Chasing Summer

On the Road!

The end of summer brought one last summer fling to the Fish4.  We loaded up the car and drove 7 hours south to Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The trip served 2 purposes, we met up with 2 guys that Scott went to school with (and their families) and it was also 1 of 3 states that I needed to complete my adventures in all 50 states.

Home sweet home

The kids have road tripped a handful of times, but that doesn't ease the fear of wondering how they will behave on this trip.  We packed a few movies, a few toys, lots of snacks, and off we sailed (drove) south.  The first 2 hours the kids entertained themselves by talking, playing and daydreaming out the window.  We saw numerous cotton fields, field fires and even a combine completely engulfed in flames.

We stopped for lunch and told the kids if they napped we'd let them watch a movie when they woke up.  Happily, they took the bribe and by the time naps were over, we were roughly 2 hours away from our final destination.

We stayed at Catherine's Landing in a cute 2 story cottage.  The kids had their own loft bedroom and Scott and I had the bedroom downstairs.  The cabins were nice, updated and super clean.  Ours was located up against the woods and we were next door to the cabins our friends were staying in.

My little family

We spent the first evening piling our group on a golf cart and touring the area.  We grilled steaks, watched for armadillos, and caught up with our friends.  The kids went to bed easily and it felt pretty good when Scott and I finally turned in for the night.  How is that riding in a car all day can make you so incredibly tired??

It's a dilla!!

Saturday we slept in as much as the kids would allow before joining our friends for breakfast.  Afterwards we suited up, slathered on the sunscreen, and spent the day boating in the beautiful 88 degrees of Arkansas sun.  There weren't may boats out and we practically had the beach to ourselves.  The guys threw the football while the kids splashed around.  The lake was surrounded by cliffs and trees.  The water was a little chilly but our bodies adjusted quickly.  I don't think the kids noticed the chill at all.

My boys

Us girls

Someone was pondering life with a mouthful of grapes

As afternoon descended upon us, I took the littlest back to the cottage for a nap while the boys stayed on the water.  They came back around dinner time and we all ventured into the town of Hot Springs for dinner.  We settled on an Italian joint called Angels, it was delicious!  While we were in town we felt the warm water of the hot springs and I enjoyed seeing the downtown area.

My tiny loves

After the kids were tucked into their beds, the adults stayed up playing games far later than I am used to.  After midnight struck, my eyes wouldn't allow being awake another minute.  I was happy to crawl  into our crisp white sheets and close my eyes.

Family vacation 

Before I knew it, sun was beaming through the thin blinds and we heard a little voice coming through the vent saying "Mommy I awake!"  Then we heard that same little voice tell her big brother, "go get mommy or daddy."  She was in her pack-n-play and needed a hand getting out.

After hugs and saying farewell to our friends, we loaded up the car and headed back to our sweet Indiana home.  We stopped at a mom & pop donut shop where I was positive one of us was going to get food poisoning, but I was proved wrong when I tasted the best donut I've ever ate and none of us got sick.  The car ride home went as well as the car ride down.  The babies entertained themselves, caught a nap, and enjoyed eating in the car (that is a treat in itself!).  The 2 year old managed to make the road trip accident-free and only needed 1 pee break on the entire drive home.  I felt that may have been the most impressive event of the entire weekend.

As good as it feels to have new land under our feet and breathe in the air of a new location, there's no place like home.

The Gang