Renaissance Festival

Andy and I had a yearly tradition of going to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. It started in the Fall of 1995, and continued for a solid 8 years after that. Then came deployments and duty stations that were more than a day's drive home, and we haven't made it to many Festivals since (though my parents and brother always buy us a yearly mug). Well, this year we realized we didn't necessarily have to go to the Kansas City Ren Fest...we could go to one that was quite a bit closer (like here in New York). And that is exactly what we did...

What says Ren Fest more than a giant turkey leg? It was great to watch Alex dig into this, and the fact he is missing his front teeth made it even more entertaining.

We will always make time for a test of strenth. Alex was very proud to have rung the bell after a lesson from Daddy.

The big difference between going to the Ren Fest with kids as opposed to without: we spend a lot more money on rides and carnival games...

...and tatoos...and hats...

And remember the yearly mugs that I told you about? Well, we were just wondering what happened to the one we bought this year. Now we know. It is still sitting on a bench at the Ren Fest. At least we have a picture.

Army Football

Ashley (Britt's best friend), Britt, Alex and Nathan

One of the unexpected joys of being at West Point has been the Army football games. There is something wonderful about going to the games. You really get lost in the moment (or at least I do...Nate mostly just gets lost in all of his snack options). The kids all sport their Army gear, and we have a really great time. Alex, in particular, loves to watch the games.

We always walk to the games, which is part of the fun. Oh, the anticipation of what lies ahead!

Nathan's First Day of Pre-K

Nathan started Pre-K this year, and he is so excited to be in the same school as Alex and Brittany. He goes in the afternoons for 2 1/2 hours, and he is really enjoying it. He is lucky enough to have one of his best friends in class with him. It should be a good year.

The Sumners Visit New York!

Uncle Mark (Andy's oldest brother) and Aunt Patty came to West Point to hang out for a few days. Their daughter, Katie, came along too. They drove from Milwaukee and did the trip in one day (nothing compared to the two driving trips they made to ALASKA!!). They got in late on Thursday night, and were greeted by three very excited children. The excitement turned to insanity as they unloaded their car of all the TOYS they brought with them (and I don't mean one toy for each kid...I mean a whole Army of G.I. Joes....because if one or two would be fun, then certainly six would be better).

On Friday we let the kids play hooky and went to New York City. We took the Staton Island Ferry so we could see the Statue of Liberty. Then we drove to Time Square, because it is the epitome of New York City. But let's not kid ourselves, paramount to Time Square is the huge Toys 'R Us, and Mark and Patty never see our kids without at least one trip to the toy store for a good spoiling. The kids were in heaven!

A ride on the Ferris Wheel with cousin Katie

On Saturday we went go-karting. Super cool! They had one track where you only had to be five or older to drive a car. Awesome! Brittany and Alex had a blast. Brittany started out tentative, but was really whipping around the turns after a few laps. She's pretty sure that she is now qualified to drive a car.

Brittany always has time to smile for the camera.

Alex was a pretty serious driver.

On the previous lap Katie and Alex were behind Daddy and Nathan. Alex told Katie there was NO way she could pass Daddy. Surprise!

Mark and Patty headed home after our go-kart adventure, and Katie stayed a couple extra days. She then took a train to DC to spend some time with a friend. It was great to see everyone!

Brittany and Alex's First Day of School

The first day of school is always exciting, as is the process that leads up to the first day. Brittany was so excited about back-to-school shopping. She just couldn't wait to pick out a new outfit (sometimes I wonder how she could be related to me). She picked out this cute pink skirt and shirt, and to make it even better, her best friend got the same outfit. How cool is that?

Alex and Brittany had an awesome first day! After school was over we made our traditional back-to-school cupcakes. Yummy! The kids then delivered them to all our neighbors...and of course we saved a few for us.

Notice the missing tooth!

Alex was super excited to lose his front tooth, hence the crazy smile for all to see. He loves losing teeth because he knows it means money...but with this tooth came the extra cool tricks of drinking through a straw and eating fries without opening your mouth. Awesome!

St. Louis, party 2

And back to St. Louis to spend a couple days with Grandma and Grandpa. This time we went to the all important Krispy Kreme to have a couple doughnuts for breakfast. (The only thing we have around here is Dunkin Donuts.) We also spent a day at the Magic House, which was a lot of fun. Thanks for everything, Grandma and Grandpa, we had an awesome trip!

The kids' favorite part of the Magic House was the kid-sized city. They had a grocery store, construction site, bank, house and a river to fish in.