The Circus!

On Friday, while Uncle Shawn was golfing, I took Gavin to the circus at the Ford Center.  We went to the 9:30 a.m. performance, so we left the house early because I wanted to get a close parking spot and I wanted to try to find good seats since we were sitting in the general admission area. 

I don't think I could of parked any closer then this!  I'm just glad the meter ladies weren't working on this particular morning. 

The general admission seats were in the rafters and we ended up moving three times to try to get closer seats.  We started out really high up, and I didn't like that there was no railing or protection.  One wrong move, and a person could of been a goner.  Here's the view from our first set of seats....

The view after the second move...

That view was probably worse then before, but the circus started and I didn't want to try to move us and all of our stuff in the dark.  I scouted us some closer seats and during the intermission we made a run for it.

The view from the third move...

Now on to the circus.  I can tell you it was alot like I remembered it as a kid, but it was some what boring.  Maybe because we didn't have the best seats and couldn't see everything really good.  I was hoping for more animal acts, but alot of it was acrobats and stunts.  I don't think Gavin enjoyed it much either, cause about 30 minutes into the show, and then a few more times during the performances, he would say "Hey Stace, how bout we go back to your house now".  I told him we were staying, but you know there was a little piece of me that was ready to blow the coop too.

We started off with cherry slushies and animal crackers!  I bought the animal crackers at Walmart the night before.  When I saw them, I knew they were a definite must for the circus!

When the circus started, they did a parade march and all of the people and animals came around the inside of the circus arena. 

The little skit with the stuffed animals and the baby elephant was one of my faves!  That little dog did such a good job of playing dead and being still when needed!

The motorcycle riders were another one of my favorites!

I can't believe he is actually smiling and looking at the camera!  This almost NEVER happens anymore!

  

And of course, no circus is complete without a $15 light saber!

This clown was a few rows in front of us and was making balloons for kids.  I asked Gavin if he wanted to go down there and get one and he did.  He wanted me to go, but I told him he should go by himself and he did.  I was really surprised!  Too bad our balloon sword popped only minutes after leaving the circus :(

While we had a good time overall, we'll definitely be waiting a few years before heading back to the circus.

Happy 4th Birthday Elijah

Elijah, a little boy from church, had his 4th birthday party last Saturday at the Ross Cottom Bowling Center in Harrisburg/Eldorado, which is also where Shawn's parents are from.  We were invited so we kept Gavin for the weekend and took a day trip to Eldo....for the birthday party and to visit with Shawn's parents.  He had a bowling party and it was lots of fun.  They had 6 little kid lanes called Highway 66 Lanes. 

The kids also got to wear bowling shoes so that was fun for them. As soon as I put Gavin's on, he was walking around looking at them.  Here he is 'posing' in his.  I can't get that boy to smile for anything!  The kids were all so cute bowling.  Gavin would walk up to the lanes, sit the ball down, and then push it.  It felt like it took forever for the ball to go down the lanes.  I thought for sure it was never going to make it, however those lanes must have been slanted a tad cause it kept rolling.  It took a little bit of coaching, but he was finally able to 'throw' it down the lanes and get it moving a little faster.

After bowling, it was pizza time, cake time and then time to open presents.  Gavin was such a big boy sitting at the table with the other kids having lunch and eating cake. 

As soon as it was over though, he was more interested in 'playing' the games then watching Elijah open presents.  We had went to lunch with them a few weeks earlier and he was telling me some of the things he wanted and the Pop the Pig game topped his list. 

Each birthday child got a bowling pin that everyone could sign that was a memory of his bowling party.  I thought this was a cute idea and wish there was somewhere around here that had these cute bowling lanes for parties and such.



And of course, playing some games before heading home.

Happy 4th Birthday Elijah!  Thanks for inviting us and letting us celebrate in your special day!

Luce Fall Fest 2012

Last Saturday was the annual Luce Fall Festival and once again we all made our presence known.  Shawn and I went, along with mom and our friend Alice, Uncle Popeye, and then Beth, Tommy, Gavin and Billy.  Some of our friends also showed up:  The Lester's, Tina and Renee, Heather and Bowen, and then Kristi was there, along with alot of other people...some I know, some I don't. 

The highlight of the evening, other than seeing my sweet nephew Gavin, is the door prize tickets.  The tickets are 25 cents each and starting at 4:15 until 8:00, they do a drawing every 15 minutes.  I think they draw 10 tickets each time and then write the numbers on the boards on the walls.  Shawn and I buy $40 worth of tickets and man we cleaned up this year!  Between the two of us, we won:

2 smoke detectors

 a round of golf with cart from the Rustic

Chick-fil-A coupons

2 passes to the Big Splash Adventure Indoor Waterpark

 a wing party with 50 free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings

 $20 gift certificate from Best One Tire

 $10 Pampered Chef gift certificate

 free haircut and style and a free lip product from the Country Parlor Salon

 a fleece throw

 a SS bracelet with the Lord's Prayer on it (it's cute!)

 Planet 51 DVD

 a set of 4 Bamboo petite snack bowls from Pampered Chef

a Bamboo cracker tray both from the Pampered Chef

and a cute Christmas table decoration

This picture cracks me up cause all Uncle Shawn wanted to do was take a picture with Gavin, and Gavin (with his chocolate mustache) wasn't having any part of it!  LOL!

This guy is Daniel Epperson. He provided the entertainment throughout the evening.  I'm really not sure who he is other than a local guy from Rockport with a great voice.  Later I learned he is on his way to Nashville.  Kind of wish I would of taken some better pictures of him and some close ups.  He could be famous some day!