(Finally!) Family vacation!

Back when Blaine and I were just "Blaine and I" we took a little vacation about once a year. Then, along came children. We haven't done a real vacation (ie, something other than going to visit family...which we do love, btw!) since May '09 when we took a cruise when I was ~25 wks pregnant w/ Audrey. And since then, well, you've seen what our life has been. :)

So we decided to use at least one of Blaine's vacation weeks this year for an actual vacation. We chose Branson, MO as our desitination since it's 1) not too far. 2) Family-friendly. 3) Lots of fun from what we've heard! We also invited Blaine's parents along, since a vacation with kids isn't a vacation. It's just real life somewhere else. We figured if we had an extra set of hands, it would at least spread the work around a bit! Oh, and we like them...that part too. :)

We were packed and ready to go Tues morning, and when Nana and PopPop got to LR, we loaded up the carseats and all the STUFF you need for 3 days away from home in their Trail Blazer. The drive went pretty well overall. Once Wy woke up (and after Audrey never went to sleep...we traveled during naptime) she kept saying, "I'mma wake Momma! I'mma wake!" I guess she wanted me to see how chipper and non-sleepy she was so I'd quit trying to make her sleep!

In Clinton, AR Audrey required a pit stop, so we pulled over at Walmart. She had also been complaining of carsickness, and I left the Dramamine in our car, so we had to get more. We ended up buying more than that though...while in the bathroom, I stepped out of the stall to give her some privacy (this was our 3rd stop for her potty calls, yet she couldn't produce once we got to the potty, if you know what I mean). A moment later, I hear her whimpering so I step back in...her arms apparently got tired and she had lowered herself into the toilet!! UGH!! And she had already peed. AND her shirt got wet with potty water. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nasty public bathrooms. I cleaned her up as best I could, then we headed to the kids dept to buy a new shirt. I was able to laugh about it later, esp. once we caught up with Blaine in the store, and she announced "I got wet, Daddy!" with a big ole' grin!

Here's the short version of our trip:
Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat some more. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat dessert. Kidding!! (Kind of.) More like this:
Tuesday: Cram 3 hr drive into 4.5 hrs, check into Thousand Hills Condos, eat supper at cool outdoor mall with really cool musical/pyrotechnical water fountain thingy.
Wednesday: Eat breakfast at local place (yum!), back to condo for kids' nap, shopping during nap, then to see The Duttons (awesome family performers; think America's Got Talent a few yrs ago), then eat again!
Thursday: Quiet morning of breakfast, playing on playground at condo for A and morning nap for W, more shopping during afternoon nap, then to the Dixie Stampede Christmas! Audrey LOVED it! The horses, Baby Jesus, and even Santa!
Friday: Breakfast, then packed up and headed home already! Uneventful trip home, which included stopping for local-grown apples and a slight detour to Gilbert, AR (location of Blaine's ONE family vacation growing up)

We had so much fun venturing out with the kiddos, and a big thanks to B's parents for helping us! This story wouldn't be complete w/o some bragging on my kids though...I really was quite nervous that we might have to watch our shows from the lobby. Kinda risky taking 2 little kids to see 2-2 hr long shows (1 of which was at 2 pm, smack dab in the middle of naptime)! But they did GREAT!!!!!!!!! Both sat through both shows w/o a meltdown, and were actually quite entertained by it all. Good thing they both love music!