Our month of June can be summed up into one word: a whirlwind.
A whirlwind of fun, laughter, gluttonous adventures, celebrations, and non-stop activities!
Here's a photographic recap of our exciting month of June...
June 1
Tommy, Peter, and Micah scampered through Grant's Farm, briefly stopping for a ride on the carousel, a feast for the goats, a soak in the sprinklers, an up close and personal look at the elephants, and of course, a Dipping' Dots treat.
June 2
With his monkey bag in tote, a smile on his face, and a spring in his step, our little man courageously entered through the gates of Whitegate Montessori for his very first day of school. He fit in to his new environment right away and didn't want to leave when we came to pick him up! Hopefully his enthusiasm for school will continue for years to come.
June 7
I never thought this day would come...my baby brother graduates from high school! Even my grandparents made it all the way from California to see the big day!
Mid June
Bumpa and Tutu make another visit to St. Louis! Two years in a row, Christian's Dad and Stepmom have made the grueling drive across country, from Portland to Upstate New York. I don't know if they are just crazy or love to drive. As crazy as it is, I hope they continue this tradition for years to come. From the Whitaker Festival at the Botanical Gardens to chocolate malts at Crown Candy Kitchen, and everything in between, we hope that we gave them a trip to remember!
 |
| Ahhh! M being eaten by a giant caterpillar! |
 |
| M is a natural squatter...it must be in his Chinese genes. |
 |
| Reading books with Bumpa. |
 |
| Playing at My Gym with Bumpa - I want to dump out all the change in your pockets! |
 |
| We heard about Bumpa and Tutu's new love for glassblowing and decided to surprise them with a private lesson. We each made our own paperweights, with some help, of course! I think we all have a new appreciation for the art. Start with heating up the glass. |
 |
| Then add some color |
 |
| Pull and bunch up the stretchy heated glass. |
 |
| Add more glass, then roll it over a mold to make a ball. |
 |
| Pinch it off. |
 |
| Brand it with your initials and voila! A uniquely patterned paperweight! |
June 13
Our good friend Sophie turns half a century old at the end of the month so we gathered together with good friends to celebrate. Sophie and some friends are doing the "official" celebration in her hometown of Nerac, France! We are so sad to be missing this once in a lifetime trip. Christian and Bumpa worked from morning to night to build Sophie's gift - a 50 bottle wine rack (+ 1 for good luck). What a beautiful design by Christian and incredible work by both of them.
 |
| The "kids" licking icing off the candles |
June 15
Father's Day was celebrated at one of our favorite brunch places in St. Louis, the Brasserie. This year was extra special because we had all four generations together to celebrate!
 |
| All the Daddys! |
 |
| After brunch, we went to the Museum of Transportation for a special Father's Day car show. Micah loved riding on the train and playing in the Creation Station. |
 |
| Our little chef |
June 20
Mommy and Micah weekend! While Daddy was away, Micah and I went out to play! We had a fun weekend playing at new places in St. Louis, like Castlewood State Park. I can't believe we have lived here for 5 years and have never gone there. We played down at the wide and shallow river, which was perfect for Micah, who was a sitting duck for over an hour, splashing and watching all the older kids swim. Can't wait to go back and do some biking and hiking. To finish off the weekend, Micah went for a long overdue haircut at the Hairy Elephant Salon. He was such a trooper. They have never seen a two year old follow directions so well and hold so still!
 |
| M playing in the super sandbox at the Magic House! |
 |
| Walking down the "river". |
 |
| Micah picked watermelon shampoo for his wash! |
 |
| My handsome young man! |
June 28
Last but not least, June is also the last month before my brother (aka Uncle Doo Doo) takes off for the West Point Academy in New York. Needless to say, there were a lot of obligatory "gan bei's" (cheers or "drink it all" in Chinese), delicious "last meals", and pictures with the family. We are so proud of him, but will miss him dearly for the next four years!
 |
| Devin's goodbye party at Schlafly's Bottleworks |
 |
| Uncle Doo Doo has big boots to fill! |
 |
| Hot pot night! |
 |
| King crab legs! |
 |
| Congrats and farewell, Uncle Doo Doo! |
