tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40193010572102335392024-03-13T21:30:20.793-07:00Busch Family DaysBusch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-64094698914561872322014-08-17T15:11:00.003-07:002014-08-17T15:11:39.892-07:00End of the SummerWhew! Time has really flown since my last post in May. I guess that's what a family of four does to us. I think we have just had too much fun to be spending time blogging, but it's probably about time to share a few of our memories. WARNING: LOTS of pictures below:<br />
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Lena LOVES bath time, and she has from the very beginning. Clay likes to take baths with her; "I want to take a bath with my sister!" is pretty common to hear in the evenings.<br />
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The above scenario is about the most common way to find these two stinkers. From the time we brought Lena home, Clay has been an absolute sweetheart of a big brother! He (still) loves to lay and watch her, tickle her, talk to her, and "teach" her how to do things. She likes watching him too - he can usually get her to laugh easier than anyone!<br />
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We were happy to have most of the Busch girls visit us in Columbia a couple weeks after Lena was born. They were all excited to hold her, and she was such a sweetie, until, of course, we were all eating at Shakespeare's and Lena decided to cry a little. I guess she wanted the attention - she ordinarily doesn't fuss much at all! If she is hungry or tired she will whimper a little, but it's rare to have a good, hard cry. We certainly aren't complaining....<br />
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Lena was grandchild #4 on my side, and #14 on the Busch side. She didn't hold the post of youngest grandchild for long, however, because little cousin Isabelle was born just two weeks after Lena. I suppose that is a good excuse for why the Schweich girls didn't make the trek to CoMo!<br />
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Just cheesing....<br />
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!<br />
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This photo was taken the same day we ended up in the hospital with Lena. She was about four weeks old and had a little cold, that turned into a bigger cold. We weren't too worried until she started to eat less, and we could tell she wasn't her usual self. I made an appointment with the pediatrician, and they sent us immediately to the Women's and Children's Hospital. Yikes! Lena had low oxygen levels because of her congestion, and they were pretty worried about it. Thankfully, they used the "super-size booger sucker" and gave her some oxygen, and we were able to go home the next day. The girls stayed in the hospital, while the boys came to visit in the evening and stayed home. It was a rough night, but we all survived and were happy to come home! She just looked so sad with the little oxygen tubes in her nose and taped to her face, but I guess we should be thankful we were able to get some help for her.<br />
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Clay's preschool had weekly visits from the Gym Bus throughout the school year, and they learned something about most sports and exercises. They did tumbling, kicking, throwing, jumping jacks, balance beams, etc. At the end of the year, there was a "performance." It was such a fun day, and you can tell Clay was quite proud. He didn't even do anything <em>too</em> embarrassing! It was quite sweet to hear him yell, "Dad, did you see that!?" from across the gym though!<br />
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The trophies were the best part! Clay had seen a friend's trophy from the previous year's performance, so he knew that was coming at the end of the show. So proud!<br />
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We were finally able to meet the youngest Busch cousin, Isabelle, at Easter. She is such a sweetie! I hope they grow up to be great friends!<br />
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Watching the Easter activities at the Busch farm!<br />
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It was a very long day - I think egg hunting started a little after 7:00, and this photo was probably taken around 8:30. The kids (and parents) were worn out! We sure love getting together with everyone though! <br />
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Clay and I got home one rainy day and decided to take the umbrella for a walk. Lena and I stayed in the garage and snapped pictures, while Clay took a little stroll. He was so excited to be using the umbrella on his own! This kid is fascinated and excited by some of life's smallest pleasures - he certainly doesn't need fancy or expensive toys to make him smile!<br />
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This was probably early June, and Lena was just starting to sit in the Bumbo a little. Funny - I seem to remember Clay was never able to sit in it, because by the time he was strong enough, his legs were too chubby to fit in it!<br />
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Speaking of new toys, this has been a MAJOR hit at the Busch household! Thanks to Aunt Susan and Uncle Kevin for picking it up (Susan found a great deal!) and traveling to MO with it in the back of the truck. The Mustang has two speeds, slow and fast. We tried slow speed for a couple weeks, but he is now a speed demon in high speed! He is actually pretty good at driving, and we have learned that regular crashing into the curb isn't much to be concerned about. I can't wait to see the first time he is able to drive his little sister around!<br />
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No, Clay, she isn't old enough to eat your Teddy Graham!<br />
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I have no idea what Clay was telling Lena at this point, but I am sure it was something very important! I think she has already tuned out by this point, or maybe she is focused on the camera flash!<br />
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Best friends!<br />
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On Memorial Day weekend, we were excited to have high school friends Kelci Miclaus and Julie Bonnot and families over to visit! Even though Julie and I live nearby now, we only see each other occasionally in passing at church. We hadn't seen Kelci since she was pregnant with young Georgi, so this was a special reunion! It is amazing how much we have grown up in the last 15 years ( yes, 15 years since I graduated high school!), and it was so fun to watch our families have fun together. <br />
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The kids (minus Lena) having Shakespeare's. Yum!<br />
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The parade...<br />
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A sign of things to come?? I wouldn't mind - Georgi comes from a good family!<br />
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"Now what does this thing do?"<br />
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Yep, that is clearly a worm on my son's belly! Ever since the rainy day with the umbrella, Clay wants to play in the rain whenever possible. On this particular day, he was hunting for worms! <br />
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In early June, we took a mini-vacation to the Lake of the Ozarks with good friends Jeff and Alison Francis, and their boys Tyler, Nathan and Grant. It was quite exciting to spend time together and watch the kids have fun with each other. Five kids under 5 - whew! I didn't get many pictures from the weekend, but I suspect we were too busy keeping everyone in line! I also suspect these boys will grow up to be good buddies. Hopefully they don't pick on Lena, the only girl, too much. :)<br />
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Making cookies for our new neighbors!<br />
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Our superhero boy with his "beautiful princess" sister. Love these two!<br />
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She is getting so big so quickly these days! It is fun to watch her grow through photos. This was around 4 months old, and below is her first taste of cereal. Big brother is anxiously coaxing her along! More fun times below, most being fairly self-explanatory:<br />
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Yes, that is a pair of undies on his head. I'm not quite sure why, but it was probably part of a costume idea. It may be obvious, but Clay has quite an imagination. He also likes to dress up in costumes. Most days, when we get home in the afternoon, he runs to his room, closes the door, and puts on blue jeans or some sort of costume. He would wear jeans every day of the year if he could, but we are pretty strict about not wearing them to preschool in the summer. It's just too hot, and his little body already sweats like crazy. So, that is typically the first thing on his mind when he gets home. Or, I guess underwear on his head is a good option instead??<br />
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The only explanation this one needs is that Clay is pretending to be "Donnie" (one of the Ninja Turtles for those who don't have young boys around). That's his "Donnie stick" in one hand, and the Ninja Turtle headband on his head. I am pretty sure he was protecting his sister from something terrible.<br />
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This weekend, the Mizzou volleyball team was signing autographs with Truman. We love going to volleyball games, and made it almost every home game last year. I hope Lena is cooperative this year, because it really is a good time (we even saw the game when they clinched the SEC championship!). On the way, Clay was excited to see Truman, "my best buddy ever!" He high-fived and hugged Truman, but the little stinker just stood and stared at the volleyball girls. Maybe so many pretty, tall girls were intimidating? Or was he taking a page out of Dad's book by acting quiet and shy, just to reel in the girls??<br />
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After the excitement of the volleyball girls and Truman, we decided to take an adventure to ChuckE Cheese. All I can say is, "Oh my!" I hadn't been before, and it was certainly an experience. We all had fun, Lena fell asleep, and I believe we were on sensory overload by the time we left. It certainly is fun to see the excitement in his face!<br />
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Today, a new friend came to visit us. "Croc Ninja Turtle" showed up by our front porch. He is a feisty little box turtle, and he may stay on our porch (in the shade) for a day or two. Clay was so excited to find him and play with him, although I don't believe Croc was exactly thrilled with the new attention. Fun Sunday times!<br />
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If you are still reading and looking at the pictures, kudos to you! I will try to post a little more often, but the not-so-new status as a family of four doesn't leave a lot of spare time. Our days are filled with costumes, wrestling, making and trying new baby foods (yes, I am making our own this time around), and experiencing life! It is amazing to watch these kids grow up, and to watch our relationships grow stronger with each passing day.Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-48354994921567444402014-05-17T12:10:00.000-07:002014-05-17T12:10:10.188-07:00Lena Kay Busch arrives!It is probably about time to share a few pictures of Lena, now that today is her 12 week birthday! As most know, Lena Kay Busch arrived on February 22, 2014. Our world changed forever that day, and we couldn't be happier with our family of four! She is happy, beautiful, and such a curious bundle of joy! <br />
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The day started out with a trip to Trowbridge Livestock arena in Columbia for an Angus show, and I decided around noon that we should probably head home. Contractions weren't too strong, but I could tell they were starting to become a little regular. We got home, ate lunch picked up some dog poop in the yard, made the necessary calls to Nana and Papa and the Clooten family (to watch Clay - HUGE thanks to them!), and headed to the hospital. Clay was safely tucked away and napping at Eli Clooten's house, waiting for Nana and Papa to come into town.</div>
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We arrived at the hospital and had a long afternoon of waiting. Finally, around 9:20 p.m. the nurses said I could start pushing, and she was born at 9:28 p.m. She weighed a whopping 9 pounds and 13 ounces, was 21" long and perfect. She has been growing like a weed ever since!</div>
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Big brother Clay is as happy as can be with his little sister. He had been anxious for her arrival well before Thanksgiving, after we explained he had to wait for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Valentine's Day before she would be here. Thankfully it wasn't too long after Valentine's Day! He is so sweet with her, and so proud of his "Lena Beena" AKA "Little Missy." We are so blessed that he has been such a loving big brother!</div>
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Another HUGE thank you to Nana and Papa for coming to visit upon Lena's arrival. They took care of Clay and brought him for his first visit. All went well, with the exception of Clay trying to convince Nana and Papa they were only allowed to hold "my sister" for a short time. He is quite protective of that little girl!</div>
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And we are finally ready to go home! Look out world, here comes Lena!</div>
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More to follow soon (hopefully!)... </div>
Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-66650995856742095452014-01-12T13:46:00.002-08:002014-01-12T13:48:31.875-08:00Creative and entertaining Clay<br />
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After church today, we asked Clay what he learned about. His response was, "John and Peter Pan." After realizing he meant the disciples John the Baptist and Peter and sharing his interesting take on the Bible with my mom, she suggested we track all of the crazy and funny sayings he is CONSTANTLY coming up with. There are probably hundreds that we can't remember, but here are just a few from the last several months (in no particular order):<br />
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<li>"You can call me King Handsome, and you are the beautiful princess" - while telling me a "story" at naptime.</li>
<li>While telling Dan about his new Hot Wheel car from target, Dan said he could put it with his other Hot Wheels at home. Clay's response: "But those aren't 'hot' anymore, they are just warm wheels."</li>
<li>Clay is often telling me how pretty he thinks I am, and he has decided the only girls who are prettier than me are the Mizzou Golden Girls and cheerleaders. Much to my embarassment in the grocery store one day, I saw him eyeing a couple cute teenage girls who were in the same aisle near us. All of a sudden he said, loud and clear to them, "You are pretty, but you aren't as pretty as my mom!" Thankfully, the girls just started laughing. I tried to tell him that wasn't very nice to say and he responded, "But YOU are the prettiest." Oh my!</li>
<li>"You get your big hiney in your big bed!" to Dan, after Dan told him to, "Get your little hiney in bed right now!" Clay doesn't backtalk often, but when he does, it is just too funny!</li>
<li>See above about Clay's love for his mom for the background....We hung mistletoe this year and I explained to Clay that if he is under it with a girl, he can kiss the girl. Several times throughout the Christmas season, Clay would run under the mistletoe and exclaim, "Who wants to kiss me under the mistletoe?" Of course, I was usually willing to oblige :)</li>
<li>He has told Dan and both, "You will be a good mom/dad to Lena." We sure hope so!</li>
<li>He likes to say prayers at mealtimes and thank God for various blessings in his life. Those prayers generally include some combination of "Mom and Dad, Annie (our dog), cows, rope, cheerleaders, Golden Girls, Santa, snow," and whatever is on his mind at the time.</li>
<li>We love our church and how well he learns important Bible stories. Sometimes I wonder how his little mind works though. After learning about "mean King Herod's" role in the story of Jesus' birth (how King Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus), Clay would frequently relate the story of Jesus birth, complete with Joseph, Mary, wise men, angels, etc. and conclude with "I will get that mean old King Herod. If I see him, I will push him in the cow poop!"</li>
<li>Along the same lines, we often talk about how Jesus will protect him anywhere he goes. Sometimes, Clay will agree and add "and Spiderman is Jesus' helper - he will protect me too!"</li>
<li>Finally, for now, I will leave you with this recent gem: After giving him the option of doing something or getting in trouble, Clay's response was simply, "Cowboys don't get in trouble." Unfotunately for Clay, they do :)</li>
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We couldn't be more proud of our cowboy, but he sure has an imagination! </div>
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<br />Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-18882818558197428252014-01-05T12:54:00.002-08:002014-01-05T12:54:18.089-08:00Thanksgiving 2013Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, and this year was certainly no different. It's a busy time, but we love getting together with all of our family! This year, Kevin, Susan, Alex, Ella (and dog Gracie) made the trek from Madison, WI to spend some time with us. We enjoyed lots of turkey, "wibble wobble" (more later), green bean casserole, and all the trimmings! <br />
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Unfortunately I didn't get my camera out much, with the exception of Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. Although I am still a little sad about it, this year the Blossom and Busch families traded our annual 5K on Thanksgiving morning for an evening of bowling and laser tag on "black Friday." Considering the cold temps, this was probably a smart move this year. We certainly had a lot of fun! Kudos to Dan, who had to work on Friday during this VERY busy time of year for cow breeding...<br />
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Three cousins - Clay, Alex and Ella. I can't believe how grown up Alex and Ella are getting! <br />
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After letting me help him out with the ball and "slide" (no idea what those contraptions are called!), Papa Blossom stepped in to help his little buddy. Too cute!<br />
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Although I don't think I captured the moment, Clay would return each time quite excited about knocking the pins over. He was very serious when it was time to roll the ball, but he got a good kick out of the accomplishment.<br />
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Photo-bomb by Clay, but a fun shot of my brother and his kids! Poor Ella must be getting terrorized by the boys!<br />
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Grandparents with all the grandkids! I hope there is room on the bench for Lena next year....<br />
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Bowling buddies....<br />
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Although we didn't have many pictures, the Saturday after Thanksgiving was spent in Columbia for the Mizzou-Texas A&M football game. A lot of people claim this was the biggest game to be played at Faurot Field ever, or at least since 1960. Although it was pretty cold, we just knew we couldn't miss it. Before the game, we all took a cruise through campus. Although Susan and the kids came for Homecoming, Kevin hadn't been to a Mizzou football game in nearly 20 years (since he was in school)! For those of you who know the outcome, this was certainly one of the best in 20 years!<br />
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It was pretty cold and windy, so before the game we took the easy route of tailgating with Shakespeare's pizza, "wibble wobble" and yummy desserts. Wibble wobble was Clay's request: at preschool, the teachers asked the kids to tell what would be on their Thanksgiving plates. Clay decided he would have "Turkey, mased potatoes, corn, and wibble wobble." The rule with the Blossom Thanksgiving is that everyone is responsible for something, so Clay was responsible for wibble wobble. As it turns out, that became mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls for the football game. Yum! I am pretty sure he had at least 7 or 8 that day!<br />
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Again, no pictures, but the Busch family celebrated Thanksgiving at the Brinker's house on Sunday. It was a wonderful time, and as always, the 13 cousins had a blast playing together. It is so much fun to see Clay playing and interacting with all his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. He has so much love to give, and he certainly gets a lot in return! This time, while the younger girls were doing crafts in the basement, Clay enjoyed rolling pool balls across the pool table for a LONG time. He was probably worn out from keeping up with the boys and playing outside before dinner. When it was time to go, he learned a valuable life lesson: never wake a sleeping dog who doesn't know you. He tried getting close to Scruff the dog, and Scruff wasn't very fond of that gesture. He is ordinarily a great dog, but after we knew Clay was fine, we were able to talk about the short lesson learned.<br />
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We hope our friends and family were able to enjoy Thanksgiving as much as we did this year. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for!Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-57122947225669935742013-11-19T10:11:00.001-08:002013-11-19T10:11:53.120-08:00Halloween 2013This year we were able to celebrate Halloween twice: once at Aunt Patty's house with the Busch family, and at home on Halloween night. Of course, Clay wanted to dress up like a cowboy. He wore his cowboy boots, vest and chaps (althought the chaps came off for part of the time), blue jeans, cowboy shirt and hat. It was a pretty easy costume, considering he wears most of those pieces on a daily basis!<br />
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We started out with the Pumpkin Harvest Party at Aunt Patty's house. It was lots of fun to pick out pumpkins in the field! Clay seemed to like the green ones best...who are we to judge?<br />
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One of my favorites of the Busch family!<br />
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All 13 cousins ready for Halloween and the hayride! I think this annual party has got to be one of my favorites!<br />
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A few of the sweet girl cousins...<br />
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Barb and cousin Lillian. We are so excited that Lillian and her big sister Eleanor will be big sisters about a week after Clay becomes a big brother! Congratulations, Schweich family!<br />
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The Beckers...Rick, Sarah and Natalie...<br />
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The Busch's...Terry, Julie, TJ and Sam...<br />
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And the Whited's...Mel, Sandy, and Addison. I wish we had more pictures of everyone from the day, but thanks again to the Brinkers (Keith, Patty, Eric, Joette and Brian) for hosting such a great evening!<br />
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Ready to go trick-or-treating! Clay makes a pretty cute cowboy, doesn't he? He really got into the spirit of knocking on doors and saying "trick-or-treat" and "Happy Halloween!" After the first house or two, we convinced him to wait to say anything until the door actually opened. He was quite polite, saying "thank-you" (sometimes after a reminder), and we are STILL eating candy from Halloween! After a few houses, he agreed and said "I got the hang of this!" Silly boy! </div>
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Of course, no fall season is complete without raking and jumping in leaves! I didn't get a picture of Clay and I throwing leaves at each other - I didn't want to get the camera full of leaves! But we sure had fun! (And thanks to Dad for staying inside to paint Clay's room while we played!)</div>
Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-40856087191851456152013-11-19T08:50:00.004-08:002013-11-19T08:50:43.592-08:00Fall Fun!As many know, fall and winter is my favorite time of year! I'm not a huge fan of hot weather (unless we are swimming), but I LOVE the crisp, cool air and holidays in the fall. This year is no exception, and we were able to enjoy a lot of fun times outside together. You may notice a recurring theme of a little cowboy in a few pictures - Clay generally has at least some part of his cowboy gear on wherever we go (boots, hat, blue jeans, etc.). We will get to Halloween later, but yes, he wanted to dress up like a cowboy this year. Surprise, surprise!<br />
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We went to visit Great-Grandma in Lake St. Louis. They were having a country-western day, so of course, Clay wanted to wear his cowboy gear! It was great to visit and enjoy the day! <br />
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In mid-September, my Aunt Marleen passed away and went to heaven. We miss her very much, and she was so loved by so many friends and family. To give my cousins Jason and Becky and Uncle Bob some time alone, we brought cousin Jack (black shirt) to visit the farm one Sunday. Clay idolizes Jack, so he was beside himself with excitement. Jack seemed to enjoy the day working cows and playing in the hay barn with the other cousins who came over - Andrew, Sam and TJ (not pictured). The boys were extremely dirty and sweaty, but I think everyone had a lot of fun! The uncles certainly had plenty of help that day!<br />
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I asked for a silly face...<br />
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We have had so much fun going to Mizzou football games this year! The first game was the Gold Rush game, and I had a hard time remembering a game as hot as that day. We started out strong, but only made it through halftime. Papa and Clay were both ready to go (as were the rest of us), but we enjoyed watching the Tiger victory! We have actually had pretty good success staying through at least the third quarter or later during the rest of the games. It's tough to really watch and keep a 3-year old entertained, but he loves cheering on his Missouri Tigers! He knows the M I Z Z O U chant pretty well, and breaks down cheering at random times away from the football games. Most recently, he started in the middle of the grocery store. Good thing we live in Columbia where people can appreciate a true fan!<br />
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The helmet car is pretty cool!<br />
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We like to dress up and have fun at home! I think this was a serenade to the tune of "ABC's."<br />
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We went to a field day at one of the University Farms (South Farm) to enjoy a day of agriculture. It came as no surprise to us that Clay was excited to put on the big, long glove and check out the cow's insides. Eww!<br />
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He is also getting the hang of milking cows (and goats). Clay likes to take advantage of any opportunity to work with animals. We love our little farm boy!</div>
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All that agriculture and fresh air sure wears a cowboy out!</div>
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Yes, that is my son riding his bike with a Spiderman costume and cowboy boots! Who says Spiderman can't wear boots? The best part was walking down the sidewalk with Clay while he was wearing this costume. The neighbors can't help but smile and laugh!<br />
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"Mom and Dad, look how strong I am!"<br />
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Clay and Annie are still pretty great buddies...<br />
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..but as Dan and Clay both agree, they are "the best buddies ever!" It is so much fun to watch these two giggle, play, and wrestle together! Sometimes I'm not sure who is having more fun. Don't worry, I get lots of time to do the same. If only we can convince Clay that I'm not really his "wife." Love these boys to pieces!Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-82426852571117536542013-11-18T15:15:00.002-08:002013-11-18T15:15:10.310-08:00Birthday Boy!Yes, I realize I am two months behind on this, but again...better late than never! We had a wonderful birthday celebration this year, and we were so blessed that Nana and Papa Blossom, Grandma and Papa Busch, Aunt Sandy, cousin Addison, and Uncles Tim, Rick and Jerry could all come to Columbia to celebrate the big day! Of course, all Clay could talk about leading up to the party was that "Rick is coming to my house!" He loves all of his family, but certainly seems to have an extra-special attachment to Uncle Rick. Too funny! I will let most of the photos tell the story...<br />
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Getting ready to blow out the candles on his "Buzz and Woody" cake (Toy Story). Of course, Uncle Rick is sitting right next to him!<br />
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Clay and cousin Addison wanted to wear cowboy gear, and they were both getting in the spirit! Addison makes such a cute cowgirl!<br />
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Hamming it up some more!<br />
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Clay had fun scoping out the party hats! Such a fun time!<br />
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New cowboy boots! Jackpot! Thanks, Nana and Papa! His old boots were getting pretty tight and small, so it was good timing for a new pair. He wears them nearly every day, and I think it's the only pair of shoes he has actually worn out. Love my little cowboy!<br />
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A Buzz Lightyear! Thanks, Aunt Sandy and Addison! I know I didn't get pictures of all the gifts, but he loved every one of them. Thank you to everyone!<br />
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A "real" horse that is now named "Orb" (after the most recent Kentucky Derby winner). Apparently it will only make noises 800-something times, but I'm pretty confident we have beat that record. He often sleeps with it in his bed at night, and as he is going to sleep, we hear random horse noises. Precious!<br />
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Here is the sweetest cowgirl ever!<br />
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Clay was pretty pumped about his guitar - he likes to sing and play, generally to the tune of "ABC's" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." I didn't realize he would be quite as excited about the guitar, but he sure is. He gets a very serious face while playing - no goofing off while making music!<br />
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Woody!! Woo hoo! Thanks again to everyone who helped us celebrate - it was a wonderful day and so much fun to have family over.<br />
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Clay also got to celebrate at his preschool, First Discoveries, with Matt and Annette Bloomfield. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found such wonderful people to take care of, love, and teach our little boy. We are constantly amazed at the things he learns and the good habits he develops there. We also enjoy lots of photos from his time there! Here are just a few from his birthday:<br />
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Clay got to wear the special birthday hat, and sat next to best buddy, Eli! These two seem inseparable at times!<br />
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I know this is hard for most everyone to believe, but he was very excited about showing off lots of emotion. Annette told me he just kept having fun showing his different faces. <br />
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Angry...<br />
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Happy...<br />
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Mad...<br />
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Silly...<br />
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And thinking. This boy is certainly a thinker! I just love seeing his many sides and emotions - he is quite good at expressing them :) I hope this gives you a glimpse into the adorable 3-year old character we get to share our lives with!Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-70225314746512704402013-10-19T14:28:00.000-07:002013-10-19T14:28:31.979-07:00Random Summer FunI realize we are well into fall and I am just now working on a few summer posts, but once again - better late than never! Here are a few of our fun summer days:<br />
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First off, a Monster Truck sighting at Joe Machens. It was just an early Friday evening event, but one of the best things we have done in Columbia thus far! Clay was a little scared of the truck at first - but he covered his ears and quickly got into cheering! The video we shot with the phone is one of his favorite things to watch to this day.<br />
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Another fantastic part of the event was seeing his best buddy, Eli, and his dad. They both get silly and excited when they run into each other in town, and this was no exception. They each wanted to show off what they found on and around the truck. They were able to walk all around before and after the car-crushing, and we did just that for a LONG time! Boys and their trucks...<br />
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We had another fun afternoon with Eli this summer. He came over to play while his parents went on a date. It was beautiful outside, so they enjoyed playing inside and out. I'm not sure who was more excited to be posing for the pictures, but this was the response to "Show me your silly face..."<br />
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I forgot to take pictures, but in addition to random silliness, the boys were wonderful helpers during cookie-making time. We made chocolate chip cookies, and they got to take turns dumping ingredients from one bowl to another and stirring. Of course, they enjoyed the final product as well.<br />
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After dinner, we went back outsdie to play a little baseball. They play so sweetly together - Clay would "pitch" to Eli, Eli would swing, then run and get the ball (that Clay pitched) and throw it back to Clay. This could have kept them busy for hours! I am so glad they are friends, and I hope the friendship lasts long after preschool. His parents are wonderful, and he is a very sweet and fun kid! We also just found out Clay and Eli will gain baby siblings within a couple months of each other - woo hoo!<br />
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One of our favorite Columbia pastimes is visiting Bass Pro. They always have fun activities for kids, and who doesn't love looking around at (and climbing/sitting on) 4-wheelers, boats, etc.?! One particular Sunday afternoon, we went to check out the "Best Cowboy" contest. I didn't know much about it, other than kids were encouraged to wear cowboy gear. It was quite a challenge to get Clay to dress up like a cowboy (insert sarcasm) with his cowboy boots and hat, and the vest and chaps Nana Blossom made, but somehow we managed. Once we arrived, each kid was given a stick horse and they had a parade through the store. Every kid except Clay simply walked nicely through the store, but Clay enjoyed "galloping," waving his red hat, and yelling "Yee haw!" at every corner.<br />
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The good news for us is that his galloping won him the title of "Best Cowboy" and a nice gift certificate to Bass Pro! I felt a little bad that the 2nd and 3rd place kids won toys, but Clay didn't seem to notice. He was much more concerned with the next order of business - riding bulls and roping calves!<br />
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Thanks for a great event, Bass Pro! All that work sure wears a cowboy out! We love our "very best cowboy" to pieces! <em><u>Update</u></em>: Clay will be appearing as a cowboy on Halloween. Shocking, I know...<br />
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Anyone who has spent more than 5 minutes around our little cowboy probably knows he has quite an imagination. We spend a lot of time chasing and "shooting" hyenas" around our house, talking to animals, making up songs and activities, and dresing up. He LOVES to tell stories, and they usually involved some or all of: a knight, princess, cowboy, dragon, hyena, monster, lion, or tiger. <br />
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Shooting hyenas before church...<br />
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A couple random, cute moments...<br />
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Also over the summer, we took a fun hike (on a very warm day) through beautiful Rock Bridge State Park. We made the trek to Devils Ice Box, and we were very proud of how far Clay hiked with us. There were a LOT of stairs, both up and down.<br />
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We took turns in the nice, cool, slippery cave...<br />
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<span style="color: black;">The most interesting thing about this picture must be the strange green eyes - too funny not to share! Clay comes into our bed most every morning when he wakes up to tell us, "The sun is up, time to wake up!" He ususally brings his pillow and a blanket, and when he gets tired of snuggling, he goes to play with Annie. He likes to ask us to take pictures of Annie and him, and this is what we got one day!</span></div>
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Another fun picture of a boy and his dog...<br />
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We are having so much fun watching this boy grow, and every day brings a new adventure! </div>
Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-88260656505103207102013-08-24T15:07:00.004-07:002013-08-24T15:07:26.702-07:002013 Schantz Family ReunionDuring the first few days of August, the entire Schantz clan (minus three, including an expecting cousin and cousin-in-law) was able to get together for the first time in a VERY long time. For those who don't know, the Schantz clan is my mom's side of the family. We have all been very close, and we used to spend every Thanksgiving together at my grandparents' house in Tennessee. This is certainly the reason Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday! Memories of the annual Turkey Trot (golf tournament, bowling, indoor homemade golf, etc.), flying fried quail, pig roasts, and other antics will live for a long time! This trip was just as wonderful, however, because we were able to get together from all over the US - Oregon, Tennessee, Missouri, Wisconsin, Texas (via Sykpe) - to share a few days in the beautiful Wisconsin Dells. Although the trip and visits were certainly too short, we were able to share many memories and make new ones!<br />
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I thought we would start out with one of my favorite photos from the trip - Clay getting over a short pouting session! He got a little mad playing with one cousin, and decided he would sit on the step and pout. It was too cute not to snap a photo! It doesn't happen often, but he can lay it on thick when he wants to...<br />
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The Blossom group on the front steps. We spent the last evening at my cousins Beth and Todd Persche's house. It is the most amazing home I think I have seen - full of character and they have done everything on their own. Todd is an extremely talented artist and woodworker, and Beth has started making gorgeous mosaics. Their home is filled with art, atristry and love. The outside is even more magnificent. I don't believe I have a photo, but it is full of wildflowers and wonderful gardens. Thank you, Persche family for opening your home to us!<br />
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The entire Schantz clan! There are definitely a lot of us, and I believe it's a pretty good looking group!<br />
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Nana and Clay took a few moments to take in the photography craziness...<br />
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A HUGE thank you to cousin Malachai, who took Clay and other cousins to visit his farm. He is 17 (or 18?) and is entirely responsible for a small plot of land and a barn; including chickens, goats, guineas, and other animals. He also has some crops. He cleaned and renovated the barn on his own (with a little help from dad), and has obviously put in a tremendous amount of work. He sells his products at weekly farmers' markets near Madison, WI. He milks twice a day, EVERY day, and is likely one of the most responsible teenagers I know. He was quite patient with many cousins running around, and took time to help a couple milk his goats.</div>
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As any true farmer knows, when you gotta go, you gotta go....<br />
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Another fun stop during the trip was a visit to Deer Park. There are lots of deer and other animals just running around free within this park, and for a very small charge, you can feed them (and pet them). This place is like heaven for a young boy! One of my favorite pictures of the boys - they were both pretty excited.<br />
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This picture makes it look like Clay was a little nervous, but in reality, he wanted to feed the horses all evening. He would have given the horses 20 packs of crackers if we let him! He was quite concerned about making sure each of two horses were fed even amounts, too. Such a sweet kid!<br />
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One of the many relaxing areas for the deer.<br />
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This was the first deer he was able to pet in the park. He loved the soft antlers!<br />
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I don't think we got a photo, but Clay really enjoyed putting the crackers in his hat to feed the deer. He would giggle and squeal every time they took a bite! Thanks for a great visit, Deer Park!<br />
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Nana and Clay hanging out in the cabin...<br />
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We are about to take off on a Duck Boat - it travels on land and water, and we had a nice tour of the Wisconsin River area. Clay even got to drive, although he started to fall asleep at the wheel. About halfway into the trip, he totally fell asleep on my lap. He must have been tired - that never happens anymore! Cousins Alex and Ella seemed to enjoy the ride as well! <br />
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Beautiful scenery along the river!</div>
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Cheesing with cousins Alex and Ella again!</div>
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Cousin Jack is one of Clay's favorites! A big thank you to Uncle Bob for renting a pontoon that the whole family could enjoy throughout the first day. Clay thought he was pretty cool getting to ride next to Jack, his role model!<br />
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Pinochle is one of my favorite Schantz family traditions! I started out with the riskiest players in the family as my teammates - Uncles Bob and John! We had a pretty good night though (sorry Mom, Dad and Uncle John). You can see some of the Portland cousins in the background. So glad they were able to come!</div>
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Yes, the pictures are out of order. Here is another photo with Clay and cousins Jack and Amalie. Amalie is just a couple months older than Clay, and they really had fun playing together. Sorry, Amalie, but I think you might take second place to cousin Cara. I don't think we have a photo, but Clay became quite smitten with Cara. She is starting her freshmen year in college in Oregon, but Clay has noticed she is quite pretty :) He woke up one morning, ran out of our cabin, and inquired, "Where's my lady?" referring to Cara! He continued his crush all the way home, and he even pretended to call her on the phone in the car. He told Dan and I that we can't live with him anymore because Cara is going to. Oh my! This little boy certainly has a strong flirtatious side!<br />
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All in all, we had such a wonderful time! Thank you to all the Schantz group for the best reunion in a long time! We are already looking forward to Denver in 2015. We missed you, Jenny and Dub, and wish the best for you and baby Zoey!<br />
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Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-83235062035473278682013-08-18T17:20:00.001-07:002013-08-18T17:20:51.149-07:00Disney and Florida Visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been a LONG time since I have posted anything, but over the next week or two, I hope to get caught up from the summer! We will start with one of a couple big events - our trip to see Nana and Papa in Florida and a visit to Disney! We were planning to go in January 2014, but just decided July would work well also. I was a little worried Clay might be too young to appreciate Disney, but even though he may not remember much in a few years, he was the perfect age! We were so blessed that Nana and Papa could enjoy this amazing experience with us (and that we could relax at their house for a couple days before and after the trip). </div>
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Clay got a "fishy thing" before the trip, and he has a blast throwing the red plastic fish into the water, yard, or anywhere he is allowed. He just reels it in and throws it out again! We had to bring it with us - don't worry, we didn't bring any hooks on the plane!<br />
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This was the view from our room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! It was a "magical upgrade" (probably because they didn't have enough rooms). Although we only spent two nights, it truly made the experience magical! We saw giraffes, wildabeasts, warthogs, ostriches, emus, and lots of birds right outside our window. We felt like we were sleeping in the middle of the Lion King!<br />
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Enjoying the scenery... My boys LOVE animals!<br />
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In addition to a little cold the first day, Clay had a pretty traumatic experience at dinner the first evening. He fell and "bumped" his head on the side of a table. It swelled up and turned blue immediately, but the nice Disney people gave him a cold pack and a little toy. That helped! His shiner lasted a couple weeks, but he sure is a tough kid!<br />
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Waiting in line to see Mickey and Minnie...<br />
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He got to meet Minnie and Mickey the first day at Animal Kingdom! This sure helped after we went on the terrifying Dinosaur ride. We didn't realize quite how scary it was - it was basically a pitch black ride, except for the huge lighted dinosaurs that roared and jumped out at us. Yikes! He decided he was afraid of the dark shortly after that.... I think we are over it now, but Clay still isn't a huge fan of dinos.<br />
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Clay was most excited to meet Goofy, and we found Goofy and Pluto together! This was probably the highlight of the Disney parks! There were other wonderful meetings, as you will see below, but he continues to talk about meeting Goofy and Pluto.<br />
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Another highlight of Animal Kingdom was the petting zoo. Clay (and Dad) could pet lots of different animals - little (farm) boy heaven!<br />
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Clay is not a scaredy-kid, but he was scared of carousels for the first couple years of life. He got over the fear at the carousel at the Columbia Mall, and now they are one of his favorite things to do! Yes, we take a ride (almost) every trip to the mall now :) Disney's carousel at Magic Kingdom was a hit! I don't know how many times he rode it, but it sure was a lot!<br />
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Yee haw!<br />
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Any true cowboy can't pass up an opportunity to meet Woody and Jesse (from Toy Story, for anyone without preschoolers around). This was a long, hot line, but well worth it to give Woody a high five!<br />
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Thanks for a wonderful adventure, Nana and Papa! It was a couple long, hot days, but Clay (and Mom and Dad) were so glad we got to experience Disney together with you! We look forward to more trips in the years to come!</div>
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The reason why we decided not to wait until January to go to Disney... Busch baby has an expected arrival date of February 27, 2014! We are beyond excited! Everything has been going well so far, and we are all looking forward to meeting him/her!<br />
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A final thought... We had so many more experiences than we can capture in a short post, but the memories will stay with us forever! Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-86911564659868665422013-05-08T19:17:00.000-07:002013-05-08T19:17:06.391-07:00Trip to the Park (and other fun)While we enjoyed our time in Warrenton, we have discovered a whole new world in Columbia for family fun. We took Clay to Cosmo park about a month ago, and then went back a couple weeks later. When we told Clay we were going back to the park, he asked, "We going to the NICE park?" We had not described Cosmo as the "nice" park before - he came up with that completely on his own!<br />
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You can see a little of the park in the background - that's only a small portion of the huge park and playset area! No wonder Clay calls it the "nice" park!<br />
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You can see that we like to let him try most activities on his own, and we just hope he doesn't hurt himself! Clay is quite adventurous when it comes to climbing and playing - on the really dangerous equipment we will try to be "close" the first few attempts, and then we let him go at it! He really wanted to try the monkey bars here, but he can only hang on a few seconds. I am sure he will be swinging in no time, though!<br />
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Mom was on the other end of the seesaw - this was clearly a favorite of the day!<br />
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And more park favorites...<br />
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We were nearing the end of the trip in this picture - he crawled into a tunnel and decided it was time to rest! Silly guy!<br />
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Even with all the cool equipment, the biggest hit of the day was the tunnel and "mud" spot! Clay spent quite a bit of time running in and out of the tunnel and kicking and playing in the dirt here. Boys... He has really developed a fondness with mud lately - we have a small patch of very thin grass in our backyard, and he frequently wants to take his shoes off to go dig and play in the "mud." (It isn't really mud, I promise! It's is only a small bare spot.)<br />
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I ran in the Glow Run 5K in Columbia a few weeks ago with my friends Susan Glass. The race was a blast, and the pre-race goodie bag included some glow-in-the-dark glasses! I decided to save them for Clay and we had a ton of fun in the bath! He mainly enjoyed putting his face in the water and blowing bubbles through the glasses. The glow is long gone, but we still have the glasses hanging in the bathtub!<br />
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Some random silliness - if you have ever seen Little Einsteins (or "Pat Pat"), you will understand this picture. It is a TV show for young kids, and the plot always involves blasting off in a rocket. Dan seems as happy as Clay for the impending Blast Off!<br />
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And finally, I love this picture of Clay with his friend, Eden Schoenfeld. Eden's mom, Lindi, is one of my very best friends. The two of them came to visit us in Columbia, and Clay was so excited to be allowed to sit with her! He adored her and Lindi both! I think he has been trying to get a message across lately - last week he got in the car to head home from the sitter and he said, "Mom, we need a baby brother." We haven't talked about that much around him, although he likes to call Annie (our dog) his sister. I followed up and asked why we need a baby brother, and his reply was quite simple: "So we can play with him." Good enough, I guess! We shall see...no news to share yet...<br />
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Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4019301057210233539.post-65357843242715510212013-04-08T17:34:00.001-07:002013-04-08T17:34:55.040-07:00It's About Time...Welcome to the Busch family blog! I was inspired to start this blog over a year ago (thanks to our good friends Alison and Jeff Francis!), but I have finally settled in and am ready to give it a whirl! I realize I am 2 1/2 years behind in documenting the fun and growth of our little boy, Clay, but I guess I have to start somewhere. Our little bundle of joy entered the word on September 16, 2010 at 6:55 p.m., and our lives have been a whirlwind of fun ever since! Here are a couple of scenes from the first six weeks of life...<br />
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Let's fast forward to the 1 year mark...<br />
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And now we are here in 2013! A few quick notes about Clay:<br />
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<li>He is a VERY happy and social little guy! He talks to everyone, and can make anyone laugh within seconds! He regularly waves, blows kisses, and flirts with passersby in the grocery store, servers at restaurants, neighbors - everyone! He is always smiling, usually with something on his mind. One of his favorites sayings is, "Mom, I got an idea!" You can guess the rest...</li>
<li>He LOVES anything that has to do with cows and farming! Go figure, right? Dan taught him to distinguish between cows and bulls before his first birthday, and he frequently accompanies his uncles and Papa Busch in chasing cows. He recently had a chance to make friends with a new calf.</li>
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<li>Clay also recently reignited his passion for baseball. We are working on basketball (hoping for a future Tiger forward), but baseball is his priority for the moment. Nana and Papa Blossom gave him bat and baseball for Easter, and he is really doing well at hitting a short pitch! More photos to come of that...</li>
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<span id="goog_820660037"></span><span id="goog_820660038">Here are just a couple of my recent favorites pictures. As you can see, life is never dull in the Busch household!</span><br />
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I believe that's all for this first post. Thank you so much for being a part of our lives, and hopefully I can keep this up every now and then! Please don't expect weekly posts, but perhaps a monthly post is a more attainable goal. Dan and I are very blessed to each other, our wonderful families and friends, and the amazing little boy who is the light of our world! Until next time...Busch Family Dayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15142051794394682699noreply@blogger.com1