My Missouri Top Ten

~Random Order~

1.  One of my favorite theme parks...better than Disneyland (at least for me) is the one in Branson, Missouri known

as Silver Dollar City.

Maybe it is partly because of nostalgia since I've been going to this park as a young girl...

but I love everything about this park.

Especially the new roller coaster.

OUTLAW RUN!

This roller coaster is the craziest, fastest and heart stopping ride I have ever been on!

I also loved that our two girls braved every single ride with us!

2.  I love being surrounded by GREEN.

I always thought my favorite color was YELLOW because I love, love, love the sun.  It is a good thing I do since we live in Arizona.

However, I miss the deep, beautiful green of

MISSOURI.

 3.  I love that my kids get to be FARM kids and that in doing so they work alongside their Grandad.

It helps them understand who their grandad is...

and why he still FARMS...

47 years later.

 4.  I always tell my parents when I visit how NICE of a location they picked when building their house 40 years ago.

I love, love, love their location.

When I was a kid I thought we lived too far out of town...

especially since I thought all my friends lived far away.

Now I see my Dad's vision when he picked the spot they were going to build!

5.  Just down the road from my parents house is a river that flows through the back of my parents property. 

Whenever we go to visit...

we must take walks to the RIVER.

I love these beautiful walks to the river with my family.

When I was little...

the bridge that crossed over was the old-fashioned wooden bridges.

I miss that wooden bridge...

but for residents who live there I'm sure they appreciate the more stable concrete bridge that was built.

 6.  I love my sister-in-law Kassie.  

Ever since she married my brother over 25 year ago...

she has made me laugh.

She always makes sure she is available along with her cute girlies to see us and spend as much time with us as possible when we visit.

Not only do I love Kassie...

but my kids think she is AWESOME too!

 7.  I have lots of GREAT sister-in-laws. 

Jaime is one of them.  Despite the fact that my brother and her are no longer together...

she has allowed us to maintain a relationship 

not just with her amazing kids...

but her new family as well.

She is amazing.

8.  Not only do I have GREAT sister-in-laws

but I have GREAT brothers too!

Only 3 of the 6 were with us in Missouri but I love them all.

Todd came to visit with his daughter Nora from Columbia.

David came to visit with his 2 kids from Tulsa.

Gary lives there but was our "personal" tour guide the day we went to Silver Dollar City.

If he was for hire...I would recommend him on the spot.

We told him what we wanted to do...

and he took us through all the crowds and craziness and got us exactly where we wanted to be...

and with a smile on his face while doing it!

9.  My mom loves to walk the Frisco Highline Trail every morning for exercise.  I joined her on these walks three of the mornings I was there.  I loved the opportunity to be able to visit with my mom one-on-one.  She is an amazing woman and teaches me so much.

We were joined by a much BIGGER group on our third day.

Not much walking in the form of exercise...

but a great time to spend with family.

10.  Missouri is not the place most people think of 

when they go on vacation...

but for our family it was the BEST place to be.

It healed our soul.

It nurtured our hearts.

It calmed our minds.

We can't wait to do it again sometime.

 Missouri...we will be back!

Cousins...

My kids LOVE their cousins.

We don't live by a single one of them...

but it only takes a 

SECOND

and they are instant friends...

almost as if

they had just seen each other yesterday.

Family is the BEST!

I'm sure glad we drove 2,600 miles to see

each and everyone of them.

And I'm super glad that my brothers

David and Todd

drove shorter distances to be with us...

even if it was only for a couple of days.

Even more glad that our beautiful Baylie enjoyed every

SINGLE day with us!

 Jacob and Garrett

 Brie and Rachel

 Baylie and Katie

 

Ready to catch fireflies and bugs!

Rachel, Baylie, Jacob, Katie, Brie

Rachel and Hailey

 Nora, Katie, Hailey, Rachel

 

Rachel and Lillyanna

 Hailey, Jacob, Katie, Garrett, Tanner, Nora

Swim time...more like freezing time!

Hailey, Baylie, Jacob, Garrett, Tanner, Katie

 Girl Power:

Hailey, Baylie, Nora, Katie, Rachel

Boy Power:

Garrett, Jacob, Tanner

 Fourth of July:

Lillyanna, Rachel, Jacob, Katie, Baylie, Tanner, Nora

 Katie and Nora

 Rachel, Katie, Nora, Baylie

 Lillyanna and Katie

 Jacob and Lillyanna

 Rachel and Baylie

Jump Back In

I've decided to

JUMP

back in to life.

Too many things were stopping me from enjoying life...

and I'm ready to take back control.

I love to have FUN.

I love to be a great MOM.

I love to be a great DAUGHTER.

I love to be a great SISTER.

I love to be a great WIFE.

I love being a MORMON.

I love LIFE.

So here I go.

Can't wait to see what I can do with all the possibilities.

Wrapped in the arms of love...

I would give anything to go back

to the idyllic

vacation we just had in Missouri.

Lillyanna, Rachel, Jacob, Katie, Baylie, Tanner, Nora

(missing: 14 other grandkids) 

Todd, Dad, Mom, Gary, Me and David

(missing: Scott, Kevin, Donna, Kent)

Since we left Missouri last Friday morning...

we decided to make a pit stop in Amarillo, Texas

so Ron could cross an item off his bucket list.

Ever since he made the drive to Missouri that first summer in 2007,

he has been wanting to stop at the

BIG TEXAN

and do the 72 oz. steak challenge.

This is what 72 oz. of meat looks like...

 After 69 oz. of meat and a baked potato

he had reached his limit

and had to stop.

We only had been on the road a few seconds before we had to 

pull over...

he was SICK!

We changed our plans of making it to New Mexico and grabbed a hotel in Amarillo, TX...

 it was early enough that we could still enjoy the pool and a movie.

After only being in the pool for a few minutes...

Rachel dives into a 3 Ft. pool, hits her head and gets a

Mild Concussion.

She's now sick!

We got home much later than planned Saturday night

only to wake up Sunday morning with our A/C unit out!

 It was only 113 degrees yesterday!

And lastly...

Rachel got stung by a scorpion yesterday morning!

Vacation is officially over...

Real life has begun!

A few weeks before vacation I was faced with some extremely

stressful challenges.

Challenges that had taken the JOY from my life.

Our vacation couldn't have come at a better time in my life personally.

And it seemed that from the minute we arrived in

Missouri

all I felt was comfort, peace and

JOY!

That made me think...

for some reason being around the safety and security of my

LOVING PARENTS and FAMILY...

made me feel happy again...

and SAFE!

I gained some of my self-confidence back.

I gained some of my value back.

I gained some of my trust back.

I gained my JOY back.

If I could gain all that back with human beings that are

imperfect and flawed...

then maybe what I've needed all along is to

wrap my arms in the love of my

HEAVENLY FATHER...

who is perfect

and HIS love unconditional and unmatchable.

His arms are always outstretched...

waiting to gather us in...

in our moments of extreme challenges and trials.

We just have to go to HIM.

I have to go to HIM.

He is waiting.

I'm still wondering why it feels a little like a

"slap in the face"

to return to real life so abruptly...

facing so many challenges...

but I've remembered

where I can turn!

 

 

 

 

Home Sweet Home

There's something to be said for being

HOME!

We have made it

HOME

tonight from me being back

HOME

in my hometown of Willard, Missouri.

I don't think my city friends know what my

HOME

in Willard is really like...

because no one who knows me now 

can possibly imagine

that this city girl

is part country girl at heart!

I'm really tired tonight from two straight days of driving so I'm only going to share a few photos of our adventures.

But I have lots more to show.

One thing is for sure...

the best part of going back

HOME

is enjoying all that it has to offer.

Jacob spent most of his time down at the pond catching frogs, bugs and at the creek catching crawdads.

 Katie loved being a farm girl...

boots and all.

 Rachel loved being outdoors and riding the 4-wheelers.

 There is no better vacation for Ron than the opportunity to

FARM with my dad.

There are a few perks too.

But in the end...

even though we enjoyed all of our adventures...

there is still no place like

HOME!

 

Cub Scout Day Camp

 All this talk of camping reminded me that before us girls went to girls camp...

Jacob spent three days at

CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP

in Phoenix.

I spent one of the days with him.

The last day.

It was a 112 degree's outside.

It was HOT!

These boys didn't let that stop them from having a great time!

They had archery and BB gun shooting!

 They got to swim.

Slingshot!

 

Cub Scout worthy crafts!

Obstacle Course races:

But the thing Jacob liked most of all...
that his mommy got to be his
BUDDY
for one of the days!