M-I-Z!

It seems hard to believe that this was our boys' first trip to Columbia.  Before we got there I was feeling a little traveled out and was wondering if staying the night in Columbia would be a good idea, or if everybody would be over vacation.  Happy to report we had a blast.  It was such a fun way to end a week focused on being thankful.  I like to think that Jon and I are becoming veteran parents (rather than pessimists) because we semi-jokingly talk about the one hundred ways our kids could lose it/get sick/drive us bonkers/never sleep before arriving somewhere, and then very often we are pleasantly surprised.  And less seldom we get a very expected dose of reality. :)

 

Columbia was the pleasantly surprised sort, though.

 

We started off the morning going for a hike at Rock Bridge State Park.  We saw scads of other families with tons of kids ranging from babes to pre-teens, and I can definitely see why.  The trail is exactly a half mile, with tons of natural wonder.  Perfect for all ages; perfect for little legs that were cooped up yesterday on Thanksgiving.  It was a chilly day, but so different from Texas in that it was perfectly still.  No breeze what-so-ever; no crazy gale blowing everything in your eyes.  

 

 

Jon: Hey guys!  Anyone know what that tree is?

Ollie: ummm... A sycamore?

Jon: Hey!  Yeah!  It is a sycamore!

Ollie: Yeah!  I just remember that you told me that once.

Jon: Do you want me to tell you names of other trees?

Ollie:  Yeah!!  Then someday I will be able to teach my kids!!

 

(Me: tearing up over darlingness)

 

 

 

Checking out the rocks in cave #1.

 

Bummer, no bats!

 

 

Jon and the big boys down in cave #2.

 

 

 

Then it was on to Flatbranch to meet up with Jessie, Daron, Silas, and Kristen.

(Kristen reminded me that the last time Seth had seen them he called them Kitchen and Other Kitchen.  Ha!!)

 

After some delicious chokes and cheese we went off to tour campus.  I think Seth and Ollie were actually impressed.  Lots of areas to run and climb, and Ollie kept asking if it was still College, "woaaaah, it's so big!" Jon, I am sure, would love them to someday be Tigers.  I think in-state, cheaper, Texas colleges sound just fine.  Ironic, I suppose, as I was the one out of state, appealing for in-state, while he was Missouri-grown.

 

 

(Megan, since you couldn't be here with your crew, note Nolan's blanket and know that you were with us in spirit.)

 

I love these ladies.  Too bad we had to travel a combined 28(ish) hours to arrive somewhere together.

 

On the walk back to the car, Jon snapped this one when the sky was a little bluer.  Mizzou should hire him for promotional photography things. 

 

Truman and the big boys at the bookstore.

 

We then spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in a freezing pool and a boiling hot tub. 

 

Pile on Kristen!

 

Kristen and I were lucky enough to snuggle Silas a little before bed.

 

Holiday Inn Express breakfast of champions. 

Note Daron's red sweat shirt on the right.  Sorry Daron that I didn't actually get any pictures of you in the action!  You are loved, too! 

 

Silas, guarding the bacon. 

 

Matching Mizzou Gals.

 

Tiger Family.

 

Time to head back to Lubbock... after we stop for the world's largest geocache!

(I don't actually think that's official...)

 

Jessie and Kristen, we are game for next year!