Branson Laughs

We have been on a vacation this past week with our families. We spent the first part of the week in Branson with Tim's family, minus Peter and Joy who had their sweet baby girl! It was the best trip so far that we have taken with kids. Joel and Caleb are finally old enough to do some fun things...and enjoy them. They had many firsts....Silver Dollar City, tubing, fish hatchery, and Joel got to go to see the Chinese Acrobats. He was a little bored at first (he clearly did not understand the amazing feats these acrobats were doing!). At the very end of the show, he watched in awe as they walked off the stage and down the aisle. He turned to me and said "Momma, those were REAL people!!" Not sure how he missed that during the entire show, but I wonder if he would have been less bored if he had been aware that it was not a movie.

Joel also created a great memory on our boat ride. About halfway during our outing, he suddenly came to me and told me that he need to go poop. NOW. I was already starting to smell something, but I was holding a sleeping Josiah. I quickly did what any good mother would do, and said "Tim, do something now!" Tim quickly stripped off Joel's shorts and hung him over the boat and into the water. Joel was not quite comfortable with that arrangement, so we decided to have Tim and Joel swim to the shore and complete the deed there. Shoes were thrown to the shore, and everything went smoothly from there.

I was very proud that both boys tried out tubing with us. They are growing up so fast and it is fun to see how different they each are. Caleb has no fear with water...he doesn't panic when he goes under so we definitely have to keep a constant eye on him. Joel, on the other hand, has always been much more timid. He has been taking swimming lessons and will now hold his breath and go under water, but he is still very cautious and wants us very close by at all times. It took a lot of coaxing to get him on the tube. He admitted to me that he was a "little scared" but I was very proud that he tried it anyways.

We are now in Dallas visiting my parents and my sister's family for Labor Day weekend. I'm sure it will be filled with lots of swimming and spoiling. We are so blessed to have such wonderful families on both sides!