Family Vacation....Part 2, Randomness

 Cullen really could not get enough of these flippers!  He wore them off and on the whole weekend.  Obviously they are way too big but he didn't care!  I bought them for vacation (the flippers, I mean) and they came with goggles and a snorkle.....which Tristan promptly drooped to the bottom of the Lake! LOL!  Way to go, Tristan! ha!

 Tristan and Liam on the deck.

 The group of us in the resort.  We got it in our heads to go out at the hottest part of the day and explore the resort.  We ended up carrying strollers up many stairs and in some cute little shops.  The boys bought a few trinkets.

 Outside the lobby there were people handing out free Dourth of July headbands and sunglasses!

 Our boys playing war.

 Cullen diving in the computer.

 This girl will NOT stay put!  No matter where we put her, she seems to think she can just go wherever she wants.  She's busy ALL the time!

 SPARKLERS!

Family Vacation.....Part 1

 Yes, I already know she is the cutest thing ever.....but you can go ahead and think it to yourself anyway! LOL!

 There will be a lot more pics so just deal with it!  This is for posterity!!

Here's cute little Cullen at breakfast on Saturday morning....cute, huh?

 Trisha and Chase getting ready for our first round of swimming.  He had the cutest little matching swim set from Old Navy.  Yes, I was jealous. haha!

 This pool was one of three in the Estates part of the resort.  It was simple and kinda bland but we had it to ourselves mostly.

 This is all Cullen would do all weekend.  

 Everybody swimming......

 Froo Froo with Uncle Tyson

 He wouldn't ride it in the water.

 Vanessa and Tristan playing.

Asher LOVED the water!!!  He was in it alot!

The Great Flood of '11

 A lot of these pictures did not turn out well but, I posted them anyway.  I guess you had to be here in person.  Which none of you were so whatever.  I will tell my flood story now......
WE have a small creek that cuts through our property.  It is lined with trees and bushes and what not.  The kids love it.  They have a hideout and play wars there frequently.  My latest project had been moving all the rocks from my current flower bed to their hideout next to the creek.  I was hoping to create a little rocky beach because their hideout area is kinda muddy.  I took so many wagon loads of rocks to the creek!  And I moved them all by hand!  Crazy, I know.  Anyway, all was well until one fateful night in June.....
There were flash flood warnings all over and the storms were crazy!  Lightening, tornados, etc.  All things that I love and want to know more about.  So, I was particularly excited this night......also particularly tired it turns out.  I passed out when a tornado warning was headed straight for us.  And didn't wake up again until the next morning.  Little did I know that our house even had the possibility of flooding. 

 David Miller just happened to drive by my house at three in the morning after the rain had stopped.  He later told my mom that my house was completely surrounded by water and it was up to the garage on the one side!  What the crap!?!?  That is impossible I said.  Then I went outside.  The picture of Ced is right next to the creek on the tree line.  You may have to click the picture to see the mud line on the trees!  Over Cedric's head in many spots!!! Holy macaroni I thought to myself!!! 

 For some dumb reason I took pictures of my fire pit after we built it back up.  It was knocked in on one side and knocked out on the other side.  All the ashes and sticks and what not, washed out and stuck to my fence. 

 My yard was muddy, muddy, muddy.

 All that crap stuck to the fence.

 All the kids toys washed away to the corner of the yard....thank goodness the fence was there because the whole road in front of the fence flooded too.

 The mud line on the trees again.

 Our phone box thingy by the other road was ripped open too.

See the house across the street???  They had just barely put that pool up a couple of days before.....they ended up having to move out of the house and fix it.  They just barely got back in the house!  Our basement had over three feet of water in it!!!!!  Wham!  I guess we need flood insurance......another bill, yay!!!!  And all the rocks that I labored so hard to move for the rocky beach.....not quite where I put them.....I guess we'll start that project over...lol!

Puke, Expensive Swimming, and Waterfalls

I guess it's time to call the doctor.  I can't get rid of this bug I caught in Osage Beach.  I'm puking again this morning.  It freaking sucks.  And my chest and head feel like they've both been hit with a train.  It's so hard to be "mom" when I feel like garbage.  I would like a whole month to myself.  Really.  It's not too much to ask.  Yesterday was pretty bad too.  Last night I couldn't even think straight. 

I did make it to the aquatic center yesterday to sign all the kids up for lessons.  $210.00 when it used to be 20 bucks a kid. I could handle 120 but crap almighty!  Do they really need to know how to swim??  lol!  This year I will be doing a mommy and me class with Eden and Cullen.  Unless Cullen decided to do the next level up all by himself.  I very highly doubt it though as he is very much a mama's boy.  I think I am gonna puke again.  I guess that also means I need to re-take my meds.  UGH!!  What is up with all the puke?!?!?!!?

I also keep forgetting to mention a GREAT piece of news!  Sarah and Matt are engaged!!  WOOT!!  IT is going to be in Canada at Niagra Falls next September and I got asked to be a bridesmaid~!!  I am so excited for them!  It's gonna be so much fun to go to Niagra Falls!  Hopefully I don't lose any kids along the way!  haha! 

Yes, Sir!

Today I am super mom!  For reals.  I love it!!

Last Night

Last night I went to an Extreme Couponing Class here in Carthage with Trisha.  It was put on by County Market.  I have been doing a little bit of couponing myself but I hadn't seen a store embrace it so much.  They have a coupon club too! sweet!  I'm just gonna let the savings start rolling in! lol!  Then we went out to eat at Los Charros, yum!  I do love having a good mexican restaurant in town!  Anyway, all this week I have been out of sorts since getting home from vacation.  I didn't want it to be over yet.  It really was fun hanging out with the whole family.  Like really, really fun.  We need to do that again for sure.  And now I can't find my camera to load the pics, dang it.  Jeremy was just standing right here waiting to do it and the camera is gone.  poop. 

Our Vacation

Jeremy and I rented a house in the Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks and decided to invite his family along.  The house was great...three bedroom, three bath, private boat dock, etc.   We left on Friday at 1:00 and returned home on Tuesday at about 6:00pm.  We had so much fun!!! It was a little chaotic at times but still a good time!
We got there about 5:00pm on Friday and swam in the lake and ate food off the grill.  Saturday we tried out one of the pools, ate lots of food, and played in the lake some more.  Sunday we went to the main outdoor pool at the resort.  We swam, went down the waterslide, paddle boated, tried to rent a jet ski (they were all rented for the day=suckage), played, and ate.  That evening there was more food and fun at the lake.  Jeremy and I tried to go the strip together but our GPS freaked out on us.  We got there and could absolutely NO WHERE to park.  So we went and bought a few fireworks and headed back.  Tantara's fireworks were supposed to be that night but I think the storm made them cancel.
On Monday, Jeremy's family left.  We took the kids to do a bunch of stuff.  They went to the strip and shopped, laser tag, putt-putt golf, tried to go cart but most of the kids were too short, and ordered pizza.  I was sick to my stomach and puking but, it was probably the most relaxing day of all. The kids were all very good and mellow. I think Asher was out of sorts the first couple of days and once it all calmed down and it was just us there, he relaxed a bit.  Thank goodness!  I had almost decided to leave him there! lol!  He has a hard time when things are just thrown on him and is very used to his routine.  At one point I freaked out and lost my cool and ended up swearing at him in front of a bunch of strangers who probably thought that I was mom of the year for sure.  *BIG SIGH*  What do ya do?  Just go on I guess.  Anyway, Monday night Tan-Tar-A and the resort right across the lake from us both had their fireworks shows.  It was so awesome!!!! We had the best seat in town from out boat dock!  And no bugs too!  Tuesday we called and tried to stay another day because we hadn't gotten to do everything we wanted to and I was feeling sick.  But, they had another guest checking in Tuesday night so it was a no go.  So on Tuesday after we left the house we went to the outlet malls and Ozarkland and headed home. Anyway, I will post more once I steal some pictures from Trisha.  And have Jeremy load the few pictures that I have.