Vacation Day 1 - Arkansas

So I got back from Philly at 11:30 pm on a Friday night and the next morning it was off to our family vacation.  This year we decided to go back to Branson (had Sam made it to Omaha with baseball.. we probably would have been there.. I'm a bearkat.. how could we not be there for our team!)

We decide to drive part of the way up on the first day and so we ended up in Little Rock.  So I got on my phone looking for a hotel for us and found the Peabody (http://www.peabodylittlerock.com).  You never know what thes hotels are going to look like until you finally get there and let me say this hotel didn't disapoint!  It was beautiful and the bed was comfortable.  I have no complaints about this hotel.  Everything there had ducks on it.  When I registered the guy said the ducks are done for the day but will be back at 11 in the morning.  I then remembered why I knew this hotel.  I watch 19 kids and counting (don't judge) anyways when the little one was in the hospital the whole family moved to Little Rock.  On Mother's day they had asked the mom to come and lead the ducks in.  Anyways I also asked the guy what were some good places that we could walk to eat at.  He told me a couple of places but told me about Big Whiskey (http://www.bigwhiskeys.com).  Where the Peabody is located right off the river there is a nice street to walk down with a bunch of different hotels and restaurants.  So we looked at everything and decided to go into Big Whiskey's.  It was great it was a little bar type atmosphere but not bad for Zach to be in.  We asked the waitress to tell us what was good she said the Chicken Ranch Alfrado and the Big Whiskey BBQ Burger both things that I had been looking at so I decided to get the Chicken Ranch Alfrado and boy was it GOOD!  Tim got the Burger and wasn't disappointed.  We ate and watch Arkansas vs South Carolina in the beginning of the baseball championships.  It was a good dinner.  The next morning we got breakfast downstairs at the hotel restaurant and it was good they had a buffet and menu to order from.  We decided to go back to our room and wait for the ducks.  So around 11 we went down to see the ducks it was cute they come down in the elevator and then waddle down the red carpet to John Philip Sosa music and then they jump in the little water feature they have. It is very short but super cute so if you are looking for a hotel in Little Rock I suggest the Peabody!

This is Arkansas' State Capital building.

Philly

I got to make a quick trip to Philadelphia for a meeting for one of the associations I'm in for Division Orders.  I just went up on a Thursday and came back Friday night.  It was a fun little trip and I will get to go back in October when we have our annual Institute.  Anyways when I wasn't in one of the two meetings I had to go to I was out on the street taking pictures of all of the beautiful building just around my hotel.  I didn't have a lot of time to get to see the historical sites but hopefully when I go back I can go and see that part.  I thought I would share some of the pictures I took while I was walking around.

Here is what I could see from outside my hotel window.

The Macy's which is across the street from our tell has the world largest working organ.  It is beautiful and I got lucky enough to get to listen to it being played.

Here are some that I just loved.

There is a market close to the hotel and I saw these cherries.. they almost looked fake!  They were gorgous!

It was a fun quick trip and I can't wait to go back in October!

Take Kid to work day

Last Thursday was my company's Take Your Child to Work day.  Zach had been asking me to take him to work during the school year and I kept telling him he would have to wait for summer time so when I told him that I was going to take him to work he was so excited!  My company goes all out for this day to help kids see what their mommy and daddy do at work.  They have stations with games about oil and gas stuff and they have people show them things dealing with oil and gas.  The first time they had this I took Brenden with me and he had a great time so I knew Zach would too and he did!  Many things have changed but it is still fun for them.  I think Zach's favorite part was the geologist showing them fossils and how they look for them and find out how old they are to help determine if there will be oil or gas.  But he also enjoyed the marketing game, the guys making balloon things (he got a bow and arrow) and drilling for oil and gas! 

This is him drilling for oil and gas... if the pencil had red it was oil and your got 3 pieces of candy.. if it was green on the bottom it was gas and you got 1 piece of candy.. if you didn't have any color then you had a dry hole and you got no candy..the one with the most candy after 5 mins got a cool toy! Zach didn't do so hot and only got 4 pieces of candy..

They had some boards up and some clothes where they could dress up and take pictures.. isn't he cute!

It was a great day and we both had a lot of fun!  Can't wait to do it again next year!

NCAA Regionals - Go bearkats!!

We love to go and watch college baseball especially Bearkat baseball!  We have went a few time during the season and they have played so good so it was only natural for us to go and watch them at the NCAA Regionals especially since it was at Rice University!  So I was off that Friday and Tim got off early so we could go to the first game at 1.  It was SHSU vs. Arkansas.. we held our own but becuase of one mis call by at ump at 3rd base we lose by one point.  So that meant we played the loser of the Rice vs Prairie View game that would be played later that night.  So Saturday we got up and we were back to the field..  we got Prairie View the loser of this game would be out of the tournament well we won!  It was a great game we played hard!  This meant we got the loser of the Arkansas vs Rice game... Rice loss so we got them on Sunday..Again we went back to the field.. they were on a roll we couldn't let them play without us!  Now becuase we both had a loss whoever loss this game was now going to be out.. but the winner would get Arkansas that afternoon.. well we won!  So we decided we were already there we were going to stay and watch them again.. Rice fans were a little mad about lossing to us so they gave us their tickets for the night game and for the Monday game if we needed them.  This would be a tough game for us we were tired for beating Rice and we had already loss a game to Arkansas.  It was a game that seemed one sided and not for our side... Arkansas won 5-1 but our boys played hard and I was a proud Alumni!

Cute!

A couple of weeks ago we went to see Hannah and Kara dance in their annual recital so Tim dressed Zach all up while I was attending a shower.  I think he looks pretty cute.

All-Star!

I know it has been a while since I wrote!  We have been really busy lately but I hope I will get quite a few post on here tonight and tomorrow to tell you all that we have been doing.

Zachary was picked to be on the All-Star team this year.  Because he was on the AAA team he only played one game and they call it the best of the best game.  So they take all of the teams and pick players off of them to play the one game.  Zach was pretty excited about getting to play with some of his teammates one more time.  It was a good game Zach got one out on a boy at 1st base and then he got a RBI.  He hit the ball and got a boy in for a run..it was the 5th run so he didn't get to come in. 

unfortunitly we were the losing team.  But it was a fun game and we are so proud of Zach and all that he accomplished this year.

Zach's first shooting lesson

Tim has decided this is the year Zach will try to shoot his first deer.  So they have been practicing with a BB gun in the backyard.  I think for his first time he did pretty good.. take a look..

Now he thinks everyday he should get to go out and practice!  And that is our fence that is getting wholes put in it.  That is ok he is having a good time!