Branson Bonus Vacation!

Thanks to the generosity of Jen and Val, we got a bonus vacation this summer!  They invited us to stay with them at their condo in Branson, Missouri.  They also took us to Silver Dollar City, and Table Rock Lake.

These first pictures were taken after Courtney and the boys all went back to the condo.  We hadn't had enough roller coasters, so we stayed longer!

The girls are teaching me how to make weird faces...

 Somehow these pictures from the Lake are all out of order, but they pretty much speak for themselves

 

 Here we are at the top of an 18 foot cliff.  It seems a lot taller when you're at the top :/

Here's a video I took before I decided to give it a try

 Then we found some rope swings that were near the 30 foot cliff.

 Jason did this one with us.

 Kyle wasn't sure...

 but here's the proof:

 

Kyle tried skiing but didn't have quite enough patience.  Maybe next year.

 Look at all those sunburned, game night faces!  I couldn't even show Rachel in this picture because she was half-dressed soaking up the aloe-vera.  When you're at the Lake, the time speeds by and reapplying sunscreen in time was overlooked :(

On the way home we stopped in Mansfield, Missouri to tour the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder where she wrote the "Little House" books.  Rachel and I read all the books this year and really wanted to stop by.  It was a great sacrifice for the other 3 in our family who didn't want to go, because it added on 3 hours to our trip home, and they waited around on park benches while sunburned and sore.  But we appreciated it.  Some things are worth it!

We had so much fun!  Thanks Day family!