A St. Louis Getaway

Even before Grace was diagnosed with INAD, Kyle and I wanted Grace to have as many awesome life experiences as possible. Some were simple things, like a trip to the pumpkin patch or the zoo. Others were things we did in our childhood that we really enjoyed.  I think both of us have really great memories of attending St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, and Grace has gotten to go each summer.

But, this year, she got a special treat. One of the Lincolnwood volleyball families, the Gerlachs, called Kyle this spring to tell him about a trip to the ballpark. They had been telling Angie's brother about Grace, and he asked if she liked the Cardinals. His company, Republic Services in St. Louis, wanted to offer us some tickets to a ballgame. We were thrilled.

Fredbird brought Grace a new Cardinals bear.

Angie asked Kyle if Sunday, June 19 would work for us.  Usually, Sundays are a hard day for us to plan something like that because of work, but this time, because of the family trip to Branson, we had already taken that day off. It seemed like it was meant to be.

All smiles for Fredbird!

She loved when Fredbird gave her a kiss!

Later that week, Kyle got an e-mail about the game. They were providing us four tickets in an accessible area of the ballpark so we could take Grace's stroller in with us.They also arranged a special visit with Fredbird just for Grace, as well as a hotel room that night at the River City Casino and Hotel. Talk about feeling spoiled!

The day of the game arrived, and despite our best laid plans we still ended up a bit late to the ballpark. Kyle was a little disappointed not to get the bright blue Cardinals socks that were the giveaway that day, but it was okay. We made our way through the gates and to our seats, and I was a little worried about the sun and the heat. When we got there, our seats were in the sun, but it didn't take long for the shade to overtake our area along the third base line, which was a great place to watch the game.

All smiles with mommy!!

Since we had gotten four tickets, we invited Kyle's brother, Shane, to go with us. He arrived shortly after we did, and it was fun to watch the game together. About mid-way through the game, one of the Cards employees came over and asked me about Grace. He said Fredbird would be coming to visit her soon. And it was definitely the highlight of the game for us. Although it took Grace a few minutes to warm up to him, Fredbird never gave up trying to get her to smile. He even brought her a Cardinals bear from the Build-A-Bear store and signed her stuffed Fredbird. We got some awesome photos, and I think Grace really enjoyed it.

Our special package also included a gift card for food in the ballpark, and Shane and I headed out to find some.  We even got some Dippin' Dots ice cream for Grace, which was also a big hit. I picked out the kind that came in the mini Cards helmet, so we can play with it at bathtime. 

Being silly with Uncle Shane and Daddy.

All too soon, the game was over, and even though the Cards lost, we had a wonderful afternoon. We said our goodbyes to Shane, and headed for the River City Casino and Hotel.  Neither Kyle or I had been there before, but it was really easy to find, and not very far from the ballpark.

Check out our great view for the game!

We arrived at registration, and everyone was so friendly and helpful. But the real treat started when we got to our room on the seventh floor. Hotel staff had written a beautiful card for Grace and left a HUGE basket of Cardinals goodies and souvenirs for us. I laid Grace on the bed next to it, and she just grinned, somehow knowing it was just for her. The basket included a new tiger stuffed animal with a tiara, a St. Louis Cardinals beanie baby, a blanket, apparel, cups and even fuzzy bunny slippers!  We felt so spoiled!

The pampered princess enjoying her hotel room.

As we started to put some of Grace's drinks in the refrigerator, we found a tray of cookies and three bottles of milk (vanilla, strawberry and chocolate) just waiting for us. I set Grace on my lap, and she drank a whole glass of chocolate milk and ate half of one of the cookies, which were delicious!

Sweet snuggles with Gracie Lou!

Kyle came out of the bathroom to tell me there was a TV in the mirror. He also discovered a button that opened and closed the room's curtains, as well as a digital "do not disturb" thing in the door. Needless to say, we were quite impressed by the amenities in the room, as well as the kindness and caring of the staff.

After we cooled off from the ballgame, we took Grace down to walk around the hotel, which kind of resembled one of the casinos in Las Vegas. We decided to order pizza in the room and just relax that night together, and it was amazing.

The next morning, we were trying to decide what to do, and Kyle looked up taking a tour of Busch Stadium. With the great experience we had the day before, we thought it might be fun to get a behind-the-scenes tour, and it was!  The tour included a stop in the dugout, Cardinals Club, Redbird Club and the Champions Room, where we got to see four of their World Series trophies.

Hanging out in the Cards dugout!!!

After the hour-long tour, we bought a really cool photo package and headed to Ballpark VIllage for lunch. Our tour tickets also included a stop at the Cardinals Hall of Fame, which Kyle had been wanting to do anyways. So, we ate a quick bite and headed that way.  It was neat to read the history of the Cardinals and the three ballparks, as well as see so much memorabilia from our favorite team.

Kyle and Grace in the Champions Club.

One of the highlights of the museum stop was when one of the volunteers asked if Grace wanted to hold a Cardinals bat. You could pick from several Cardinals, and actually hold a bat they used when they played. We picked Stan Musial, and with plastic gloves on, I helped Grace to hold it. The volunteer showed us several nails where Mr. Musial had fixed the bat when it broke. She also had the chance to try on two World Series rings, which was awesome. The Cards won the World Series in 2011, just weeks after she was born, and we can remember watching those games together. It was neat for her to have a chance to try on the ring from that series.

Grace stepped up to the plate to hold Stan Musial's bat!

She also got to try on a World Series ring from 2011!

Before heading out, we stopped to see a small section, dedicated to the soccer games that have been played at Busch Stadium, which was also really neat. All in all, the museum was really well done with interactive exhibits as well as lots of information about the history of the Cardinals and Busch Stadium. And we hope to go back someday soon.

One last stop by the Arkansas Travelers display!!

Then it was time for vacation to be over and to head back to Hillsboro. We loaded up the van, and prepared to go home. Although it was a quick trip, it's one that we will always remember, as an awesome chance to make more memories on this Grace-Filled Journey.

MLH

Armour Family Reunion

For the past year and a half, Kyle's family has been planning a very special reunion this June in Branson to celebrate his Grandma Virginia's 80th birthday, which was in March.  Nearly 50 Armours descended on Branson over the weekend to be part of the family reunion.

Hanging out with Grandma Virginia and Aunt Karen.

We took off on Thursday morning, and made our way to Branson with Grace. It was kind of nice to be able to take our time and not rush to get there.  We set Grace up with Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks on her DVD player, and headed west, stopping for lunch in Rolla. We had a bit of a late lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings, so I really thought Grace would sleep for part of the remainder of the drive, but she waited until ten minutes before we got to the cabins to fall asleep.

Papa Randy and his grandchildren.

When we arrived at the cabins, we spent the evening hanging out with Kyle's brother, Daniel, his wife, Monica, and our nephew Keelen.  The boys were excited to watch the US men's soccer game on TV, and we just enjoyed a nice, relaxing evening together. Grandma Virginia and Kyle's Aunt Karen stopped by for a quick visit too.

Pool time with Uncle Shane, Daddy, Uncle Daniel and Uncle Scott.

On Friday morning, we had to wait for Grace to wake up around 10 a.m. I think her ten-minute nap caught up with her. So, we enjoyed watching some Eurocup soccer and just having a few moments to ourselves.  When Grace finally did wake up and have breakfast, we headed to Kyle's mom and dad's cabin for lunch and then some swimming. The kids all really loved the pool, and Grace stayed in the water for a couple of hours. She really seemed to like all the attention. When she started to get tired, she and Grandma Kim got out of the pool, and Grace was asleep almost immediately in her lap.

Swimming with Grandma Kim and Aunt Karen.

That night was a cookout with the entire Armour clan. Despite some very hot weather, we enjoyed great food and even better company. I had promised Kyle's mom I would take some photos on the trip, so I wandered around taking photos of all the cousins, while Kyle and Grace hung around the picnic tables. Since it was so hot, we took Grace back to the room a little early, and after we got her cooled off, we headed back to Grandma Kim's room for cupcakes to celebrate Quincy's first birthday. Grace enjoyed snuggling with Kayley and Kensey, and getting everyone's undivided attention.

Grace loved talking to Aunt Karen and Aunt Kristy at the cookout.

Although she protested leaving, she had a good night's sleep, so she would be all ready to go to Silver Dollar City on Saturday. It turned out to be another hot day, but it was fun to be together.

We got to celebrate Quincy's first birthday!

After arriving in the park, we split from our big group with Kyle's family and took Grace and Quincy to the kids' rides area. Quincy wasn't big enough to ride the teacups, so Mikaela and I took Grace for a ride, and she seemed to like it.  Quincy got to ride the Firepup ride with his dad, and we all rode the fire truck ride together. I think the boys were a little nervous, but everyone did great.

Just goofing around at Silver Dollar City.

We ate lunch at the Tater Patch, which is a Herschelman favorite at Silver Dollar City. Grace even go to try the potatoes, and enjoyed them. When we finished eating, we made a trip to the first aid office to feed Grace in a nice, cool place. She did great, so we headed back out again to walk around Silver Dollar City. 

Riding the tea cups with Aunt Mikaela!

Riding the fire wagon ride.

As the temperatures began to rise, and naptime drew nearer, we headed back for the cabins shortly after lunch.  I thought Grace might take an afternoon nap, but she was content just to lay by me on the futon. She babbled and smiled the whole time, until it was time to get ready for dinner. We heard a knock at the door, and Grandma Kim had a special surprise for Grace. She had purchased a purple princess parasol at Silver Dollar City, and had Grace's name put on it. Grace absolutely loved it. We can't wait to try it out when we go swimming next time!

Grace loves her new purple parasol from Grandma Kim!

Once we were changed and ready for dinner, we headed to Kyle's mom and dad's cabin, where Grace promptly fell asleep on Uncle Shane's lap, mere minutes before it was time to leave for the restaurant.  It was cute, and I don't think Uncle Shane minded a bit.

The Armour Family Reunion 2016

Saturday night was another big Armour family dinner, and we decided since nearly everyone was together that we would take a group photo, and that was one of my jobs. Even with almost 50 people, we managed to make it work, and it turned out pretty good.  We did some individual family photos as well, and I think everyone was pleased with how well they turned out.

The Herschleman family.

The restaurant did a great job of seating all of us, and we all enjoyed the food and the time to visit. They even sang Happy Birthday to Grandma Virginia as part of the festivities. And after dinner, we enjoyed some more time visiting with Kyle's family before bedtime.

Family photo op with our favorite princess!

Kyle, Grace and I were given some awesome Cardinals tickets for a Sunday afternoon game, so we had to depart Branson pretty early that morning, but not before we did a few more photos and said our goodbyes. It's not all that often we get together with just Kyle's entire family, and it was fun to be together.

Just the boys!

Grandma Kim and Grandpa Randy with their grandkids.

Even though it was a quick, weekend trip, we made memories that we will never forget (and I have the photos to prove it!) I'm so glad that we had the chance to go, and the Grace got to spend so much time with Kyle's family. It was a special weekend on this Grace-Filled Journey!

MLH

Movie Night Under The Stars

As Grace and I sat out under the stars, I just couldn't help but think how lucky we were to live in such a wonderful community.

Earlier this spring, Jeanne Banovic, who is the president of the Litchfield Rotary Club, told me her organization was planning a free family movie night at Sky View Drive-In, and they wanted to help raise funds for INAD awareness. I told her yes, and that we were so excited to be a part of such a fun event. We had also been hoping to take Grace to the drive-in sometime this summer, so it seemed meant to be.

Grandma Kim and Grace got tickets for the carnival games.

In making plans, they set the movie night for Sunday, June 12, in hopes that many families would be able to come that night.  It didn't work as well for our family, since Sunday is a paper night.  But even though all of us didn't get to go, Grace and I still had a really great time!

I went into work early that afternoon so I could get done in time, and Kyle's mom met me at the drive-in with Grace. They were already there when I got there, watching the kids play some of the carnival-type games manned by the Rotary Club members. There was a bubble station and a ring toss game, and lots and lots of prizes.  The kids really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Cousin Izzy won two fans and gave one to Grace!

The Litchfield Rotary Club also collected donations as people arrived and had a 50/50 drawing. They split the proceeds between INAD research and the Montgomery County Cancer Association, another awesome community organization.

When we got there, my aunt and uncle were already there with one of my cousins and his family. Izzy, who is just a year younger than Grace, was enjoying playing the games. She even won a fan for Grace, and was so excited to give it to her. Grace enjoyed checking out the bubble station, and visiting with everyone that was there. One family even came over and all three kids asked if they could meet Grace. They were so sweet as they came over to say hi.

Hanging out with the McLaughlins to watch Minions.

Then, it was time for the movie to start. Grandma Kim headed for home, and Grace and I found a perfect spot next to Uncle Ralph's truck. She got some free popcorn from the Rotary, so we settled in to watch Minions. Grace sat on my lap, and we just enjoyed snuggling under the stars.

I had never seen Minions before, and it's a cute movie, even though Grace didn't make it through until the end. But as we snuggled, I couldn't help but think how lucky we are to live in a place that cares so much about our beautiful Grace.  We were honored to be part of such a special night, and can't wait to go back to the drive-in and sit under the stars together.

MLH