Vacation!!!!

We had a great time on our Branson/Eureka Springs vacation. Here is Kristin's photobook of our Eureka Springs pictures that we worked on today.

Make a Smilebox photobook

We'll make one of our day in Branson later. Once again we stayed at the Stone Meadow Resort, and once again it was wonderful. We pretty much just relaxed, played games, walked around Eureka Springs and did some shopping. It was nice to not have everything planned out and just relax!!!!

Grown Up Survey

Got this survey from Alison :)

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?! 'Have you ever kissed someone? Missed someone? Told someone you loved them? Drank alcohol? Well, here are questions for those of us who are a little older.

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
the car payment

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic date?
Well, we are probably the most un-romantic couple around, but we did have a nice steak dinner at Gaskins Cabin in Eureka Springs for our anniversary last month.

3. What do you really want to be doing right now?
reading...I need a good book to read

4. How many colleges did you attend?
one...Williams Baptist College in Walnut Ridge

5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
because it is comfortable

6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
I don't think about it much since Chris always fills up my car for me...if he didn't I would be stranded on the side of the road, out of gas!

7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I turned it off before it was time to get up. I always wake up before it goes off...my first thought was "two more days until vacation!"

8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
don't remember

9. Do you miss being a child?
No

10. What errand/chore do you despise?
ironing! I NEVER iron...Chris irons all of his shirts for work!

11. Get up early or sleep in?
I actually like getting up early...I get up around 5:30. Sleeping in for me is around 8:00...I'm always the first one up.

12. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
milk, regular and vanilla soy

13. Beach or lake?
lake

14. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
No

15. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Desperate Housewives

16. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
hahaha, let's count how many times I've been in a wreck...once with Cassie on Missouri Street, then with Cassie again pulling into her driveway (a guy behind me ran into me). Then there was the time I rear-ended a car in Cabot. Then Chris and I were in a wreck on Range Line in Joplin when we were rear-ended. All of the wrecks were in my Blazer and were not serious (thank goodness)

17. Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for it's intended purpose?
Nope, never used one

18. Ring tone?
Just the AT&T ringtone

19. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth.
Not really sure...

20. Where have you never been and would like to go?
The East Coast

21. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
No, I'm happy in my career, believe it or not!
A relationship as in friends, sure...you can't have too many!

22. How old are you?
33

23. Do you have a "go to" person?
Yep

24. Are you where you want to be in life?
Yes...and still getting surprised along the way!

25. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
I really liked the old Warner Brothers cartoons..Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety

26. What about you do you think has changed the most?
I'm a lot more patient than I used to be

27. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
NO WAY!

28. Did you have a pager?
No, I didn't even have a cell phone until a few years ago and they are still one of my biggest pet peeves!

29. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
Usually at someone's house

30. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Yes...I was quiet and shy, followed the rules...just the opposite of Kristin! She's more like I am now!!!!

31.Who do you think impacted your life the most?
Several people...some I never realized until years later

32. Was there a teacher or authority figure that stood out for you?
Yes, my senior year English teacher in high school...he really prepared us for college with all the writing and essays we had to do, which I loved.

33. Do you tell stories that start with “when I was your age..."?
All the time...to my preschoolers and to Kristin! I catch myself saying things that mom and dad would tell me when I was little that would make me just roll my eyes (when they weren't looking, of course!)

Well, I needed blog fodder...if you do...copy and post this to your blog!

Fashion Photography Day!

Today was one of my least favorite days at school...picture day! And it rained, which meant we couldn't take the kids out and being the day before the full moon, they were especially hyper! I also had a new little boy start in my class, so I was really glad when the day was over. But Kristin got to have her picture taken and she was thrilled. It was "fashion photography"....the girls got their hair rolled and they all got to "dress up". These are a couple of proofs that I bought. The other two I'm getting in a package and I will post them when they come in. Kristin had a blast and I realized that there is a "girly girl" in there after all!

The week is almost over! I cannot wait to go on vacation! We are leaving Sunday for Eureka Springs. The only thing we have planned for certain is Monday in Branson. We have several things we want to do and see there. Kristin decided against Silver Dollar City (I'm secretly happy)...we plan on going back for her birthday in November to see all the Christmas lights. After our day in Branson, I'm not sure what we are going to do and it's actually nice not to have it all planned out. I do plan on sleeping late and just hanging out. Our cottage has a full kitchen, so we'll go to the grocery store and cook in the cottage some of the time. It will be nice to just be lazy. Oh, we are going to the Farmer's Market in Eureka Springs on Tuesday morning. I do know that!

Only 4 more weeks until school starts. Our lazy summer is quickly coming to an end. Preschoolers are enrolling like crazy and our numbers are going up...that's a good thing, but makes it hard to get back into "school mode." Kristin is a little nervous about first grade and about riding the bus. The bus stops in front of the preschool, so she'll leave from there in the morning and then I think I'll just have the bus drop her off at home, since I get off work at 3:30. I'll have to check and see what time the bus would get to our house. Anyway, I want to do some back to school shopping in Branson for both me and Kristin. I've worn capris and t-shirts all summer...I need some teacher clothes!

Happy 4th!

We didn't do much for the 4th this year...since it was on a Saturday, Chris had the day off, so we just hung out around the house. I grilled some chicken, but since it was raining, I had to grill in the garage/front porch area. The rain let up by late afternoon and we got to go see the fireworks. However while the fireworks were going on you could see storm clouds and lightnening back towards Oklahoma. It stormed most of the night, I think. Anyway, we had a good time...it was a nice day!


Kristin in her Faded Glory tee..we used to always get the Old Navy ones, but now can never find them!



Playing in the rain...Kristin got to try out her new umbrella...until it started storming!



Lunch! We had BBQ chicken, BBQ baked beans and chips. YUM-O!


Of course we had watermelon even though I'm the only one who really likes it! Chris ate cherries and Kristin ate blueberries instead.



Off to see the fireworks! It was a cool night..only 79 degrees!

Our Anniversary!

The last weekend in June Chris and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary...which was really June 12th! I can't believe it's already been 10 years, it still doesn't seem that long ago. Of course, Kristin will be 7 this year and will be in the first grade, which doesn't seem right either, but I digress.

We went to one of our favorite places, Eureka Springs, for the weekend while Kristin stayed with Shawn and her girls. This time we stayed at the Stone Meadow Resort and it was just great. It was the first place I've stayed that I didn't feel like I needed to clean first and it was the first place that was as nice, actually better, than the pictures made it look. It's about 10 miles outside of Eureka, out in the country and was so nice.


Our cottage, Apple Blossom






Inside our cottage






The owners moved here from Las Vegas and the wife graduated from culinary school there. Continental breakfast was brought to us each night so we could enjoy it when we wanted in the morning. Saturday morning our breakfast included bluberry muffins, french toast, yogurt, orange juice and milk. On Sunday morning we had two little egg, pepper cheese and ham casseroles, fresh watermelon, banana bread and orange juice. She even made us an anniversary cake and had a bottle of wine for us! We heated up the cake and enjoyed it with ice cream!

our cake





This giant chess/checkers set was one of the many neat things on the cottage property. Of course it was way too hot to get out any play!




On Saturday we spent the day shopping, had a light lunch, and for supper used our gift certificate for Gaskins Cabin. It is a pricey, but yummy, steakhouse in Eureka. It was SO GOOD and I'm not a steak person! I got shrimp with mine (of course!) which made it even better!

After supper we had a carriage ride scheduled (all of this was part of the package we got with the cottage). Luckily by then it had cooled off enough to enjoy.



Unfortunately Sunday came and we had to leave and come back to reality. Kristin had a great time with Shawn, Maddie and Kenzie. On Friday night Shawn took them out to eat and to see Beauty and the Beast; Satuday they went swimming; Sunday they got up and went to church and just hung out. We all had a great weekend!