Swingin' Bridge

If you live in Arkansas and you have a chance to slip away to the little town of Oark, do it!  We don't live too far from it, but we rarely make a trip.  Every time we do, we realize we need to do it more often!  There's just something about the simplicity of spending the day at the creek.  Reminds me of so many memories out in Bobby's field hiking to Flat Rock and just playing all day.
On this day, we got up early and headed to eat at the Oark General Store.  We had a fabulous breakfast and the people who were there were so friendly and kind!  After our breakfast, we drove to the Swingin' Bridge, which is just a few short miles down the road.  I made sure to pack the kids bathing suits, towels, snacks, and drinks b/c I figured we would be there for a while.  The kids had a blast playing in the water, wading in the creek, throwing rocks, and jumping off the rock.  It was such a perfect day that even Randall and I ended up in the water.  I didn't bring any clothes, but I dried off before we left.

As you can see from the pictures, we had an amazing day.  Nothing is better than driving through gorgeous scenery, having a fabulous breakfast, and spending the day doing the simplest of things, but enjoying every single moment of the time spent together!  This day reminds me of one of my most favorite quotes-

2015 Camping Trips

Camping has always been something I LOVE to do.  I remember so many camping trips with my cousin Eli, Maggie, my mom, and my aunt.  Those truly are some of my greatest childhood memories.  I think what made them so special was the time spent with cousins.  I want my kids to remember our camping trips and all the memories they created with their cousins and aunts and uncles.  We had so much fun!

Our first trip was kind of a spur of the moment trip to Cove Lake.  I wasn't too thrilled with the thought of Cove Lake at first.  It didn't have electricity and we were there in the heat of the summer.  Arkansas summers can be straight up muggy and sticky.  I'm not a huge fan of the heat.  Turns out, it was one of the best camping trips I could remember.  We had the best camping spot, with a little cove all to ourselves.  The kids were able to hop in the canoes and kayaks and just paddle around.  What an adventure!  Fishing was a favorite as well!  My absolute favorite part of the whole trip was just about an hour or so before sunset, we would paddle to the swimming area.  During the day, it was quite busy, but in the evening- completely empty.  We would cool off from the hot day and then paddle back to camp during the sunset.  I was always in awe of God's creation.  One night, Randall and I went out on the lake at dark.  It was absolutely gorgeous being in the middle of the lake at night and looking up and seeing all the stars.

Our second camping trip was in the fall at Shoal Bay.  We have camped at Shoal Bay many times.  This time didn't disappoint!  We had a great time!  Again, paddling around was the favorite for the cousins.  Biking and skateboarding came in second.  It is such a blessing to watch these kiddos create these memories together!  One of my favorite things was watching Randall teach the kids how to rappel.  Watching him in his element was such a fun thing for me to see.  It was also neat to watch the kids start off being scared, then move to being confident in themselves and finish down the rock.  We had fabulous weather that weekend.

Bees that buzz, kissable dandelion fuzz

Sweet, sweet summertime!  Oh it is the greatest!  I love nothing more than loading up the van full of kids and heading to the pool!  This summer didn't disappoint!  We loved every single minute of summer!  We didn't do much.  We don't go on vacation or spend loads of time away from the house.  Mainly we drive less than five miles down the road to my mom and dad's pool.  I am thankful for this time because-
#1- I get to spend good quality time with my kids
#2- my kids get to spend good quality time with their cousins
#3- my kids get exercise
#4- kids that get exercise, eat better
#5- kids that get exercise and eat better, sleep better