TRIP TO NWA: AMAZEUM, CRYSTAL BRIDGES & THE WOODEN SPOON

The last weekend of July took us back to Northwest AR, this time with my whole family.  When we started looking for places to stay, it became clear that finding a fun place for 20 people at relatively short notice without breaking the bank was going to be difficult.  Enter JBU.

We actually decided to stay on campus at John Brown University (our alma mater), which was a trippy trip down memory lane and a ton of fun for us all.  Each family had a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, and it was a fantastic deal, though we did need to bring towels and bedding.  Plus we had an RA. 😂  The kids seriously thought this was one of the best things we've ever done, and honestly, I would do it again in a heartbeat.


(they were also really excited about the cucumbers brought to us by Nana and Papa that I have since pickled)

Siloam Springs is one of my favorite cities due to memories and charm.  We all went for snow cones after dinner the first night.

Friday, we hit up Bentonville and did the Amazeum in the morning, which was a favorite of all the kiddos.  It was our first visit and so well done.

(William SUPER loved time with boy cousins, especially Max, on this trip.)

Lunch at the Flying Fish did us right before heading to Crystal Bridges to take in the Chihuly exhibit and the gorgeous grounds.

Walking through the indoor Chihuly exhibit with seven small children had some stressful moments, but overall, the kids did well, and the glass was so very beautiful.

Outdoors, we felt a bit more freedom to let them run, and though it was hot, it was still pretty incredible to see the glass.

For dinner, we had reserved the party room at the Wooden Spoon, an Amish restaurant in Gentry that is SO delicious.  The wait was over 2 hours when we arrived, and getting whisked back into a private room with a personalized buffet was fantastic.  The desserts were literally the size of our faces, so this meal was a smash hit all the way around.

Every child needs a brownie sundae that size, right?!?

That night, we were hanging out in our dorm, playing games and cutting quilt squares, just like regular college students (minus all the sleeping children), and around 10:30 pm, the power went out.  Fortunately, my brother was stocked with glow sticks and a lantern.

Fortunately, the power outage was only for about an hour, and we all survived.

I feel so fortunate to have the family that I do.  We are not perfect AT ALL, but we really genuinely have fun together, and I'm so thankful!  And, I do love spending time at JBU.