Mid-March Vacay!

This blog post is over a month overdue. I wanted to share about a vacation we took with my parents to Lake of the Ozarks, MO, about a half hour south of us.

We checked my parents into the resort on Saturday night March 16, went out to eat, then our little family of 5 came home to prepare for church the next day. Everyone was out celebrating St. Patty's day that night.

We went back on Sunday afternoon and got settled in. There was a kitchenette there, so we brought most of our own food and were able to eat in.

Tired teddy bear.

Judah and Grandma Linda playing a game she invented with the cribbage board. They also liked to play the board game Sorry!

 Monday, we went to the Bridal Cave and to Ha Ha Tonka State Park.

We visited the Bridal Cave. It left a huge impression on Judah, and somewhat of an impression on Andrew. Whenever they see a billboard advertising the cave, they ALWAYS let me know with great enthusiasm!

Grandpa Allan inside the cave.

I thought this wall was just super cool.

We went out to eat at the Dairy Queen next. The many faces of Judah.

Hepped up on a DQ blizzard.

No cavities yet...

The many faces of Andrew.

Also hepped up on a DQ blizzard.

This was before his tooth turned brown from hitting it really hard...

My better half.

The extremely cool Ha Ha Tonka State Park, where the ruins of a turn-of-the-20th-century castle lay! We are walking up the path to it. The castle burned down in the '40s.

Grandpa Allan and Enoch with the ruins behind. It was chilly but sunny, so the nicest day of our vacation.

Family shot. The sun was so warm, the boys wanted to take off their coats, but the breeze was cool... so we were constantly putting on and taking off jackets.

Enoch stomping around... look at that view!

Grandpa Allan and Grandma Linda

Andrew refusing to turn around.

Me (with everyone's hats stuck in my coat pockets) with the ruins in the background.

The water tower. The water was up top and a family actually lived underneath it to take care of it.

We couldn't go in. :-(

The boys enjoying the trails.

Tuesday, we went swimming in the morning (the water was SOOO COLD! Yes it was an indoor pool!). Then to a winery and to a historical site that explained the making of the Bagnell Dam... so interesting! I must've stopped taking pictures because I don't have anymore! Good job, Mom. Jeff had to return home that evening to get ready for church the next evening (it was Lenten season), but before he left we realized that across the inlet from our resort, we could see the police poking around. There had been a death on one of the boats! And the police had been poking around for evidence. Weird...

Wednesday, we took the boys swimming, although none of the adults wanted to go because of yesterday's near-pneumonia experience... but the boys didn't care. We played and got things packed up to head back home for the evening church service. After church, Mom and Dad headed back to stay one more night at the resort. (Another funny thing, the lady at the front desk, Mom discovered, was related to someone from my hometown of Colo, Iowa and would be going there in May for a graduation party! Small world!) On Thursday, they wanted to visited Tan- Tar- A Resort where they honeymooned 33 years ago.

I enjoyed the vacation, and look forward to going back to the old castle again... but when the weather is a bit nicer. :-)