Branson Trip....

We headed out for long summer trip to Branson this year! Mom gifted us 6 nights in a Marriott and so we added a few nights on either side of the trip for travel. Since we were going to be so close, we had to see the Truwes! They are in a tiny 1,100 person called Cole Camp. They are living in the parsonage which is right across from their church. They had plenty of space, so we spent the night with them. As usual, the kids picked up like they had never been apart. 8 kids is a bit chaotic, but it was so much fun. We were able to go to church with them which was so nice. The church is beautiful!

 We are so thankful for Greg and Jamie. Even though we don't see eachother very often, we always love spending time together!!!!

 After leaving Cole Camp, we headed south to "The Mothership" of Bass Pro Shops. There was so much to see...and I wondered if we would ever leave. We went for a bit on Sunday evening before they closed. And then back on Monday for 4 hours.

Jake loved these fish. He sat next to the tank for SO long. The alligator gar was his favorite.

Even though I was a tad tired of being there 4 hours....it was a really cool place. They have an amazing amount of stuff to look at. Jake even went into the Aquarium (the rest of us were on the fence...not excited enough for the $30 ticket). There really is something for everyone to look at!

 Once we got to Branson, there was SO much to do. Beautiful scenery, amazing weather....and lots of family things to do!

 The Branson Belle Showboat was our first thing. A huge paddlewheel boat on Tablerock Lake...it's beautiful!!!

  We had perfect seats right in the middle for dinner and the show. 

 That evening, we went to the Dolly Parton Stampede. They put on an awesome show.....but I wish they had more Dolly music!!! All the food was so good! And no utensils!! It's all food you can eat with your hands. The show had horses, buffalo, pigs, fire, lights...what more could you want??

We went to Silver Dollar City the next day. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but it was a fun place!!! It's an amusement park with lots of rides, but they also had a lot of stores with handmade items, demonstrations, shows and a cave tour...where we learned that the cave is really how Silver Dollar City actually started.

 Joshua on a roller coaster! :)

 The next morning we rented a ski boat on Tablerock Lake...and it was probably the most fun we had!! The kids LOVED riding on the tube. The water was pretty warm and the lake was not super busy.

We went to a fish hatchery....they had long tanks to walk around...and they were FULL! 

Jake was dying to go on the Branson Coaster so we went to both of them as part of his birthday treat. 

 And Jake wanted to go to a Car Museum that has famous cars from history and movies. 

We rode on the Branson Railway....a 2 hour trip into Arkansas and back. 

Mike wanted to go to Inspiration Point...which is a high lookout tower. And the boys did this ropes course first. 

And then we went out to the top of the tower. On a clear day, you can see 90 miles!!! It was a little overcast and rainy, but still a beautiful view!

The last night in Branson, we went to see a show called The Haygoods. A friend had recommended it. It's a family of brother and sisters who sing, play a bunch of instruments and preform. 

I loved this sign as we walked in. 

 The show was amazing!!! We had front and center seats! They sang and played such a variety of songs and instruments. It was so entertaining!!!

And then as we got back to the hotel, we caught the end of a fireworks show!!

And on the day we had to leave....we woke up to a 15 year old in the house!! WHAT????? Where did time go?? I got up early to get donuts. We had seen several donut places...all places that we have in SA. So I decided to try Hurt's Donuts (that we had never heard of before). Holy donut heaven. It was overload when I walked in!  

Happy Birthday Jake!!! It's SO  hard to believe you are 15 and heading off to highschool. Where did the time go! We are so proud of the young man you are. You have grown so much this year!!! Almost 5", 23 lbs, got confirmed, seem so much more mature, helping out around the house more. We are SO proud and we love you so much! 

 

 After our long drive to southern Oklahoma, we checked into a hotel and then headed back out for a birthday dinner. Cheddar's was delish!!! And Jake loved the cookie monster dessert!!!

This was a store close to the hotel in Branson. We drove by several times thinking it had to be the Frusal Hoosier of Branson...but then we went inside! Soooooo nice!!! I wish we had one in San Antonio! 

Overall the Branson trip was a ton of fun. 10 nights together....an overall small amount of fighting...and SO many fun things that we got to do together. I love our family summer trips!!!