Maggie's Lego project

I bought Maggie this baby Yoda Lego kit for her birthday.  She put the whole thing together in one day-over 1,000 pieces.
She is so good at spatial projects, it's really amazing

Ben's Birthday # 20

 Ben turned 20 today!!!  We went to Half and Half for brunch, it's the first time we've been out to eat for a year and it was great to feel like life was returning to somewhat normal.  It was a big enough occasion that we had to take some photos to memorialize it!!!!

Birthdays in the time of COVID

Ben's was the first Birthday to arrive while we are all social distancing.  All the restaurants are closed and there really is no place to go, so our options were limited.  He wanted to get Sauce on the Side for dinner, so we ordered and did curb pickup.  

Arline had run by the house and dropped off a stealth cookie cake for Ben, so he had about as good a birthday as you can have while not being able to go anywhere or see anyone.  That's pretty hard for someone who is a social as Ben is, but he did OK.

Ben's 18th birthday dinner

We had Ben's birthday dinner the Monday before his birthday because he was doing scholar bowl after school on his birthday.  He wanted to go to the Melting Pot for his birthday.  We had never been before.  It was pretty expensive but definitely worth it because it's more of an event than a dinner!!!!!

We decided to do the four course dinner, which includes a cheese fondue, salad, entree and chocolate dessert.  Because we had a larger party, we got to choose two of each dip.  The cheese fondue was fabulous, I'd have been happy just with that.  Surprisingly, the best combination was with the apple!!!

Ben and Arline

Ben and Julie

After the salad, we had entrees.  Each person can choose 3 or 4 meats to go with the cooking method.  We had a basic vegetable broth and this lovely coq au vin broth.  Everyone got different meats (or vegetables) to go with it.

Maggie eating her chicken

Ben got a birthday cake!!!!!

I'd say the chocolate course was the best, but we were all pretty full by that time!!!  We got a dark chocolate salted caramel and the kids wanted S'mores

Lots of goodies to dip in the chocolate!!!!

Marie and John visit 2018-Day 2

We went to the Art Museum to see the Sunken Cities exhibit.  Sam and I had already been with Arline, but it was nice to go back again with Mar.  Not all the items in the exhibit have been recovered from the sea, but it's hard to tell which have and which haven't because they are all in such good shape

These vases were first found in Canopus and were named canopic jars-later used to store organs removed from bodies during mummification

Where we are going wrong with symposia-we've forgotten the drinking part!!!!

Three of the huge statues recovered from the sea

Ben got one of these roses for me (they were replacing them)

After the exhibit, we headed off to the Boat House to have lunch.  We had to wait for a table, so we walked up to the World's Fair Pavilion and took some family photos

After lunch, we went to the zoo for a quick walk around.  It was so hot that it was quite a relief to go and visit the penguins and puffins

You can always find the time to share an ice cream!!!!

We ate dinner at home and then went back to Forest Park to see Shakespeare in the Park-they are doing Romeo and Juliet this year

It was a busy day, and a very hot one, but absolutely the best way to spend my 60th birthday!!!!

17 on the 17th-Happy Birthday Ben

Ben had his Golden Birthday this year-17 on the 17th!!  I didn't even see him all day, between his work and mine.  He got my CRV as a kind-of birthday gift and we gave him a gas card, plus I found a suitable book for him-about dead bodies!!!!
I still cannot believe that he's 17 already....

Thanksgiving in Little Rock

It was MiL's 80th birthday on Thanksgiving this year, so we went down to Little Rock to celebrate with her.  Arline bought her a bottle of champagne, so we celebrated in style with that and chocolate cake-yummy!!!

The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we climbed Pinnacle Mountain on Friday.  Sam and I climbed together-Ben just took off like a gazelle and of course Maggie followed right behind him.  We didn't even see them until we got to the top

The views from the top are always beautiful

Little Maggs

Ben and Maggie at the top

with Daddy

On the way back down....

Sam and Maggie

After we climbed Pinnacle, we went to eat pizza for lunch and then walked down by the river

Pinnacle Mountain

I love these trees

Maggie on a big bale of hay

Baby possum we found along the way