Family and Adventure

I meant to post this much sooner. The previously mentioned excuses still apply.

But now...

The long-awaited conclusion of:

Our Vacation!

When we last left our heroes, they were making their way to where few have traveled before: Marshall, Arkansas.

Not much happens in the small town of Marshall, except that each year it is taken over by my family as we all gather for a reunion.

Matt and I took our time on the long drive out, stopping to visit a small candy store from Matt's youth:


And to have a nice picnic lunch:


When we finally made it to my grandparents' house, we were greeted by the welcoming comittee:

I was scared.

Matt and I were some of the first family members to get in, so we got my grandparents to ourselves for awhile. It was a good chance to chat before all the hubbub started.

We decided it had been too long since our last hike, so on Thursday morning we headed out to local wilderness around the Buffalo River.

It was an easy hike, but it was very humid. And the trail was covered in spider webs. I'm easily freaked out by things like this, but Matt was very gentlemanly. He found a "spider stick," and used it to clear the path. I'm glad it was him and not me.

The trail took us to an old homestead. Matt's so tall he had to duck through all the doors as we were exploring.

View of the Buffalo River.

A butterfly. Pretty.

While the hike was most definitely the easiest we'd had this year, we finished the sweatiest we'd been all summer. The humidity made it feel like we were hiking in a rain forest. But it was nice to get out.

Later that evening, my mom arrived with my sister and the kiddos. Immediately all focus moved to my baby niece.

But that's ok. She's pretty darn cute, so I understand. And because my sister never posts on her blog anymore, I feel obligated to share these adorable pictures.

Baby.

At my favorite Country Store and Restaurant: Ferguson's.

Friday morning, Matt and I kidnapped my niece and set out for an adventure. Hannah had been left behind by her older sister, who had an opportunity to take a trip to Disney World without her. We thought Hannah should get to have a little special fun, too. So we went canoeing!

Excited to set out!

On the river.

A couple in front of us tipped there canoe so Matt, being the nice guy he is, got in the river to help them recover it. I'm glad we didn't tip.

Action shot.

We stopped for a while to swim and have a snack. Matt and the kid swam out to a big rock.

Pretty.

After we made it back safely.

We managed to keep our canoe upright, and we left with only mild tan-lines (I hate sunburns), so it was a successful trip! And a lot of fun!

With all the exciting things we'd been doing, we could almost forget that we still had a big family reunion on Saturday. Family kept pouring in, and it was great to see everyone again.

Baby, with my cousin.

Playing horseshoes. My dad showed up after the reunion had already started (he had to fly in later than the rest of us), but he got there just in time for a game on one of the worst horseshoe pits I've seen. But it was still fun.

View from the cabin we stayed in.

One of the coolest thing about my family reunions is the music. We have so many musicians in my family that each year, they all bring out their instruments (and voices) and have a little "jam session." I don't join in that often, but I'm a really good listener.

Daddy and Grandpa.

Unfortunately, we had to start our two-day drive home Saturday afternoon in order to be back to work on Monday. But after our long week, we were ready to be back at our house with our cats.

On the way home, we took the time to enjoy one last Kansas treat.

Ah, Carlos O'Kelly's.

Fun trip, but being home is pretty good, too.