Cousins

Is this "old people" life? I got up to go the bathroom at 3:49am and never could go back to sleep. I finally waved the wife flag and made myself a cup of coffee. I debated playing a game over updating this blog but since I do want to remember what has happened this year, the blog won.

I am way behind and really, I don't like for this blog to just to be about what we have done, where we have gone, etc... but also about our daily life, my thoughts and musings, and important stuff like FOOD. But the reality is that we have done a lot and I have pictures that I want recorded so that's what the next few posts are going to be about.

Feel free to quickly scroll and then go check your FB or Instagram. Also, can someone please let the next generation know that IT IS OK TO TAKE A PHOTO WITHOUT YOUR TONGUE HANGING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH LIKE A THIRSTY DOG. I promise you won't regret looking back at a picture where you just smiled like a normal person. Because to be perfectly blunt and honest, you look like idiots. :)

So this first post is going to touch on a few things we have been able to do with our Jones cousins. Rachel and I have the perfect mix of boy/girl siblings. She has all boys, I have all girls. They blend so well because everyone naturally knows their places in the pretend games they create and since it's usually a husband/wife situation, no one is paired up with a sibling. We do have a 3/4 ratio so there's usually one random dog somewhere in the mix.

Earlier this year, we surprised them all with tickets to see Wild Kratts Live in Kansas City, MO. (Later we found out they were also coming to Fayetteville which would have put us home HOURS earlier, but what can you do?)

Rachel and I also found a deal on a Branson hotel/waterpark thing and decided to go up the night before and take the kids to the Dixie Stampede. Dixie Stampede was fun, of course, and the next morning we suited up and took them to the waterpark area of the hotel. It was an indoor water park and it was really fun, but poor Eily was blue from being so cold. I think we require sunshine when doing water activities. 

Ready to go watch some horses perform!

Two Southern Belles

Watching the bluegrass pre-show

Dixie Stampede Smiles

Legs for miles 

 Inspired by something Dad said in a sermon, Rachel made a deal with our kids that if they wrote letters to every household in our church, she would treat them all to a meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken because nothing says "heartfelt good deeds" like a little bribing.  It quickly became known as the KFC club and they decided it meant the Kind Friendly Caring Club. (Most of our letters ended up looking like this: Hello so-and-so, I am in the KFC club. I hope you have a good day. Love, so-and-so. Next time we need to focus on content.)

Celebrating the KFC meal in cowboy style

We also went to Mississippi and spent some time with Jason's side of the family.  The girls have three girl cousins and one boy cousin on that side of the family so things tend to be pretty girly. David is a trooper and never seems to mind. :)

Visiting Bebe and Bubba

That covers one category of photos to document. On to the next!