Epic Hoagland Family Vacation - Part 4

After we had exhausted all the fun Bennett Springs and the surrounding area had to offer, we decided to go to Springfield to enjoy the rest of our trip.  We got a fabulous deal (Priceline!) at an amazing hotel right next to Hammonds Field (Springfield Cardinals play there), we could see the fireworks from our window that Friday night.  We started with the zoo, went to a Springfield Cardinals game, played a couple disc golf courses in Springfield, and played a little tennis.

From inside our lovely hotel...with free breakfast ;)

Disc Golf at Evangel University

 Springfield Cardinals!

 

A disc golf course in a shady neighborhood...we came upon some bullet casings and small liquor bottles.  I also threw my disc into peoples yard, I'm really terrible at this game.

 

Epic Hoagland Family Vacation - Part 3

Some of the odd things we found to do were go to the largest puzzle store, they really had a lot, see the largest root beer bottle, go to an antique mall/flea market, and we spontaneously stopped by the Home of the Tornado Turtle.  Nothing was there, it was abandoned, I don't know what the tornado turtle did or was but it was a fun sign to take a picture in front of.

The antique mall had cheese...don't they all?

Laclede county was also having its annual fair....this is one part of the trip I could have done without.  We watched a ridiculously long horse pull thing...

The boys didn't ride anything at the carnival but they did play some of the carnie games, Christian won this eagle on his first game, Cameron played two or three different things, blew all his wad and only came away with this tiny little duck.  Quite comical or devastating...

depends on how you look at it.

Epic Hoagland Family Vacation - Part 2

Float Trip!!!  This was a part of our vaca that we were all really looking forward to.  We let the boys get ride-on kayaks and James and I shared a canoe, I paddled, he fished, we ran into trees, banks, rocks, he fished, hee, I love to paddle and I sometimes steer, hee hee.

 

Cameron had this brilliant idea to make the Superman logo on his chest and then apply sunscreen.

The tape ended coming off right away and his "Superman" logo ended up pink instead of just untanned.

 

They jumped off logs and fallen trees...

 

 

James caught his first fish...

 

 

 

I even jumped off...once.

 

This was a very long float trip...seriously, we were so exhausted and

ready for it to be over but it was a blast.

 

 

Epic Hoagland Family Vacation - Part 1

This summer we decided we would go "camping" for our vacation.  That usually doesn't sound too relaxing to me but I just wanted to get away with my family.  Then we started planning...muhahaha!  I found some "cheap" cabins on the internet near Bennett Springs, so no tents, fabulous!  We booked the cabin for Monday night thru Thursday because they doubled in price on the weekend...and face it, we are cheap....thrifty.  We decided we could be spontaneous for the last few days of our trip.

The search began for fun and entertaining things to do while we were away that were close to Bennett Springs, etc.  It turned into a ridiculous search for the oddest things to do.  I made a brochure with our faces on it and the itinerary inside...I know, totally cheesy but the boys thought it was hilarious...I just can't help myself.  We picked up the boys from an FCA Leadership day at Camdenton and then we were off to find our cabin and see exactly what we had gotten ourselves into.

Not too shabby :)

James fixed breakfast every morning!  I cleaned up, we make a great team.

 

This was great, there were nice restrooms (flushers) with showers closeby and everything was very clean.  Next we went to Lebanon to do some of our fun activities.

 

The boys (all 3 of them) have gotten into Disc Golf, I know, I know, just go with it.  I play for the exercise?  I really just play to be with them.  The first course we went to was pretty lame rough but we had fun :)

 

 

 

Next...on to Bennett Springs State Park to get fishing tags for the morning and what not.

 

Yes, planking...

Some of the Epic things

The men went fishing....really early, and I sat in a camp chair near them and read a book.

 

We went to an Alpaca Ranch....

 

 

 Very exciting...

 

More Disc Golf...different course...a much better course, of course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betcha can't wait for part 2!

 

 

Oops!!!

I know, I know!  I haven't blogged all summer long!  Can you tell it's been busy?

I will try to sum up the last few months briefly, ha.  I was once again VBS Director, lots of work but lots of awesome help, that was the beginning of June.  Also in June, I chaperoned Broadway Baptist Church Youth Camp in Springfield, another week....gone.  We went on vacation in July, it was awesome.  I will have an exclusive blog post about that soon, someday.  Christian had his tonsils out on July 30th, we had a week long youth mission trip at our church that same week.  The boys have had weights and sports camps, fca things, boys state, etc throughout the summer, almost every day of the summer, and on and on with lots of excuses.  But rest assured I will be back....soon, ha ha.