Lake of the Ozarks Vaca 2013

This year we visited my parents home at the Lake of the Ozarks Friday, June 28 through Friday, July 5. Asher stayed until Sunday, July 7 with my parents.
We arrived to dropping temperatures. It was 80 at 8pm when we pulled up to my parents home. I thought it was weird that it was warmer at home. Little did we know that 80 would be the warmest we would see it until the end of our trip. The first couple days we just chilled by the dock. The first morning it was 67 degrees. I went running and was shocked to not get hot (but I saw a deer and my first ever armadillo!).  Anyway, even with the cool temperatures, the kids jumped right in, going down the slide. Chris got in, too, God bless him, as I sure was not getting into the cold water. The kids played in the water on and off during Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday night, my parents arrived. We then got out the jet skis and took many rides, the boat for scenic rides as well as to go tubing. All the kids love to go tubing (with Daddy) but my body just can not hack the jarring of tubing. I'm a nervous wreck just watching the kids tubing. Addison and Asher liked to go on canoe rides with Chris and I, seeing deer, big bullfrogs and water snakes. Addison was so mad I could not catch this huge frog the size of a raccoon. Honestly, I did not want to be anywhere near it, let alone catch the thing in the net! Asher liked to go in circles really fast on the jet ski with Daddy or Grandpa (Mommy was too slow), Addison liked to go slow on the jet ski, and Alivia drove the jet ski like a mad woman. She did slow down (under 60mph) after I told her 40 mph should be her limit. Gees! I was glad she went speedy with speedy Grandpa and not with me.
We took the short drive over to Osage Beach to go to the Outlets and to Grandma's Candy Store. We learned after this trip to make the shopping trip to the candy store late in the trip (so you only CAN go once) and leave the kids at home with Grandma and Grandpa when going to the outlets. Gees! I at least got a nice new yellow nike hat that I have already gotten my money's worth out of and Chris got some new Nike t-shirts. The girls, of course, loaded up at the Justice outlet (sigh!).
This was our first Fourth of July at the Lake. My parents' neighbor took us out in his beautiful new pontoon boat to see the show on the water at Tantara resort. It was fabulous! It was cool to see all the boats floating in the water waiting for the show, too. Amazing show.
It was a wonderful trip to the Lake, as usual. Now...for the list of family favorites.
Alivia: Learning to control the jet ski (with assistance), swimming, tubing, going down the slide, oreos, hot chocolate for breakfast, and Grandpa's home made ice cream.
Addison: Canoe rides, slow jet ski rides, the slide, eating candy, slow tubing, and sleeping next to Mommy and Daddy most of the nights at the lake.
Asher: Canoe rides, fast jet ski rides, tubing, Grandpa's Huge hamburgers with a slice of bacon on them, and getting to stay later with Grandma and Grandpa. Oh, and Asher loves candy legos and gummy worms from the candy store.
Chris: sleeping in, not working (although he did work anyway), canoe rides, jet ski rides, time with the family, shopping with me (love the metal store! Next year I am buying me something there!), and maybe a little tubing.
Me: Canoe rides, quiet runs in the mornings with my parents' dog Kota (but with brown bears in the area, running may not be very smart), jet ski rides, grandma's swing over the water, Grandpa's state of the art new dock.

Dislikes: the brown recluse spiders we saw. I hope the spray man gets these things before our return. YIKES! We had one crawling up behind our bed as we were about to crawl into it late on the 4th of July. Chris and I had insomnia that night! I wonder why?!

With that said, I am tempted to make a return trip to the lake. Seriously. I have not said anything to anyone, but I like the chill environment of the lake. It is so laid back and nice. I miss that when I get home, to reality. I need to take a piece of that laid back life back to Nebraska...and I think I left it all at the lake. I must return to get it. :)

4th of July 2013.