Deanna Rose

This is maybe my 4th trip to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead in Overland Park, KS. It's a park/farm/petting zoo or sorts. And it's free. We came twice with our Kansas relatives before moving here, and this is our 3rd Music Class Summer Fun Friday field trip. Although last year only our family went on the Fun Friday field trip because it was rainy.

Princess Sparkley looks huge on this "pony."



Buddy riding a ... turtle??


It must have been bright.




Buddy steering an old timer tractor.


Farmer Buddy off to the fields.


Farmer Princess Sparkley following close behind.


Cute baby ducks!


Mom, Dad and 3 baby geese.


The big kids.


Our friend was across the pond and took our picture...
poor Baby X off by himself in the stroller contraption.

Early Christmas in St. Louis

We like to be home for Christmas, so we went to B's parents' in St. Louis the weekend before Christmas and drove back home Christmas Eve day. It was fun spending an early Christmas with grandparents, aunts, uncles and lots of cousins.


Princess Sparkley with some cousins and a giant pile of presents from Grandma and Grandpa.


Buddy cuddling on Daddy's lap.


Grandma and Grandpa got all the boys John Deere hats. Buddy LOVES his.


Princess Sparkley got a Jasmine costume.


This is our family picture with our traditionally opened, Christmas Eve Eve ornaments. You'd think this picture was taken after two of the ornaments broke (thanks Hallmark) by the looks on our faces, but this is actually moments before. (Thank you superglue.)

Trucks for Kids

Our Parks and Rec had a Trucks for Kids display Saturday at one of the parks. There was a fire truck, a police car, a Parks and Rec garbage truck, a lot of different tractors, a cherry picker truck, a dump truck, etc.Princess Sparkley in front of a big tractor tire.


There were normal horns, and then there were deafening horns. Boy was not a fan of either, was pretty scared about climbing on anything most of the time we were there.


Princess Sparkley on a fire truck.

Firemen Princess Sparkley and Fireman Boy.

Pretending to drive some sort of John Deere tractor.

Excavator out our window

Have I mentioned that Boy loves tractors?? This was his dream come true. For about a week we had a giant excavator digging a hole right across our parking space, in front of our door, and next to the side of our townhome. Something to do with a sewer line, I think. Boy loved it. Was even offered a ride on a bulldozer but was too scared. And to top it all off, a green John Deere tractor came and sprinkled new grass seed and hay once the hole was all filled in and a roller came and paved our parking spot.