CARdinals

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAMDEN!!! I can't believe you are 8 years old already! You were such a sweet little baby, and you just keep getting sweeter each year. We are so proud of you, and I can't wait to see you next month!

On Wednesday, Greg and I had a fun trip to St. Louis with our good friends David and Teal. We are very sad that David and Teal are moving to Atlanta at the end of the month, so we are trying to fit in as much fun with them as we can before they leave. Our day began at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall on the way to St. Louis--Teal and I had been wanting to stop there forever, so this was our day. The antique mall had many interesting things, but the decorations outside were what made it really intriguing.

Then it was off to Grant's Farm in St. Louis! I hadn't been to Grant's Farm since Mom, Dad, and I were in St. Louis a few years ago, and Greg, David, and Teal had never been there before. It was so much fun! We got to see many exotic animals and we enjoyed the beautiful setting (although we could have done without the intense heat).

Our (well, at least my and Teal's) favorite part was seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales! They are SOOOO beautiful, and we even saw some cute little (actually not so little) babies. They are such powerful, beautiful horses, and they have quite the setup there at Grant's Farm. The farm is on land that once belonged to Ulysses S. Grant and is now owned by the Busch family. After Grant's Farm, we had a delicious dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, then it was off to the stadium for the Cardinals game.

Though it was a warm day, it turned into a perfect evening for baseball. David and Teal are big Phillies fans, and we had planned to go to the Cardinals-Phillies game in July, but since they'll be gone by then and they are fellow baseball lovers, we thought it would be fun to catch a game while they're still here. The Cardinals were playing the Mariners, and we almost got to see an Albert Pujols home run, but then they decided that it wasn't really a home run. The Cardinals ended up losing the game, but it was still really fun to be there.

We enjoyed trying out our new camera at the game. Now that's what I call a zoom!! We could see Albert in great detail. After the game was over, we returned to the car, which was still locked but . . . we found the contents of the glove compartment and center console dumped out. Uh oh. We realized that someone had broken into the car, but we couldn't figure out how. Thankfully none of us had any valuables in the car, but we couldn't figure out why they didn't take the GPS or Greg's phone. When a police officer came to talk to us he said that they were probably just looking for guns. Oh, great. He also explained to us that the thieves have a way of getting in through the lock and disabling the car alarm. So that was creepy, but luckily the car and all of our stuff is okay (except we need to get the glove compartment fixed--it was locked, and the thief pried it open). So the whole thing turned into quite an adventure!

And then if the car break-in isn't disturbing enough, I went to work on Thursday to find the following memo from the National Park Service director, Jon Jarvis. Funny that we didn't get any memos like this from Fran Mainella or Mary Bomar (who had both been appointed by President Bush). So get ready to be disturbed:





MEMORANDUM

To: National Park Service Employees

From: Director Jarvis

Subject: National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month 2010

The month of June has been designated as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. This designation is meant to recognize the impact of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender individuals have had on Amerca and the word. The international theme for this year is "One Heart, One World, One Pride." This theme will provide numerous opportunities for dialogue and promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the struggles, significant accomplishments and contributions of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender individuals to this Nation and the world.

President Barack Obama his proclamation dated May 28, 2010, designating the month of June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, states, "LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LBGT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, our friends and neighbors. Throughout my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us--the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance--we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union."

The National Park Service joins President Obama and the rest of this Nation in celebrating LGBT Pride Month. I believe that observances should be times for the reaffirmation of our struggles and determination to change attitudes and heighten the understanding of the LGBT individuals and their experiences. So join the National Park Service and me in observing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month by participating in programs and observances in your area."

No thank you! What is becoming of our country?