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Branson...our last minute vacation!

We went back and forth on going on a vacation this summer.  We decided that the bills would still be there when we got home and that we ALL deserved a little time away!  Branson is a nice "long weekend" kind of place and that's exactly what we needed. 

Isabel and Ben reading the announcement that we are going on vacation!

We left on a Wednesday morning, had breakfast in the car and timed our trip to be in Springfield for lunch!  Phil and I met in college at SMSU (now Missouri State) in Springfield, so we were excited to visit.  We bored the kids with a drive by all of the apartments that either Phil or I lived in.  We also cruised past campus, which has changed a lot!  We ate at McSalty's Pizza for lunch.  Phil and I used to go there a lot when we were dating.  We would eat pizza, drink beer and watch/listen to Nick and Ruell and Ned The Band!  Apparently they still preform at the Sunshine location on Thursday nights.  We may have to plan another road trip just to see them again! 



We also visited Bass Pro while we were in Springfield.  Ben and Isabel were NOT going to let us drive by without going in!  Yes, Miss Isabel was just as excited as Ben.  Everyone had a great time looking at the fish and other wildlife.  The highlight of the trip was picking out Bass Pro hats.  They wore them instantly...tag and all!  Will didn't wear his right away, but don't worry...he got one too!




Now on to Branson!  We stayed in a condo within walking distance from Table Rock Lake.  It had a nice zero entry pool, which is perfect for Will!  He loves the water and wants to be independent but he's not able to stand up on his own so we usually can't take our hands off of him.  With a zero entry, the water gradually gets deeper so Will is able to do his army crawl right in the pool!  Perfect! 


Phil and Will having fun in the pool!
Ben and Isabel enjoyed the pool too!

Isabel in mid-air!

Will had fun spraying everyone with the fountains.

Will decked out in his Bass Pro hat and Ben's sunglasses!  Pretty cute if I do say so myself!

Ok, so we didn't spend all our time at the pool...

Our first stop was the Trout Hatchery.  The kids had fun feeding the thousands of trout! 

Will loved seeing all the fish.

There were several tanks like this one, filled with fish!  See the ripples in the water...I'm telling you tons of trout!

Will got to feed them too.  He thought this was "so much fun!"


We also took a ride on The Ducks while in Branson.  The kids really like the fact that they handed out loud duck noise makers to EVERYONE on board!




Isabel and Will took a turn driving once we were on the lake. 

Isabel and Captain Dan


Will's turn!


One afternoon we rented a boat and a tube and headed for Table Rock Lake!

The sun was a little bright! 

What a life!

Ben had a good experience on the tube! 

Isabel did not!

Will couldn't take anymore.  He actually got a pretty good nap!

The last day of our Branson vacation was spent at "The Track".  There are several go cart/arcade places around.  We chose the one with the 6 story wooden go cart track!  There were other tracks too and a section with smaller little kid rides. It was a HOT day, but everyone had fun!


This was the first track they tried.  Isabel wasn't tall enough to drive herself.

She could drive this one (with the help of a back pad).  She was very excited, although you can't tell by the intense look on her face!  Ben was pretty intense too! 

Phil and Isabel getting ready for the 6 story wooden track! Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the whole track.

Ben's turn on the 6 story.  He's acting like he's scared. 

Don't forget the bumper boats!

Here's Mr Will and his train ride!  This is the only one he would do, he did ride it twice though!


We ended our trip to Branson with a dinner out.  We decided to go to Mel's Hard Luck Diner.  It's 50's style diner where the wait staff take turns singing during their shift.  The kids loved it!  Ben even got serenaded by our server, but I didn't have the camera ready!  It was so cute.  His face turned as bright as his red shirt!

My camera did make it out for our dessert!  Our server talked us into this amazing HUGE family sized delicious concoction!  It was a giant brownie covered with three ginormous scoops of ice cream, drizzled with marshmallow creme and chocolate sauce. Topped off with whipped cream and tiny M&M's.  I think it was called Rock Around the Chocolate! 

Here's Isabel with the before shot! 

Will's sizing it up!

He likes it!  He wasn't ready to give up yet!

Well, we did it!  Some might think that's sad.  I say, We're not quitters!  We finish the job, no matter how dirty it is! 

And this is what that massive dessert did to them! 

Branson was a lot of fun, for everyone! 
On the way home we stopped off in Springfield one last time.  There was another favorite restaurant that we wanted to enjoy while in the area! 



Ok Springfield people...name that dish!  For those who haven't had the pleasure...this is the one and only Burrito Enchilada Style!  Delish!
Go get your own at...

The perfect ending to our short but sweet vacation!


Now for the ride home...


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