FIVE years old!

 Naomi Irene, you are five years old today! I am having a hard time accepting that my baby is 5! How can this be? 

- You enjoy participating in school with your siblings! You're tracing letters and numbers, completing mazes, playing with playdough, playing ABC Mouse, listening to many, many books, doing a few reading lessons, cutting pictures, taking a few piano lessons, and more things I can't think of right now. You are very sharp with numbers. On your own you're skip counting, adding quickly, and seem to understand it all in your head quite easily. I will be curious to see how this progresses. 

- You are shy. When we go to new places, you want to stick close to your family. It takes you a long time to warm up to new people before you'll actually talk to them or even look them directly in the eye. You are starting to give hugs to more people! 

- You like to help me in the kitchen -- measuring, pouring, mixing. You complete one-minute chores around the house such as taking laundry to the hampers, putting away shoes and books, putting away the silverware from the dishwasher, and you are learning how to wash dishes! 

- You like to play outside, although you prefer to be with others when you do. I will occasionally see you outside alone, but it's rare. You like to swing. You do well on our nature hikes (we walked for 2 miles yesterday!). You're becoming interested in frogs and bugs, whereas before they made you scream and run away. You are riding your balance bike well and can keep up with your older siblings on our family walks each Sunday.  

- Some of your favorite foods are -- honey nut cheerios, frosted flakes, plain potato chips, honey mustard chicken, fries, pasta, roast, steak, and strawberries. You don't like food that is too spicy or overly flavorful. This morning for breakfast I made you chocolate donuts with pink frosting, yogurt parfaits, and hot cocoa. For your birthday dinner tonight we're having pasta, green beans, lemonade, red velvet cake, and strawberry ice cream! 

- You like to do things in your own time and own way. At night you like to shower by yourself and take your time. You don't like to be rushed because you'll totally shut down into a small, mute brick that won't do anything. Which is tricky when we're trying to get out the door and get ready for bed. 

- We went camping in September at Wallace State Park and you had fun catching little frogs beside the lake. You did a great job playing outside, riding bikes, and enduring the yellow jackets that joined us for every meal! You had fun in the canoe with Daddy too! 

- As with your older siblings, I am now finding many of your selfies on my phone! You enjoy taking pictures, mostly of yourself, but I find some of other people as well :) 

- You had your face painted at the Fall Fun Night at Weston Red Barn farm. You chose the ice princess pattern and sat very still while she completed the look. It looked great! 

- You have recently begun to ask again when you'll get to take dance class. You wear tap shoes around the house, love listening to music and dancing, you jump off of things, spin, work on moves you've learned at dance class, and more! I can see that's in just in your bones. 

- On November 6, we took you and Zoe out for your birthday movie. We saw "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" and it was very good! It was a clean, funny movie for all of us. You laughed out loud at several spots and were at the edge of your seat! Now we're listening to the soundtrack on Spotify at home. 

Birthday Interview: 11/11/22 

What is your favorite color? "Black and a little bit of yellow, but just a little since I have a yellow head band.. and pink! And... another color which is, blue." 

... movie? "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile" 

... TV show? "Gabby's Dollhouse: 

... book? "Curious George" 

... fruit? "Strawberries" 

... animal? "Oooh! *thinking with her finger to her mouth* That one's a hard one..." *she can't seem to come up with one. 

... song? "The baking one (from Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) 'Rip up the Recipe'" 

... thing to eat? "Pizza" 

... thing to do every day? "Play!" 

... about Zoe? "That she plays with me." 

... about Levi? "About he plays with me too." 

... about Zeke? "I don't know." 

... about Mommy? "About you bake."   

... about Daddy? "Oooh, about him goes to work and gets money." 

Who is your best friend? "Ooooh, my bestest friend... can it be one in my family? *whispers* Zoe" 

What do you want to be when you grow up? "Oooh, a baker!" 

What do you like most about school? "About I get to do mazes!" 

What are you looking forward to about being 5? "About I get new clothes cause the other ones are too small. But I can't fit them." 

Naomi, you are so loved! You bring joy and laughter to our family. You are my calming goat. Over the past year, you've told me countless times "I love you Mommy!", at least daily. You would alternate with different versions such as "I love you a latte!" :) and "I love you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!" You tell us you want to be a mommy when you grow up and have lots of babies. This year we are doing a baby/doll birthday party. You love to feed and dress and take care of all your dolls and you'll be getting a new stroller and bunk bed to add to your collection. You like to snuggle and cuddle with me at bedtime. You still whisper to me that you need me to put your blanket back on in the middle of the night. I love your beautiful, curly hair and hope that it gets easier to brush it at night! You like to kiss me on the lips and your sweet, little lips are pretty dry right now. I ask you if you want chapstick and you tell me no. *ha ha!* 

SEVEN Years Old!

 Zoe Kayte, you are 7 today! Here's what you've been up to:   

- You love to play outside! You tan the easiest of your entire family, besides Daddy. You love catching frogs, hiking, taking care of our animals, running, biking, swinging on the monkey bars, swimming in our pool, and more! You are game for nearly any adventure we go on in nature! You had such a fun time at swim lessons in July with Miriam and your teacher Hailey! You passed to level 2 and are feeling so confident in the water. You even jumped and swam in the deep end! 

- You are silly! You love to laugh, tell jokes, and, apparently, make silly faces while taking selfies 😆

- You are learning how to read directions and follow a recipe. For our end of year project, you made us pink lemonade for family movie night! You enjoyed it so much, you made more the next day for our Family Dinner at Smithville Lake. 

- You continue to love art! You are always creating something in your room or at the table. You finally attended your first art class at Orange Easel this summer and had a great time. We have you signed up for a homeschool multimedia class for the month of September. You will be learning about pastels. You have been doing watercolors with Daddy on the weekends and have made some beautiful creations together! 

- You enjoy school! You have a lot of focus and energy, so if we can get it directed at your school work, you can really accomplish things! You are learning to read and are starting to sound out more and more words correctly. Math seems a little tricky for you, but you are finding ways for it to make sense to you. You are a great at being consistent in getting your work done every day. You are making progress in your piano books and love to sing and dance. I can't believe you'll be starting 2nd grade in just a couple of weeks! 

- You don't like to wear dresses as much as you used to. We have finally found your niche - athletic clothes! The material is smooth and often doesn't have tags so we have fewer complaints from you not liking your clothes. I think you are going to be a great athlete! You are very strong. We have started a small exercise habit in the morning and you seem like a natural doing your planks and push-ups and jog. You have decided you want your two sports to be CrossFit and Swim. I'm excited to see how that will come to pass in your life!  

- I love to find the two of you sleeping together like this still. You are a great big sister! Sometimes if I've made Naomi upset, you will go to her and calm her down, reason with her, talk it out together. You know how to get down on her level and calm her down! I am so thankful for you. 

- You like to help me in the kitchen. You are getting better and better at making your brownie recipe! 

- You love animals! You do a great job helping to care for Dora. You really wanted a pet this year and I had thought we might be able to get you a cat when you were 6, but it just didn't work out. You have been extremely patient and understanding. Hopefully soon we will be able to get you a pet of your own! In the meantime, you do great with both Marshall and Dora and had a great time when we visited the cat café earlier this year. 

- Your first lost tooth last fall! Now you've lost 4 and 3/4 of them have returned! The top two you both lost on two different taco nights :) 

- You still sleep with Kitty -- the red panda you picked out at the KC Zoo on your 4th birthday. Even in the middle of the night, if you wake up and can't find her, she must be found before you fall back asleep. 

Birthday Interview: 8-1-2022

What is your favorite color? Pink 

... movie? "Tom and Jerry" 

... TV show? "Chip and Potato" 

... book? "Paddington" 

... fruit? Strawberries 

...animal? Cats 

...song? "Cheerleader" 

... thing to eat? "That's a hard question. Pizza! Fruit or pepperoni." 

... thing to do every day? "Color." 

about Naomi? "She's my little sister." 

about Levi? "Hmm... that he eats fast." 

about Zeke? "That he's 10." 

about Mommy? "That you're my mommy." 

about Daddy? "He fishes a lot." 

Who is your best friend? Aliyah 

What do you want to be when you grow up? An artist 

What do you like most about homeschooling? "That we get to be at home." 

What are you looking forward to about being 7? "That I'm grown up!" 

Zoe Kayte, I love you so much! You are full of life and zest! You love to shop so it makes it more fun for me to go with you. Today for your birthday lunch you chose tortilla roll-ups with lettuce, baked beans, fruit salad, and strawberry ice cream bon-bons (we need to get those finished soon!). We are having a Wingfeather themed party for your party on Friday night. You are having some family and friends over; we're planning to swim, color, play games, eat pizza and bbq pork, and have chocolate cake! I am so excited to see how you grow and mature in the coming year. I love spending time with you on Tuesday nights, to hear "your side of the story" about life, to watch miniature baking shows on YouTube, to grow closer to you. I can't wait to continue our little traditions together. Happy Birthday! 

"Why do you do it?"

In June, we visited family in CO and someone asked us, "Why do you eat gluten free?" It's hard not to feel like a burden when we visit others -- we have six people in our family, gluten free items are more expensive, harder to find, and {according to some} not as tasty. So it's hard to not apologize or feel bad or like an inconvenience. But I'm getting a little braver and believing in myself more. So here's a little more to the story... 

Way back in July of 2010, Jeremiah took a trip to Africa. *But wait* [even prior to this, it was an issue, but we never really attempted to do much to accommodate it. It just felt mildly annoying.] While he was in Ethiopia he got sick and was given a very strong antibiotic to "kill the bug", but when he returned home his gut microbiome, was never the same. We discovered this one night when I made a delicious chicken-velveeta-broccoli supper and, without being too graphic, after spending an unreasonable amount of time in the bathroom, let's just say, I never made it again. After this unforgettable night, Jeremiah began doing his research on milk alternatives, yogurt, bacteria strains, kefir... basically a deep dive into what he could have, what would help heal his gut, why he was having such strong reactions to dairy (as well as other high fat foods such as pork, avocados, hot dogs, etc.). While he did all this, I didn't make the changes with him. My stance was, "I'm sorry you're going through this, but no, I like all those things so... you're on your own, buddy." Super supportive wife. 

Fast forward to August 2015 and we realized Zoe (a newborn at the time) seemed to have a reaction when I was eating dairy. So, much to my dismay, I made the switch. My first foray was into cashew milk because I already knew I didn't like almond or coconut, especially when eating my daily cereal. It helped with the transition, because I felt like it tasted most similar to regular dairy milk. Once I removed all the dairy, her crying and screaming dramatically decreased. I was sold on this outcome alone. 

Not long after, we felt like Levi seemed bloated and was in some pain which made it hard for him to control his emotions. Once we moved to KC in 2017, we took him to a chiropractor and she recommended removing dairy and gluten from his diet. As he was only 3 years old at the time, we decided we would do this as a family. So in November 2017, we took the plunge. I was 8 months pregnant at the time, the holidays were coming, and people kind of knew me for my baking abilities. I was feeling rather intimidated and a bit sad because I knew some of my holiday favorite foods would not taste quite so, tasty, that year. But as we began to overhaul our diet -- it wasn't quite as big since we had already cut most dairy, so it was mainly the gluten at this point -- we noticed changes, and quick! My eczema was gone. Behavior issues that the kids had been having, lessened. Jeremiah's gut began to feel better. I wasn't as tired. Jeremiah wasn't as tired. Levi's face began to look less bloated and even now, we all get sick less than we used to. We felt the changes and the changes felt good. 

How do we live this out long term? For awhile, Jeremiah and I were adamant that we were 100% all the time, no mistakes. But now that we've been doing this for almost 5 years, we are trying to find the line. And sometimes we disagree on where the line is. Jeremiah tends to ride the more conservative approach, but this makes sense since he is the one who is more sensitive and has pain and repercussions if he doesn't. It's been hard too because the kids have been so young up to this point, we couldn't get much feedback from them aside from what we observed. Now we try to ask questions after we eat something out of the ordinary. We try to relax when we are in a place that is new and we can't manage to get them something to eat that "meets our standards". But it is a hard line to follow because it's all based on our best judgment. 

But what does it all mean? It means we pay attention. It means that we want to take our health seriously. This is the only body, the only life we get. Technically, could we eat gluten and dairy? Yep, we sure can. We're not allergic. But we really feel convicted that God has given us the wisdom and understanding that for our family, we want to do better. I've read too many books, since we started this journey 12 years ago, that talk about how well our bodies can adapt, process, manage all of these foods... right now. But over time, the toll it takes on our bodies to do that work, particularly if we have an intolerance, does damage to our body that is irreversible. Just because we are not seeing a problem now, doesn't mean we say, "Oh who cares? I'm young! My body can handle this!" We are looking to the future for how we want to treat our bodies, how we want to feel when we're in our 60s, 70s, and 80s. Some days are harder than others. We've taken our own treats to birthday parties -- will we offend the host? Are our kids missing out? Why can't life just be easier?! Ultimately, our heart behind these changes, as a family, is to help our kids make their own healthy choices in the future. Is it sometimes worth it to eat something that might hurt our tummies later? Can we enjoy foods without gluten and dairy? {Yes!} How do our bodies feel after eating certain food items? It seems like it will be a lifelong journey for all of us. A journey of awareness, treating our bodies kindly, and supporting one another. 

I plan to do some follow-up posts about how I bake and cook now that we eat this way. I hope it might help others who might want to try, but haven't felt sure where to start. Some days it can feel overwhelming -- we eat nearly all meals at home, there are always tons of dishes because even snacks are hard to find so I make those too, there's chopping, cutting, prepping, cooking, and more. If you have questions I'd love to hear them! Or give me some ideas for possible future topics if you're interested. 

To life... full of delicious food!       

About Me

 I think blogging might be over. I mean, I used to be a daily visitor to several cooking blogs in years' past -- Pioneer Woman, Mel's Kitchen Cafe, Six Sister's Stuff, and many more. I perused and printed off many, many recipes that I still use to this day. So it was indeed not time wasted. I had a surplus of time in those early years of marriage that I was unaware of until having 4 kids and moving 6 times in a span of 5 years. But it is summertime once more and, by choice, I have at least 90 minutes each week that I spend mowing our yard; it gives me time to reflect and think my own thoughts, a rare feat in a household of six. In high school days, I would write poetry, albeit poorly. I joined the "bake and blog sensation" from about 2008 - 2012 and enjoyed chatting away about what I was baking and sharing pictures. I like to write meaningful posts on Instagram or Facebook and try to inspire or encourage others. 100 characters is usually not enough space for me to go into the detail I like. But sometimes I'll share something that is particularly meaningful to me and not receive the response I was hoping for, which I realize is unintentional, but still hurts a bit because I've assigned an emotion or hope to it, sometimes without even realizing it. Writing is my forte, more than verbal communication. Sure, give me a good one-on-one and I'm great at asking questions, talking, listening; it's really the best way to get to know me. But once you expand that out to two, three sets of eyes that I know are listening and watching, I retreat back into my shell because I have a harder time monitoring the body language, assessing the answers, watching for clues as to how the conversation is going and I end up not saying much at all. Case in point, a few weeks ago, I was onstage for worship team, and the leader asked me to just "say something into the mic". So here's what I said, "    ". Yep. Nothing. This is what happens to my brain when I'm 1) unprepared, 2) put on the spot, 3) there's more than one person listening. The ironic thing is, from time to time, I actually "prepare to be spontaneous". I will wait for your laughter to subside... 

Yes, often as I'm taking walks, I'll think about interesting things I have seen or read, funny things my kids have said, and I will rehearse these things for such moments as described above. But apparently my preparations were in vain because not one of those recitations arose to the top when put on the spot. The most frustrating part for me is that usually I do have a thought or something on mind. I think I am a fairly interesting person. I am becoming more well-read as I get older. But I have a very powerful filter on my mind, that allows very little to pass through without reflection and wondering how my response might affect others. This is a helpful feature in some areas of life, keeping me out of trouble. But other times it is a frustration and burden that makes me feel that I'm alone, outside of the circle. 

So here I am, feeling the urge to write again. I think perhaps I will challenge myself to write a post each week. Oh, I know, it will be extremely difficult, for you, dear readers, to wait seven whole days between posts ;) The challenge is really for myself because I do like the act of writing whether with pen and paper or screen and keyboard. I feel like the pressure is off a bit because I plan to share the link to my blog posts on Facebook, but no one has to take the time to read it unless they want to, and my expectations will be lower. That way when I see a post only has 2 readers (Hi, Mom and Dad!) I won't flounder as much as previous attempts. I'm really hoping to write for myself, but if someone wants to read about a particular topic I share, they might be encouraged or ask me a question. That has always been my goal. I realize I don't have a huge circle of influence. I don't have a 'K' behind my numbers of followers on Instagram. But I do have friends and family. And I care very much, more than I'll ever say to you in person. But perhaps, through my writing, I will be able to share a bit more, and practice being ok with showing others who I am.    

To life... full of words! 

From Dora's Meowth...

 Dearest Reader, 

It has been quite an age since my human has been willing to hear my story once again. I have grown older and much wiser, of course, over the passage of time while my humans continue to act strange, loud, and erratic. I attempt to calm them with my steely gaze and subtle clues laid gently around the house conveying I deserve more rest and quiet in my sunset years. I have recently received news from a compatriot in Nebraska (who wishes to remain anonymous) who received my family into their dominion for the night and was delighted to put on a middle-of-the-night show they will not soon forget. I now pass this story along to you with great plurreasure. 

Sunday, May 22, 2100 hours. "A weird contraption entered into the yard adjacent to mine. I overheard words of 'tent' and 'sleep outside' which sounded unusual to me. Night is my time to patrol and humans belong inside. I knew I would have to investigate with caution. I climbed to my post in my favorite oak tree and proceeded to watch as both small and large humans infiltrated the yard with odd packages and delicious smells. Then three males began to assemble a large, blue canvas into what I can only compare to a pyramid shape. I have never beheld such a thing with my own eyes. Once assembled, they proceeded to fill the pyramid with soft blankets, pillows, and large cocoons. Then a strange noise exploded the quiet of the afternoon. I ran back to my command center with haste and began to reach out to fellow felines in the tri-state area. After three hours of careful investigation, I discovered one, Dora Davis, from a strange land called Kansas City who informed me that her family had evacuated earlier in the afternoon and she was quite certain they had made their way to Nebraska. She asked me to prepare some sort of entertainment for them. Little did she know how easily this comes for a skilled assassin like me... 

Monday, May 23, 0200 hours. I resumed my post in the oak tree at sundown. The three males entered the pyramid around 2200. One sandy haired male proceeded to flash an assortment of lights followed by cackling high-pitched laughter. The other short-hair asked the large male many questions before they began to settle down for the night. The large male began droning on about "Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dobby..." I can only assume these are others that I must keep watch for. For a few hours, all was quiet aside from snores and heavy breathing. Around 0140, a mourning dove began cooing in a nearby tree and I heard rustling from the pyramid. "Coo coo" The dove was quite distracting to my mission until I realized, "coo coo" it was the perfect opportunity. I began to slink down the tree and creep "coo coo" through the grass. The dove continued to coo for his friend, while I snuck in closer and closer, unnoticed. I waited for the perfect moment and then POUNCED upon him. What followed was a loud, savage fight, and ultimately the death of that blasted dove. The whole ordeal only lasted a few minutes, but we had been quite loud and I realized that many humans had heard the ordeal. I carried him proudly back to my command center and all was quiet in the pyramid as I passed by stealthily. I knew the humans now both appreciated and feared my presence. I passed along the report to Dora who purred her pleasure and gratitude. This is where my story ends." 

Meow! What a story to share with you today. It was a delight for me to communicate with another feline friend and hear his tail. I am very pleased to tell you that I have more to say in the coming days if only Mom will allow me to continue. I desire to make up for those nine lost years since my last post and regale you with more stories from my life. For meow, my paws are tired of typing and I need... *yawn* a... nap.  

For previous Dora posts: The Original  The Sequel The Third 

Zeke is TEN!!

 Happy Birthday, Ezekiel! You have made it to the double digits! A decade! We can't wait to celebrate you this year and take you on your 10 year old trip, back to the city of your birth -- Ft. Worth, TX! We hope this trip will be a special time to spend with Mommy and Daddy celebrating you. 

- You had a great 10th birthday! You asked for a chocolate, strawberry, vanilla cake that looked like a sledding hill (you remembered your 5th birthday cake). So I made chocolate cake, we switched the filling to cherries because you actually love them more, and vanilla frosting with green rice krispie trees and jelly beans (which you are also very into currently). You received a wind turbine to build, the parts needed to complete your Engineering Academy book, a yo-yo, and some cash! 

- We went to Red Robin for your birthday lunch. You ordered an adult meal! 

- Our gift to you was a new personalized, adventure duffel from LL Bean. We wanted to give you something for you to keep your whole life, but also to celebrate your 10 year old trip coming up in March! You've grown out of the backpack we got for you in 2016 for traveling because you like to bring so many books when you go anywhere! So now you'll have somewhere to bring your clothes :P I have been pleasantly surprised this year as your desire to read has grown profoundly. You have books stacked in your bed to read at night, you bring them with us anytime we travel in the van, you'll occasionally read to Levi at bedtime if you're both interested in the book and can't wait until the next night to find out what happens, and you'll read to the girls for me as well. I love that you have become a reader! 

- At Christmas your family gave you great gifts which tap into your strengths-- building, primarily. Here you were assembling your gecko-bot just minutes after opening it! Ha! 

- Your gingerbread house creations have improved greatly over the last few years! 

- You are getting good at making our family's cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving each year! 

- You enjoyed riding the pony at the Family Fun Night with Restore in October! Look how far your legs are hanging down the sides! You are getting so tall! Your guess is that you will be as tall as me by the time you are 11, I am holding out (hoping!) that it doesn't happen until you're 12, but time will tell. 

- Our annual Caramel Apple Party. You love piling on the goodies (as do all the kids!) as you "decorate" your apple. 

- We had a fun date together in Parkville last Fall. We went mini golfing, got ice cream, and walked down the photo alley. We had an interesting fellow on the hole ahead of us who was having a distressing day: seemed to be jealous of his brother's birthday happening, and asked us if we liked his new shoes. 

- Your favorite ice cream: mint chocolate chip! 

- You have been interested in golf ever since you were 5. I believe mini golf wins over playing the large game, but I'd like to try with you sometime and see if you enjoy playing 9 holes. You still talk about golf as a hobby you'd like to take up, so we might see if we can get you in a class or two to see if it takes off. 

- You enjoy baking! You keep asking me to make experimental recipes and so far I haven't let you. {I'm afraid it seems like a waste to me to potentially not eat it and therefore throw away all the ingredients.} All summer you helped me make cinnamon rolls as part of your bake sale, you can make pudding, cranberry sauce, and jello all by yourself. Sometimes if I'm making a more complicated recipe for dinner I'll give you a whole chunk of it to complete on your own, such as the sauce or some component and it helps me very much. I'm positive you could do more if I gave you time, so that might be a goal I add to this year to allow you to grow in your cooking abilities which I think you'll be fantastic at! 

- You loved the beach at San Diego! You had fun boogie boarding, exploring, swimming, building in the sand. Aside from being a bit stubborn and wanting your own way, you complain very little and I know you want to please your family. You don't have a quick temper and rarely retaliate when your siblings hurt you. You have a sensitive heart and are a quiet thinker. You love to investigate and figure out how things work. You love your new work table that Pop-Pop put together for you downstairs so you can work on your trains and other projects and not have to take them back down every day. It's a nice place for you to escape to when the house gets loud and chaotic. I cannot wait to see the way you will grow and change this coming year! I love you very much, Ezekiel! 

BIRTHDAY INTERVIEW! 

What is your favorite color? Red and blue

... food? Five Guys 

... movie? "Sing 2" {we went to see this in theaters in December with the boys together for their birthdays}

... TV show? "Grizzy and the Lemmings" 

... book? "How to Live off the Grid" 

... fruit? Apple-pears 

... animal? Hamsters 

... instrument? Electric guitar! 

... band or singer or favorite thing to listen to on Spotify? Music from Sing 2

... thing to do every day? Play the gravitrax game {It's a new app on my phone.}

... thing to learn? Science! 

... about Naomi? That she always gives me hugs when I'm sad. 

... about Zoë? That she shares her toys... sometimes. 

... about Levi? That he's my brother and that he's kind of fun to play with.   

... about Mommy? She makes our food every day and my birthday cakes. 

... about Daddy? That he makes money for us. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? An engineer! 

What do you like most about homeschooling? That it isn't as long as public school. And that I can see my family all day long! 

What are you looking forward to about your trip to TX? I don't know very much about TX, but to be with my Mom and Dad and see where I was born. And all the sites to see! I think this could go on forever! Hee hee! 

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!