Tender Mercies

Bucket lists are funny because they often inspire you to do things you would have never thought to do otherwise. Drive 4.5 hours with a 12 month old to see a bunch of birds in the middle of nowhere America? 5 years ago I would have said, "ya right." But Sandhill Cranes bring a sense of nostalgia to us. It's as though we are connected to Fairbanks, Alaska in a very unique way.  When we lived in Fairbanks, our apartment complex was right in front of a migratory waterfowl refuge  and each year, thousands of Sandhill Cranes would come each summer. We learned during one of our trips to the crane festival that the birds stop on the Platte River in Nebraska on their journey north from Mexico/Texas. We thought, "hey, we should see them on the Platte in March if we ever live in the Midwest!"  And so this bird-watching trip was written on our bucket list and this year we headed north to see the migration. I think we were the youngest family among all the natu...

Spring break was beautiful and a much needed respite from the daily grind. We checked St. Louis off of our bucket list by spending 5 nights with my sister-in-law and her husband 30 minutes outside of downtown. We played hard each day, ate well, and always saved time in the evening to talk, all while getting plenty of sleep to keep us going each day. The most enjoyable part about this trip was that it was only the four of us. Family reunions are fun, but having a more intimate group setting can be more relaxing and therapeutic. I came away from this trip feeling like I actually had  a vacation!  Our Itinerary:  Tuesday March 15th:  arrived in Chesterfield at 4:30 PM Ate Bibimbap for dinner retired to bed early Wednesday March 16th: Morning hike at Castlewood State Park : I absolutely LOVE morning hikes. Best way to get going in the day. We did the River Scene Trail, a 3.25 mile loop that takes you along the Meramec River Valley as well ...