Embrace the Camera: May 1, 2014

Gabrielle and Dawson with their GG

Easter 2014

Pontoon ride on Lake Lotawana

iPhone 5S

Holiday Express Train @ Union Station

My friend Monika gifted us reserve tickets to visit the Holiday Express Train at Union Station Friday afternoon the 20th. The train is led by KCS Southern Belle and includes the tank car Rudy, a flatcar carrying Santa's sleigh, reindeer and a miniature village, a gingerbread boxcar, the elves workshop, the reindeer stable and a little red caboose.

Union Station does not disappoint in its splendor at the Christmas season. I wished I had taken my DSLR to take some photos.

Awaiting to board

Aunt Shari took this family picture with her phone after we exited the Holiday Express Train. It was frigid outside so we made a mad dash back indoors as quickly as we could! If I had better prepared I would have had the kids in hats and gloves.

After leaving Union Station we stopped at Mi Ranchito for supper and margaritas (yum!). GG & Aunt Shari babysat while Daddy & I attended the 1st annual ugly sweater party at Mr. Seth's and Ms. Kiersten's house. When we arrived home late that night McKenna was tucked under GG's arm asleep on the couch :)

Ruthledge-Wilson Family Farm Fall Fest

Day 2 of our mini vacation took us to the Ruthledge-Wilson Family Farm Community Park in Springfield. What a wonderful gift to the community this free 207 acre farm is! We were so glad to get to spend the day with Aunt Pam, Aunt Shari, Christy, Mandy and their gang joining us for the fun.

 Daddy and his family - Aunt Pam, GG & Aunt Shari

Dawson, Gabrielle, McKenna, Hayes (Bud's son), Addison (Christy's daughter) & Cash (Mandy's son) 

It was rather hysterical trying to get six kids all looking at the camera, much less smile! 

This picture shows their personalities best anyway :)

Smiles for the win!!

Had this picture been just a few weeks later Christy's new baby would have made 7 kids. 

Our dynamic trio 

We took a hayride and attempted a loooong corn maze with only half the gang successfully completing it. We found an escape for the tiring GG & preggo Christy. 

The kids LOVED playing on the fantastic play equipment and climbing walls; enjoyed seeing all the animals; walking the barn and experiencing milking the simulated cow but their favorite attraction and one they displayed MUCH patience in waiting for was the human sling (I have no idea the actual name for this contraption) but it was a hit! The kids laughed and giggled and cheered each other on, but when their turn was over their demeanor quickly turned to outward disappointment in not being successful in doing a front or back flip like they had so hoped to do. 

McKenna spent thee entire time (an hour or more) sliding down the jumbo slide face first and jumping until her heart was content in the bounce house while the "big" kids waited in line for the sling. She would sneak away momentarily to share a hug or rock on someones lap on the porch swing. 

We were so thankful for perfect weather and for a fantastic time with family!

Embrace the Camera: August 9, 2012

This week's Embrace the Camera is all about making memories with our crazed monkeys better known as our kids. I feel as if we have been robbed of our normal summer traditions (playing in the fountains, visiting the zoo, playgrounds, the library story hour in the park, spending a long weekend at the lake ... the list goes on) with the unbearable temperatures and heat index this year along with Travis's "new" work schedule. He was lucky enough to have this past weekend off of work so we planned a little impromptu trip to Springfield and then on into Branson for the day. This is a glimpse at how we spent our time.

A stop at Branson Landing to do a little window shopping, back to school shoe & sock purchasing and a couple of great clearance finds at Becks.

Then it was FUN for the kids at the LEGO Summer Brickation, one of four nation wide locations located right in Branson Landing. We have already made a trip to the local Target store in pursuit of pricing several of

 the sets on their wish list.

 

After our play time at the LEGO stop it was snack time. 

What better than a powder covered funnel cake and "sugar" (Sprite)?

We left Branson Landing and headed to the money pit The Track where it was gals smoke the guys on the race track. You had better believe we had the pedal to the medal all.the.way!

For those of you who may have noticed, yes I fastened my seat belt before take off.

 

DaddyO and Little Miss cheering on Sissy

After the gals versus guys race, we hit up the bumper boats and then the kids go carts where Gabrielle proved to be a NASCAR contender.   

We ended the day with kids choice for supper which led us to IHOP or

International House Of PiggingOut

where our kids can eat their weight in syrup pancakes and eggs. 

There was a storm a brewing while we enjoyed our supper and the heavens dumped buckets of rain on us on our trek back into Springfield but we made it back safe and had a fun time!