Monthly Archives: May 2012

Family Vacation (part 2)

Now, for the rest of our wonderful family vacation! We had finished our time visiting Silver Dollar City, and now Tuesday was our last day in Branson. That morning we went go-carting! It was a very fun five-minute ride, with a ramp that looped (and looped) upward.

Anticipation…or anxiety?!

 

…the top of the spiral…

 

fun!

Smiles!

 

That afternoon we went to the Sight and Sound Theatre to watch their live production of the story of Joseph. It was absolutely stunning…amazing—and the message of forgiveness and how God works things for good was so powerful. If you ever get a chance to go see it, don’t pass it up!

The beautiful Sight & Sound Theatre

…the entrance…

…inside the dome (I couldn’t resist puttin’ this one in)…

 

…after the show…

That evening we went to a buffet to eat, where—surprise of all surprises! (for us kids) –some of our friends we hadn’t seen in a long time, the Hainings, were waiting for us! We had such a fun time catching up, laughing…and eating cotton candy. It was late when we left the restaurant—and it was very late when we left the parking lot.

…one of many cotton candy sticks we ate that night…

Wednesday found us driving to our friends Herby and Billie Jo Fessler’s house near Brookfield to spend the night. We met them several years ago at Story Book Lodge Christian Camp, and they have become good friends!

They showed us amazing hospitality!

We had lots of fun playing with the kids, and dinner was amazing! Breakfast the next morning was just as good.

…football…

 

…kitchen cleaners…

Thursday…goodby Missouri—hello Minnesota! (After we had gone through Iowa, of course.)

We praise the Lord for giving us safety and such a good time. So many wonderful memories were made and new experiences were had– as our first family vacation, the whole thing really was a new experience! This was a very special event that we will not soon forget. What a memorable time together as a family!

Family Vacation (part 1)

A couple of weeks ago we took a family vacation.  Yes, I said vacation.  We didn’t bring our instruments (for once), and we went with the intent of having some fun together as a family.  It’s the first time we’ve ever had an official vacation like this.  Our destination?  Branson, Missouri!

One of our stops

We pulled out bright and early the morning of May 11.  We traveled through Minnesota (obviously), Iowa, Missouri, and into Kansas.  We planned to stay overnight with the Warren Henderson family in Kansas before heading to Branson the next day. We had met them at family camp at StoryBook Lodge the summer before and were excited to see them again. We left the next afternoon with fun memories of volleyball, baseball, and pop bottle rockets. We enjoyed a time of singing together, and were so blessed and encouraged by the fellowship that we shared.

Pop bottle rockets

The Henderson Family

With a four and a half hour drive, we found ourselves in the rolling Ozark hills of Branson, Missouri.  It turned out to be quite the adventure finding the place where we were staying because our GPS didn’t know where we were supposed to be.  When we finally arrived, we were amazed at our accommodations.  Friends of ours blessed us with the use of their timeshare, and we stayed in a very fancy three-bedroom condo.  (Thank you so much! – you know who you are.)  We settled in for the night and then went to Branson Bible Church Sunday morning.

Later that afternoon we headed to the best vacation place a family could go in Branson… Silver Dollar City!  They were having their annual Bluegrass and BBQ festival, with lots of great music and delicious food.

We spent a day and a half at Silver Dollar City enjoying the rides, the craftsmanship demonstrations (such as glassblowing), and the bluegrass music from the many groups that were there.  The rides were definitely a highlight for all – from the upside-down roller coasters, to the very wet Lost River ride, to the Flooded Mine with shooting targets.

Our ride to the gate

Jonathan and Abby riding the teacups

Bama BlueGrace

Troublemakers!

More troublemakers!

Snack break

The Majerus Family

The Giant Swing

Glassblowing demonstration

Enjoying ice cream (notice how wet we are!)

The Link Family

The Flooded Mine

We greatly enjoyed our short time at Silver Dollar City and left with great memories.  But there’s more to the trip, which Deborah will be posting about…