Cool!

I just found out about a new feature if you use blogger.com:

type in your blog's url address followed by " /view " ... then see what happens!

For example, check out mine:

www.thehutchhaus.blogspot.com/view

check out the options at the top right:  side bar, mosaic, snap shot ... 

And that was your FREE TIP for the day.  Have a good one! 

TheraBreath - A Review & GiveAway

 Morning Breath ... Don't-Kiss-Me-Right-Now Breath ... Stand-Back Breath ... I-just-ate-garlic Breath ... We all have probably experienced it - or known someone who has! 

Well, Dr. Harold Katz knows bad breath is a serious problem for many - as is dry mouth and things like tonsil stones ... He developed a line of products called TheraBreath.

Among the many products offered (at fair prices) is a "dentist-recommended" toothpaste, which I was given to sample.  NOW, I honestly can't say I *loved* the taste.  It is a clear-ish gel paste - and it is recommended you use a dry toothbrush.  BUT the results after rinsing it out are GREAT.  Though I don't really suffer from dry mouth (unless I'm really nervous), my teeth & tongue felt clean and slick (<-- best word I could think of to describe it).    As a former periodontal patient, I was also glad to read that the paste has aloe in it for healthy gums. 

 I was also given a sample of an oral rinse to use after brushing.  It is supposed to freshen breath instantly - and I think it really did.  It tastes a little like baking soda, which is an ingredient in it - however, I like that it didn't burn the fire out of my mouth like some "other" mouth washes.  This products contains no alcohol.  The results are said to last 24 hours, which I can't verify as I used it ... and of the next 24 hours, I was asleep for about 7!!  LOL ;)

My favorite of all the samples were the mouth wetting, fresh breath lozenges.  I threw a ton of them into my purse (one box contains 100 lozenges!).  For some reason, I love to have a mint or gum during church --- and my kids have taken up this habit.  I gave us all a lozenge on a Sunday - and everyone (10 & 12 year olds included) liked the taste.  And I was confident that if anyone talked to me close-up after the services, I would not have bad breath!  :)  I think the lozenges have somewhat of a mandarin mint taste, which is pleasant.

Would you like to try TheraBreath for yourself???  I am giving away a tube of TheraBreath toothpaste AND a bottle of TheraBreath oral rinse to ONE PERSON who would like to try these products.

I will draw ONE winner on Friday, April 15, 2011 via random.org.  

HOW TO ENTER:  (Do one or more of the following - leave a separate comment for each - and each comment will count as ONE entry to win)

1.  Visit TheraBreath and let me know which product you'd most like to try. 

2.  Like TheraBreath on facebook.

3.  Follow @therabreath on twitter.

4.  Follow my blog - or let me know if you already do.

DISCLOSURE:  I received the toothpaste, oral rinse, and lozenges from TheraBreath at no cost to me.  The opinions are solely my own.  The give-away will also be courtesy of TheraBreath. 

Decorating Tips

I'd really like my house to look nice - like something from HGTV or from the blogs of the gifted ladies who have an eye for decor and coordinating fabrics.  My everything-coordinating, everything-in-its-place nature combined with my expensive taste (which I can't indulge in!LOL) just draws me to beautiful, textural, interesting, trinkety items.

I used to try to decorate and coordinate, even though I honestly don't have the talent but I like to try.  I guess I still do this a little bit.  I like to think that our living room has an "old world library" theme going on ...

but honestly, in the last 12 years that a child or children have blessed my home, my taste has become less everything-coordinates and more anything-goes:

 You see, beside my painfully cross-stitched picture that I had matted and framed professionally back in the early 1990's (when I actually had time to do needlework) there hangs - fastened by scotch tape - a lovely picture colored by my 10 year old daughter.  She embellished it with "I love you" and "To:  Mom ... From:  Anna".  I worked on my cross-stitch for months - she worked on hers for a few minutes, but it is far more valuable to me! 

By my scripture calendar in my bedroom is another reminder that my daughter thought of me - and colored this "just for you, Momma".

The reminders are all over my house.  If you tilt your head (sorry, didn't check my photos before downloading), you can see another "I love you" on a hand-drawn picture on notebook paper, fastened by a magnet to the side of my fridge.  The colorful potholder - made by my daughter on her little plastic craft loom - was a spontaneous gift from her too.  Every time I see it, I am reminded of my colorful daughter who carefully made it with her sometimes-clumsy fingers. 

There once was a time when I had no children to decorate my home with not only their artwork, but also with their jackets hung on the banister and their fingerprints on the glass doors ... and there will come a day when they will leave me (if i let them!!) ... and my house might just be neatly decorated and cleaned up again ... well, until I have grandchildren!  :)

Happy Homemaker - 3/28/11

The weather in my neck of the woods:


Overcast ... 34 degrees but feels like 28, according to my little weather widget.

Things that make me happy:
an acceptably neat house, happy children, hearing my husband's voice, yummy food. ;)
Book I'm reading:



What's on my TV today:
I  think Disney Junior is on, unwatched in the living room ...
On the menu for dinner:
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
On my To Do List:
the usual:   laundry, dishes, finish dinner ....
hope to tackle some kind of "spring cleaning" thing today

New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
see above on my menu for today

Looking forward to this week:
on Wednesday evening, our school is presenting a play about the life of Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, called "Binding Ties".  My son has several non-speaking parts:  a temple guard, a servant (he has to pour tea - he's NERVOUS!! LOL), and a seller at the market, I think, plus he's helping back stage w/ props. 
Tips and Tricks:
I don't really have any earth-shattering tips to share.  This week, I've made my TO DO list, and I plan on sticking to it as good as possible.  That is what gets me through life - lots of LIST and to-do's and goals ... I try to be flexible with them, but I have to have something to keep me FOCUSED.
My favorite blog post this week:
The one that gave me a $3 off Huggies diapers coupons yesterday!!!!  :)
Also, A Contentment Manifesto

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):
VIEW FROM MY BACK DECK THIS MORNING!!!!!  3/28/11  (seriously?!)

Lesson learned the past few days:
 keep doing right, keep focused on the Lord, don't pay attention to what other people are (seemingly) getting away with, never mind those who avoid responsibility, just keep doing what is right. 

On my mind:
As usual, my husband is never far from my thoughts.  I think because I used to work with him every day for 5+ years, now that I'm at home and not always "in the know" of what he is doing or going through, I "worry" more about him.  I don't really mean "worry" (he can handle things just fine); but I guess I just kind of wonder what he is doing or if I could have been there, could I have helped him get something done or reminded him to do something he needed to do today ... Sometimes I feel guilty that I got to quit my job to stay home - because in some ways, I feel like I abandoned him.  We started this ministry thing together ... and now I'm not there.  I get to do a far easier job now by just enjoying each day with our baby girl - and I take care of the rest of my family "long distance," it seems. 

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
We ought not to be weary in doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

-Brother Lawrence, 17th Cent. French monastery cook

I see RED

or it might be ORANGE???  Anyway ... I saw several good CLEARANCE STICKERS today at Target!!   :)  

Since I had an appointment in a near-by small town at the health department, I figured since I was THAT close to our "nearest" Target and some other stores I like, well, we may as well drive on ... In 30 minutes, Miriam and I were happily sharing chicken nuggets, apple dippers, and fries (is that a BALANCED meal??!) at McDonalds - and after that, it was off to Target.  

I really shouldn't just shop without a purpose, but at Target, you really just never know what you'll find!  AND I have been wanting a better floor mop thing - to the point of watching the prices and looking for coupons for one of those Swiffer Wet Jet things.

WELL, if you can't see the clearance tag above, it says $2.48 ... and you can't see the handle and all, but this is a mop with a washable microfiber pad!  If it works well, it will continue to be economical because I can use it with simple Pine-Sol and re-use the cleaning pad.

 I did get an extra pad for $1.24.  Even if I regret this buy, it's only about a $4 investment, so I can always chuck it!! 
In the past, I have been using a Clorox Ready mop, which is a PAIN because you have to buy cleaning solution AND disposable pads.  That's why I was hesitant to get something like the Wet Jet because it seems like you just keep on spending money when you have one of those things.  Any other recommendations on cleaning my linoleum (kitchen & bathroom)?  One friend swears by using vinegar on floors ... I haven't tried it - but I just might?!!

 For my son, I found a watch ... which I set by his Sports Illustrated that came in the mail (a free one-year subscription - not to worry, I immediately threw OUT the swimsuit edition when it arrived a while back!!!).  ;)  He's been wearing Dan's Timex Ironman watch.  Timex definitely "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" as this was the watch I gave Dan before he deployed to Iraq in 2003!  The watch has survived - but the watchband is now about shredded. 

Well, I couldn't leave Anna out!  I love Target's $1 section up by the front!  And this week it is all Easter stuff (mostly).  This sweet headband was there in 2 colors.  I tried it on Miriam, but she wouldn't leave it on her head!  :) 

Other happy deals today were diapers!!  They were $8 for normal-size Pampers and Huggies at both Target and Walgreens - and I had 3 $2 off coupons!!  :) 

Also, the Humphrey's teething tablets were ON SALE for $4.99 (how'd they know Miriam needed them!!) ... and I already had a $1 off coupon!  :)  Yeah!!

I hope this is the first of MANY fun and successful shopping days for me & Miriam!  :)  Miriam had a blast, sitting in the shopping cart, checking out the things I was picking up along the way - and waving and saying "hi" to all the other shoppers as we passed them ...

She fell asleep on the way home ... and well, would you think I was horrible if I told you she is STILL asleep in her car seat??!  That's why I'm on the laptop right now; I can get wireless connection while I sit nearby and wait for her to wake up!!  At least I was able to unpack the car in peace ... and now she is finishing up a good nap, which she (and I) desperately need because she has NOT been sleeping well at all the last 2 days. 

Miriam Recommends:

My family LOVES books ... some of us more than others.  My husband is a serious book collector.  He always has 2 or 3 or 4 books out that he is reading at one time, and he always has about 20 books on his "wanted" list!  He loves to peruse Goodwill, library sales, and yard sales for BOOKS.

Our children are surrounded by books, and Andrew & Anna do like to read.  I also read almost every night before bed.  I used to read a lot more, and I hope to again in another season of life. 

Miriam is currently going through a "book phase" which I hope never ends!

Today I wanted to share her favorite books of the day:

 Miriam and I both count Jan Karon among our favorite authors as she is the one who wrote the Mitford series that I so love! 

 Where is That Cat?  is a sweet book that my friend Tanya gave to Andrew & Anna many years ago when they were preschoolers.  >^..^<
Tanya and I have been friends since high school; we were roommates for a year in college; we were in each other's weddings (she was my maid of honor, and I was her matron of honor); and we share a love for cats. 

The Ramblings of a Tired Hausfrau

Miriam is cutting her molars right now - and they seem HUGE!!  Like they are filling the entire back of her mouth.  She is chewing her fingers and has gagged herself trying to get to those painful teeth :(  For this reason, I had sympathy on her last night at midnight when she woke up (and she'd been doing SO well too ... bummer).  She was up at 6:30 this morning with NO intentions of going back to sleep like she usually does.  So, we started our day - with her gagging & spitting up on me.  Lovely.  Not how I prefer to start things off, but you kind of roll with the punches when you've got a cranky, teething 15 month old ... and I'm guessing she'd have preferred to not be in pain either.  I need MORE of these (below) - but I can only get them 25 miles away at Walgreens (or from Amazon, obviously!!):

So, around here, about the only useful thing you can do early in the morning is go to Walmart ... and I had to pick up my new glasses anyway (and Dan's new reading glasses - hope he will actually WEAR THEM!!).  Do I look any smarter?!  Not 100% sure I really like them - a little small and a little much bulky (dark) frames.  Thankfully, I also picked up a supply of CONTACT LENSES, so glasses aren't too much of an issue anyway. 

Here's my old glasses ... they aren't that bad, but they are about 5 or 6 years old & the nose pieces are turning GREEN!!  How gross is that??  And the lens in one of them is actually chipped on the inside edge.

I thought for sure wandering around Walmart would wear my girl out - and she took a nap, a 30 minute nap :(   I was hoping for 2 hours ... but I'm getting used to lowering my expectations with this child - and then one day, suddenly she'll take like a 3 hour nap :(  Oh how I miss predictability and routine!!  

This sweet little face melts my heart every time ... especially right now because it's all scraped up :(  And this time it was MY fault :(  It happened yesterday when I "hiked" the 2.5 mile "Engineer Trail" on our local Army post ... never having been on that trail, I wasn't prepared.  I wore flip-flops and didn't bring any water (yesterday it got up to 70 degrees!).  What I thought was going to be an easy 30 minute walk turned into a 1 1/2 hour cross-country hike!!  Thankfully, with me and my friend pushing strollers, we were forced into a pretty slow pace - the hills were what got me though!! 

Being the genius that I am, I decided that instead of PUSHING the stroller up the hill, I'd kind of drag it behind me & PULL it up ... which was a good idea except that I didn't strap Miriam in - and she eventually slid out under the stroller bar, face first onto the gravel path :(   Thankfully, I think she was more shocked than hurt, so there weren't too many tears or I would have felt REALLY bad.  That said, from now on, I'm making sure Miriam is STRAPPED IN SAFELY!!  Lesson learned. 

It's suddenly cold here again today :(  My tool bar is saying 36 degrees - and it was colder than that this morning ... I've been kind of good for nothing today, so I guess I need to at least get off the computer and go make something decent for dinner ... I'm thinking of making this from allrecipes. 

Daybook - March 22, 2011

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... it's 9:36 p.m. as I start this daybook post.  The day started gray and shiver-ry but ended at 70+ degrees and sunny!  :)  

I am thinking...about what lies ahead.  My children just started their 4th & final grading period of this school year!  Spring has sprung ... and we're on the "home stretch" for completing 5th & 7th grades for my older 2 kids - and the 6th year as teacher/administrator for my husband at our Christian school. 

I am thankful for...several situations that I've been burdened about that are resolving themselves slowly.  Today I had to talk to someone about something that made me extremely NERVOUS - but I went - and the timing was PERFECT (and thus, I must conclude totally God's will!!)  - and I left feeling SO MUCH BETTER.  Definitely a "divine appointment".  :) 

From the learning rooms...well, I don't homeschool, but I guess in a way I am Miriam's "teacher" even though she is only 15 months old.  I love reading books with her - that's her current FAVORITE thing to do!  Mainly we just make animal noises- or I have to sing certain songs at certain places.  I am amazed at what she mimics or how she expects certain actions or words each time we read through a book she loves.  I also get tickled when she "reads" by herself ... she has one book in particular that is very large - and if she picks it up upside down, she immediately notices & struggles to turn it around. 

From the kitchen...nothing good :(  Monday was fish sticks & green beans ... today was drive-thru food because the boys were helping at church ... tomorrow we eat our meal at church ... Thursday we have piano lessons after school so it will be crock pot soup or chili ... so MAYBE Friday, just maybe, I'll cook something VERY GOOD!!  :)

I am wearing...comfy clothes, ready for bed - eventually.

I am creating...my blog.  :)  Also writing some "spring time" cards for the relatives in Germany that I didn't get around to sending Christmas cards to ... just a WEE bit late, eh?!

I am going...to organize a few things before bed.  With Miriam as busy as she is these days, I don't get much done during the days except at her nap time. 

I am reading...THE MISSIONARY - for review.



I am hoping...to get it together some day.  I'm getting CLOSER each day - organizing my life, my home, and hopefully some day finishing a Medical Transcription course I started a long time ago ...

I am hearing...the dishwasher.  Otherwise, everyone else is ASLEEP.

Around the house...spring clean-out continues.  Slowly.  I'm SO tempted to get this book - I've heard SO MUCH about it in the blog-o-sphere ... but I hate to spend the money when I know I really just need to GET BUSY!!














One of my favorite things...quiet nights.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  kids' club at church tomorrow (Patch the Pirate Club); piano lessons on Thursday evening; FAMILY NIGHT on Friday!!!  :)  Oh, and I'm getting NEW GLASSES ... I haven't had new ones in about 5 years - and I'm kind of excited even though I pretty much wear my contact lenses when I'm out & about. 

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Find more Daybooks at Peggy's Blog.

Oh, The Places She Did Go ...

 Miriam is 15 months old now ... I knew this phase was coming.  I honestly dreaded it just a little bit.  I didn't mind that she didn't want to walk until about a year old ... because now - now that she's fully mobile - I can describe my baby in one word:  BUSY. 

 A few days ago, she discovered tissue boxes.  I thought they were all safe from her ... but today, she found the one on the top of the toilet tank (after she'd found that unrolling the entire roll of toilet paper was WAY fun!!).  I didn't have the heart to stop her as she pulled one tissue after the other out of the box & joyfully threw it in the air to watch it float down onto the floor ...
Believe me, she hears NO many times a day as it is - so much so that she shakes her finger and says, "NO NO" at herself, or if she is feeling really dramatic, she'll crumple into a heap on the ground and put her head to the floor and sob ...

 Most of the lower cabinets in the kitchen are Miriam's - full of plastic ware and sealed vitamin bottles that shake and tupperware and rubbermaid containers.  I try to lock some of them - but for the most part, I'm just giving in & letting her have free reign while I cook or try to get SOMETHING done. 

 And it's not that Miriam doesn't have any toys ... she has 2 baskets full of toys in the living room, easily accessible to her.   Right now, though, she seems to be going through a book phase.  She likes to look at them herself - which is fun to observe.  If a book is upside down, she will work until it is facing the correct way.  She points and "reads" to herself.  But mostly, she wants ME to "read" - which generally just involves pointing at certain animals & making their noise.  We also have to sing at certain places, especially if we see a STAR; then it's "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." 

Children grow up fast ... every phase has its new adventures ... and its messy challenges.  ;)

Our Sunday Best

I have gone to church regularly since I was introduced to Jesus Christ at Vacation Bible School the summer before I started 4th grade.  Pretty soon we were all going to church as a family as my parents made things right with God.  We not only went to church on Sunday mornings, but we went to Sunday School, Sunday evening services, and Wednesday mid-week services.  That was just life - and how my life continues to be. 

Though many churches have gone to a more casual setting (and my point isn't to judge that or give my opinion), but for my family, church has always meant putting on "your Sunday best."  I was taught that when you go to "God's House," you go in an attitude of respect, which includes dressing "appropriately".  I know different people have different definitions of "appropriate" - but for us, it has always been pretty much wearing dress clothes.  Same goes for the old-time Saturday night bath ritual - though we are more apt to take a daily shower - we make sure the kids are extra clean, girls' hair is fixed nicely, mom puts on a little make-up, etc.  Or at least we TRY to do that ...

HOWEVER, today I was presented with a thought in Sunday School that really hit home with me.  We get all dressed up and fixed up on Sundays for the church - and we are all smiles and politeness.  While that may be the "real" way that Christians should behave, and I don't doubt the genuineness of my fellow church members who are showing God's love through their proper and kind behavior, to someone on the "outside," we Christians may seem to be flawless.  What they see is nice, clean, prim people - what they sometimes don't see is that we are really just sinners worshipping the God who redeemed us.

In my family growing up, we "hid" problems from the church ... and of course, some of our family's issues were very personal due to my parents' history with divorces and step-children and family members who were involved in very ungodly lifestyles.  Sadly, we never really took those problems to church with us ... maybe we were afraid of being judged or maybe we preferred to not be identified by our issues - but we struggled to work through things on our own, which doesn't mean we didn't pray over them or seek God's help in dealing with bad things; we just never sought to ask others for help, advice, prayer, or support.  At church, we were always dressed right, said the right things, and didn't try to embarrass our family's reputation; we sure did NOT open up about our family's struggles.  And I'll be the first to say IT WAS SOMETIMES VERY HARD to keep up appearances! 

Thankfully, my family has come out of that; we talk a lot more openly about our problems now - and as I married and started my own family, the churches we attended were smaller and less prominent with less pretenses than what I grew up in.  One of my goals in life is to BE REAL.  That doesn't mean I have to spew all my issues all over the internet or among the congregation or to my pastor, but I readily admit that I have many things God has dealt with me about - many sins He has helped me confront - and false thinking He has helped me to get over.  I still have A LOT more to work on, and I guess the Christian life is truly always a journey, never a destination here on earth.  We will not be complete until Heaven. 

I do not want my church clothes to cover up the real - and flawed - me.  I think I will always feel the need to respect God's House by wearing my best to church, but I hope that my attitude isn't hypocritical in that I think that just because I look right and say the right things that I am completely right before God in all things.  I am striving - and sometimes struggling - just like other seekers of the Lord.

The Sunday School teacher today said something to the effect of Christians tending to think that they don't want to admit their sins or weaknesses because they are afraid "they are the only ones" who are struggling or who have committed a certain sin or been in a certain bad situation in the past because everyone else APPEARS to have it all together.  That's why some people hesitate to come to church; they think everyone else is so good and perfect.  But we have to know that there ARE others who must be struggling just as we do because the Bible tells us so:

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man..."
- I Corinthians 10:13.  We all have the sin nature in common - though we are all in different places in our spiritual walk.  In the end, NO ONE is the exception to potentially committing any sin.  No one is perfect; no one has attained Christ's sinless perfection!

Today our pastor reminded us that many people say that church is all fine and well for Sundays, but it isn't practical for "the real world" from Monday through Saturday.  HOWEVER, what we hear and do at church IS actually "the REAL WORLD" by God's definition - it's the world out there that is messed up!!    We need to take what we learn on Sunday and apply it to our life on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ... 
So, while I dress up on Sunday for church, I am still the same person in my every day clothes too.  I still should seek to be kind and polite and smile on weekdays - and yet, I should still be real and approachable on Sundays.  I want to be real every day.

There is a German (Austrian?) opera - and book, I think - which has turned into an idiom:  "Kleider machen Leute."  Translated it means, "Clothes make the man."  But do they?  I think it's actually more about what is underneath - THE HEART.

Spring Break - Part II

SUB TITLE:  How to Spend All Your Hard Earned Money in 3 Days

Wednesday through today haven't been near as fun as our excursion to K.C. on Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday we worked in our church office as the secretaries need a break too - Thursday & Friday have found us busy with much needed appointments and one household emergency! 

1.  get oil changes in both vehicles, get one vehicle inspected for license plate renewal (renew said vehicle registration for 2 years).  
OH, and found out one of our tires REALLY should not have passed inspection - but our mechanic had mercy on us. 

2.  pay missouri state income tax balance due ... 

3.  get husband to go to the dentist after one year of NOT going to the dentist

4. first ever eye exam for my husband aside from any checks he had while in the military.  He is proud to say he still has 20/20 vision ... in ONE EYE! ;)  and his other is almost as good for distance.  He does need reading glasses - and I got a new pair of glasses as well.  I also need new contact lenses as I stretched my 1 year supply of disposables into 3 years & finally had to get re-examed today as well. 
5.  bought & installed new water heater ... long story ... if you follow me on facebook you know the sad story about our unwitting experiment with LIME DEPOSIT build-up over the last 6 years. 

My husband is submitting applications for a second job after all this!!!  No, not really.  Actually, yet again, God's provision has been sufficient.  Our tax refund, a friend to help put in the water heater to cut costs of installation, and other sources have covered all of the above expenses.   Thank you, Lord!!  :)

But my God shall supply all your need...Philippians 4:19

I am thankful for a fun and productive Spring Break ... really, I am ... however, honestly, I could use ONE MORE WEEK OFF with my family ... and a vacation to Hawaii.  ;)

Spring Break - The Destination

Did you have any idea where we spent the first 2 days of Spring Break?!

Melanie was correct in that it did involve CHICK FIL A!  :)

This little bathing beauty was ready for some fun in the sun ... or at least fun in the water!  As we set out for our mini-family vacation on Monday morning, we knew it was chilly ... but we weren't prepared for SNOW, SLEET, and icy road conditions!

Granted, we were driving north ... but this was a little crazy!!

We drove up through our state's capital city, Jefferson City - and further north to Columbia (home of Mizzou).

At this point, the roads were downright treacherous!!  We saw several cars in the ditches and one even under the cables of the interstate divider (not sure how they managed that)!  Anyway, we headed westward, and by the time we got to our destination, the roads were clearer and safer.

We checked into our hotel in KANSAS CITY by 4:00 p.m. - and headed straight for the attached indoor water park - Coco Key Water Resort.

The bigger kids (and Dan) enjoyed the 3 water slides and lazy river.

Miriam was a little timid - but did venture into the kiddie wave pool and rode the lazy river on an inner tube with me.

 The tired swimmers slept fairly well ... and then on Tuesday, after a yummy brunch, we went to the National World War I Museum at the Liberty Memorial.  This was mainly for the history buff boys ... but it was interesting!  And at 55 degrees, the day was downright warm and sunny.  :)

 Did you know that the last documented World War I veteran - Frank Buckles just died recently - he was 110 years old!  He was actually born in Missouri in 1901. 

 Of course, we couldn't leave THE GIRLS out ... and so we headed down to a mall in Kansas City where an American Girl store recently opened.  The boys hid out at the nearby Barnes & Noble Booksellers while Anna, Miriam, and I looked at all the displays and fun accessories.  Sadly, nice toys like this are SO expensive - but Anna did come away with a few souvenirs such as matching tshirts for herself and her doll.  She also had some money from grandparents to buy an outfit for her doll.  :)

As for me, I guess my favorite part of the trip was eating at Chick-Fil-A on the way home!!  ;)  Food really is my love language ...