vacation nation

So... to my four loyal readers I must apologize for the hiatus.  Oddly I didn't even miss the ole blog . . . there were/are many things going down here in the 615 and writing/checking blogs got pushed to the back burner.  Where it should be.  But seeing a lonely little (1) next to July 2012 makes me a bit sad!  So, I'm back!  

A couple weeks after we landed in TN, we packed the Maxima full and headed off to Missouri for vacation with my family.  

 

I was a little worried about the 7+ hour drive with our little bambino but when he wasn't geeking out with board books, we kept him entertained with the SAME episode of Little Einsteins played seven times.  I have learned my lesson (and yet the theme song still reverberates in my brain ... "we're going on a trip - in our rocket ship!) and got a movie for the ride home.  Also some creative thinking was needed to keep the old iPad in place because we are first-time parents who still have their kid rear-facing the majority of the time.  En-Knee-Whey...

We made it to the lake without incident and settled in for a week of boating, skiing, golfing, grilling, sunset watching, and resting.  And when your brother has a fancy camera, all sorts of good pictures result.

My brother thinks falling pictures are hilarious ... and let's be honest, who doesn't?

Bo . . . well . . . he didn't love the boating experience.  

Which was mostly due to the life jacket.  

It just makes moving really difficult.

But I offer these as proof that he was not wailing the whole time. 

(He looks at least six years old in the above picture!)

 

There was also some tubing, jet skiing, and pontooning, and wake boarding.  

aka - I start to really feel my age.  It really seems like not long ago that I was jet skiing and and loving the thrill of speed and skimming across the water . . . unfortunately the reality is, it was about 10 years ago and I am suddenly much more fearful.  And my body does not seem as resilient.  

Among the memorable moments was our last day there, when the boys went golfing and the girls took Bo to a nearby nature park, which is owned by the owner of Bass Pro Shops.  He has done a great job restoring this canyon and we rode bikes through the park and took a tram ride to see the elk and long-horned steer they keep there.  You can see Bo's little head next to those giant antlers!  Elyse and I also went on a little horseback ride . . . unfortunately my only pants were of the yoga variety so I don't think I had anyone fooled into believing I was anything like a cowgirl.

 

Also of note was that it was Bo's first time in a bike trailer and all went well until I hit a bump and he was suddenly dangling upside-down from the harness.  After that I let my mom pedal him.

Watching the fishies at Bass Pro:

 

My grandma was also there, but I didn't want her to get mad at me for posting pics of her on the boat so here's a glimpse of her behind my Monopoly piece:

Someone felt bad for Bo as it was evident he hadn't had anything to eat for 14 minutes and gave him the rest of this ice cream cone.

Well, vacation, you were pretty nice.