Letters to Jack & Audrey: Ozarks Weekend

Jack,

This weekend was spent in the Ozarks with your Grandma and Poppa Dough and Aunt Kelly and Uncle Bobby. The trip was a kind of short notice road trip. We decided that we were going to scout out some of the Condos down in the Ozarks with my parents and took off early in the AM on Saturday in order to get a move on in the morning when it would be easier for you to be in the car.

We made it about 75% of the way there when you got carsick. I really didn't know it was possible for that much vomit to come out of a child. For the amount of vomit that there was, I would have thought it was the content of four or five children's stomach's and not just yours. Your daddy swore that he didn't think you could possibly have eaten that much. That's what I was thinking, too.

We pulled into a truck stop and I stripped off your shirt in the parking lot, grabbed your diaper bag and took you into the restroom to finish the job of cleaning you up and calming you down. It's a little upsetting to anyone to be sick, but you were pretty freaked out by it. I was able to clean you up most of the way, although your hair was matted with dried vomit and there was nothing I could do about it.

Your father was working on cleaning up the carseat and the back of the car where it was Horc Central. I was waiting in the Truck Stop Shop for a change of clothes when one of the ladies approached to let me know that I had some vomit on my shirt.... aaaaaand in my hair..... aaaaand on my face.... She was sympathetic and offered me the use of their truck stop showers free of charge, but I just cleaned up in the restroom after daddy had rinsed out your clothes in the bathroom sink and gotten plastic trash bags from the janitor for all the vomit covered clothes and car items that had been doused in the substance.

This minor glich was a teeny tiny hiccup in an otherwise perfect weekend. We got to the Ozarks and cleaned up just in time for everyone else to arrive. The room that we stayed in was incredible to say the least. These pictures above were taken when we arrived. Immediately, we were having a wonderful time making outselves comfortable, having lunch and playing.

You were in awe of the television setup that they had at the place. It was kind of like a shrine - which seems kind of fitting. I have to admit that I found myself staring at it with my mouth open too. Tell me this isn't COOL!

We ended up watching a little TV and then checking out the rest of the digs.

The balcony was big, the view was beautiful and with a railing that had safely been installed to keep toddlers from perilous falls.

You LOVED being able to go in and out of your own free will and I liked not having to worry about you doing it. The balcony was a lot of fun for all of us!

You were eager for Kelly and Bobby to arrive and even said Kelly which comes out "KAIY! KAIY! (pronounced: K-EYE) and called for Ba-Ba too. When Grandma and Poppa arrived in addition, you were so excited, it was all I could do to keep you from falling down the stairs in your eagerness to greet them!

After all of that excitement, we set off to see the different places.

The toll of the carsickness and the excitement of the morning hit you full on and you slept through the ENTIRE AFTERNOON!

Here's what you thought of the first place:

....and the second place....

....and the third place....

...and the fourth place...

By the time we arrived back at the place that evening, you were bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to party! We were pretty excited, too, because there was a room that we had seen that was very similar to the one that we were staying in - so it was pretty darn nice!

And right about HERE is where things got a little out of control....

YEAH - DINNERTIME!!

What?!?

Ooooooh. I can't eat another bite. Here Aunt Keiy...

what did he just give me?

Awwww! What could be cuter than a baby with a knife?

Only a daddy disarming a baby with a knife.

Okay, Everyone! Let's take a serious picture now!:

Maybe you didn't hear me.....

And the number is 6! 6 ice cubes can be crammed in Mommy's mouth before she has to spit them out on the floor!

WHAT?!?!?

It's a bird - it's a plane - it's JACK!

Peace, y'all!

Here you are showing Grandma the proper way to load a dishwasher....

Don't even ask......

Poppa Dough blows us all away with his fantastic hairstyle!

I had to steal a little J kiss! You're too cute to resist!

and, finally, peek-a-boo behind the blinds. Not pictured - Poppa Dough hiding on the porch behind the blinds and reaching through to tickle you while you tried to figure out what was going on.

It was such a great weekend! It made me think about how much I loved these trips when I was a child - going to the lake and the fun that we had. They were wonderful memories and I want this for you, too.