Kansas City Adventure-- The T-Rex Cafe

After we checked out of the Great Wolf Lodge, we headed to the T-Rex Cafe for desert (we ate lunch in our room). It was a fun place, with LOTS to look at. Most of us shared Hot Lava Cakes-- they were big enough for at least four people. The food was good, and the atmosphere was great! I highly recommend it!

Kansas City Adventure-- the Water Park

I was very impressed with the water park at the Great Wolf Lodge. I had been a bit apprehensive about keeping up with all five of them (especially Eli) around all of the water, but it ended up being a great experience. The life guards were wonderful, and there were a lot of them. They were very focused on their job, to the point that they would hardly talk to anyone so they would not be distracted. We still kept a close eye on the children (especially the littles), but we had lots of help.

There was a shallow area with small water slides for Anna Grace and Eli, which kept them happy for long stretches of time. There was also an activity pool, a lazy river, a tree house with lots of opportunities to get wet, and several big water slides. Isaac was initially very hesitant about going down the big slides, but before too long, he had joined Bailey and their friends in trying them all out. A bell rang every five minutes to announce that a giant bucket on top of the tree house was about to drop a whole bunch of water. The bell brought the adventurous children running to the bucket, and the more timid children running quickly away from the bucket!

It was really nice to have the hotel right there so that I could take the little ones back to the room when they were tired. I don't know if I ever want to go to an outdoor water park now -- I'm spoiled! I highly recommend it!

Kansas City Adventure

Several weeks ago, we embarked on an adventure to Kansas City. Mark and the children had never been to the great state of Kansas, so we packed our bags and headed that way. We went with four other families for a long weekend of fun.

Our first stop was a visit with Mark's cousin Nancy and her precious family. Having the wisdom that comes with being a grandparent of small children, she suggested that we meet at a fine dining establishment -- Chuck E. Cheese. We had a great time visiting with them and earning tickets and eating pizza at the same time.

Afterwards, we joined our friends at the Great Wolf Lodge to stay for two nights. I had never heard of the Lodge before, but it was quite a joint! It is a combination hotel and water park, and there are twelve of them around the country. The Sunday after our visit, it was on the television show "Undercover Boss", so apparently it is quite a popular place. It is typically an expensive place to visit, but we were able to get a good deal because one of our nights was during the week, and there was a special going on. It was still more than we usually pay for a hotel, but the price also included the whole day at the water park. We took breakfasts and lunches to eat in the room to try to add a bit of frugality to the trip.

The Lodge also had a pajama story time for the children, which our littles enjoyed. There was lots of "lodgey" kind of things to look at, which gave us some good photo opportunities.

To Be Continued...

Anna Grace's New Friend

"Why is there a doll in my suitcase?"
Anna Grace meets her new friend.

A few years ago, I made the rule that the girls in our house had to be seven years old to get an American Girl Doll. That is how old Bailey was, and it seemed to work well. I wanted them to be old enough to take good care of them. Last year, I broke my rule and gave Olivia one for her sixth birthday. She has taken very good care of her. In fact, sometimes I have to encourage her to play with her because she is afraid of messing her up!

A couple of weeks ago, I broke my rule again and gave Anna Grace one for her fifth birthday. There were several reasons for this rule breakage. The girls are in their A.G. book club, and all of the girls have them (I know, I know, I gave into peer pressure.). Her favorite doll was being "retired" at the end of December (I know, I know, I also gave into marketing). Besides all of that, I really liked the doll too!

She had no idea that she was getting it. Her birthday was February 2, but we were heading to Kansas City the weekend before, and one of our destinations was the American Girl store there. I wanted to go ahead and give her the present before we left. I brought out suitcases for the girls to pack for the trip. When Anna Grace opened hers, there was an Elizabeth doll inside. At first, she was completely confused. She thought it was Bailey's doll. We finally convinced her that it was her very own. She was thrilled! It was worth every penny!

A Neat Video

This is a really neat story about showing grace to other people!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52AOPQvCTv4&feature=related

Something Is Missing!

I forgot to mention that Anna Grace lost her first tooth on February 1st, which was the day before her fifth birthday! It had been loose for a few days, and she was terrified! It turned out not to be nearly as painful as she had imagined. She lost her second one a few days ago. She is growing up way too fast!

A Sweet Surprise at Church!

Our minister, John Mark, had a very "sweet" object lesson in church yesterday. He was speaking about God's grace, and he had a smoothie up on stage with him. He asked if anyone in the audience would like it. Several teens volunteered, and he gave it away. He talked about how it would have been a painful act, but he knew there was more where that came from. He then gave a smoothie to everyone in the congregation. He went on to preach about how God's grace is like that. He has more than enough to meet our needs and we can trust Him. Whether it be our time, money, forgiveness, or whatever, his grace is sufficient for us. We can be generous with those in need, knowing that God is faithful to meet our needs. What a great lesson!