June 2006

Monday, June 3, 2006

Just a hot summer day when the kids are in the backyard chomping on some popcicles.


Sunday, June 4, 2006
We went to the Shriner's Circus in Belleville. We had a great time.

Military families got in free, so the kids rode this elephant with their entrance money. Sarah and Tyree were very excited. When do you ever get a chance to ride an elephant? A pony, maybe, but this was much cooler.



Here's Grift and the children watching the circus acts.


Here's part of the high wire show. The small boy on top was the only one clipped into a safety. A little before this, one of the adults actually slipped while dancing and had to catch the wire with his arms. They cut the music and let him get his bearings before they started up again. There were no nets below, so it was quite harrowing.


Here's part of the fanale.



Tyree, Mommy, Sarah, and the clown that went postal.


June 7, 2006

Grift was downtown for a work function, so he took this picture of the arch. Isn't it beautiful?

June 8, 2006

The kids and I had an appointment in St. Louis, so I took them to the arch afterwards. This is in the pond area before we got to it.


Sarah and Tyree at the arch's base. It is huge.


This picture is a favorite of mine.


After the arch we walked down to where they parked the horses and carriages. The rides were way too expensive, but they let the kids pet the horses and take pictures.


June 10, 2006

Grift introduced the kids and I to Doctor Who here in Illinois. So we've been watching the newer version and dvd's of the older series, and he even found Dalek games on the internet. Sarah and Tyree were playing one on the computer in this photo. Dr. Who seems to be a very corny show, but still addicting. It's cheesiness is camprable to Star Trek, but takes itself much less serious.


June 13, 2006

Tyree and Grift's cousin, Tommie who payed us a little visit.


Now it's Sarah's turn to jump on Tommie.


June 14, 2006
On this day we celebrated another milestone in Grift's Army career. He is now a Sargeant First Class, or E-7, if you prefer. So, since we are now on his old stomping grounds, he chose to have his promotion ceremony at Forest Park, in front of the St. Louis Statue and The ARt Museum.

St. Louis on his horse.


Company formation. The kids were part of the ceremony. I pinned Grift at his E-6 promotion, so we thought it would be nice to let the kids do it this time. So they stood here with daddy until it was time to walk up in front and face everyone.


So now they are in front with Daddy, the company commander, and Grift's station commander.


Tyree's job was to take off Grift's old rank. As you can see, he got a little bashful, wich is very unusual for Tyree.


Sarah got to put on Grift's new rank. No problem! They both did a great job.


A picture with the company commander.


Grift's cousin Tommie came out to see him get poromoted too.


Post ceremony family Photo.


Malika, Grift and Tommie.

June 15, 2006
Grift had a battallion picnic, so we spent the day at Carlyle Lake, which we would not have come across otherwise.

Compnay meeting.


A picture with lots of little attitudes. Maybe it comes from being the spawn of soldiers.

June 27, 2006

Grift and I went to a business meeting that his high school friend, Chris invited us to. This is Chris, his wife Rebecca, Grift and I when it was over.


June 29, 2006

Jada, Sarah and Tyree's cousin, spent a few nights at our house, so they got to hang out and have fun. On this day we went to the St. Louis Zoo. Here the kids are in front before we went in.


Kids and penguins.


Is it hot in St. Louis? Heck yeah! You know it's hot when they have to put monster fans with misters all over the zoo. The children had fun with them, as you can tell.


All composed in front of the fountain.


All crazy in front of the fountain.

May 2006

May 5, 2006

When Grift used to live in St.. Louis in his younger years, he worked here at the Fudgery in Union Station. Here he is doing a show to see if he still knows all the tricks.


Grift and Donte went out one day and did the usual man thing -- check out electronic stuff. It looks as if Donte likes all this DJ equipment.


May 7, 2006

We went to vosit some of Grift's friends in St. Luois. This is Mrs. Swartz.


Rachel, Mrs. Swartz' daughter. She was home on break from her first year of college.


Mr. Schoomer, who lives next door.


Mr Schoomer is a Music teacher and she showed Sarah and Tyree all kinds of instuments. She gave them both a beginner's recorder and showed them how to hold and blow them. Here they are with Mrs. Schoomer, trying to play a guitar and a mandolin.


May 10, 2006
The four of us went to see the Jabali Acrobats at the Southwestern Illinois College. They're from Kenya and they were really terriffic.

These guys have great balance and strength.


Everyone balanced on the center guy, who was balancing on a board, that was balanced on a rolling tube.


They even let the kids in on the fun. Here's Tyree going under the limbo bar.


Tyree, mommy and Sarah in the stands.

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More wowing the audience.


After the show, Grift got one of the performers to teach him their hat trick. He eventually got it.


Sarah, Tyree and the Jabali Acrobbats


May 26, 2006

This was Sarah's last day of kindergarten. Here she is in the last few minutes of class, when eveyone took turns going up to say goodbye to Mrs. Looker, her teacher. It was a very short day - they were in school for only about an hour, mainly to get their report cards.


Outside, Sarah took some pictures with a few friends. She's with Chandler and Jordan in this one.


Laim, Slyman, Megan and Sarah. Sarah's pretty sure that that's how their names are spelled. I have no clue.


Grift's work had a company picnic, so we headed on out to St. Louis with him. Grift and the kids are standing with his station commander. Tyree is wearing the children's version of the Army Physical Fitness uniform, and Sarah is wearing a shirt that says "Trust me -- My Daddy's an Army Recruiter."


After the picnic we went visiting more people. This is Grift and Ms. Sally. She was a very good friend of his grandmother's.


Then we went to see his dad's people. This is Grift with his younger brother, Larry Jr.


The kids had a grand time playing outside with the kids. Miracle and Tyree smiling for the camera.


Sarah and her cousin, uncle Larry's little one.


Grift and Larry's Grandmother.


May 30, 2006

This is Larry Sr., Grift's dad. This was taken at the office, when he paid his son a visit.