Family Vacation: Broken Bow, OK

As I mentioned on Monday.....this past weekend the girls and I went on vacation to Broken Bow with my family (my mom, stepdad, Kristin's family, my granny, and my great Aunt Pauline).

We had a great time! It was nice to get away.....and was as relaxing as a vacation can be with 3 kids under 3. ;)


Parker was so excited to leave. On the Friday morning that we left, as I was doing our last minute packing...she kept saying, "I ready to go on bacation, Mommy!"

Over and over again. :)

True to form....as soon as we got there....she was ready to go swimming. She told us over. And over. :)

I guess we were moving too slow....because the next thing we new....she had taken all of her clothes off....running around trying to find her swim suit! So I quickly retrieved it out of our suitcase......

We brought lots and lots of food. Lots. of. food. We had fajitas, breakfast burritos, Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, hamburger, hot dogs, and sopapilla cheesecake to name a few!

We let the girls swim in the family-sized blow up pool soon after we got there. Our cabin was great...and had a large covered back porch that was able to house this pool....which was great for keeping us out of the sun.


Grace enjoyed herself the most, I think.

Here's Poppa.

Aunt Sis and Parker in the "hot pool"

My sweet baby girl hanging out in her Gramma's arms





We put Payton and Grace to bed early that first night....around 6:30pm. It had been a long day for them.

It was obviously too early to put Parker to bed....so she stayed up with us....and was all too excited to get back into the "hot pool."

It was this night...when she stayed up late with us....that I started realize how big she's getting. She was the big girl. Not the baby. And stayed up with the real big girls (us).

And I think I am getting a little more sentimental over it more than normal....because in about 3 weeks, she will be 3. So as her birthday nears....I am constantly thinking about and bringing up the past in my head when she was a baby. How 3 years ago today I was huge pregnant with her. How we had no kids. How now we have 2. How it's hard for me to even remember being married before kids (we had been married for 18 months when we had Parker).

Anyway....here is a picture of me and my girl in the 'hot pool.'

Her sweet little prune-y feet!

We played Scrabble that first night. I made the word WIN....and thought it was fortuitous of how my game would end....but it was not. I lost miserable.
The next 2 nights we played a fun game called Joker. My Papaw built this game years and years ago. It's one of those games that you forget how fun it is until you play it again. And you play on teams....so I think that makes it a little more fun.


Aunt Pauline was the rule enforcer. :)


This is a random picture of feet. :) Geoff always tries to tell me that Parker has my feet. Wide feet...with short, fat toes. I had intended to take this picture to prove to him that I was right....that her feet are nothing like mine. But....as it turns out....I think just lost this argument. :)


Sunday morning....my mom and Terry rented a boat. It was a first for my girls. And I'll admit....I was a little nervous about how Grace would do....and she did great! She cried for about 5 minutes at one point (which was only 15 minutes into the trip....which made me really nervous)....but then she ended up being just fine. I'm so glad we were able to do this.




She really is such a laid back baby!


Granny and Aunt Pauline

Love this picture of her. She was so good to keep her life jacket on and not complain too much.







Baby's First time in the lake!! I wasn't even going to get her in the lake.....and I only had her in there for a few minutes.....but it was early on and it was getting a little warm....so I did it to help her cool off a bit.

I had to feed Grace not long after we had gotten out in the lake (fun, fun, let me tell you). Anyway.....Mom and Terry tried to get Parker to get in the lake. And I think they may have held her in it a bit so she could get wet, but she was not really wanting to get in.

And so it made me really happy when I got into the lake....that she trusted me and wasn't too scared to get in with me. She giggled and laughed and held on tight! She really can be such a sweet little girl.

Proof. That I got on this big purple tube.


These girlies love their Gramma. By Saturday evening, I found myself saying, "Parker...come here and see me for a little bit. I miss you." Since she followed my mom all around....and only wanted my mom to help her...I started missing my her.


Back at our cabin....




We made snow cones....



Oh....and Love came, too, of course.

We painted nails....


I, personally, think she is getting a little better. :)

Gramma was a good sport and let her paint her toes, too.



And I let her paint my nails.

Granny and Grace.

Phil and Kristin.

Me and my girlies.


The whole family (minus Terry)....eating our grilled chicken, corn on the cob, baked potato, and baked beans dinner. We had homemade Butterfinger ice cream, as well as, smores for dessert.

It was a great time and I can't wait to do it again!