StL Vacation...Take #2!

22 weeks 4 days...

We had the privilege of taking another little family vacation to St. Louis again. We left Tuesday (Jeremy came home @ lunch time). Had a good trip over other than trying to get Crystal to take a nap that she really needed...but didn't succeed @ that. We stay @ the Hotel Lumeria (I think that's how you spell it). It's kind of close to the Arch. It was a really neat hotel and the rooms were wonderful!! We had a 2 room suite w/a king bed in 1 room and a smaller bed in the other. Crystal thought that was really neat...but she wanted the king bed...needless to say...she ended in the smaller bed cause there is no way Jeremy & I could have left on it...lol! In the bottom of the hotel was a casino that we'll have to visit sometime...it looked kind of fun!


Here is the inside of the hotel. The hotel is 8 floors and this water fountain went all the way up to the 8th floor!

Waiting on daddy to finish checking us in and getting our room

The view from our room...we saw 2 barges and 1 tugboat go down river

The view from our room...we were all the way up on the 8th floor!

We went the Cards game that night. Our seats were really good again. We were a little higher up but a little closer to home plate. The Cards lost...but they tried to pull off a win in the end. Remember I said earlier that we weren't very successful @ getting Crystal to take a nap on the way over...well...it kind of showed while we were @ the game. She became very restless and by the 2nd inning was asking to go back to the hotel. At about the 5th inning we thought she was going to crash...but didn't...actually she got a 2nd wind and turned into a dancing machine!! She was standing on the seats and would dance everytime they played music or did a cheer.

Crystal & daddy waiting for a foul ball or an autograph...got neither though :-(

Shaq pitching the 1st pitch

Here is Shaq again...he's one BIG & TALL guy!!!

Shaq & Albert talking about a home run derby hitoff!!

From our seats w/the zoom fully in...good little camera I've got!!

Our little dancing machine got the make her big debut on this big screen during the 9th inning while the Reds were making a pitching change. So...here's the setting:

9th inning...about 10pm...I am beyond tired, Jeremy is energetic because the Cards are making a comeback and Crystal is standing in her seat waiting for a song to come on. They start playing "Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy". Crystal is just going to town w/the dancing & doing moves I never knew she knew!! I glance up on the big screen and see this little girl in an outfit just like Crystal's and think "Oh she looks like Crystal...OH S**T!!!! That is Crystal!!!" I'm hitting Jeremy to get his attention and he sees her up there too...then I think "My camera...I've got to get a picture of this!!!" Well...my fingers weren't working fast enough and missed the chance but she was up on the big screen dancing away for at least 45 seconds @ a sold out Cardinals/Reds game!!! All I can say is HOW NEAT!!!!!! We had at least 20 people/strangers comment after the game saying they saw her up there and how cute she was!!! I don't think her daddy would mind her being on the Cardinals cheer team and darn the luck her getting us season tickets...lol!!! I videoed her dancing prior to them putting it up on the big screen & I'm trying to get it up on here. So if I succeed @ that...just imagine seeing that up on this big screen in front of 40,000 + fans!!!

We finally made it back to the hotel and took some well needed showers. I think it was midnight before we got to bed. I couldn't believe Crystal has stayed awake from 8am to midnight!!! The next morning we got up and went swimming for a little bit. Then got ready and went to the Magic House. That place was HUGE!!! We were there for @ least 3 hours and didn't get to see everything. Crystal had fun climbing on things, playing dress up, making new friends, and just exploring! One little friend she made...her mom was pregnant and due Dec. 8th and is having a little boy too!! I guess you can say I made a friend also!

Crystal climbing the Jack and the Bean Stalk ladder to slide

Taking a carriage ride in Cinderella's coach

Dressed in play clothes



I think Jeremy had fun @ this station...the following pictures will tell the story!! They are playing w/magnets.

The 2 are deciding what to build.

Jeremy's finished product. Not 3 seconds after he left the table some little girl came over and destroyed it!!!

Crystal working on her paper clip art.

Here are the new friends we made. We were having a tea party w/dress up clothes!

Jeremy's shadow on the green wall

Jeremy drew these...but Crystal spelled out everybody's name. Our little Lance family!!

After the Magic House we went to Bass Pro Shop and got Jeremy's 2009 Fall hunting classic hat. He has one from the years Crystal & Mason were born and needed one for Clay! Crystal also got a stuffed dog for her wildlife animals collection and Clay got a moose head, bob cat stuff animal, & Crystal picked out a camo jacket for him.

We had soooo much fun and can't wait to go back next year!

* I have been trying to upload the video of Crystal dancing for almost 5 hours and I'm giving up. Her dancing moves consisted of "The PeeWee Herman" skii move, shaking her hips and butt, moving her shoulders, twirling like a ballerina, and doing cheerleader moves...it was soooo funny!! Maybe I'll try putting it up when I get a chance to be @ a computer w/cable internet...lol!