When we first started talking about the vacation, we kept referring to it as a camping trip. Upon our arrival at the cabin, Clif and I quickly realized we needed to stop calling this camping, or the boys would be sorely disappointed when they had their first true camping experience. The cabin was immaculate. The facade looked like a traditional log cabin with a tin roof if you could overlook the frequent spattering of large picture windows allowing for views of the pine trees and the creek bed that curved around the side of the house. The bottom floor consisted of three large bedrooms, each with their own TV and bathroom and a beautiful open concept kitchen, dining, and living area. The upstairs loft included both pool and shuffleboard tables along with four bunk beds and a TV complete with a Wii and games. The back porch was a dream. At the center of the porch was a large wood burning fire. To one side of the fire was a picnic table, hot tub, and outdoor living area (TV included). The other side consisted of a wrap around porch that overlooked a fire pit and playground for the kids.
That first afternoon consisted of the usual unpacking and exploring. Colt and Cody played on the playground with the Escobars', the family that dreamed up this vacation, children, Ava, Blake, and Kendall. We ate dinner, hung out, and talked by the fire pit just enjoying the surrounding scenery. Late into the night, the other family that was joining us, the Toblers, arrived with their two little ones, Behr and Bond. The kids all stayed up way too late, and by the time they finally when to sleep, it was close to midnight!
I awoke the next morning to the smell of Katherine making us a delicious pancake breakfast. After some play time and getting ready for the day, we loaded up the cars and took a short drive over to Ouachita National Forest. There we snacked, played, and walked in the cool lake water. The kids humored me by bringing me treasures for our nature scavenger hunt bag I picked up from the Target Dollar Spot a few weeks before.
Later that day, the younger babes went back to the cabin to take a nap while the older group hit the race track. We raced go karts, ate ice cream, and played a bit of mini golf before we joined up with the rest of our crew for a delicious brisket dinner!
That evening, the kids wound down by coloring and crafting. Those Crayola Color Wonder markers are a lifesaver! I was never once worried about the kiddos ruining anything in the pristine cabin because they only write on the special paper. I think sometimes people forget that children do not relax the same way adults do. TV is fun, but only for a short time, and, at least my little guys, don't enjoy just talking and shooting the breeze like I do. I find it super helpful to bring small, manageable arts and crafts along with us on vacation. Somehow these crafts keep the kids' bodies seated at a table, but keep their hands busy. After a long day playing outdoors, the kids were too amped to just relax in front of the TV. A simple craft was the perfect way to get our littles to calm down while we were just talking and relaxing ourselves.
For dinner that night we had enchiladas prepared by your's truly. The kids relaxed before a yummy ice cream sundae dessert by playing with Play Doh . After the kiddos went to bed, us grown ups spent our last night out on the patio discussing our favorite podcasts, "Up and Vanished", reminiscing about old times, and talking about how much life has changed since we've had children. It was the perfect way to end the vacation. The next morning we ate breakfast and started to pack up. On the way home, Clif and I talked about how much we truly enjoyed the vacation. The setting was serene, making it a fun way to connect with nature. There were so many unique things to do in the little town, that we always felt like we had options available to us. It was really just so much fun to spend time with our friends and their families in such a special place. We enjoyed it so much, we're hoping to make it an annual event!
