Lake of the Ozarks

Wow, crazy how a few weeks can go by so fast!  We were out of town for about 11 days and then came back to painting and changing kids' rooms, Madeline starting school - let the rat race begin!!!!

Summer has been really great!  We did get a few big projects accomplished like cleaning out our garage that we couldn't walk through and painting the kids' rooms... ok, those are for another post!

We left for the Lake of the Ozarks July 13.  I had totally messed up the dates!  Brad and Tiff couldn't come until the following weekend, but for some reason, I had it in my mind the 13th.  We figured it out 2 days before we left.  Tim couldn't get a different day off from work, so we went as planned!  The kids and I got to stay through the next week and visit with Brad and Sabrina then Tiff came down the next weekend.  We had really wonderful time, but definitely missed Tim when he had to go back to work after taking a long weekend.

Tim and Sus relaxing!

Eli could ride the sea doo all day every day!!!!  Loved riding with Pop!

Madeline enjoyed it, too!

Tim and the girls!

Mom had a fun party on the dock to celebrate Susanna's birthday!  

Aunt Stephie and Uncle Chris came to the party on their boat!  They have a lake place not far from Mimi and Pop's!

Mimi and Sus.... 

Snowcones were a HUGE hit the entire week with every kid who swam by!!!

Fishing off the dock with Pop.  Eli wanted to do this whenever he wasn't on the sea doo!

Ice Cream!!!!!

Mom gave us a salt demonstration and taste test!  She and dad went to a meeting in May at the Ritz Carlton in Jacksonville, FL.  There is a restaurant there called "Salt" and a store all about salt.  

These were salts from all over the world with different flavors to be used with different foods - even desserts and fruits!!! They were really good!  We loved the taste test especially!!

Mimi and Pop got training skis for the kids!  They loved getting pulled on the dock to practice!

Sabrina and Brad came through the week!

Time for a boat ride!

This was Susanna's first boat ride!  Last year we came but didn't go on a boat ride because I had just had an appendectomy about 10 days before.  Yes, we are crazy!

Eli loved driving the boat!

Fun boat ride!

Mom and Dad driving....

My three kiddos!!!

Ahh, just love this pic! He really does take such good care of his little sister!

I LOVE this picture of Sabrina!!!!  Isn't she adorable!!??

Brad and Sabrina having fun swimming!

Mom took Eli, Sus and Sabrina on a paddleboat ride while....

Madeline learned to ski!!!!!  She got up right here with Edison coaching and Don, Mo or Bryan pulling the rope while running on the dock.  She got the feel of how to stand up.  Then she did it behind the sea do!  Super fun! 

The second weekend we were there, Edison and Judy's grandsons came!  Rhonda and Bryan's boys are Landon (5) and Logan (3).  Eli was in hog heaven with those boys!!

Tiff taking Sabrina for a ride!

The 3 girls with flower glasses!

Silly Brad, Sabrina and Tiff!

What a fun trip!  We got back with only one week before Madeline returned to school.  The week of relaxing was wonderful!  It was so nice not to have to cram all the lake fun into one weekend. We had so much fun hanging out with everyone!  Hopefully next year Tim will be able to take a few more days off! We definitely missed him!