Branson Bound

A few weeks ago we split the difference and met Grandma and Grandpa Dohner in Branson.

It was a LONG drive,

but the fun we shared was well worth it.

We saw shows like The New Shanghai Circus,

and Sight and Sound's Joseph.

As well as, experiencing the beautiful fall foliage of The Ozarks.

I even convinced the grandparents to join us at Silver Dollar City,

home to many of my very own childhood memories.

One of which does not included, the terror of The Frog Hopper ride.

But I do believe the Dowell kids came home with these souvenirs every trip to Grandpa's Farm.

 

I hope my girl's have found memories of spending a week in Branson with their grandparents, just like I do.



{Vacation} My Three Favorite Beach Babes

See that sweet face? It actually went in the ocean this time.  Woo-Hoo!

Last weekend we made our end of the summer trip to South Padre Island, TX,

to experience a little rest and relaxation in the ocean.

The best part of the trip was that Grandma, my mom, joined us!

Which meant there was plenty of time spent in the sun and spoiling the girls, two of her favorite pass times.

Starting with new hair wraps,

ice creams,

and night time swims, keeping the girls up way past bedtime.

Grandma's just know exactly what makes a girl smile!

Sea shell hunts,

sea turtle stuffies,

and sand sculptures

are all more great ways Grandma brought joy to our beach trip!

Yep, Mom, you sure do know how to make us smile!

Until next time,

we'll miss you South Padre Island and Grandma.

SPI, Day Four

I didn't snap a single picture until after lunch on our forth day.

Ah, but a daily Dairy Queen is worth remembering!

There is just something about DQ on a hot,

summer afternoon.

Seriously, DQ and swimming pools are the way to go on vacation.

A hunky-hubby also helps in the summer BBQ category!!

Hot dogs and S'more were on the menu for the second straight night,

This time however, we wised us and borrowed some tables for the Hilton Beach Bar. The little stools were perfect for the girls!  

After dinner there was more "planting of flowers",

boogie boarding,

kite flying,

sea shell hunting,

and hysterical crying as the sun began to dim.

Briar actually informed us, "If we don't leave RIGHT NOW, I'm going back to the room by myself".  Three year old girls can be so irrational!

SPI, Day Three

Briar is an early riser, but on day three of our trip she woke up extra early.  So while daddy and  Brieto slept in, Briar and I enjoyed a yummy breakfast at the hotel restaurant.  Their omelets were Y*U*M*M*O!

Once the entire family was up, we lathered up with sunscreen and headed down for our morning on the beach.

This time there was a lot more sand play, than water play, silly crabs story!

Although every now and then, Briar would go on what she called a "Bubble Attack", look at how brave she was (wink, wink)!

But, mainly their was a lot of time spent building sand castles,

and blowing bubbles.  FYI, colored bubbles are best used on the beach, mess free!

Before long it was noon, time to clean up for lunch, and small cat nap!

Did I say lunch?  We decided Cap'n Roy's was good enough to revisit, doesn't this look yummy!

After hearing so many great things about the Sea Turtle Hospital, we decided the $8 was worth a peek.

Brie, my animal lover, enjoyed the place very much.  She kept asking things like, "What's wrong with this one?", "How?", "Why?", "When?" and my favorite, "Can we buy one?".  Maybe someday she'll grow up to be a Turtle Doctor herself.

Our favorite tank held, this big guy.  I think his name was "Christmas", for he was found Christmas day.

The girls felt compelled to show him their own sea turtles, Sheldon the stuffy and Briar's sea turtle hair wrap charm.  Ahh, to be a kid again.  I love how this picture captures the imagination of childhood.

I even wanted a picture with our sea turtle friend, I think Brie did a decent job capturing the picture, right?!?

After saying our turtle goodbyes, we purchased two sea turtle stuffies, and headed back to the hotel for a real nap, and dip in the pool!

All the days play made us hungry for hot dogs on the beach.

Grilling dinner on the beach felt so American, so relaxing, and my favorite experience of the entire week.

Dinner on the beach also lent itself to lots of water wading,

bucket filling,

and castle building.

Oh and S'mores, lots and lots of S'mores!

Soon the sun began to set, Briar became hysterical in fear of the nightly crabs, and we headed back to the Hilton, ending another page in our memory making week!