Not all Water-logged. .

Hey. .

Welcome back!!

So. .

I'M. .not a lover of the water. .

It's cold. .

and wet. .

And frankly, being VOLUNTARILY surrounded with water saturated by people and animal waste . .

Grosses me out!!

And my husband. .

figured out. .

that if some NON-water activities are included. .

The whole week just goes better for him!!

I thought I would share a few photos of our non-water related excursions!

We traveled on the 4th this year. .

And we intended to eat at local place that advertises a shrimp boil EVERY Friday night. .

EVERY. Friday. night. .

EXCEPT. .

they moved the one from the 4th. .to Saturday night!

It truly was a Looooooonnng story. .

You. .

are getting the short version!

We ended up. .

Getting some AMAZING pizza at a one horse local pizza place. .

Driving a couple miles to this empty lot that we had noted people to be parking in on our 3rd trip by it while we hunted down the shrimp boil place. .

And tailgating until the party started!!

And did the party ever start!!

Apparently tens of thousands of people turn out for this fireworks show. .

And it was unlike any that we had ever seen before!!

We were even coerced by some cute little kid. .

to buy two gallons of kettle corn to swallow after all that pizza!

THAT. .

Was my favorite part of the trip. .

hands DOWN!

But you knew I couldn't just stop at one, right??

THIS. .

was Cami's favorite part. .

Our day trip that included shopping!!

 (she had just run out of the "girl" spray that she bought last year. .

so she REALLY needed to shop!!)

We headed out on the curvy, twisty roads. .

Through Oklahoma, into Arkansas. .

Through Bentonville and Rogers. .

and to the edge of Beaver Lake. .

Where we visited War Eagle Cavern. .

Enjoying both the cavern excursion. .

And the awesome scenery. .

(which was a great background to showcase our clan)

After the tour, we drove a few miles back and went to the War Eagle Mill. .

The mill is generated by a water wheel. .

and grinds grains into flour.

We ate lunch at their top floor restaurant. .

And looked around for about. .

FIVE minutes. .

Because the guys were becoming uninterested!

We went back to Rogers and wandered around their fabulous outdoor mall for a while before twisting back into Oklahoma.

Not in the mood to load the boat into the water and back out again. .

We cruised around the neighborhoods of Grove. .

dreaming about our own house on the lake one day!

We just happened. .

to drive by Lendonwood Gardens. .

a place that I had taken the boys to last summer to photograph the flowers.

It was evening time by then. .

And we enjoyed strolling through the gardens. .

And feeding their fish. 

Check these suckers out. .

I'd never seen such a "feeding frenzy" in my life!!

There were a LOT of them. .

and some of them were H-U-G-E!

We also discovered the place to be crawling with these tiny frogs. .

Which was a hit!!

It is an amazing garden that is maintained by volunteers!

The daylilies were blooming and were gorgeous among all the other great foliage and flowers!!

The last thing that I found noteworthy to share. .

was this parasailing outfit that we saw both weekends.

I've never seen one. .

And it looked like an absolute ball!!

The parasailer sits on some type of seat. .

And then flies through the air being pulled along BY the boat in the front of it.

They were fun to watch when I got tired of looking at my own kids!!

I also enjoyed some window shopping and antiquing. .

And got some great close out flower deals. .

Jeremy didn't even bat his eyes when he saw me come home with clearance plants. .

Not once. .

but TWICE!!

Once a gardener. .

Always a gardener I say!!

As much fun as it is to get away. .

and have no responsibilities except feeding people. .

It was wonderful to drive into our own yard, crispy as it was. .

And return to our regular ole routines. .

There's NO place like. .

HOME!!

Zip Line Overhaul

I grew up the oldest of four children. I have one younger sister and 2 brothers. I was used to the estrogenic components of having to get along with another girl, but I haven't much recollection of dealing with the testosterone of those brothers. Apparently, I either stifled them or I ignored them. The boys were 4 years and 7 years younger than I. We made them play house and church. My sister and I tag teamed them and tied their tube socks together. And they danced with us to Perry Como's rendition of "the twelve days of Christmas" while making peppernuts every year. But I don't recall doing any "boy" kind of games.

Needless to say, all this testosterone at my house has been a learning experience. I have had people call me to ask if I knew that my children (the boys of course) were out on my roof (yes, the one on my house--to which they easily access by climbing out the upstairs windows--any of them). I have had people mention that, while they were driving by, they noticed the boys jumping out of the tree tops onto their trampoline. They race their go-karts as fast as they can. They can often be witnessed stalking rabbits with their BB guns. Boys, all the way around!

Their dad, truly, isn't any better. He shows them how to blow up nasty zucchini from the neighbors with black cat fire crackers. He races cars and shooting predators is a sport. He tried to tune up the go kart he was assigned at the playground on our honeymoon, for heaven's sake--and proceeded to race an 8 year old that didn't even know they were racing!!

So I shouldn't have been a bit surprised the weekend a few years ago that they (THEY???)decided they needed a zip line. A zip line, you ask?? A zip line is a wire strung between 2 trees, approximately 8-10 feet off the earth. Attached to the wire is a bicycle handle balanced on the wire by a bicycle wheel.

You climb the tree, grab onto the handles and jump. Yes, jump--out of the tree--holding on to an upside down unicycle! Sound like fun? They certainly think so. . .and all the kids who come to the 4th of July party!! It's been a total hit for any child weighing less than about 210 pounds that appears at our home!

Somehow, the zip line became disengaged from it's tree a few weeks ago. And that became a project for the afternoon!! The big wheel got replaced by a smaller wheel, that will hopefully stay on the cable better after they "dismantel" from the handles, or fall off, whichever may occur first. This has been the object of much critique and complaining since the original line went up several years ago. If you didn't get off slowly (SLOWLY??), the wheel flipped to the side of the wire, and it was hard for the kids to get it back on the track from 8 feet under!

So, the line is again, fully operational. See what you missed by going home early Grandma??? They would have let you try it!!