Our Girls

When: March 2017 Where: The most beautiful river town in Western Illinois, perhaps the world Katie and Grandma Betty share a birthday month, which came in handy because the same weekend Grandma Betty was having a huge birthday party in Quincy, Katie got to have a huge family party too! First, we went to the Pier for Grandma Betty's birthday dinner. All of her six kids were there and many of her 19 grandkids were there and a select few of her 21 (and counting) great-grandkids were there. It is fair to say that our girls have cousins upon cousins - and fortunately they LOVE hanging out with cousins! It was a fantastic night of family fun, and Grandma Betty went home exhausted but elated. Later that weekend Most of the same crowd gathered in the Bird Room at Sunset Home to celebrate Katie's birthday with the family including Grandma Betty, the Meyers, the Jeff Thomases,  The Chris Bachs, The Scott Bachs, The Balzers, Grammy and  Gramps, and Ba and Papa  ...

Time:  March 2017 Place: Kansas City Municipal Auditorium, St. Charles Convention Center It's Dance Competition Season! We traveled with Em's dance troupe to competitions in KC and STL. She tap-danced to "I Love Me" and jazz-danced to "Don't Wanna Dance".  By the end of competition season, she and her team-mates (troupe-mates? co-dancers?) were looking extremely polished. At our house ... dance is a sport. 

Time:  March 2017 Place: Kelly's Pub , Quincy, Illinois March means that it is time for the Kelly Run!  Here are the runners on a frosty March morning. 

Time:  February 2017 Place: An unseasonably Warm Day in Mid-Missouri They're sisters, so naturally they bicker, disagree and sometimes downright fight. But usually? Usually they get along great and have fun playing with each other. Which is just what happened on this shockingly warm winter day when we had the chance to run off the winter blues in Bethel park. 

Time:  February 2017 Place: Southern Boone Elementary Gym Tradition dictates that the Valentine's Day party for the fifth graders at our school is a big '50s Sock Hop held in the gym. Emily and her friends broke out the poodle skirts and saddle shoes and had a blast. 

Time: January 2017 Place: Blue Devil Gym Jessica's cousin Andrew is the Blue Devil! We made a few trips back to Quincy to see Cousin Andrew wield the flaming pitchfork for QHS. The first time we came back, we joined Grandma Betty at the Blue Devil game!  We sported our team colors with pride (and Andrew was going through a period of beardedness at the time).  We got to go "backstage" and meet the Blue Devil in person!  Before, during and after the game, there was time for many hugs and cuddles with Grandma Betty.  Thanks to Aunt Sara, Uncle Eric and Cousin Andrew for a memorable night! Andrew and Jessica even saw one of their favorite high school teachers!

Time:  December 25,  2016 Place: Quincy, Illinois It's Christmas MORNING!!!! This year we woke up at Grammy and Gramps' house in Quincy. It is SO hard to wait to go down the steps to see if Santa came.   He came! He came!