Independence Day 2014!

We had a fantastic 4th of July weekend!  It was a  beautiful weekend.  The weather was just perfect and we spent most of the weekend at the Duquaine's house.  Each year they have a big party and invite us over (along with a bunch of other friends.) Everyone else is from out of town so they stay with the Duquaine's, camp outside, or go to the hotel.  There was a bunch of people there this year and we had a great time.  It was so nice to see friends that we hadn't seen in a year or two or three.

The kids swam a lot and the adults just sat around and visited.  The weather was so nice that I didn't even want to get in the pool.  Most 4ths from the past have been so hot that we all just sat around in the pool the whole time.  I much prefer this year's temperatures to years past.  We had a lot of good food throughout the weekend and an amazing fireworks display on Friday night.  There was a dodgeball tournament to remember and lots of other fun.

My Mom and Carissa made the pies for the big event.  They baked 8 pies total and we brought 6 of them to the party.  Carissa is turning into quite the little baker.  She is Grandma's little prodigy I think.

It was a great weekend spent with great friends.  It is a shame that we don't get to see some of them more often. But I love how we can always pick right up where we left off last time.  So until next time Kopaczes, Lipinskis, Joyces, and Saulles!  And thank you to our host and hostess, Paul and Deb.  It was really fun!

How festive are we?

Little man and his substitute "woobie" because his brown one was lost.

Maleah, with her sketch pad and pencil

Elizabeth Kopacz and Maleah

Carissa and her buddy Vivian Lipinski

Some sidewalk chalk art by the children

And some sidewalk chalk art by an adult, Mark Kopacz

How cool is this??

The Prettiest Flowers in Town

So, I have the prettiest flowers in town, yet again.  (Hey!  This is my blog.  I can say that!)  No, I haven't been named Yard of the Month by the Garden Club or anything but I will say that my hanging baskets are amazing again this year.  I really do think they are the prettiest hanging baskets in town.  I buy my flowers every year at Zimmerman Greenhouse in St. Peter, Illinois.  It is owned by an Amish family and their flowers and bigger and better than any other place that sells flowers.  True story.  It's worth the drive.

They were at their peak a few weeks ago but are still looking good!

Maleah with some artwork that she made about hermit crabs.

Speaking of hermit crabs, one of Maleah's hermit crabs died this morning.  She has had three crabs since March when I brought the crabs home from my girls' trip to Nashville.  Now we have two crabs.  I threw it away.  I didn't feel like flushing it was a good idea and I don't know why.  So, I just threw it in the trash. Maleah was a little sad about this but I told her we could still say goodbye.  This is what she did as a final remembrance to her crab.

So what else is new with us?  Well, not a whole lot really.  We have just been chillin', chillin', mindin' our business.  We are really looking forward to our 4th of July holiday weekend.  Hope you guys are having a great summer like us!!

St. Louis Can Be Fun??

We have recently made several trips to St. Louis.  This is the story of our lives but this time it has all been for fun stuff!  Woo hoo!  Doctors and hospitals were involved but it was all for fun.

A few weeks ago we took Silas to his final NICU Follow-Up Clinic appointment.  They like to track and keep an eye on their early birds for awhile after they go home.  Silas always blows them away with how awesome he is and how you can't even tell he was ever early.  That's why I think it's important to bring Silas to these appointments.  Those doctors and nurses rarely see someone as early as Silas was that doesn't have any problems.  He's a wonder boy.  I took Maleah with me too.  Jason had to work and Carissa is a homebody so she stayed with Aunt Patty.  We had a fun day. We ate at Round Robin, went to the appointment, and then did a little shopping afterwards.

Dr. Chau, Me, and Silas, who was not into having his picture taken 

with this guy.

Red Robin.  Yum.

How cute is she?

The following week after this appointment was the NICU Reunion at Mercy Hospital.  We made another trip over there for that.  All of the kids were born at Mercy, and although Carissa was the only one not in the NICU, we had her a shirt made too of course.  They had crafts and games for the kids.  Plus there was a nurse and doctor meet and greet.  None of our nurses were there.  In fact I only saw two nurses there total out of the hundreds that work there.  I was disappointed about that.  But we did see Dr. Chau and Dr. Schwartz.  We had see Dr. Chau the week before at our appointment so he already had gotten caught up with us.  Dr. Schwartz was happy to see Silas and was impressed with how amazing Silas is.  After our reunion, we went to the Arch.  However, due to road construction, a festival, a ballgame, and an insane amount of Saturday stuff going on downtown we couldn't find a parking spot anywhere so after driving around and getting frustrated, we went to the City Museum instead.  I hope I never go to Hell because I am pretty sure it involves the City Museum.  I really dislike that place.  Maleah likes it.  She's the only one. Carissa and Maleah had both been there before with their CC group.  Silas wasn't too impressed.  I think I would have been happier at the mall.  But it was still a fun experience.  I think.

At Mercy

My 34 weeker, 38 weeker, and my 25 weeker.

They love the fountains.

And then the week after that, my friend from Pope County, Jessi Hall, called and asked me to go to a Cardinals game with her and two other girls.  She had an extra ticket if I wanted to go.  I did go and we had a great time!  It was hotter than blue blazes but it was still so much fun.  It was free hat day at the ballpark and we each got a free hat, which is so much easier to carry around than a water cooler!  (See previous post.)  And our seats were amazing!  I have never sat so close to the field before.  We were right behind the Cardinals dugout, which was so cool.  Afterwards, we went and ate at the Cardinal Ballpark Village. Thanks Jessi for the great day!

Me, Jessi, Kaci, and Jill

Okay, so after the day at the ballpark I stayed home for a day and then I turned around and went back to St. Louis the following day for a 3 Day Classical Conversations Practicum in St. Peters, Missouri.  I only stayed for two of the days though.  I took Maleah with me and she went to a day camp with her friends while I was listening to speakers explain and explore the Classical Method of education.  It was very interesting.  I made new friends, got to spend lots of time with some amazing women from our own CC group, and I got to visit with my friend Terri who also does CC.  Terri lives in St. Louis and she and I went through breast cancer and chemo together.  We are both doing fantastic and are looking forward to a school year without cancer!  I wish I would have gotten a picture of us together though.

Maleah and her friend Hollis

Getting ready for Day 1 of Practicum

Maleah and Hollis

Part of our group at Olive Garden

There was a Barnes and Noble right by our hotel!  Yay!

So, I have learned that it is possible to go to St. Louis for fun.  We have had a lot of it there this summer. Good times with good friends!  We are very blessed. (Oh, and I have been updating the blog like crazy, so be sure to check recent posts.)