midwest trip - bits & pieces from the house

As the final installment of this blog's photo documentation of our grand trip to the great Midwest *adds final heaping of sarcasm*, I've just sort of thrown together some favorite pictures Jared & I took around my grandparents' house.

 

This child is hours of entertainment.

 

& also a little Nicole Kidman baby.

She loves me. PROMISE.

So much essential + glorious St. Louis food happening in this picture.

Jared found himself morally opposed to most of the above, but whatevs.

Grandma was more than slightly smitten.

Sarcasm aside, these final images capture the family time that really made this trip a gem. Growing up is such a funny thing. It was such fun to explore St. Louis as an adult - Which seems to have been my take-away thought from this trip, as it's come up in almost every post. I have so long awaited getting to show Jared my grandparents' house & yard where so many memories took place (& let's face it, anything that can help him understand my antics is considered a useful life tool).  Even though I was returning to Missouri as a married adult, it was refreshing to spend a few days in their house, constantly being offered pink lemonade & being asked if we need anything, a cookie? Ice-cream? (True story. Professional grandma status.)

But mostly? Watching my grandparents meet their first great-grandchild is a moment I hope I never forget. Seeing their love-from-afar validated the minute they met my niece was completely priceless. Grandparents becoming great-grandparents is a precious thing. Grandparents are precious things. & we can grow up all we want, & bring them as many great-grandbabies as possible, but it's still the same dynamics when our extended family (on both sides) gets together... & I will always say yes to the cookie.

[I have to warn you - There may be a video of this trip in the near future, but it seriously depends on how much I feel like procrastinating. We'll see.]

midwest trip - the city museum

I don't really know where to begin with The City Museum. I could start with how I had no idea it existed until my cousin demanded we go... Or how it's an abandoned-shoe-factory-turned-whimsical-metal-wonderland... Or how the four of us (aged between 16 & 26) all turned into 9-year-olds for about 4 hours... Or you could just read all about it here or here.

It is truly the most bizarre place I have ever been, so obviously, I would highly recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in St. Louis. My description will not do it justice. From a beatnik bar to a skateless park to a ferris wheel on top of the building to caves that go on & on & on... There was absolutely no way to capture all of it with a camera. You can take a video while you go down the 10 story slide (while Phantom of the Opera plays on a restored organ) but you're sort of in a mixture between a stairwell & an alley, so the video doesn't do it justice. How do you capture climbing into a school bus that is hanging off the side of a building? Or room after room of archeological/bug/bottle collections? I didn't even try to take pictures of us climbing through the indoor tree house & you are quite welcome for that (read: not flattering, & bruises for dayyyys).

If you feel confused &/or overwhelmed by all of this information, then my work here is done, because I was pretty much both of those things the entire time we were in there. But it's somehow magical, all at the same time.

The transformation from adult-to-child was swift, like lighting.

 

Couldn't keep up with these two.

  

A personal favorite from the stained glass room

How we wait for rooftop elevators.

 

I so badly want to describe to you what it's like climbing metal 10 floors above the city

 towards a praying mantis, but it's a rather you-had-to-be-there sort of thing.

Lissy & Trent

Riding a ferris wheel together is some sort of couple's rite of passage... So swoony!

 

& then you slide down from the places you climbed up.

 

This is the look of "we are no longer children with flexible little limbs."

  

Respite.

I was so excited by the many possibilities of visiting St. Louis as an adult with driving capabilities, so though we were stiff, sweaty, bruised & exhausted, we made the executive decision to eat dinner in the city. & again - IF you find yourself in St. Louis, you MUST eat at Range. One of my lovely followers on instagram recommended it to us, & we all almost cried over the amazing meal that met us there. The perfect finish to quite the long day.

& now I really want one of those lemonades. Oh, Jaaaaareeed...

midwest trip - to the zoo

Having worked at an outdoor park, where people visit on 100 degree days & all the employees walk around asking, "WHYYYYYY ARE YOU HEEERRREEE???" I laughed a little as we all unloaded from the car into the 103 degree weather, & there we were... At a zoo. Thooose people. But a visit to the zoo is just part of visiting Missouri, & we considered this visit to be non-negotiable. & really, how much can you complain when there's frozen coca-colas, hippos and misting fans to go around?

My grandpa has volunteered at the St. Louis Zoo since I can remember, & as kids, we knew we had hit the grandpa-jackpot because he could call the elephants over to us. "Donnnnnnna, Donna, Donna!" he would call & it worked like a charm every time. Best grandpa ever.

Grandpa & Grandma McLean - The cutest.

Donna!

Cooling off in the misting fan

 

Hey there handsome, mind if I take a selfie in your sunglasses reflection?

 

The new underwater sea lion exhibit

In the butterfly house, which are the most magical of places

It was really a pleasure to revisit this zoo as an adult & realize how much of my knowledge & love for animals came from my grandpa's tours as a kid. This realization came to full fruition that day when I teared up seeing the first baby elephant I ever saw (Raja, born in 1992) come out into the elephant yard with HIS newest baby. It was quite the full circle moment & when I say full circle, I obviously mean full circle of life & here is where I very loudly break into "NAAAAAAAAAAA ZIWET INYAAAAAA" which Google says are very much not the correct lyrics to the start of Circle of Life but whatever, right?

Up next: An afternoon at the City Museum

midwest trip - at the ballpark

BACK AT THE RANCH... After 7 years of together-ness, I finally got to bring Jared to my midwest stomping grounds. My grandparents have lived either in St. Louis or right outside of it my entire life, so seeing the Arch from the backseat of the car was always the sign that a long journey was over &  grandparents were near.

The first 3 requirements to marrying an Essmann girl are pretty well-known. 1) Must have a love or high tolerance for musicals, movies made in the 50's & Beauty & the Beast 2) Must shower the dogs with love & affection 3) Must commit to a lifetime of undying, passionate loyalty & devotion to the great St. Louis Cardinals. Let the record show that the rest of these requirements involve beer, swearing an oath of some sort to my father & passing the Trent (our cousin/closest thing we have to a brother) test.

Jared committed to the life of a Cardinals fan pretty early on in our relationship, but I think his allegiance was really sealed during the 2011 World Series. I hadn't been to a game since the new stadium was opened, so attending a game this summer was really non-negotiable. In fact, we may have swapped around our vacation dates based on their home schedule.

Are you freaked out yet? If it makes you feel better, both my parents are St. Louis natives, so this enthusiasm runs deep in my (Cardinal red) blood.

 Perhaps not the most flattering picture, but it was pretty great watching everyone convene to the kitchen in their unique Cardinals garb before we left. I took the lips + hat route, just to balance things out ;)

This is the Trent I spoke of before. Super menacing, right? Love you, cuzzzz.

We sent the adults & the underaged on ahead to the stadium while the big kids made a pit stop at the brewery down the street.

 

 

 

 Smells like baseball.

 

MADE IT!

 

 

Pretty excited to see that this was who was throwing the first pitch.

This was during the 9th inning when we almost gave up an 8 run lead.

 

As the great Jack Buck would say.

Happy Bethunes!

All in all, a really fun evening. Especially since the last time I was at a game, Mark McGwire hit one of his 70 homeruns (I know, I know), Jim Edmonds was still running the outfield & 9 year old Kelsey was telling her dad not to worry - She was going to marry a baseball player so he could get better seats.

Marrying a guy who wears baseball shirts is close, right?

Up next - A day at the St. Louis Zoo (because I just can't get enough of zoos)!