Construction work...

The municipality were outside our house earlier in March (13th March) to make a start on fixing the drainage issues in our neighbourhood. It was very exciting for Riaan to see all the construction equipment at work! :) Hopefully they will sort out our drainage issues soon.

 Construction vehicles at work.

 Digging up the road in order to put pipes down.

 Pouring rubble into the small trench.

 Having a look at what they did during the day.

 Riaan inspects the roadwork.

View of our house from the road.

Gateway Arch National Park...

We visited the iconic Gateway Arch on St. Louis' Mississippi riverfront on Saturday, 9th March. It was a dreary day, so we just stopped and took a couple of photos before heading on our way. The Gateway Arch was built between 1963 and 1965 and opened in 1968. There is even a tram system that takes visitors to the very top of the Arch. Here there are windows that look down on the St. Louis city-scape and over the river into Illinois, too. We're going to wait till our kiddos are a little older before taking them in the tram to the top of the Arch, though. :)

 We drove a back-way to the Arch and passed some old, abandoned, industrial buildings.

 The Gateway Arch National Park sign.

 View of the Arch and downtown St. Louis.

 Old City Hall building in St. Louis.

 Riaan touches the base of the Arch.

 Mississippi River.

We love family road trips to exciting places! :)

The London Tea Room...

We spent a night in St. Louis on our way back home, and during the morning of Saturday, 9th March, we visited one of our favourite haunts in St. Louis - The London Tea Room. This is a lovely place to go and connect with one's English/Commonwealth heritage and enjoy a cup of tea and a tasty treat. This South African was in heaven for a few moments. We shared a small pot of tea and some yummy snacks, too. :)

 It was a wet and stormy Saturday morning.

 Yummy sausage roll!

 Jam Dodger biscuits.

 Riaan was trying to smile, honestly!

The back room set up for afternoon tea. :)

Special Bond...

Eliza didn't travel too well during our recent travels to Missouri. It was therefore such a blessing to see this sight behind us. Riaan loves his little sister so much and these siblings already have such a solid bond. :) It is so special to see them interact and play with each other.

Special bond between the two of them. :)

Cunningham Park, Joplin...

Cunningham Park is the site of a memorial to the victims and survivors of the devastating EF-5 Tornado that ripped through Joplin on the 22nd of May, 2011. It was here that the tornado reached peak strength with winds in excess of 200 mph. (320 km/h.) Riaan, Eliza and I went there on Thursday, 7th March. We spent a little over an hour walking through the park and Riaan played at the play area. It was quite a sobering experience.

 The memorial to those who lost their lives.

 Riaan at the Volunteer's Tribute.

 The wristband reads "The Miracle of the Human Spirit."

 The main memorial is a Butterfly Garden and Scenic Overlook.

 One of the Information Boards.

 Riaan looks on at part of the memorial.

 The wall of remembrance. It usually has water flowing down it.

 The Children's Memorial is a reflecting pond on the site where the original play area was.

 View across Cunningham Park. Just to the left of centre and across the road is an outdoor chapel. It stands on the spot where the original chapel inside St. John's Regional Medical Center was located. The hospital was moved four inches off its foundation and suffered massive damage, and was subsequently demolished.

 Riaan enjoyed the new play area.

 View of the new playground.

Hotel Stay in Joplin and St Louis, Missouri...

Riaan, Eliza and I joined Candace in going to Joplin, Missouri, for a work training course back on the 6th - 9th March. We drove down to Joplin on Wednesday, 6th March, and spent a couple of nights at the TownePlace Suites there. (Hotel pictured at left.) While Candace attended the training, I looked after the kiddos at the hotel and we even explored a small slither of Joplin, too. We travelled back to Indiana over the course of two days, stopping for a night in St Louis at the Home2 Suites on Friday, 8th March. We arrived home late on Saturday, 9th March. Here are some photos from our stay at the two hotels.

 Riaan looking out of the window in Joplin, Missouri.

 Reading and playing toys on the bed.

 Two happy siblings playing together.

 Riaan and I had a lovely swim late one evening.

 Eliza walking around the hotel room in St Louis, Missouri.

 She even tried to get into the shower!

View outside the hotel on a stormy morning in St Louis, Missouri.

Eliza's Birthday Cake...

We didn't get around to having a birthday cake for Eliza on her actual birthday, and so two weeks later we celebrated her as a family with a yummy chocolate cake that Candace had baked. Eliza was certainly a fan of the chocolate cake. Just look at her face! :)

 Happy belated birthday, sweet daughter!

We all enjoyed cups of tea and chocolate cake. :)

Snow Geese in Flight...

I was out walking Rusty one morning and looked up and saw this sight overhead. There were hundreds of snow geese flying in formation in a southerly direction. It's an incredible sight to witness! These photos don't do the beauty of the scene justice at all.

The different patterns and flight formations are quite mesmerising to watch!

New Bike Helmet...

What a difference over two-and-a-half years have made! Riaan got his first helmet when he was just six months old and has very quickly grown out of it. We got him a new helmet a couple of weeks ago and he loves it! We've already been for a few walks around our new neighbourhood, and Riaan has always insisted on riding his balance bike. He looks so cool in his new helmet! :)

 Riaan wearing his infant helmet in June 2016.

 20th February 2017.

 

20th February 2019.

Biking around the neighbourhood. :)