fall break. 2013

Last weekend we went to Branson for fall break. We've been promising Reid a trout fishing trip since this summer, and we decided that fall break would be the perfect time to go! We decided to stay at Big Cedar, and the trip could not have been any better! Jeb and I stayed at Big Cedar for the first time this summer and we have been wanting to bring the kids here ever since. The kids absolutely LOVED Big Cedar! It was so relaxing, the weather was perfect, and the kids could just run free all around the beautiful resort! 

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Instead of staying in a private cottage, this time we got a room in Falls Lodge. The room was amazing and had a huge jacuzzi tub! Jeb and I decided we liked the room in the lodge much better than our private cottage! 

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I had to get a pic of Jeb's beard!

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The balcony/back porch view from our room!

                   

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Reid's favorite spot on the resort was Bent Hook marina. He loved feeding the fish and trying to name all of the different types. We even saw a river otter! 

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Big Cedar in the fall is absolutely GORGEOUS! Fall decorations were everywhere, and they had this adorable set-up outside of the Truman sandwich shop. 

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Reid looks so old in these pics!

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Precious baby girl!

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Handsome boy!

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Love these kids!

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How cute is this?!

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Another one of Reid's favorites was the putt-putt course! The last hole was a giant fish, which Reid wanted to play over and over, of course!

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The fall foliage in the Ozarks is absolutely breathtaking! 

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I took this picture one morning of the Devil's Pool lodge and restaurant. The colors were amazing! 

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These are some of my favorite shots of the weekend! 

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This is the face she made after she spotted a bumble bee! Ha! 

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Matching girls!

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18 weeks preggo!

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my love.

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Dinner at the Worman House

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On Friday, we spend the entire day at Silver Dollar City. This is one of my favorite places! I love the food, the rides, and the Ozark mountain scenery! LilliAnn enjoyed the strawberries and ice cream...this was her first stop as soon as we got into the park! 

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Roller coaster Reid! He LOVES rides and isn't scared of anything! 

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The pirate ship is always Reid's favorite, but this was little much for sis! 

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The kids really wanted to ride the log ride (or the American Plunge). It was pretty cold outside, and I knew that if they got wet it would not be a good situation. Jeb was completely against it, but after much persuading, they took off for the line. And...they got absolutely SOAKED! Thankfully, they were pretty good sports about it and didn't complain too much. Reid said this ride was "so very AWESOME, mom!"

                      

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I think the plunge wore her out! 

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Silly boy!

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my little punkin'

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Jeb and Reid went on a guided trout fishing trip early Saturday morning, while Lil and I enjoyed sleeping in at the lodge. They fished Lake Taneycomo and caught 10 rainbow trout! Reid had a blast and said this was his favorite part of the entire trip! He is our little fisherman! He knows every type of fish and what you use to catch them. He says when he grows up he's going to work on oil wells and take people on fishing trips! 

Jeb ended up putting the fish on ice and we cooked them when we got home. I made pan-fried rainbow trout and it was delicious! 

                                 

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After the boys got back from their fishing trip, we took a walk around the resort and enjoyed the beautiful scenery! 

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And the kids played in the leaves... 'cause that 's what kids are supposed to do! 

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This is what I want for my kids... to be free, to have fun, to live life to the fullest, to laugh, to play, to love nature, to enjoy the beauty the God created around us, and to embrace happiness! 

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the. cutest.

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Next, we headed into town for a little bit of shopping at Branson Landing before heading to Dixie Stampede. I love Dixie Stampede, but since I'm allergic to horses, I always have to take a Benadryl before we go into the show. I guess I didn't take the Benadryl soon enough, because I started having an allergic reaction and had to sit in the gift shop most of the time. Thankfully, Jeb was able to get my food to go and I still got to enjoy that delicious apple turnover! The kids loved the show, of course, and LilliAnn even got a rose at the end of the show from one of the performers! 

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Big Cedar is a little slice of heaven on Earth. I think we'll be coming back here every fall!

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crazy haired kids!

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On Sunday, we decided to get a canoe and go out on Table Rock Lake before heading back home. Reid was all about it, but LilliAnn did not like the canoe AT ALL. I put her in the canoe first, and then I got in. This was not the right idea, as the canoe started rocking as I was stepping in and she freaked completely out. She thought that it was going to tip over and she was scared the rest of the time. 

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I dropped my oar in the water and this was the look on Reid's face! 

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Poor baby! She was so scared!! 

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He was a great little rower! 

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Towards the end of our canoe ride, she finally started to feel better. She felt safe in her daddy's arms and started enjoying our little adventure! 

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We had the best time together! Branson is the perfect location for a quick little family get-away and I HIGHLY recommend Big Cedar! Next time, we'd like to take my parents and get a family cabin on the lake....hopefully next spring!

                       

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