We went hiking near Red Butte Gardens with Zach's family. After all my years living in Utah and never seeing a snake, we saw two that day. A small water snake and a good-sized rattler. Yikes! And we thought Missouri was wild.
We got to meet Troy's newest member of the family. A beagle puppy named Copper. So cute.
Kate with her pup.
Copper got his first lesson in swimming during our pool party.
Chris and Jake enjoying the shade.
Loving the puppy.
Zach and E-man.
E-man being superman!
A guest at work (who is deathly afraid of snakes) kept seeing a three to four-foot-long Copperhead snake outside her room. Zach and I were tasked to stake out the snake and kill it with a shovel if we saw it. After 30 minutes outside and nearly an hour inside a room looking out, we never found it. But we did enjoy the ice water and king-sized Snickers we shared.
To celebrate the fourth of July, we took the boat out to watch the fireworks from the water. All the little lights are boats.
After the show the water had huge swells from all the boat traffic. It was pretty awesome. When we got back to our little point, our neighbors were shooting off another amazing show, so we floated in the cove watching.
We taught Sophie to float on this raft so we can swim deeper and still have her with us.
She digs it for a while because it gives her a good view of the shore. She watches birds and squirels and when she thinks she actually has a chance to catch one, she swims to shore. Of course the targets are gone by then.
Zach showing off the sunburn he got.
Sophie wouldn't get off the bed long enough for me to make it, so I just made her up in it.
We tried to get the sign behind us, but this was the best shot of us, so you don't get to see the sign.
Inside the chapel. It is supposed to be reminscent of the Sistine Chapel.
Moses.
Jonah.
The Chapel.
The trumpeteers.
Free ride...
Being frogs.
Going on another trip...
Union Station at sunset.
We sat on the first base line at the Royals game and had a great time. 
The Royals beat the Twins!
The KC skyline.
This war memorial was near our hotel and we took Sophie there for exercise. It had a great view of the city.
The Union Station had a special Narnia exhibit. Zach is High King Peter.
Sophie and I are Queen Susan.
There was a Lego exhibit at the Crown Center.
We also stopped by the Crayola store and played there.
We took Sophie over to the splash fountain at the Crown Center. She was slow to warm up to the idea, but ended up having a blast.
Soph joined in with the other kids to cool off from the Midwestern sun.
We took nearly fifty pictures before the Crown Center security (a fat guy with a flash light and uniform) told us that dogs were not allowed in the fountain. :(
We stopped by Oklahoma Joe's in Kansas City, Kansas for some BBQ. We've heard good things about the "BBQ place in the back of a gas station" and had to try it out. Zach ordered the "Z-Man" of course.
Settled in for the ride home.
Sophie snuggled in during the ride home and we slept like that for quite a while.
