last year at this time...

...I was in Kansas City, MO. My oldest sister, Kelsey, was going to be getting married, so she wanted to take us girls on a mini trip.

We spent two days shopping, hanging out, eating out, watching movies, and just having an awesome time.

At the Crown Center Mall we stopped here and got frozen custard. I got cookie dough topping on mine.

We ate outside by their water park type thing.

(I don't know what my facial expression is about.)

After the mall, we stopped at the Union Station.

It is very pretty and grand looking inside.

In the back of the station was a model scale train museum. I find those things very interesting to watch.

 And of course we had to stop and get a picture taken in front of a waterfall. I look like I wasn't to happy about it, which was probably the case.

We needed directions to somewhere and the easiest thing was to stop at McDonalds and use their free Wi-fi.

And you know we had to be nice and buy a coke and fries. :)

In the evening we went shopping at the Town Center Plaza.

 Almost to fancy to shop at, but it was very pretty. Sorry, I don't have pictures of that.

Since we are Hobbs, any trip we go on has to have a stop at BassPro. Doesn't matter where you go, what you're doing, or if you have time. If you see one, that's the next stop on the list. :)

I had to play the shooting game.

...and give advise. We're pretty serious with this game.

Well, at least that's what it looks like.

Addy probably beat everybody, but I can't remember.

After that stop we headed home. Back to life...

Thanks, Kelsey, for the great time and new memories.

So, tell me about your favorite summer mini trip. I'd love to hear it.

~Susanna

quotes & pics

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. "

~Winston Churchill

"Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame."  

 ~Benjamin Franklin

"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."  

~C.S. Lewis

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."  

~Jim Elliot

~Susanna

4th of July (with pictures)

In the evening we went to a friend's house, because we'd already done our celebrating.

The main attraction there were the puppies.

Yes, my sister Addy, can multi-task. Hold puppies and talk at the same time. :)

Their little girl, Gracie, wasn't very happy with me because she wanted the one I was holding.  

Really Gracie, there are 6 of them!!

Victory!

While we held the puppies, Mama went for a swim.

Some kids were having fun with these smoke bombs.

One of the families brought so many fireworks that they decided it was better to tie 12 roman candles together and light them with a blow torch then to do them one at a time. Really, they are a lot more fun that way.

The reason there aren't a ton of interesting photos is because we kept having fun with the host's family camera. Elaine takes some great photos with that thing.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

~Susanna

3rd of July (with pictures)

Yeah, I know it isn't the 4th. But who said that it had to be?

Ok, in the afternoon we had my Dad's side of the family over. We had the usual hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, potato salad, watermelon, cookies, ice cream, and my Grandma's pie that is usually gone before supper. :) 

I'm kidding, no one is allow to cut into it until after supper and then it is gone in ten seconds. Thankfully, I don't like pie so I don't have to worry about it.

After supper you either went out to fish in our pond, played v-ball, or sat inside and talked.

Our international friend was the only person who caught anything that night.

My cousin, Anna, found our dog, Shyann, and seemed to like her.

I think they're both cute.

The colors are pretty at this time of day.

Once it out dark we started blowing things up, or at least we tried.

After the second fountain I'm tired of them, but everyone else likes it.

 

And who doesn't want to do sparklers?

 Yes, I used them to write people's names in the sky...

Well, after all the artillery shells, roman candles, fountains, etc. were cleaned up my cousins Josh and Sarah, my brother Titus, and I went for a raft ride in our pond. Now that I think about it, it probably wasn't the best idea since it was dark and you couldn't see very well. Anyway, we had a lot of fun trying to find the glow sticks we had thrown into the water.

 It was almost 11 o'clock when everybody left. I guess you could say it was bedtime...

~Susanna

Giveaway...

This morning I saw that Cupcake Dictionary is doing a giveaway to name her Camera. So, of course, I'm going to enter it.

 

 If you could have any camera in the whole wide world (money is no object) what kind of camera would you get?   The newest Nikon on the block. 

What kind of photos are you most interested in taking, looking at, etc (macro, food, nature, portraits)?  macro and candids. 

Canon or Nikon?  can I say both? 

Which inspires you most: Sunny days or Rainy days?   today, it is raining and I love it! 

A normal summer day would find you:  working outside probably. Fridays I would be baking and Saturdays I would be at Farmers Market selling. 

One word to describe you:  crazy...probably. that's a question you should ask my family. :)

Ok, here are the names that she picked:

     a. Sierra Leone

     b. Sierra Dior

     c. Mia Amour

     d. Mi Amora

     e. other:

I guess I'm picking E. Here's what I like: "Keanna" or "Carliss". They kinda different, but I think they're pretty. Both of the names come from Chuck Black books. If you haven't read them, you should. 

Have fun naming your camera, Jocee.

~Susanna