BRANSON TRIP: HIGHS & LOWS, PART 1

This last week of summer is almost over.  What the what.  We decided to go out with a bang and spend it in Branson with some of my family.  We had wanted to go to the beach, but after our earlier trips this summer and all of the screaming in the car, we decided that driving 3 hours > driving 9.5 hours.  Branson may not be super exciting, but it is pretty close, so it has that going for it.  Here are our highs and lows.

High:  Our trip there was relatively and surprisingly scream free.  Since our expectations were at rock bottom, we were very pleasantly surprised!



Low:  The first night we were there, both twins did a lot of screaming in the night.  I think they were making up for the time they lost screaming in the car.  However, since our expectations were pretty low for this as well, we weren't really surprised.  All of our kiddos were up super early that first day.



High:  It rained our first morning there, and this ushered in a "cool front" of sorts that was so refreshing and unexpected.  We swam in the rain, much to everyone's enjoyment.  The kiddos LOVED pushing John in, and he was a great sport about it.

(this picture was before we headed down.  Because safety first, obvs.)

High:  We hit up mini-golfing, since the girls have wanted to do this for quite some time.  It was a hit, though as John pointed out, it seemed a little more like hockey than mini-golf.

Low:  In a bizarre turn of events, I thought it would be fun to do the Bumper Boats.  Not for one moment did I realize or imagine that I would get soaked.  Thankfully, the kiddos had a lot of fun.  As did my step-dad, Wes.  And John and Luke.  Really, I was the only one who wasn't exactly thrilled with being sopping wet at the end of this little adventure.





Low:  On Tuesday, we branched out to something we've never done in Branson.  We went to Ride The Ducks.  We made a slight miscalculation in timing our arrival and also trying to get coffee and very nearly ended up being late and missing our departure.  It was a stressful 20 minutes as we tried to get everyone parked and to the giant Duck on time.  We barely made it.



High:  Riding the Duck turned out to be really fun for everyone.  We toured the College of the Ozarks and took a ride in Lake Taneycomo.

(Ellen was in the splash zone when we headed into the water.  I was glad it was her and not me that time.)

Low:  We rounded out our outing with lunch at Joe's Crab Shack that somehow took forever, even though it wasn't very busy.

High:  Despite it taking way too long, the children did pretty well.  Thankfully, they had room to roam and extra entertainment.




It was a great trip to be together, though it must be said that not every moment on a family trip is enjoyable.  However, the sum seems to be greater than the parts, and we had a great time!  More to come tomorrow!

SWEET MOMENTS

One of our cats, Hope, had to take a trip to the vet last week.  This prompted an elaborately staged Veterinary clinic to be constructed in my entry way, and the girls enjoyed it (mostly pleasantly) for several hours one afternoon.



It included directional signage on the wall



and on the floor, complete with paw prints so the pets would know where to go and stand.



They used the cat carrier to take x-rays.

Gloves were used during exams.

Chip clips were utilized as tweezers to remove stray crayons.



Bella kept referring to herself as a "Petrinarian," which, in her defense, actually makes a lot of sense. These girls really do keep us laughing.  They helped John build a Lego Empire State Building, and Bella asked, "Why is it called the Empire State Building?"  Lily then asked, "Is that where all the empires live?"  John asked her to elaborate on who the "empires" were.  Lily said, "You know - the people that tell everyone in baseball what to do."  Bless it.  Those umpires probably do need their own building.

The big girls and William wanted to smile for the camera.  Bless Lily's heart - she can be a bit of a messy eater, and we hadn't gone anywhere the whole day, and I hadn't made sure her face was clean.




(I wish this one were in focus - but I still love it.)

Violet is much harder to capture.  She's less likely to stay still, because there are so many things in the world that need doing.

The big girls actually did pick up the whole fort as we broke out the Frozen soundtrack and sang Let It Go.  William was so inspired he felt the need to dance on the table.

Really, we have very few days like this.  Days where we spend the whole day at home, and where I really let the girls drag out whatever they want.  It was sweet.  It was fun, and I want to remember and cherish moments like this.

LATELY: HIGHS & LOWS

One of our last week's of summer has come and gone.  We have had good times this week and a few bad.  Basically, a pretty normal week.  Here's a run down.

High:  An impromptu bowling outing with friends.  We hadn't been bowling in forever, and it sounded nice and air-conditioned.  The big kids did great and enjoyed listening for the balls to be "thrown up" by the machine.  The twins were quite a pair that needed to be wrangled, but they did all right.  When they weren't screaming about not being allowed to carry around and drop bowling balls. I guess that could have been a low.




High:  John had a birthday!  He's my favorite, and this is the 12th year that I've gotten to celebrate his birthday with him, so that feels pretty special.  The CFA team got him a delicious cake, and we enjoyed a Chocolate Mess in his honor.  He got LEGOs for his birthday, and he and the girls had a blast putting them together.

High:  There really were sweet moments with the kiddos this week, and I am so thankful to be ending the summer on a higher note.  I love children wearing sunglasses.  It never gets old to me.

Low:  Our sweet cat, Hope, who will turn 12 years old next month, has not been eating.  We've been to the vet twice this week, and there are no clear answers, which is a bit depressing.  Right now, we are treating the symptoms and hoping for the best.  Today she has perked up a bit and eaten more than she has all week, which was encouraging.  I think she is pretty stoked about the upgrade to wet cat food.



High:  Kids are so funny.  Lily managed to help dress the twins the other day.  But, she couldn't get William's shorts pulled up.  So, he walked across the house just like this.  He did not want his picture taken.

Last night, the girls managed to reset what Siri calls John.



And, you just never know when there will be a full camp site set up in your entry way.



High:  The big girls got to earn a bit more money at CFA, which they were ecstatic about.  I love hearing them say, "May I interest you in a mint?"

Low:  Last night Violet felt the need to cry a LOT after bed time.  I eventually went in to check on her.  She had colored all over her face and arms with a blue marker that I could not locate.  It escaped me to take a picture before I cleaned her up.  There was blue everywhere on here and no where on her bedding.  Crazy.  She did go to sleep after that, mercifully.

One last week of summer awaits us, and we are hoping for loads of fun!  Hope your weekend has been a good one.