Back to Branson

Several years ago, my mom organized a trip to Branson for the extended family to celebrate a milestone birthday. We had so much fun that we did it again this summer. Last time, things were still a little "Covid-y," so we stayed in separate condos, but this time, we shared a giant vacation home, which did not disappoint. Complete with a game room, a hot tub, and a bunk room that slept up to 12 (kids), we didn't even need to leave...although we did and had a great long weekend to kick off the summer.

Less than a week after school was out, we packed up and made the trek to Branson. We wisely took a less windy route and so avoided the car sickness that plagued our last trip. The extra few minutes of driving were definitely worth it. We arrived late in the afternoon on a Thursday and spent the evening getting acquainted with the house. The Pop-a-Shot game was a big hit. 

Sunset from our deck

On our first full day in Branson, we had a leisurely morning and then headed over to the communal pool. It was actually a little cool for swimming, but that didn't stop the kids (and Jon) from splashing around. Elsa was reminded of the importance of re-applying sunscreen with a bit of a sunburn, but that didn't stop any of the kids from having a blast with their cousins.

The big event of the day, however, were our tickets to Dolly Parton's Stampede, which is a dinner show featuring some very impressive horsemanship. I was initially hesitant due to the steep ticket price, but I have to say it was totally worth it. Our kids in particular--especially Lena, who has a cosmic connection with her birthday twin Dolly--absolutely loved both the show and the food. 

We followed the recommendations to arrive early for the pre-show entertainment. We were able to see the horses in their pens as we walked into the building and then we were treated to a bluegrass trio.

Checking out the horses before the show

After that performance, we were herded into the arena (pun intended). There was a barn aroma for sure, but actually it wasn't too bad, which was good because we were about to eat a multi-course meal. Our seats were in the front row on the far end of the U-shaped viewing area, which meant that we were up close to the action but also had a unique view of where the performers and horses entered and exited the arena. 

With two shows a day, the whole thing is a well-oiled machine with our server quickly moving through drink and dessert orders. Once everyone was settled, the show began with a herd of bison and only got more impressive from there. I know nothing about horses, but I was super-impressed with the riders and their tricks, like riding two horses at once and jumping through a flaming hoop. There was even an aerial performer!

All the while, we were being treated to a homestyle dinner of Cornish game hens, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. I think our suburban cousins were less impressed with the lack of silverware, but our feral children love "chicken on the bone" and went to town. The food actually was pretty good considering the scale of how much they had to prepare.

Yum!

One thing about the whole experience that really stood out to me was that Dolly Parton's picture was not plastered all over everything. There was one tasteful photo in the arena and some of her songs were used in the show (which really got Lena excited), but it gave me the impression that Dolly just wants everyone to enjoy the experience whether she gets all the credit or not. Even in the gift shop there was very little Dolly memorabilia...although we definitely walked out of there with some special souvenirs.

We closed out the day with more cousin sleepover fun including "spa night" complete with facemasks and cucumber slices. Even Erik participated, although he balked at the face mask and just wanted to hang out with the cousin crew.

Cousin Spa Night!

The last time we met in Branson, we went to Silver Dollar City, which was an activity we all wanted to repeat. Navigating an amusement park with a mixed age group can be challenging, but it is also a very fluid process to ensure that the thrill seekers get to ride the big roller coasters, the littles get to spend time in the kids area, and Grandma gets to ride the train. Everyone left satisfied, however, and fortunately the day was not too hot. (Although the water ride where I was sprayed in the face by an ornery onlooker--egged on by my brothers--ensured I would not get overheated.)

After a full day in the park, we picked up dinner and had an impromptu birthday celebration for my mom since it was again birthday time for her. The big girls went back to the pool, and the littles hit the hot tub one last time before turning in for the night. Jon, my brother, and I may also have taken advantage of the hot tub one last time as well.

Great coffeetime view

Although we did so many fun things, one of my favorite parts of the weekend was drinking coffee with the "grown-ups" on the deck on Sunday morning. I really cherish time with my family and was so glad we got to travel together. It's hard not living close to them, but I think that makes me more grateful for the time we do get to spend with one another. 

Elsa is TWELVE!

Elsa has begun her final tween year before becoming a full-fledged teenager, and her tween game is strong. I blame middle school. Just when we think we have something figured out, it changes, which is pretty indicative of this stage of life.

Really, though, the transition to middle school has gone as well as expected. Lots of big changes to be sure, but Elsa has weathered them all. Fortunately, there are plenty of familiar faces at school plus plenty of new friends. Social interactions can be challenging, but Elsa has managed to maintain her relationships as she navigates this whole new world. 

She has also maintained her stellar performance in the classroom, despite increased responsibilities and workload. The time management piece may need a little more work, but we'll get there...eventually (which is kind of our unofficial theme for getting out of the house!). Elsa continues to pursue ballet--her higher level this year involved an additional performance which was exciting--and basketball. I was fortunate enough to be one of the coaches this year, and I was so proud to have a front row seat to watch the scrappiest player on the court.

Elsa has transitioned from the recorder in the elementary school ensemble to the flute in the middle school band, which she plans to continue into 7th grade. Another new activity for Elsa this year has been soccer. Recruited after basketball season, Elsa joined a team that contained several friends and teammates. We're proud of her for trying something new, and I think she had a lot of fun in the process.

In fact, her birthday celebration this year revolved around the soccer schedule. All three kids played soccer this spring, which was great...except when conflicting game times caused some logistical acrobats. Elsa's birthday was a prime example. We were able to do all the traditional morning birthday things, like a special breakfast, family gifts, and a call from Grandma. But then it was game time. 

We all went to Erik's game for a bit before the girls and I went to a different field for Elsa's game. I dropped them off and headed back to the first field to pick up the boys after Erik's game ended. We dashed back to see Elsa's game--which had already started--but at least we had a break before Lena's game, which was thankfully at the same field.

#4 on the field but #1 in our hearts

Due to all of these moving pieces, we decided to have Elsa's "party" at the soccer field. We brought treats for after the game, and a couple of Elsa's non-soccer playing friends met us there to cheer the birthday girl on. One of these friends then accompanied us to lunch after Lena's game for, you guessed it, duck at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Once everyone got cleaned up, it was time for the customary sheep photoshoot and presents. Elsa's latest book obsession is the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer and so was thrilled that several gifts reflected that. Since we'd had a big mid-day meal, dinner consisted of popcorn during the birthday girl's movie of choice--The Parent Trap--followed by cake and ice cream. 

The Birthday Queen with her sheep

A different sort of day, but since one of the biggest things we've learned this year has been adapting to change, it was just the right way to celebrate birthday #12.

An Ozark Fish Tale

When spring break rolled around this year, we actually had a plan...although we had some help because Jon's dad and his wife were coming to visit. While that alone would have made for a fun break, we decided to take a little trip during their time in the Mid-South. Since they have visited us here multiple times, they have already seen and done most of the Memphis touristy things. They had not, however, been to the Ozarks.

So, Jon booked a cabin in one of our favorite places: Mountain View, Arkansas. In fact, we have stayed at this particular set of cabins before, located right on the White River. However, this time he also booked a guided fishing trip for Erik, his dad, and himself.

View from the cabin

Jon's dad and wife arrived late in the evening on Saturday (a Saturday in which I had run a half-marathon, thank you very much), so after church and a hearty breakfast of biscuits and gravy the next morning, we set out for Arkansas. It was a fairly uneventful road trip but one that made us thankful that we now have a car with enough seats for everyone.

Once we got settled in our cabin and explored a bit, it was time to go to the neighboring restaurant for dinner. Jon was also able to confirm plans for the fishing expedition for bright and early the following morning.

Exploring--and climbing--the area around the cabin

And bright and early the next morning, it was cold! I can't say that I was too jealous of the fishermen being out on a boat--my hands were freezing just from driving them to the boat dock. (They were good sports, though, and warmed up...eventually.)

Back at the cabin, the girls had a leisurely breakfast with some time to enjoy the cable TV. Roughing it, for sure. We next headed into town for a little shopping. Mountain View has several antique stores chock full of treasures. One of the girls affectionately compared it to my grandma's house. She would have loved it! The jackpot, however, was the little mercantile next door with fun snacks like chocolate peanut butter and popcorn, both of which came home with us.

Girls trip into town

It was soon time to pick up the boys. The last fishing trip we took was less than successful, fish-wise, but that was decidedly not the case this time. Apparently, trout like shrimp and corn (like our children). Who knew? When we reached the dock, their guide was cleaning their fish--each one caught his limit with Erik catching the biggest one of the day! 

Erik's haul included the one on the end!

I don't want to speak for Jon, but I think fishing with his dad and his son was a lifelong dream fulfilled.

We headed back into town after a rest and a snack at the cabin. Mountain View is known for its folk music and has a cool dulcimer shop that is fun to check out. The girls and I even got to play one; they made it look much easier than it was. While we were in town, we also had to stop for ice cream before heading to the store for provisions for dinner.

After last year's trip, I didn't want to plan on any fish for dinner, so we had other plans for what to cook at the cabin. But we just had to eat Erik's big fish when it was fresh, and it was delicious. The fisherman gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up.

We checked out of the cabin the next morning but stayed in the area for a little bit. 

We just can't resist a giant chair

We had brunch at a favorite cafe in town before stopping at the Blanchard Springs Recreation Area. Despite the chilliness of the previous morning, it had warmed up considerably, making it almost hot in the sun. Jon's dad and his wife, still accustomed to the gray rainy-ness of spring in the Northwest, wisely stayed in the shade while the rest of us headed down toward Blanchard Creek. There is an old mill that is cool to look at, but the real draw for our crew was the water.

View of the waterfall through the Old Grist Mill

"I'll just get my feet wet." are famous last words spoken by our children on numerous occasions. Since I knew we had extra clothes packed in the car, I didn't protest too much. They actually stayed pretty dry for a surprising amount of time as they hopped across rocks to get closer to the falls. But of course, the inevitable happened and all three managed to get pretty soaked. The best was when Lena said something along the lines of, "I'm the only one who hasn't gotten wet"...and then slipped on her backside seconds later. It was getting kind of hot, though, so I'm sure the water felt nice.

Once everyone changed out of their wet clothes, we loaded back up in the car for the ride home. It was nice that we were able to do something different with our family...but you better believe we went straight out to get Memphis BBQ when we returned.

Lena is NINE!

Lena is nine and feelin' fine!

I'm not sure how it happened, but all of a sudden, Lena is in her last year of single digits. I guess it shouldn't be that hard to believe as she has grown a lot in independence and maturity this year. Our school drop-off and pick-up schedules have gotten more complicated, so thankfully we can trust Lena to occasionally walk (part of) the way home and hang out by herself for a bit. She'd probably do the whole thing solo, but I just can't let her walk into that building without a big hug from Mom.

Lena continues to do great in school, and we are so thankful for a teacher who gets her personality. She truly understands Lena's strong sense of justice and perfectionist tendencies (gee, where did those come from?). Reading is still a top activity, and if she didn't like her class so much, I think she would be content to hang out in the library all day.

In addition to reading, Lena still enjoys art and has had the wonderful experience of creating in the pottery studio at a local church. I don't think I have ever seen her as intently focused as I have when she is working with clay and painting her ornaments. She has even gotten to throw on the wheel and made Jon and I the coolest bowl for Christmas.

Ballet is also still a favorite for Lena. She moved up a level and was able to perform as a dancer in the Chinese Corps in this year's Nut Remix. Lena also joined her school's inaugural cheer squad, which has stretched her dancing muscles in new and fun ways. Since she is clearly not busy enough, Lena has also recently expressed interest in playing the violin, so we will see if music becomes another talent to develop. 

As usual, Lena was looking forward to her birthday as soon as the calendar turned to January. However, this year, there was no sickness or crazy weather to contend with, so all went according to plan. Lena's birthday was on a Sunday, so while we couldn't be too leisurely in the morning, it was nice to be able to say a special prayer for her in the atrium during our children's catechesis program.

After church, Lena opened a few gifts from our thoughtful family after the required sheep photoshoot. 

Making sure everyone knows who the birthday girl is

There wasn't much time to play or craft, however, because we had to head to the bowling alley to celebrate with friends. It was a wild and crazy time (thank goodness for bumpers!), complete with cupcakes decorated to look like bowling balls.

Lena chose our favorite Chinese restaurant for her birthday dinner, which meant duck and lo mein. The birthday girl also discovered egg rolls, so it appears as though Jon and I will have to start sharing. Since we'd already had the aforementioned cupcakes at the bowling alley, Lena's other dessert of choice was traditional Norwegian krumkake. Similar to waffle cones, they are relatively simple to make but quite time-consuming, which is why we typically only make them once a year. This year, all three kids were active participants, which made for a fun family activity on Lena's birthday eve. She had the genius idea to fill the krumkake with whipped cream--chef's kiss, as the kids say.

Krumkake time!

We capped off our evening with an episode of Is It Cake? in front of the fire. There was not the typical rush to bed on a Sunday night because everyone had the next day off in observance of Martin Luther King Day...which proved to be the perfect opportunity for Lena to cash in the rest of her birthday gift from us: a trip to the movies to watch Wicked. She graciously invited Elsa to join us, so the girls had a nice afternoon of popcorn, reclining seats, and getting catchy songs stuck in our heads for the rest of the day. 

All told, it was a very fine way to celebrate turning nine!

Erik is FIVE!

Our baby is five, a whole hand! I remember having mixed emotions when the girls--especially Elsa--turned five. It seems like such a milestone; kindergarten is looming and time accelerates. While I still had moments of nostalgia, there was too much excitement with this birthday to be sad. (I'll save those feelings for the end of preschool.)

Erik continues to delight and amaze us, and I have cherished the extra time to spend with him during this season of life. He is every bit of a five-year-old boy, however, complete with silly jokes and wrestling matches with Dad. It is so fun (for now, anyway) to watch his antics when he's with his friends at school. Bless all preschool teachers everywhere.

In addition to school--three days a week until after the holidays when he will attend every day--Erik started playing soccer this fall. Once he got over the realization that he was not in fact "going to score a million goals," I think he enjoyed it. The trophy and donut after the last game certainly helped. 

Erik is still a master at super-focused solo play and has recently gotten into Legos. Despite the ever-present danger of stepping barefoot on a brick, we are fans of this development (especially engineer Dad) and are very impressed both by his original creations and ability to follow building directions.

Master Builder

Luckily for Erik, he received several Lego and building kits for his birthday to keep him...and Dad and sisters busy. Before that, however, he had a great birthday weekend. One of his buddies from school also has an early November birthday, so we joined forces for a joint party at the park. It was a very chill affair that once again included a piñata (filled with bonus Halloween candy, of course).

The celebrating continued that night as we were gifted tickets to the monster truck show. Having never attended one before, I was skeptical, but it was actually really fun! For the uninitiated, these shows are set up as a contest with the trucks earning points for various stunts, which were pretty cool. Plus, there was an amazing dirt bike exhibition in the middle. Pro tip: wear ear protection because it gets very loud.

Erik's actual birthday landed on a Sunday, so after church, it was time to open the aforementioned gifts. The girls had ballet rehearsal all afternoon, which allowed Erik and Jon ample time to build to their hearts' content. We also took the opportunity to take the customary sheep photos of course.

A big kid but still snuggly

Once ballet was done for the day, the birthday boy requested our favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. That kid can put away some duck! Fortunately, he left some room for cake and ice cream when we got home.

All in all, a pretty excellent way to kick off the fives. Erik must have felt older because about a week later, he essentially taught himself to ride a bike without training wheels. Apparently we are in for quite a ride this year!

Camping at Giant City State Park: a Giant Surprise!

Who would have thought southern Illinois would have some excellent camping? Not us. But after spending part of our fall break at Giant City State Park, we can say with authority that it does.

Around here, the default camping location is Arkansas. We've camped in various places in the Natural State over the years, and it doesn't disappoint. But this time, Jon was looking for something different, and for some reason, his search took him northeast. Illinois is a tricky state. It is mostly farmland with Chicago at the top. But there is an area of rolling hills in the south near Carbondale that is just lovely.

Once again, my fall break did not align with the kids', but as soon as I finished teaching on Wednesday afternoon, we hit the road. This meant that we arrived at the campsite at night, but this certainly wasn't the first time we set up the tent in the dark. Since it was mid-week, we had our pick of sites, although the campground was far from empty.

After a leisurely first morning, we decided to check out the Giant City Lodge and Visitor Center. There we learned that the beautiful lodge was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of the Works Progress Administration, so we also got a cool history lesson to boot.

Giant City Lodge

Next we hit the road to explore a bit, and on the way, we passed an orchard, or more specifically, the orchard stand. We just had to sample some cider and apple dumplings while we were there, and we of course, grabbed some cider and apples to go. Yum!

We found a cool place to hike and did just that before heading back to the campsite for dinner and the obligatory s'mores.

On our next full day, we headed back to the Lodge, but this time, we climbed the water tower where we saw a flock of vultures flying about. It was less ominous than it sounds; this area is known for turkey vultures and even has a music festival in late October (right after our visit, unfortunately) called, you guessed it, Vulture Fest.

Giant City State Park is also known for its climbing, so after a picnic lunch, we found some rocks to climb. Paradise for our little spidermonkeys for sure. We spent a long time on the rocks (I was mostly on the ground taking pictures) before going back to camp.

Devil's Standtable

Since it was coming on the weekend, the campsite had begun to fill up even more. There was a big group of kids and families directly across from our site, which our kids watched from afar. But in the tradition of "park friends," our kids (the littles, at least) eventually got absorbed into the group. It didn't hurt that they were willing to share some super-cool lightsabers.

On our final full day, we split up for a little bit. Jon and the girls went horseback riding, and since Erik is still too young, he and I went to town to get the oil changed in the car. Multi-tasking even on vacation!

We reunited at the Visitors Center, where there was some kind of small environmental festival happening with music, crafts, and activities. 

We came away with three very decorative walking sticks, and then checked out the coolest park. Boo Castle Park is a fairy tale/Dungeons and Dragons-themed memorial park with, as the name implies, a castle right in the middle.

After dinner and s'mores, the kids were invited to join our neighbors for an outdoor movie (our definitions of roughing it being slightly different) while Jon and I hung out by the campfire to reflect on yet another great camping trip.

Our time in Giant City wasn't quite finished, however. After taking down camp and being the smelly visitors at church, we decided to stop for brunch/lunch on our way out of town. The wait at the local breakfast spot sent us back to the Lodge, and I'm so glad it did. Every Sunday, they serve family-style chicken dinners. Yum, yum, and yum!

The best trips are marked with fun adventures and great food. Camping at Giant City definitely checked off those boxes. 

Going for Gold on the Olympic Peninsula

When I was a kid, most of our family vacations were connected to my dad's work trips, so I am fully accustomed to doubling up on travel. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to me that we would attach our vacations to family visits. This summer we once again took some time out from our Washington trip to do a little exploring on our own. However, what was a little different was that we didn't exactly plan this exploration until we were already in the Pacific Northwest. 

Spoiler alert: it all turned out okay, despite a few hiccups along the way.

This year, we decided to take the kids to the Olympic Peninsula. Jon obviously has been there, and the two of us traveled there many years ago as well. I really had my mind set on going back to the rainforest as that is a unique area from what our kids experience in the Midsouth. (But that's a hiccup to be described later.)

We sandwiched this trip in between visits to Jon's parents' houses, so after several days of acclimating to Washington--which included some bonus Seattle time with friends who recently moved there from Memphis--it was time for the next adventure. I kid you not, however, that we (but really mostly Jon) were researching routes and accommodations literally the night before we set out.

We started our trip by taking a ferry across the Puget Sound to Port Townsend. Like so many things, ferry travel has changed a bit since we lived in that part of the world, the most significant being that they now take reservations. This is a great improvement for those who rely on the ferry and take it regularly. For us, it seemed less practical, so we decided to roll the dice and show up when we showed up. I think we learned our lesson when we had to wait through an entire ferry cycle, just barely making it on to the second boat. 

But we made it to Port Townsend and had a good time exploring Fort Worden State Park, including the officer's quarters and Artillery Hill. 

The view from Artillery Hill

Hiding out in the bunker

We continued on to Port Angeles that night with plans to check out the Hoh rainforest the next day...along with everyone else. We are so thankful for our National Parks and always enjoy our visits to them, but admittedly, we have not spent a lot of time in the big ones lately. Therefore, we were totally unprepared for the long line of cars to even get into the park. Upon further investigation, Jon and the girls discovered that the wait was nearly three hours to even get to the parking area. That didn't sound like a fun time to us, so we re-calibrated and went to the beach instead.

Our view of the rainforest...from the car

Thankfully our children were super-flexible with the change and had a blast on the beach at La Push (yes, that La Push for any Twilight fans out there).

After an afternoon of splashing, digging, running, and climbing, it was time to drive to Clallam Bay, our homebase for the next couple of days. Rather than stay in a hotel or traditional AirBnB, Jon found an RV rental, and it was awesome! It was a great way to try out this sort of travel without the expense of owning one, the challenge of driving one, or the hassle of hooking one up. Plus there was a TV with a complete set of Star Wars DVDs.

Home sweet home

The next day was our most "vacation-y" of the trip. We started our morning with a visit to the Sol Duc Hot Springs. What a treat! Summer weather in Washington is amazing, but it's not exactly what I would describe as hot or conducive to swimming. But relaxing in what is essentially a giant hot tub? Sign me up! We were relieved to discover that the next session to soak/swim was available, and we took full advantage.

Rested and relaxed, we next headed to Neah Bay on the Makah reservation, the most northwestern spot in the contiguous United States and hiked the Cape Flattery trail to reach the most northwest tip. 

Happy hikers

 

Hey kids, there's Canada!

The last time Jon and I were in Neah Bay, we stumbled upon the best smoked salmon we have ever had being sold out of someone's garage. On a whim, we decided to try our luck and look for it again...and we found it! The kids were equally impressed, so much so that Jon had to go back for a second plate.

Satisfied customer

Fittingly, our final morning on the Olympic Peninsula was July 4th, and we rang in our nation's birthday with a walk on the beach at low tide. We found lots of cool creatures in the tide pools and enjoyed our time immensely. Totally worth waking up early for.

It was then time to return inland for the remainder of our family visit. We got to ride the ferry again--we wisely made reservations--and were back with plenty of time to celebrate Independence Day. We had a great rest of our trip in Washington and continued our adventures with lots of swimming and boating in the lake, an epic hike up Mount Pilchuck, and a stop at the Museum of Flight with cousins. Despite our lack of planning, it was a great trip, and I'm so glad no hiccups slowed us down.