Branson Vacation - Part 2

On the 4th, we took the Branson Scenic Railway tour on a REAL train. Jonathan was ecstatic! It was a 40-mile trip through the Ozark foothills and at the turn-around point we were in NW Arkansas. We went through tunnels and over trestles and had a little lunch on the train. We were able to walk through the train and each car had a different style of seating.

Hannah and Andrew checking out the scenery.

These pictures are out of order, but I'm too lazy to fix it. This was taken at the end of the ride. It was about an hour too long for Hannah and she was ready to do something else!

Andrew trying on Daddy's sunglasses to kill time.

Sorry the picture is dark, but this was our excited train boy!

Andrew wanted to take some pictures. This was right after we got on the train and before the a/c kicked in to cool us all off!

Our view of the inside of one of the two tunnels we went through.

Going over a trestle - you can see the engine as we rounded the curve.

This was the view at the turn-around point. Our tour guide said this was his favorite spot in the fall and I'm sure it is quite breath-taking when the leaves are changing colors.

Family photos with our train engine

This may or may not have been the boys' favorite part of vacation - excessive screen time.

The train station was honoring military members and veterans on the Fourth and so Keith and I received half-price tickets! Mom and Dad offered to watch the kiddos in the afternoon so Keith and I could check out the outlets. We shopped fast and hard and came home with some great bargains. We laughed that we couldn't remember the last time that we had gone shopping together without children. It was such a treat!

On Thursday, our last day in town, Grandma and Grandpa thought we needed to take in a Branson show. So we went to see Grand Country's Amazing Pets. I was not very excited about the show, but it was great for the kids, and they loved the magic show and the dog and cat tricks. Since we've been home, Andrew said he now believes in magic. We asked him why, and he said, "Magic is the only way they could've gotten those cats to do those tricks!"

In the afternoon, the boys went swimming again and Hannah and I took a LONG nap. She and I were up half the night. Poor girl started a fever and didn't sleep well. It wasn't until we got home that I figured out what was wrong with her - Hand, Foot and Mouth virus. So fun. NOT. Adam started it the same day she did and so we are assuming we picked it up at the family reunion. Jonathan started the virus a couple days later and then Keith got it a week later. Such a horrible virus. Blisters on the palms of their hands and bottoms of their feet and sores in their mouth, all of which appear after two days of high fever. Fortunately, Andrew and I didn't get it. I'm pretty sure Andrew had it when we lived in ND, and I must've had some version of it somewhere along the way.

We were still reeling from the effects of sickness over a week later, and I vowed we would never go on another vacation ever again. Check back next summer. I'm sure I will have forgotten the torture of sick children on vacation.

Branson Vacation - Part 1

The Titanic museum

Trying to get a photo of the munchkins in front of the Titanic.

Andrew wanted to take a picture too. Jonathan and Hannah were done and refused to look at him.

After lunch, we went swimming to try and cool down. The kiddie pool was perfect for our non-swimmers. Jonathan  heard me talking about the kiddie pool and kept asking when we were going to go to the "cat pool."

Hannah liked sitting on the ledge that surrounded the pool.

After warming up in the "cat pool" the boys wanted to check out the real pool. Unfortunately, it was not cooler water like we had hoped. The water was warmer than bath water, but the boys didn't care.

I noticed the giant Titanic museum when we drove the strip and was hoping for a chance to walk through it. Everyone thought it sounded like a good plan and so we all met there Tuesday morning. It was the 100th year anniversary of the Titanic and a very interesting museum. I was worried it wouldn't hold the kids attention, but there were some hands-on and touch displays to keep them engaged. Cameras weren't allowed in the museum, so I can't show the boys testing the steep incline of the deck at the various stages of the Titanic sinking. It left quite an impression. Everyone also tested their endurance at keeping their hand in the freezing water. After about 15 seconds your fingers started to go numb. The only bad part about the museum was the questions we had to answer for the next few days.

"Why did the Titanic hit an iceberg?"
"Why did the captain go down with the ship?"
"Why weren't there enough life boats?"
"Why were there animals on the Titanic?" (There was a whole room about all the dogs and other animals passengers brought on the ship.)
"Why did the ship sink?"
"Why did so many people perish?" (And then we had to explain what perish meant.)

And many other questions that I have blocked out for days and days. I don't think we will try to take them on a boat of any kind anytime soon! On a funny side note, the boys have pretended our back porch is the Titanic several times since we are home and that they are workers on the Titanic. When I call them in for lunch or snack, they'll tell me the captain was nice and gave them 10 minutes for a lunch break.

The condo we stayed at had a nice pool area with a great kiddie pool. Jonathan kept asking me for days before we left about a cat poo,l and I would make him repeat himself and finally in frustration, we would both give up on trying to understand each other. It took me awhile to realize he was hearing "kitty pool" and translating to it cat pool. The "cat pool" was always empty and a great place for us to cool down a little in the extreme heat.

Andrew's 7th Birthday

I made Andrew a preschool memory book with photos of programs, artwork and teachers.

Andrew is slightly obsessed with Angry Birds and lost his red bird on the bus this past school year. We promised him we would eventually replace it. Keith found this one that makes the Angry Bird laugh when you squeeze it.

National Geographic Angry Bird Space magazine

Meteor Strike Lego game

Trying to contain his excitement - a Lego robot

Andrew celebrated his 7th birthday while we were at the Bontrager reunion. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to him at our family church service. He was thrilled and embarrassed at the same time. And as soon as the family photo session was over, we let him open presents. It was tricky to find little things to pack for him without a hundred pieces. He was pretty thrilled with these gifts. He also got some Odyssey story CDs and books from Grandma and Grandpa and a new Leapster game from the Eigstis. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of him opening those gifts.

When we got home, we gave him his big Lego present. I love Jonathan's barely contained enthusiasm in this photo!

The Petersons sent him this very cool electronic, experiment board - Snap Circuit, Jr. He loves it and wants all the other sets.

They also sent him this cool Lego Idea book. Many Lego creations have been made out of this book already!

 

Bontrager Family Reunion

All the great-grandchildren (4th generation) at the reunion.

My cousin Jon was wearing this grass skirt for some reason and then it was decided it would look better on Hannah.

Great Aunt Mollie trying to help Hannah model for the cameras while Great Uncle Tom and Phil looked on in the background.

Hannah made lots of new friends with her 2nd cousins. This is Ginny's daughter Mikayla holding Hannah.

the first cousins
Rachel, Kaylene, Rod, Kendall, TJ, Joel, Sondra, Matt, Tanya, Phil, Jon and Ginny
(14 cousins weren't able to make this reunion)

The little cousins were checking out the deep ravine while hiding in the shade.

The paparazzi hasn't got anything on the Bontragers!

Mom's siblings and spouses
Noah and Loretta, Ruby and LaVern, Ervin and Elma, Tom and Mollie, Paul and Frieda, Dave and Ruth, Harley and Regina

Ervin and Elma's family

The Nisly clan

Harley and Regina's family

Dave and Ruthie with Stephanie, Tyrese and Joel

The boys enjoyed a paddle boat ride on the lake.

Mom and her siblings

At the beginning of July, we packed up and headed to Roach, MO to the Windermere Baptist Conference Center for the Bontrager Family Reunion. It was crazy hot and we stayed inside as much as possible. After church on Sunday, we stood outside to take a bunch of family pictures. It was great to catch up with everyone. I hadn't seen some of my cousins and aunts and uncles since we got married.

It was so hot it was hard to enjoy the camp, but Keith took the boys for a paddle boat ride on Sunday afternoon and then they spent some time in the pool. I stayed in our room in the a/c while Hannah slept and enjoyed some nice quiet time! We also walked through a cave on the camp property. It was so cool in there. Both figuratively and literally! The average temp in the cave stayed in the low 70s even when it was over 100 outside. The boys loved the cave so much we went through it again as we were leaving the camp. Sadly, I did not take any pictures of the cool cave.