A Table Rock Tale

If you are reading this, it means I have survived an 8-day vacation far away from home with two toddlers. And I might have even had some fun. :)

When the idea of a vacation at Table Rock Lake was originally presented, I was extremely leery. Nine hour drive there. Nine hour drive back. A one-year-old. A three-year-old. Two pack & plays. A million diapers. Bottles. Formula. Juice cups. Pull ups. Nap times in a strange place. Another 11 people who would have to not only witness, but live with my two littles. Not gonna lie. I was scared. And instantly tired just thinking about it.

But memories aren't made unless you go and do. So we went and did. (Mind you, with the motto "Think Gumby. Be flexible.") Here's the tale.

It began with an hour-and-a-half packing/loading process. Our aim had been to meet at Cy & Prissy's at 9:30 and pull out at 10:00. We severely underestimated the amount of time it takes to load  luggage for 12, plus coolers and pack & plays and food and kitchen items. What this means is, by the time we pulled out, we had about 30 minutes before we'd need to pull over for lunch. Turns out, that was the least of our worries.

Here are a few things we learned on the drive to Table Rock:

1. Keeping a caravan of 3 trucks and two boats is ideal but not very possible. We lasted until McKinney. Scratch that. We lasted until the end of the street. By McKinney, we were all completely separated.

2. Traffic detours in McKinney are extremely confusing.

3. 20-year old boat trailer tires should probably be changed before attempting a 9-hour trip.

4. 12 people require a lot of restroom breaks and food stops.

5. Branson roads can make even the sturdiest of stomachs woozy.

Since some of my family will read this, I must confess that our truck did not have to endure numbers 2 and 3. When we were separated in McKinney, we were told to go ahead while the other two trucks dropped off a pet at a friend's house. (Incidentally, those two trucks were pulling the two boats.) We did not get stuck in McKinney traffic, nor did we get lost in the McKinney detour. Nor were we around for the blown tire. (In case you're wondering, the tire blew directly across from a tire shop. What luck!) In fact, we made the trip in the allotted 9 hours while the others stretched it out to 11. I understand there is a disparity of fairness here. But considering the 9th hour was horrible for my one-year-old, I'm glad I didn't have to check out the 10th and 11th hours. I apologize, family.  #sorrynotsorry

But now to the fun part!

  The house.  

  The dock.  

  The lake.  

  Fishing.  

  Boating & Skiing.  

With their future Aunt, aka Cookie

It was a tight fit.

"Cutler, do you want to swim?"
"No thank you, Aunt Jac-waan."

We wouldn't really say he's redneck. Or maybe we would. He's a man of style.

Wake surfing attempt #43. Poor ole boat just couldn't kick up enough wake.

Boat, yes. Water, not so much.

  Swimming.  

Not sure if he liked the water either. Hard to tell when your life jacket scrunches your face.

  Mischief.  

To be fair, he didn't start it. I know. Shocking.

They did.

The instigators.

Then they went undercover. A water balloon fight  broke out immediately after this.

Trouble.

Bigger Trouble.

  Eatin' & Chillin'.  

It shall be noted that he is sitting in the sink here. Grampa's way of keeping things clean.

What... no s'more for me?

Yes. We ate a lot. As in a ton of food. We had enough rations for a small army. And though skeptical at the beginning, we did not waste much. Apparently, boating and relaxing make you hungry.

  Excursions.  

Cy & Meah

Jeremy & Cutler

Jacqueline & Colt

Kathleen & Laney

Garrett, Cookie & Big Cy

Go-Karting can wear a body out.

Probably the highlight of Cutler's trip. He loves Ockimus (Optimus) Prime.

There was one other excursion that was not photographed. There may or may not be video proof. But Big Cy took all the ladies into Branson one night for a show. We saw Six. A group of six brothers who sing everything acapella. (We learned there are actually 10 brothers. Bless the woman who gave birth to 10 boys.) Anyhoo. Rumor has it a couple of us made it on stage for a little dance number. And then later, 4 of us formed a dance troupe for the roving camera. We were a hit. Jacqueline even earned us a free bucket of popcorn. Score. (No, nothing unsavory was performed. Get your mind outta gutters. She simply walked up to the stand and the poor kid says, "Would you like a free bucket?" Free? Why yes. Good job, Jac.)

  The Siblings.  

This pose is a reproduction of a pose they did back when the boys were in high school. I'd show you the older one, but a) don't have it handy and b) let's face it - they pretty much look the same.

So there you have it, folks. Our Table Rock tale. Minus a story here and there. (8 days of stories would make this the never-ending tale. I consolidated.) In a nutshell, we ate, we swam, we played, we crashed. As evidenced  below.

We entertained ourselves wherever we landed. Like at the one (out of 100) rest stop below.

We had to repeat the motto (Think Gumby. Be flexible.) here and there.
We learned a lot about each other. Mostly good. :)
But most importantly, we made memories. And when I got tired, all I had to do was look at the excitement on Cutler's face each day and know that it was worth it. Because that little boy LOVED spending the week with his cousins. And being on the boat. And playing games. And following Garrett around. And following Meah around. And following Colt around. And doing new things. And well.... making memories.

  The End.