Lake of the Ozarks

Ava drinking her lunch, notice that the shake was super-sized

The beach at Tan-Tar-A

Getting a much needed tan. Ava drinking her lunch again.

Old Castle ruins, in Ha Ha Tonka Park, love the name:)

Grant checking out the "Chics"

We are finally back from yet another vacation in Missouri! Let me re-phrase that, "we" meaning Grant, Ava, Justun and I, were on vacation, Matt, on the other hand, had to work. Matt had some meetings down in Osage Beach, MO at a resort called Tan-Tar-A, and we just tagged along and enjoyed the lake and great weather. The resort was right on the Lake and it had a couple of great outdoor water parks as well as an indoor one, which was needed, since it rained all day on Tuesday. It also had an outlet mall with over 112 shops. :) Although this was a business trip, Matt was able to squeeze in some time for swimming, exploring, and shopping. The kids got in 3 days worth of swimming and I got a much needed tan! Besides shopping, swimming, and eating, we went to a natural spring and explored the ruins of an old castle built right on the bluffs. I can say that MO is a fun state, except during NE Football time! Go Huskers :)

4th of July

Feeding my future pets.

Grant trying to "play" with the fish

Ava informing me that she no longer likes "Dora the Explorer" because I made her walk with me around the lake and told her that she could explore the lake like Dora. She said, "I not like Dora, and I not like exploring, now hold me mommy!"

Napping after a long day of playing!

We had a very busy 4th of July week. We went back to the farm and helped Gramps move pipe, we also went to the waterpark in Hastings and got to visit with lots of friends and family. On the fourth, we went down to the Stuhr Museum and celebrated the old fashioned way, by getting to experience an 1899 4th of July celebration. Then, we went down to the "pond" in Guide Rock and did a lot of fishing, and eating as well. I can say that this was the first 4th, where we actually had to wear jackets to stay warm. Hard to believe that jackets were needed in July! On the way home, we caught some of the fireworks from the small towns, but sadly, missed Guide Rock's display. (We always joke about their fireworks, since there are only about 50 people who live in the town and if you blink, you'll miss the fireworks :) When we got home, we lit our own fireworks, and everyone seemed to enjoy them except for Grant who didn't like the loud noise, hopefully, he'll change his mind next year!

The fireworks were really lit the right way, I was just holding the camera wrong:)

Zoo Fun

The Peacocks "stealing" Grant's cereal.

Here are some pics of the zoo and a fun video of the kids riding the carousel. As you can see, Grant and Ava were having fun, but JD, I'm not so sure about, I don't think the ride was scary enough!

The Cast is Finally Off

Not for sure if she wants the cast off now :) All happy that she got her stickers.

Well, we took Ava in to get her cast off, and as you can guess, her "ouchie" as she calls it, is now infected. So, we are headed back to the doctor to have another look at it. Yesterday, a friend of ours came over and took out the disposable stitches, that hadn't dissolved yet. From the pictures, Ava was really excited to get her cast off, but when she saw the saw, (what a tongue twister), I think she changed her mind a bit. We are hoping that Ava stays well and injury free for at least a few weeks! :)