Branson, the Vegas of the Ozarks

Obviously the pandemic has changed a lot of plans, resulting in missed opportunities to spend time with loved ones. As a way to deal with the disappointment of not spending the Christmas holidays with family, we immediately began planning a summer trip. I think we've all heard enough about COVID silver linings, but shaking us out of our typical last-minute plan-making certainly was one.

My mom has been talking for years about renting a big house or condo in some vacation destination, and her request was granted this summer. An added bonus was that we were able to schedule it around her milestone birthday.

So, in early June (before Elsa was even out of school!), we loaded up the car and headed to Branson, Missouri. The excitement was palpable...at least until someone got sick from driving on windy roads. But after that minor setback, we were back on track and in a celebratory mood to (finally!) see family and enjoy a vacation.

On the road...before someone lost their lunch

I did not grow up near my cousins, but every time we did get together, it was as if no time had passed. It fills my heart with such joy to see my children have that same experience with their cousins. Within minutes of arriving, they all disappeared together on some mission or adventure. 

Because we had planned in advance (amazing!), we were able to secure two condos essentially next door to each other in a complex near the mountains and other attractions. Also, it had a pool, so we were all set. 

The first evening was spent getting reacquainted and celebrating my mom's birthday. I hope she felt as special as she is, and I'm so glad we were all able to be together.

The festive mood continued into the next day as we geared up for Silver Dollar City, Branson's legendary amusement park. My family had traveled to Branson at least once when I was a kid, and Silver Dollar City is pretty much all I remember from that trip. It did not disappoint this time around.

So, we are not "Disney people", and the only experience our kids have with rides is from the fair and the carousel at the children's museum, so going to an amusement park was a big deal. (Yes, Jon, we'll go to Worlds of Fun someday.) Silver Dollar City was great because it is manageable in one day. Since we had multiple adults, we were able to split up into groups to accommodate all of the different ages--and heights--of the kids. For instance, I hung back with Erik while everyone did a water ride but then got to sneak off with my sister-in-law and eldest niece for a roller coaster.

The entire day was pretty fluid like that, and we shut the park down, happy and exhausted. As a result, the next day was spent in a more leisurely fashion, with plenty of time in the pool. We went back into Branson in order to take my mom out to dinner for her birthday.

Our little fish

Clearly we were out of practice at dining out in a big group (inside a restaurant!)...but so was our server. It was maybe not the best experience, but we'll leave it at that. What was the best was the epic photo shoot of the cousins. With the exception of Erik, who only wanted Dad or Mom, we have one photogenic crowd. 

Branson, Ocean's Eleven-style

We closed out the night with a stop at one of the many, many souvenir shops so the kids could find something to commemorate the trip. That was really our only foray into the tourist town, and I'm kind of glad. We didn't partake in any of the shows or activities that have turned Branson into an Ozark Vegas, and I didn't really feel like we missed much. 

The next morning--my mom's actual birthday--consisted of all the usual frantic packing activities. My older brother and family had to head back pretty early, but we were able to go out for breakfast--er, brunch--with my mom and younger brother. We waited a long time and the weather was surprisingly windy and cold, but it was nice to have just a little more time together.

On our way out of town, we had to make one last stop. When we rode on similar rides in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, we called it the rodelbahn, but sometimes it's known as a mountain coaster or Alpine coaster. Regardless of the name, it's super-fun. The kids had a blast, and it was the perfect way to cap off our adventure.

Some things may have been different on this trip, but the things that mattered stayed the same. Our Branson vacation was full of family and fun.

  

Elsa is EIGHT!

This is great news because EIGHT is GREAT!

It was another weird year for the birthday girl, but she took it all in stride. She rocked virtual school until it was time to complete the second grade in-person. Despite all the changes and differences--which to be honest are becoming new routines--Elsa had another great trip around the sun.

The most significant event of her past year was her online school experience. We are eternally "greatful" to our pod school friends for making it a fun time, full of learning and laughter. School through a computer is a huge challenge, but the social connections we were able to maintain at the schoolhouse made it bearable and even enjoyable. Even though Elsa was excited to return to school, a little part of her was sad that the pod school closed. Fortunately we continued our organized playtime after school to keep some of that magic going.

Elsa continues to be a voracious reader, which I love so much. It has been fun reading some of her favorites with her, although I could do without the "spoiler alerts." She also continues to be a graceful dancer. We are so glad she was able to continue taking ballet classes all year. Biking, hiking, and climbing continue to be favorite activities, and this year, she was also able to add fishing and sledding to her repertoire. Outside has proven to be the safest place to be, which is just fine with this girl. But when we are indoors, Elsa has taken an interest in cooking and baking, with some delicious results. In addition to all of her extracurricular activities, Elsa is a great big sister. A true first-born, she is a leader, and her siblings are (mostly) willing to follow her lead.

Another thing that hasn't changed is Elsa's love for all things birthday. This year, we decided to forego the traditional party we used to host in the "before times," so instead Elsa invited a friend to take on the ropes course at Shelby Farms. The girls had a great time, and I think Jon did, too. In fact, he was in such a charitable mood that he sprung for popsicles and a trip to the store Five Below. I don't think he knew what he was getting into, as he described the latter experience as a kid-version of Supermarket Sweep. They loved every minute of it and came home with lots of treasures.

With a quick pause for Mother's Day after the ropes course adventure, Elsa woke up on Monday morning, May 10th, to the usual birthday fanfare. Door decorations, special breakfast (thanks for the biscuits and gravy from scratch, Jon!), and gifts from us all occurred before school. We even had time for the sheep photoshoot, this year featuring the great neighborhood traveling dinosaur astronaut birthday shirt.

Total birthday pro

The same friend who did the ropes course got to come over after school for a bit, which gave Lena the Sprinkle Queen time to decorate the cake she'd helped bake over the weekend. After a fun playdate, we had what is becoming a great birthday tradition--marinated duck from the local Chinese restaurant--for dinner.

One silver lining of these pandemic birthdays is that we get to "see" our family through the wonders of Zoom. I know it's kind of awkward, especially when we can't share the cake, but we do get to share our celebrations, so we really appreciate taking advantage of a great opportunity.

So much birthday happening in this picture

After enjoying that cake, it was time to get into some birthday pajamas and (finally) open gifts from family. Thank you for making the birthday girl's night! She was thrilled with all of the great thoughtful gifts.

Overall, it was a--you guessed it--GREAT birthday. 

 

The Balloon Ministry: A Sign of Blessed Assurance

Recently our family had the honor of being a part of the invisible connection between Heaven and Earth, and I'm not quite sure how to express my awe and wonder besides writing about it.

Anyone with small children at our Catholic church most certainly knows about the "Balloon Man." As soon as Mass concluded, he would begin to blow up (usually yellow smiley face) balloons to distribute to the kids in attendance. This typically resulted in joyful children chasing balloons around the sanctuary, their laughter echoing off the vaulted ceiling. Kind of disrupted the reverence of the service...but I think that was the point. It's hard to say whose smile was the biggest: the children or the Balloon Man.

A little over a month ago, we learned that the Balloon Man had suddenly passed away.

A day or two later, our family went out to dinner and the events that followed can only be explained through the lens of divine intervention. 

After dinner, as we were passing through the restaurant from the patio, we were stopped by a kindly gentleman who asked if he could share bright yellow smiley face balloons with the kids. Independent of each other, both Jon and I instantly were reminded of the Balloon Man and of course had to say yes. Jon's comment was that he only ever knew of two people who carried around balloons to share with children: the man in the restaurant and the Balloon Man. It's no coincidence that meeting that man happened right after hearing about the death of the Balloon Man.

Jon was so moved that he felt called to pay for the man's dinner. We've told the girls a number of times that when you do kind things for others, what often happens is that kindness comes back to you. Having another person pay for a meal as a result of a simple act like giving a balloon to a child was a very concrete way of showing them that.

I was so moved that I felt called to email our priest and tell him this story, asking him to please share it with the Balloon Man's family...which he did during the homily of the funeral Mass.

What happened next gives me chills in the very best way.

You see, when the son of the Balloon Man heard this story, he began to connect the dots, realizing that he was in fact the kindly gentleman in the restaurant that night.

He and his sister were out for dinner after an emotionally exhausting day of cleaning out their father's house. One of the items he found was his dad's stash of yellow smiley face balloons. When he saw Erik toddle through the restaurant, he was reminded of his now-teenaged son and decided to share a balloon with him.

We have attended this church since moving to Memphis, and the Balloon Man and his family much longer. We've seen the Balloon Man's son and family countless times, but out of context, in masks, after not attending services in-person for months, turned the encounter into an interaction between strangers. I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't recognize him, but upon reflection, I don't think I was supposed to.

Once the Balloon Man's son figured out the connection, he contacted us, but it wasn't until we ran into each other after Mass--(not) coincidentally our very first service back in over a year--that the story was revealed. We were all visibly moved by the realization.

Shortly after losing my own dad many years ago, our priest at the time told us that we would receive signs from him, often in unexpected ways. He called these "signs of blessed assurance," and I know that each of us has our own stories of how that has come to fruition. Even now, whenever I hear a certain song on the radio or see a flock of geese honking across the sky, I am filled with the knowledge that my dad is watching over me and letting me know that all is going to be okay.

I feel very strongly that the Balloon Man was sending his family, particularly his grieving son, a sign of blessed assurance that night in the restaurant, and I am infinitely grateful that we were allowed to play a small part.

"Snow" Much Fun!

 As I sit on our deck enjoying this beautiful spring day, it's hard to believe that only two months ago all of the surfaces currently covered with yellow-green pollen dust were covered in glittering white snow. What would be considered an ordinary winter snow for all my Midwest family and friends turned Memphis into a winter wonderland, and we enjoyed every bit* of it.

*We did not enjoy the boil order that was a result of low water pressure and burst pipes in the city. It did provide good disaster practice, though, so there's that.*

Memphis rarely receives more than a dusting of snow, so there was much excitement when the white stuff began to fall around the long President's Day weekend. Jon had already planned to take a couple of extra days off, and his timing couldn't have been more perfect. I think he had more fun than anyone.

Showing off their "ice globes"

Ski lessons with Dad

Erik's primary mode of transportation

With temperatures below freezing for over a week, any snow that fell was guaranteed to stick, and we certainly took advantage of it. No one around here is really prepared for snow, but through the generosity of our neighbors and a little ingenuity, we had all the gear and toys we needed to have a great time.

By the end of the week, we had getting dressed in our snow clothes down to a science. At least once a day--sometimes twice--we put on layers upon layers (topped with a few bread bags over hands and feet), which kept everyone dry and toasty warm.

We're in there somewhere under all those layers

The neighborhood streets never did get plowed, which was okay for us because by now we're used to having nowhere to go. But we didn't need to go anywhere because the neighborhood kids turned a hill at the park across the street into a pretty sweet sledding hill. Dubbed "Penguin Hill," the kids (and some adults) had a blast figuring out ways to get down via sled, snowboard, laundry basket, cardboard box, etc.

Who needs a sled when you can slide on your belly like a penguin?

My favorite part about Penguin Hill was the sense of community and camaraderie. We rarely made official plans to meet, but there was always someone there ready for fun in the snow. At some point, we volunteered ourselves to host the "Penguin Hill Hot Chocolate Shoppe," and by the third or fourth day, we were serving hot chocolate to kids we didn't even know. It was delightful.

We did venture out for one last romp in the snow before it melted, loading up the skis, makeshift sleds, and Erik's trusty laundry basket for a trip to the Mississippi River. Memphis being Memphis meant that we ran into some friends there, too, which only increased our fun. 

A sight not often seen in Memphis

The only downside to this adventure was that we neglected to put on sunscreen and have the girls wear eye protection, resulting in some pretty nasty snowburn. But we learned our lesson and will be ready for the next time...in another 5-10 years.

Lena is FIVE!

Five...wow! That's a whole hand! 

It's become a total cliché, but this past year has been a weird one that no one could have expected. But Lena has taken it like a champ. She's grown up a lot--as kids do at this age--largely in part to all the hanging out she's done with the "big kids." 

Early on in the pandemic, it was pretty much just the "Elsa and Lena Show," so there was a lot of keeping up with Big Sis to do. Now that school is back in session, Lena has firmly entrenched herself in the school pod crew and can hold her own pretty well with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. 

That said, we are so grateful that Lena has had the opportunity to return to school for Junior Kindergarten. She started the year going three days a week (and having playdates with another younger sibling from the pod on the other two days) but now is in school every day in preparation for kindergarten next year. How did that happen?!?

Lena continues to be our impulsive spitfire. Honestly, sometimes I'm a little jealous of her ability to act quickly and confidently...even if it does get her in trouble occasionally. Her big feelings persist, and I'm starting to wonder if they're more a function of her personality than her age. She loves big...but she also pouts big, too.

I have a soft spot for the middle child as I'm one myself, but it's safe to say that Lena is in no danger of being overlooked. She loves to laugh and has pretty good comedic timing. She also continues to impress us with her athletic prowess. She is a master skipper--thanks, ballet!--and this fall, she pretty much taught herself how to ride a bike without training wheels.

January 19th landed on a Tuesday this year, so Lena quickly figured out that she could claim both the weekend prior and the weekend after as her "birthday weekend." The first weekend was a three-day one, so there was plenty of time to play outside, especially during a surprise playdate at the park with a friend from school. Then on Monday, after spending the Martin Luther King holiday clearing out the gardens at the elementary school, Lena and I had time to bake her requested yellow cake with pink frosting.

Baker's Assistant Extraordinaire

The morning of her birthday was spent enjoying a special handmade--and matching--necklace from Elsa while eating the requisite scrambled egg breakfast. She was able to celebrate with her friends at school and then Erik and I took her on a date (another request) for fancy macarons and milk. When we got home, the big kids were at the park, so we partied with them, too.

Lena also requested duck for her birthday dinner--these kids have expensive taste!--so we picked up Chinese take-out. We had just enough time to open gifts from family and squeeze in the sheep photo shoot before having a Zoom party with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thank you, family!

Still smiling after a crazy year

The birthday high carried over into the next weekend as Lena greeted visitors in the front yard for a birthday parade. It was so fun to see so many friends, including some from school. Lena was especially excited to see her teacher. We lucked out on the weather, so we took the parade to the park. It was quite the fitting way to end the celebration.

This girl finds joy wherever she goes and in whatever she does. We certainly found joy in celebrating her. Happy 5th Birthday, Lena!

Safari in Our Own Backyard

Staying home for the holidays this year was both easy and hard. Easy because by now we're quite used to not being able to travel but hard because we are very much missing our families in Washington and the Midwest. So, to make the best of it, we decided to take advantage of some of the safe (read: outdoor) activities near here. One of those activities took us to the Tennessee Safari Park, a drive-through zoo, about 90 minutes away.

There is a giant billboard in Memphis advertising the Safari Park, and I'd heard anecdotally that it was a fun place to visit, especially with kids, so we packed up the car, ready for a day of adventure. We were expecting a good time...but Tennessee Safari Park far exceeded our expectations.

We chose to do the walk-through portion of the zoo first since we'd been sitting in the car for so long. First up was the budgie house, where we tried--successfully--to get the birds to land on our popsicle sticks of food. We've done this before at other zoos, and I'm always impressed at how still everyone can be when the birds are eating.

After the parakeets, we looked at some monkeys, checked out the pygmy goats, and fed the giraffe. I think the girls bonded with the giraffe due to their mutual love of carrot sticks.

Before setting out on in the car to feed more animals, we paused at the car to feed ourselves. Despite the many, many different types of animals at the park, I think the weirdest one we saw was in the parking lot. There was a mouse hanging from the passenger door of the truck next to us!

We thought it was fake, so of course we had to investigate

After lunch, we proceeded through the 5.5-mile path ready to get up close and personal with some animals. We knew what we were getting ourselves into, but we were still surprised by how up close and personal we got.

These exotic animals--camels, ostriches, zebras, and more--know that cars=food, so they are not shy about poking their heads through the window to get at that food bucket. So many shrieks and giggles from our crew. 

The biggest laughs were a result of the llamas who trotted alongside our car as we drove, confident we would eventually stop and give them some food (which we did). We were less enamored by the emus, however, especially when one of them stole an entire bucket of feed!

Regardless, we had a great time and a very tired bunch of kiddos on the way back to Memphis. Even though we didn't get to spend Christmas break the way we would have wanted, we're still grateful for the adventures we had here at home.