Vacation!!

Todd had a week of vacation last week.  Woohoo!  We had thought we might go to St. Louis and go to a ballgame (of course!) but decided a week or two before we just weren’t up to it.  Lucky for us some friends had some time reserved at Big Cedar in Branson and invited us to come along.  Oh my.  I wish we had done this before, and I hope we can do this again.  We were literally forty minutes or so from our house, but felt like we were a million miles away.  This place is one of those places where you never have to leave to have fun.  We had a blast!  We walked, went canoeing, and paddle boating.  We fed tons of turtles and fish.  We played miniature golf, we swam, and swam and swam.  We watched movies since it rained and since we had seven kids that needed to sit in a vegetative state to save their parents sanity!  We went to Silver Dollar City (can I just say I love Silver Dollar City?!) Best of all we had a great time with friends that we got to know better!  It was such a nice relaxing time.  While I love to travel, there is always a certain amount of stress involved being away from home.  This was like we weren’t really away from home, so no stress!  There was no hurrying to try to fit everything in or deciding what you should do, because it was all right there, so you could do it all!  I highly recommend Big Cedar if your ever around this area.  I ranks right up there with the Foxx Bed and Breakfast!  (Which is where I would rather our friends stay so we can visit with them!  And we are free!) 

Si, Kellen, Callie and Amy checking out this covered walkway.  It was covered with vines, or trees, or something.  I’m not really up on all my trees, but it was so nice!

   Garrett, Si, Callie and Kellen looking at the fish and turtles.

Garrett taking Callie to check out the water.  :)

Inside one of the buildings there was this cool Lincoln Log table.  They could have stayed there for hours!

This is in the turret lookout.  Callie, Kellen, and Abe.

Garrett, Gannon and Si checking out the exhibits of animals, fish and such.  Hey, we’re homeschooling even on vacation! 

   Si and Gannon.  So sweet!

The view from our room! Todd and Callie in the indoor pool.  Callie taking a much needed nap.  She just crashed! I think trying to hang with six boys wore her out!  I stayed with her and everyone else went to play mini golf.  Boy it was quiet!

Garrett playing catch the football off the slide. Kellen attempting a catch.

While we were there Gannon turned six!  So, we celebrated with a cake from the local grocery store.  It was a graduation cake so they gave me a bunch of doo-dads to put on it.  Too funny!  I love the looks Gannon and Si are giving each other!  Garrett and Gideon are wishing we would cut the cake!

Gannon’s smile is just priceless!

Callie not looking too thrilled to be in the stroller at Silver Dollar City.  She was so good though to hang out.  We never even made it to the “kiddie” section because the big kids were having such a great time riding rides.  It was beautiful weather and I think we just missed the crowds because there were rides they just got to stay on and ride since no one was in line!  I’m sure that will not be the case for the rest of the summer!

Great times with great friends!  Counting our blessings :)!