Vacation 2014

For only the 2nd time ever, our family vacation took us south, to Branson and Table Rock Lake. We left last Saturday morning around 8, only a half hour after our goal. The kids actually did pretty good on the way down, thanks in part to the new double dvd player we had bought the week before. We also got headphones for each of them, so it was nice and quiet. Alison either looked at her toys or slept.

Going through St Louis, Carter was sure he saw a rainbow.  :-)

Upon arriving, my parents discovered that their condo had been double booked, and that there wasn't a clean place free until Monday. Thankfully our condo was ready for us. After much stress, many phone calls, and a condo switch, they finally got a 3 bedroom place that was cleaned and open for the week. The bad part was that it was in a different building than our condo. We got our exercise, because to get from one to the other required going down 2 flights of stairs, across the parking lot, and up 2 flights of stairs. 

We drink a lot of coffee- enough to warrant using two coffee makers. 

Wendi bouncing on her exercise ball. I dint know how much she actually used it throughout the week, but Bridget and Carter had a blast playing with it! 

Swimming with dad, who was the only one of the adults willing to brave the freezing water that first day.  

Sibling love

Watching The Little Mermaids with Aunt Wendi

Alison was great the whole week, taking great naps in het car seat, the stroller, and on grandpa and grandma's bed. 

I think it was on Monday night that we went mini golfing and out for ice cream. The kids had never been mini golfing, and they thought having their own clubs was pretty great! Luke, my mom and dad and I were on one team, and Daniel, Wendi, Adam and Luke were on the other. 

Playing candyland with Uncle Adam. 

Swimming with Uncle Daniel. The kids loved the water, despite it being really cold. I never could make myself get all the way on. 

Making brownies with Aunt Wendi

Reading books with grandma

Sweet, happy baby

Wendi practicing changing diapers and getting a baby dressed.  :-)

Snuggles with grandpa while watching a movie. 

I had bought a small bag of dum dum suckers for the trip, and while Bridget didn't care for them, Carter became totally obsessed with them! 

Driving the boat with grandpa! 

Beautiful sunsets and sunrises seen from the boat. 

Unfortunately the fishing wasn't the greatest, but they did manage to snag a few small ones. 

The kids had fun fishing from the dock one afternoon, and Bridget was thrilled to reel this little guy in by herself.  :-)

A lot of water skiing and wakeboarding also occurred, but I was never on the boat during those times so I have no pictures. 

Alison hanging out with grandma while the kids swam. It was chilly enough out that we wore jackets! 

On Friday, our last day, we went to a beach at a state park. It was a perfect day for it, and the beach was really nice. We wished we had gone earlier in the week, because the kids loved it! 

We had fun, relaxing week, and can't wait till next year!