Weekend Getaway

 Our family took a little weekend vacation to Branson. It had snowed on Wednesday here and Thursday down there, but the roads ended up being pretty good by the time we left on Friday morning.

 We had been on the road for about 20 min. when I realized I had forgotten my wallet :( so we had to turn around back north and get it. Which was a disappointing way to start the trip. We stopped in Springfield, MO for lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then to visit the big flagship store of Bass Pro. The kids loved seeing all the animals and outdoor gear. Zoë and Naomi both picked out new stuffed animals to add to their collection.

Next, he headed down to Branson. We checked into our WorldMark location around 4:30 pm. The kids got situated, started up the fire place, and checked out what was on TV. I hadn't realized the Winter Olympics were starting that night, so it was a nice surprise to get to watch some of the opening ceremonies and a few of the events! We ate pizza and had brownies and ice cream to keep our Friday night tradition alive. The kids enjoyed taking turns in the jetted bath tub. Then we went to bed! 

On Saturday morning, we woke and ate eggs and blueberry pancakes. Around 9 am, we headed out for our first ever family show! We drove up to the Grand Country Music Hall to see "Amazing Pets". Applejack was our host and shared lots of funny jokes and included the kids in several activities to keep them entertained. We watched cats jump and climb, dogs stand on their back legs to dance and spin, had parrots fly over our heads, and a few other fun tricks. The kids went onstage to sing a song and participate in some of the activities Applejack led. 

 After our morning show, we went back to our suite and made lunch. Then we went to the huge hot tub and played for about 30 min. before we headed back for rest time. We watched some TV and then picked up bbq from Big D's BBQ. We ate dinner and then headed over to the rec center where we played ping pong, pool, foosball, a driving game, Levi played a shooting game, and then the kids all tried out some of the equipment in the fitness center. We had a blast! 

On Sunday morning we ate breakfast, packed up and headed out. We went to Mochas and Meows, a cat café we were very excited to visit. But as we pulled up to the the store front, there were no cars in the parking lot and there was a paper on the door that simply said "We are closed February 1-15. Sorry for the inconvenience." To say we were disappointed is an understatement. But we walked up to the windows and checked out the cats inside. Some came to the window to check us out as well :) We returned to the van and began the trek home. On our way, we stopped in Bolivar, MO at Lotus Tea Co. The kids enjoyed excellent boba smoothies and Jeremiah and I tried some coffee and tea. It was a board game store as well so the kids had fun looking around and we made a nice little stop of it before finishing the trip home. We were very thankful for our weekend away! We don't take many trips, but we're hoping to add in a few more here and there to add a little adventure and fun to our days and years, as well as make some great memories with our family! 

January Fun

We're enjoying a snow day today, Saturday! We ate waffles and played outside this morning and watched "Frozen" during lunch.

The Fab 4 shouting "Snow Day!" 

Marshall is growing up too! 

Yesterday (1/10) I took Naomi out for her first official special time. We ate lunch at Chick-Fil-A, picked up some piano books from Meyer Music for one of my piano students, and then finished off with hot cocoa at Starbucks. I forget how quiet those first few years of special dates are because I'm so used to the every day noise from living in a house with 5 others. She was quiet, observant, and a bit overwhelmed by all the people at Chick-Fil-A. At Meyer Music, she wanted to check out all the ukuleles in the corner, but when I asked her to stop and just look, she restrained herself and stared at them. The cashier asked her how she was doing, and she held up her 2 fingers to let her know how old she was :) At Starbucks, we saw some friends from church. Landon asked her how she was doing, and she quietly replied, "good". It was so sweet. It's fun to hear her voice slowly coming through, especially in new situations. 

It was a rainy and cold day, so hot cocoa was just what she needed! We read her new book {on table} that she received in her kid's meal at CFA. 

She ate some of her ketchup with a fork :) So lady-like. 

These special dates are so important to me because I tend to get swept up in the daily grind and can group all the kids together and forget to see them as individuals. I want them to feel seen and heard by me as they grow up. We've been doing these dates since Zoë was born, but I didn't feel like I had a good consistent schedule. Now I've put them in rotation on my phone so I can remember which child's turn it is each month. So they each get 3 dates with me each year, plus a date with both Jeremiah and I right around their birthday. Sometimes it doesn't feel like near enough, but I remind myself it's the consistency over the long haul that will add up to make a difference in their lives. 

To life... full of snowy days and special dates.