We headed to Oklahoma city to meet with my college room Nicholette and her family. Arizona had a 2nd shutdown so they packed their bags and stayed at Nicholette's dad's house in Virginia for 5 weeks. On there way home we met up with them. It was so fun to hang out with their family. We were wondering how our kids would get along because they haven't spent a lot of time together. Nicholette and I would hang out a lot when we lived in Utah, but Ashlyn was 1 and 2, then we moved to Nebraska and they moved to Arizona. There was one time during Dental School where we met them in Kansas City where we spend a few days at Great Wolf Lodge, which was 6 or 7 years ago. To sum it all up, our kids haven't spent a lot of time together and we were curious how they would get along.
Before the Sperry's arrived, we got up early and went to a nature center and did some hiking. Oh it was so beautiful and fun. They had a lot of turtles that we could identify and the scenery was gorgeous.
Searching and identifying the turtles
"Doesn't it remind you of Little House on the Prairie, Mom?"
I love how they can make connections to the books that we are reading as a family.
We are also really enjoying the series on Amazon Prime. It has opened up a lot of family discussions and life lessons. We LOVE Little House on the Prairie!
It is so beautiful- this was everyone's favorite part of the hike.
This blurry picture sums of the answer to how the kids got along! They got a long so well we are making future plans to make another trip together. Derek and I were so impressed with how well the kids got along and how they didn't pair up, but they seriously played with everyone. It was so much fun!
We did a lot of swimming.
They would pretend that John was a surf board a float on him, Emmett would just jump off the edge and do belly flops over and over again, they would do flips, and then enjoy the sun.
Ate delicious food. We braved it out and took all our kids to a local pizza shop. It was so fun to have an adult table and all the kids at their own table. Our "double" date was great!
One thing that we like to do with the Sperry's (since we went to Hawaii with them) is order 4 different items and then split it up so we can try a little of everything.
Kid table
Instead of coloring, this restaurant gives these wax sticks to mold and play with- geniuses! They played with these all weekend long!
Ashlyn and Jack had so seriously game playing happening.
I loved watching the kids be together and laugh and talk and play.
I just caught these girls outside doing just that.
More card games. Slap it!
A magical moment/part of the day was when we went to the lake. These kids played on the kayak and had a blast. They seriously played all together. They would play a game where they tried to stand up on the kayak while someone would try to knock them down. So much magic and fun!
Jello Time
Spike Ball
After the Sperry's left, the house fell quiet and we all missed them so much. We had such a great weekend with them. Derek wanted to go to Braum's which has amazing ice cream for very cheap (win-win). We had 6 ice cream cones (and look at the size of them) and then a brownie sundae all for $14.
Braum's brought many memories of the mission for Derek.
I thought Lufkin had a lot of churches, but Oklahoma City has a TON of them and they are really BIG. When they say the Bible Belt, they really mean it.
Sweet dreams little one.
Derek and I are so grateful to have great friends! It is hard to find friends where you and your spouse get along with both parties. We always have such a great time with them! Here's to many more family trips together (we just need to talk them into getting an RV ;)
I love this picture. I took it when we were pulling out of the RV park and it Derek driving our RV in the background. When we are driving I follow behind Derek who is driving the RV and I just have these thoughts that make me want to pinch myself and ask, "Is this really happening." It has been a lot of dreaming and talking about an RV and the adventures we will take in a future moment, but we are beginning to live our dream. It is so much fun!
Tonkawa Springs is a hidden gem. It is so much fun to be nestled in nature and swimming in a natural spring (no gators to worry about) and enjoy the adventure of jumping off bridges, swinging from the trees, and relaxing in a cool (I really mean very cold) pool of water.
We took a walk around the RV park and there is wild life everywhere.
Debating who is going to jumping in first.
This was our favorite rope swinging tree! The kids and I had a blast so repeated swinging from the it. We also made some fun friends.
One morning we took a walk and we discovered a flowing river that flowed from the spring. The kids could spend hours there.
Isn't it beautiful?!
This boy. I love watching him grow more with his imagination. He is in the stage of imagination where everything is Harry Potter, wands, or swords. My favorite is the little sounds of "phow" or "phiff".
On our nature walk we found a secret area with stairs and a door.
School Work
It started to pour outside and so we closed the balcony. This was sweet moment for me. Derek, Desi, and Emmett were napping and these three girls were just in their own worlds.
Claire did all her tangram charts and Ashlyn and Brinley were having a great time playing battleship.
The sweet moment of peace and kindness amongst siblings can be short or long, but this was one that was so sweet.
Peacock feathers
Morning feeding
School Work
Oh how much we love the garage of the toy hauler. We love how it is an extra room to enjoy during the day and then the kids' bedroom at night.
We love the balcony!
Beach at the Spring
In the evening, the deer would graze the the rv park. It was so fun to have the wildlife so close up and personal.
We have said it so many times, but Derek and I absolutely love our date nights! Our usual is we will go out to eat in Nac at Auntie Pastas or Macklemores and then we go for a long walk. It is fun to let our stomachs settle after a delicious meal and we could chat and have fun. This was a new trail that one of Derek's employees told him about. We can't believe all the trails here to explore.
On the path there is a HUGE lawn chair!
It just cracks me up.
Claire did a project for homeschool. She is really enjoying school.
Thanks Nana for the superhero cape!
Oh my heck!!!
This moment was so terrifying for me and I still get PTSD whenever I go to the sink.
Snakes are my WORST fear and then I have to find one in my sink.
You can hear the story in the video below. (I will add it later)
Animal control had to come. It took them 30 long minutes to get to the house. When he came he first tried to grab it and it went down the sink. Then he had me turn on the disposal, but I really didn't want to clean that up (snake guts and blood- no thank you). So I turned it on and off real quick and he giggled up. Animal control to the rescue!
He said that they have been finding snakes more often in houses lately because of the heat, but I might hvae a hole in my pipes. Then I called the plumber to get their opinion about the pipes and they said that because we live in the city and a brick house, the snake probably came in a hole through the house and I happened to find it in the sink. I don't know if I find any comfort in that. ha ha.
It is called a gator snake (my two fears put together- ha ha).
Ashlyn and Brinely were invited by someone in the ward to a HARRY POTTER back to school party! They were beyond excited and how it sounded so much fun! This is the outside of the house and when they walked in they were sorted into houses (Ashlyn: Hufflepuff, Brinley:)Slytherin Then they got wands and had to practice spells, they had a quidditch games in the backyard on brooms. Then of course they had Harry Potter themed food. They had a great time!
Dennis and Hannah are so sweet! We were able to facetime them a few days before the event and they gave the gifts a gift of a broom that they could take to the party. That was so sweet and thoughtful of them. Thank you Dennis and Hannah!
Derek sold his truck.
A point of vulnerbility: This picture I wasn't going to put on the blog, but I thought I would share a moment where I wanted to throw in the towel and just go home. It was the last day of the trip as we were packing up to leave. This was the breaking straw moment, the kids have stayed up way past their bedtime (9-10) each night because it didn't start to get dark until 9, the kids would fight throughout the day, I felt like Derek and I had to go on shifts with the kids because they would drive us crazy with all the bickering towards each other, then for half of the day to be trapped in the 400 square foot RV with 7 people because it rained one of the days..I was just about going crazy at this moment. I just wanted to sit, close my eyes, and escape mentally (and emotionally).
Well a few minutes after this picture was taken Emmett fell into the river struggling to get out of the water and everyone is holding up their hands in the air, with guilty looks, saying, "It wasn't me" instead of helping him out of the water so he doesn't drowned. Then 2 minutes after that I told the kids to put on their shoes and Desi dropped her shoe in the river and it floated away. I WAS DONE!!! With tears in my eyes I walked up and down the river grumbling looking for the shoe and the camp host was watching me the whole time. I am sure he was thinking that I was crazy having five kids (which we were well seen and known in the campground as the family with LOTS of kids) and I couldn't handle them. What kind of a parent was I--- all the judgement. Now looking back, he was probably thinking I will help this poor women who is crying. The nice camp host found the shoe and when we got back to our campsite, he handed me a bouquet of peacock feathers that he found...ha ha. I thought it was for me, but it turned out he got them for the kids. ha ha.
Well this was a great opportunity for Derek and I to evaluate what we could do next time to make it better. The first thing I did was buy blackout shade for the kids windows ha ha and then we are going to schedule alone/quiet time everyday during naptime so we can all rejuvenate.
I am glad I can share this raw moment for me and let everyone know that it isn't always peaches-n-cream all the time! But one thing for sure that I am grateful for is Derek and I are on the same team!
