Kentucky, 2012

Family Portrait courtesy of Brian Stocker

We always have such a great time in Kentucky. The boys were thrilled to be with their cousins and grandparents. Matthew and Ryan renewed their friendship over her Nintendo DS. Tighe and Owen shared a fondness for 3 year old shenanigans. We discovered that in addition to being the principal of a K-8 school and her family obligations, Stewart's mother does Boot Camp twice a week at 6 AM.  This is such an efficient way to get a painfully complete work out, even Stewart was impressed.

There may be some truth to the media hype about global warming because the weather was brutally hot and punctuated by impressive thunderstorms. Thank goodness for the pool!  Owen kept the adults in a state of perpetual anxiety by jumping off the diving board and going down the slide with nothing but a small, inflatable ring keeping him afloat.

On the Belle of Louisville

We began our adventures with a trip up the Ohio River on a vintage Paddle boat with a deafening calliope. When David offered to tip them generously if they would just stop playing, the response was they were required to play in order to attract attract tourists. Once things quieted down, it was fun. The kids enjoyed watching the giant paddle wheel and exploring the boat.

Snap'n pops in the driveway

Snap'n pops are fun but fireworks are awesome and sadly, outlawed in the state of California. These were no sparklers and little rockets. They sounded like a bombardment and sent every dog in the vicinity barking and howling. The kids were beside themselves. They all ran away from the noise and half hid in the garage, eagerly awaiting the next one. Things that go bang and have pretty lights are way more entertaining than they have any right to be. Thank you, Uncle Brian!

Grownup snap'n pops

And then it was off to a baseball game. Since the boys don't have a team affiliation, Stewart and I indulged our own ongoing rivalry by dressing them in rival jerseys. Someday, we hope they will appreciate the humor.

Reese, hoping Prince Charming will swoop in and take her away

Louisville hosts the Cincinnati Red's AAA team. Due to trademark issues, the team was not allowed to be called the Louisville sluggers. No doubt, the marketing genius who brought us the calliope must have been involved in the decision to name the team the River Bats - as in the flying mammal. While the name may be less inspired, the stadium is a very pleasant place to spend a hot summer evening. Every seat is good and there is a carousel, playground and every kind of frozen treat a kid could want.

Yankee doodle, riding on his pony

The kids had a great time even though they had no particular interest in the outcome of the game. The fact that Uncle Mike and Mary Jo managed to retrieve a foul ball was way more exciting to the grownups. For the kids, the high points were the carousel and snow cone and they were completely satisfied with that.

Owen with his snow cone

After many more adventures including a trip to Ann Arbor for Stewart and I, it was time to say good bye and make the long trip to California. The boys were troopers, getting up at 5:30 AM and generally keeping it together for the plane ride. Matthew worked very hard to stay in charge of his feet. He says it just feels so good to kick the seat in front of him! I still would not choose to sit near us, but we do appear to provide inflight entertainment for our fellow passengers.  We received a very nice complement from one lady who was particularly tickled by Stewart's fluorescent green compression socks. It does get a little easier every year but we are always thrilled to arrive at our destination!

Boys in the cockpit CVG --> SFO