Lone Elk Park

WELCOME TO LONE ELK PARK

Today was another beautiful day in the neighborhood. Planning an outdoor activity seemed to be our only option...can't waste time indoors when it's so pretty! Believe it or not, The Spence Family chose to head to a park, but this isn't our typical kind of park. Lone Elk Park is a nature, scenic, hiking, wildlife area where elk, bison, deer, waterfowl, and wild turkey call home. We located all these animals during our tour except for the deer and the wild turkey...maybe next time! Lone Elk Park is 546 acres so it is impossible to take in everything in one visit. Also, The World Bird Sanctuary is located next door which we also plan to take Kyle too one day in the future. It's always so fun and exciting heading on new adventures with Kyle and watching him enjoy the freedom of the great outdoors!

There were plenty of bison in view...

aren't they such pretty animals? Ha!

Just a couple of scenic pictures. I can only imagine how

pretty the area is once the leaves are on the trees and

especially during the fall once the leaves change colors.

It was such a refreshing treat to spend quality time enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures with my boys this weekend. We can finally see light at the end of the tunnel that spring is on it's way...Hooray!! Hope everyone had a fun-filled weekend!!

Playground Safety At Its Finest

While we were at the park this afternoon there was a little girl younger than Kyle playing in the same area. After watching her a few minutes, we looked around to locate her parents because she was performing some pretty dangerous moves. Well, the parents were no where in sight, but later we realized who her mom was and she was sitting on a bench across the park smoking a cigarette. I couldn't resist and had to snap a couple of pictures because I couldn't believe my eyes. She was climbing up a twisty pole and once she reached the top she would jump in mid-air to a platform. She was also climbing on top of a tube slide. John thought we should leave so we wouldn't be responsible in case she fell and hurt herself. I felt as though we should stay and make sure she was going to be alright. John had to help her a few times before she fell and injured herself. The pictures below will show the dangerous tricks she was performing.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I have witnessed a child being left unsupervised. I feel as though I have to watch Kyle's every move while we are in public and I don't understand how some parents can be so negligent, especially with a child this young. I feel it's part of being a responsible parent to keep an eye on your child because accidents can occur in the blink of an eye.

Warmest Day in 2010

Today was the warmest day St. Louis has seen in 2010 and it seemed everyone was out to enjoy the first taste of spring! If only it would last, but I'm sure Mother Nature is just teasing us! We can't be picky and take each beautiful day to head outside and soak up the sun and warmer temperatures. We took Kyle to one of our favorite parks, which is typically not very crowded, but today was a different story...plenty of other people stole our wonderful idea!

As usual, Kyle loves the freedom of being outdoors. This year, he is really enjoying the slides more than usual....I should have counted, but I'm sure he went down the slide at least 50 times today. The park has a sand volleyball court and Kyle was determined to play in the sand. He must be trying to tell us he wants to go on a beach vacation this year. Also, in a recent post I mentioned our spring/summer goal for Kyle...transitioning him to the big boy swing. Well, yesterday he actually got on one, mainly because he was following his friend and today he also got on one, but wasn't such a fan. It really depends on the swing and how low it is to the ground. I'm sure once we find the perfect swing he will become a pro! But, we are making progress!!

Tomorrow is going to be another warmer day, so we are making plans to head outside once again. Hope you had nice weather in your neck of the woods!

Kyle had his eye on the prize...

the playground

One of his fifty trips down the slide Not so sure about this swing

Kyle the tree hugger What a beautiful day Waterfall

Is It Spring?

The Spences are ready for spring...along with everyone else!! Today was such a beautiful day...it felt and looked like spring. The temperature was about fifty degrees which is technically a little too chilly for spring like temperatures. After such a long winter with such cold temperatures fifty degrees feels wonderful!

Of course, the three of us took advantage and headed out to enjoy the afternoon. Where else would we go to do this? A park of course and needless to say Kyle enjoyed his time outdoors...climbing the equipement, going down the slides, going around and around on the merry go round, and his all time favorite...swinging! One goal we have for the summer is to get Kyle comfortable on a "big"boy" swing. He has been on the big swing in the past, but isn't a huge fan and much prefers the enclosed bucket swing. At four years old, Kyle is a bit big for this type of swing, but it makes him so very happy as you can see in the photo below. I need to find a strategy to assist him in getting over his fear of the big swing.

So happy on the bucket swing

So happy to be outside Here he comes, down the slide

We have been to this park a number of times, but today we discovered a creek located behind the park. We walked closer, only to see there was absolutely no water, so we used it as an opportunity to explore nature. We will need to check back after a heavy rain to see the creek filled with water. Today, it was a neat experience to walk in it...without getting wet!

The empty creek turned into our playground

This was just a neat picture I took of an airplane

and the pretty blue sky

Hope everyone had a great weekend, as well as a great February. Tomorrow is the first day of March...where does the time go! See you next month!

Spence Saturday Snip Its

I love Saturdays, which means my boys and I have some family fun! This morning, John and I took Kyle to a "Planes, Trains, and Things That Go" workshop sponsored by the Parents As Teachers group through our local school district. The event was advertised for ages 2-5 so we figured it would be a perfect outing that Kyle would love, since he is all about "things that go". The majority of the children there were younger than Kyle, but it certainly didn't stop him from having a good 'ole time. By far, Kyle's favorite part of the morning was "driving" the fire truck...he has seen a fire truck up close and personal on many occasions, but it's always fun and exciting each and every time.

Kyle, The Fire Chief, driving the fire truck

We were experiencing a "heat wave" in the St. Louis area today with temperatures reaching into the 5o's. We couldn't pass up the awesome opportunity, so this afternoon we headed to the park to soak up the "warmer" temperatures. Kyle has been antsy to get outside and has been asking to go to the park practically everyday....unfortunately everday the answer is no, but today his wish came true! Kyle was so happy to be set free and was able to run off some much needed energy. John and I enjoyed the fresh air as well....The Spence Family is ready for spring!

So happy to be on the playground. Whew...here I come!

Ready, Set, Go!!!!!! Can you catch me???

My two favorite "boys".

Hello Fall

Goodbye Summer...Hello Fall! Fall is such a pretty season with the leaves changing. In the STL area the leaves are much more vibrant and beautiful than in years past...maybe because we have had more rain than usual. On this Sunday morning, we decided to take a colorful and scenic drive. We headed out to the wine country area to a little park John spotted in the past. Klondike Park was the perfect destination to enjoy the fall leaves. With several different walking trails and an overlook to the Missouri River there was plenty for Kyle to explore.

During our site seeing of the area, we made a very special, small world meeting. At one point, John was calling Kyle Robert and a mother and son approached us to say that the son's name was Kyle Robert. It was such a coincidence, especially since we very rarely say Kyle Robert in public. We continued talking and soon realized that the lady works in the NICU at the very same hospital where Kyle spent the first 86 days of his life. She has worked in the unit for 25 years so she was there when we were, but we didn't have the opportunity to meet her during Kyle's stay. She was so happy to meet Kyle and was amazed at how well he is doing for a former 25 weeker. I think it makes her remember why she does her job each and every day. She was such a sweet lady and it was such a special treat to meet her....we were meant to each be in Klondike Park on this day, at this time! Next time we make a visit to the NICU, we will certainly check to make sure she is working! It just goes to show that it really is a very small world!

Below are several pictures from our fall family outing! Enjoy!

Beautiful Butterflies, Horses, and Slides

What do these three things have in common??? A morning full of fun for a certain three year old named Kyle. This past Sunday morning, we headed to a very popular, must see attraction in the STL area. Faust Park has many activities to keep the little ones entertained. First we visited The Butterfly House, a very pretty, tropical, tranquil setting which is home to approximately two thousand butterflies of eighty different varieties. Kyle is alway amazed when he walks in and is greeted by so many colorful butterflies. He attempts to touch and catch them (which of course isn't allowed), but they sure are fast movers so he doesn't have much success! As Kyle gets older it will be a great educational adventure for him to learn about different stages of a butterlies life, bugs, insects, etc.

After spending time with the butterflies, we took Kyle to ride a horse on the carousel and to the playground to burn off some of his energy. The carousel is indoors so it would also be perfect for a warm summer day when you are attempting to beat the heat. We have really been lucky the past couple of weeks with the wonderful weather we have been experiencing. I realize I have mentioned this in many past posts, but I'm amazed at the spring/fall like temperatures in the middle of July! Believe, I'm not complaining...I would take this any day of the year! Below are several pictures from our Sunday morning outing!

Welcome to The Butterfly House

Kyle is all smiles with his new butterfly friends. Mommy and Kyle stop to rest and enjoy the beautiful environment

One Great Date

Saturday night, John and I had a wonderful date night. Everything was perfect from the gorgeous cool weather, delicious dinner, peaceful scenery, entertaining musical, and of course the company. First the weather has been unseasonably cool and this was an added treat to our date. We went to dinner at The Boathouse in Forest Park. The restaurant is located on Post Dispatch Lake with outdoor seating, a band, paddle boat/canoe rental, and great food. Our wait was about an hour so we sat by the water...so peaceful and relaxing. For dinner we were lucky enough to get an outdoor table next to the water to enjoy the water and scenery a little longer. We both decided to order the tilapia sandwich and it was fabulous! The band began as we were eating dinner so we also had a little musical entertainment during dinner. It was a great choice for dinner and hope to go back soon to take Kyle on the paddle boats!

Patiently waiting for dinner to arrive. Our view from the dinner table

After dinner we had tickets to see the musical Godspell at The Muny. The Muny is located in Forest Park, as well, within walking distance to The Boathouse. The Muny is an outdoor musical theatre which seats about 11,000 people. There are seven musicals performed each summer. We actually were season ticket holders the two summers before Kyle was born and we always enjoyed the shows. We have seen Meet Me In St. Louis, Annie, The Music Man, 42nd Street, South Pacific...too name a few. Godspell was a great performance and very high energy. The best part of the show, however, was the fact that we had front row, center seats...literally. Our seats were typically where the orchestra is seated, but since the orchestra was behind the scenes for the performance there were actual seats in the orchestra pit. It was a completely new experience to be so up close to the stage. If we were any closer we would have had an acting or singing part in the musical. We may attempt to see either Camelot or Hairspray within the next week or two depending on ticket availability. It was such a great date...we had so much fun!

Front and center

Kyle also had a fun night on his date with the same babysitter he has had the past two times. We were so glad Kyle didn't scare her off from their last date. Kyle really likes her and so does Mommy and Daddy. Kyle took a wagon walk, played outside, and had fun with someone other than Mommy and Daddy! It was an all around enjoyable night...couldn't have asked for things to be more perfect! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Concert In The Park

Several local parks in the area sponsor free weekly concerts during the summer months. This evening, we thought it would be a fun family outing. The weather was great...overcast skies and cool temperatures. It was nice and relaxing to sit back, enjoy the music, and people watch! The band playing tonight was the Nonstop Classic Rock Band...actually very good! Kyle seemed to enjoy himself and even showed us a few of his dance moves! Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy another concert in the coming weeks!