Friday, August 25th, 2017

Tonight our family enjoyed a trip to Hilton Coliseum to watch the ISU volleyball team defeat the Kent State Golden Flashes in 3 sets (25-19, 25-23, 25-18).  This was the season opener for the volleyball team.  We also went to the season opening match last year as well :)

The boys still do not exactly sit still and watch the match.  Basically right when we sat down in our seats Nolan began to beg and cry and plead for us to buy some ice cream... so eventually I took him to buy a Clone Cone that was big enough for the family to split.  A few minutes after finishing our treat, the boys get antsy and want to run around.  So Elizabeth and I took turns following them around as they ran around the concourse that encircles the court.  We did manage to catch most of the first two sets of the match and a bit of the third despite all of this, but then we decided to home early as we were doing as much running circles as we were watching the match.  Still, it is always fun to go to an ISU sporting event, and now that the fall sports are starting I should have plenty of entertainment for the next few months!

This was the opening serve of the match (and season).  Kent State won this point.

Nolan was happy after he filled his belly with ice cream!

Sunday, August 6th, 2017

Today we got back home after our first true vacation as a family of 4 (trips to relatives don't count).  Elizabeth, Nolan, Maxwell, and myself enjoyed a fun-filled trip to Branson, Missouri.  We left on Wednesday after work, so it was late getting down there (like 2:30 in the morning).

On Thursday morning we went out for breakfast at the Uptown Cafe.  They had a man playing live music while we enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet.  He played Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire among other things.  After breakfast, we "rode the ducks" around Branson and out on the water.  The "ducks" are really an old army vehicle that was spelled DUKW but pronounced "ducks".  They are basically like a big boat with wheels that go from land to water easily.  Later on that day we checked out the local fish hatchery, Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery.  They showed us a short video that explained the general operations at the hatchery, and then we had the kids toss some fish food to the trout.  That night we also went swimming back at where we were staying, and we went out to eat again at Mel's Hard Luck Diner.

On Friday we had Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast before checking out Talking Rocks Cavern.  The cave was really fun for us to explore.  We walked down a series of steps down to the bottom of the cave, then they turned off all of the lights so we could see how pitch black it was.  Next there was a little music and light show before we hiked back up to the top of the cave.  All of the rock formations were very beautiful, and it was interesting how it took thousands and thousands of years to form most of them.  Later on that day, Elizabeth took Nolan with her to the Titanic Museum while I stayed with Maxwell at the condo during his nap.  That night we went out once again for supper.  This time we stopped by the Fall Creek Steak & Catfish House.  I enjoyed the catfish dinner, Elizabeth had a burger with onion rings on it, and Nolan & Maxwell each basically ate only french fries and dinner rolls even though we bought them each a meal.

Saturday was another fun-filled day.  That morning we went to The Runaway Mountain Coaster, where Elizabeth & Nolan enjoyed a quick ride.  I guess that Nolan kept telling her to go "faster", but she was going fast enough for her liking already :)  Next, we stopped by Curling Vine Winery where we sampled a few of their wines before buying four bottles to take home as souvenirs.  The Chambourcin was my favorite.  The main attraction that we went to on Saturday was Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede.  It was quite the show and meal.  For the meal they served us whole Cornish game hens, pork loin, creamy vegetable soup, biscuits, corn on the cob, potatoes, and an apple turnover for dessert.  The show had so much going on that it's hard to describe.  The audience was seated in a large arena with the North half being the "Union" and the South half making up the "Confederate" side.  This way we could cheer against the other side during competitions during the show.  There was a lumberjack competition, a pig race, a chicken chase (little kids from the audience chased them), a dog show, barrel racing horses, etc.  The program also had trick riding of horses... one lady rode two horses at once while standing up (one foot on each horse), and then she jumped the horses through a burning ring of fire.  There were also buffalo, doves flying, singing, dancing, all kinds of stuff to watch. Naturally, the North ended up winning the competition (the same side that we sat on). After the show (and after some naps), we took the kids downtown to check out Branson Landing.  There was live music and a water show, but we did not stay very long for this.

Today we headed home, but we did manage to stop by Fritz's Railroad Restaurant in Kansas City.  It was a neat place to eat as small train engines delivered your food to your table!

Elizabeth and the boys outside of the Uptown Cafe

Nolan had fun blowing his "quacker" 

Nolan and I riding the duck

Here Nolan is checking out the trout at the fish hatchery.

I am sneaking through a narrow opening in the cave.

...more cave pictures...

Here I am holding Maxwell outside of the cave entrance. The kids enjoyed the playground pictured here.    

My catfish dinner.

Curling Vine Winery.

Getting ready for our meal at the Dixie Stampede.

The lady jumping two horses through a ring of fire!

...more Dixie Stampede.

Posing at the Runaway sign.

Elizabeth and Nolan just finishing up their ride.