and wipe his face! He was sweating so much that he couldn't read! I seriously thought that I was soaked but not from water... from sweat. It was miserably hot! But it was all worth it too! The wedding was beautiful, the bride and groom were awesomely dressed, and it was a great day! At least it wasn't raining which it was forcasted for!

Brother and sister, Angie and Bobbie with Tenley all enjoying some water because if you didn't know having it be 92 degrees with 89 percent humidity was miserable I don't think I've ever been so grateful for air conditioning! One thing that I didn't miss about Missouri was the humidity.
John and Barbie :)

Beautiful family! Uncle Danny and Aunt Gloria with Melody.



My Aunt Linda and Uncle Johnny (bride's parents) who looked awesome and were so good to see after 10 years since I've seen my Uncle and 6 years since I've seen Aunt Linda!


Then the family photos took place and it was so wonderful to see my Uncle Johnny and Aunt Linda still loving each other and young at heart still! They couldn't take their hands off each other! lol

Sisters (Angie, Julie, Jenny)


Angie's family: Tenley, Angie (with little one in oven), Ethan and Chris. Beautiful family.


On our way to the reception Angie and Chris stopped ahead of us and when I got out to see what was going on the kids were holding this turtle! Awesome! They moved it to the side of the road so it didn't get ran over, but I couldn't believe how cool it was to find that in the middle of the road... THAT doesn't happen every day in Washington! lol


We finally arrive at the reception and this is a picture of all the McCullen family that was there in attendance. In order from Left to Right: Aunt Marge, Uncle Tom, Uncle Johnny, Aunt Linda, Aunt Rosie, Aunt Joni, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Mike and Uncle Danny. The only ones missing were my mom and Uncle Phil! Hopefully we can all get together again next year!


Julie and Bruce cutting the wedding cake. I so wish I would have gotten this on video because the entire time they were cutting the cake, everyone was yelling at them to get the other first. So when they finally did feed each other the cake, at the last second they both stuffed it into the others face. It was hysterical. Julie and Bruce both got it up their nose and made for some very nice photos!
Making up is the best! :)

David's purple kicks that so fit his personality. He told me if he had to wear a tux for a wedding he at least had to have some comfortable converse to get him through it! lol

Ethan and I. He is no longer the little kid I knew! He is turning into a good young man with a heart of gold. I can still remember Angie pregnant at Aunt Linda's house on a visit there. Wow... time really does fly!

Julie's little Harley getting tired as the evening wore on. Cutie pie.

Then the dancing and fun began!

Gloria and Barbie doing the arm twist lol

Thriller!


Daddy & Daughter Dance


Couple's Pictures :)

Gloria and Danny
Joni and Mike

Marge and Tom
Chris and Angie
The day after Julie's wedding was Aunt Linda and Uncle Johnny's 40th year wedding anniversary. So after Julie toasted them, they danced to their wedding song. It is so good to see those that last through the times to make it and still be so much in love. It warms my heart. :)


This is my cousin David (with the purple converse) and his littlest one! I can't believe it!


Jenny caught the wedding bouquet!



Then we broke out our funny faces and laughed till we were running to the restroom... ok maybe that was just me running to the restroom! *sigh*


I had asked Jessi to take a picture with her husband, my cousin David, and she couldn't get him to turn around so she took a picture as he was! lol She was cracking me up! I loved her high spirited attitude. She was so much fun.


Yes this is Jessi and Angie. Angie=5 months and Jessi=0 lol But they are both HOT mamas!

The evening was a hoot and yes... this is how my family really is when we get together. Good thing we didn't play spoons because we would have had to replace the table I'm sure. ;)


I am so glad I went. I told Julie that I was coming because she came to my wedding in 2004 when we was like 7 and 1/2 months pregnant! So of course I could make it to hers! lol I had forgotten how much fun my family is and though it was intimidating a bit to meet the extended family that I haven't seen (and some I didn't remember) it was amazing how good my cousins meshed that night.

Melody, Angie, Barbie, and Aunt Gloria... You girls are the light of my trip. I had so much fun with you girls on the dance floor and I hope that we can do that again before long! No more 10 years between visits!