mercantile + lodge

While the kids went with Memaw and PawPaw to Ohio, the hubs and I headed back to Texas.  We knew we wanted to stop by the Pioneer Woman's Mercantile, so we left Branson at 3:30 am in order to get to the restaurant at 7:30 am.  We pulled up in a fog of sleepiness, and immediately perked up - the Mercantile was right there and looked exactly like it does on television!  

We walked into the restaurant and it was packed!  The hubs and I got sat right away, and we ordered breakfast.  It was delicious!

Here's a funny story our waitress told us about the bakery items - being priced at $1 each when the Mercantile opened, the local businesses would come in and buy them out within minutes of opening each morning!  They couldn't keep up, so they raised the prices to $2 each, then $3 each, and they still sell out every day.  The brickwork design on the fireplace is the Drummond Ranch's brand.

After picking up some fun items from the store, we headed out for the lodge.  Check out the line at 8:30 am - down the block!

A couple of months ago, the hubs saw on the Pioneer Woman's website that they sometimes open the lodge for tours.  One of the dates was the day we'd be in town!  So we asked the lady at the counter for directions, and headed out to the ranch.

We pulled up and just stared - you can see for miles from the lodge, and it was beautiful.  The hubs found Ladd's grill!

Into the kitchen - featuring Ree's fun dishes and serving pieces.

The tour was entirely self-guided, so we could check out all the nooks and crannies.  Including the ovens!

At least three mixers were in the lodge - all with painted designs on them.

I love the boots lined up on the mantel.  This massive fireplace separates the kitchen from the sitting area/living room.

In one of the bedrooms we found Ree's makeup station....

...and clothing rack!  Each outfit had a sheet with the episode she wore it in.

In the back of the lodge was a new prep kitchen and storage room.  These shelves lined all four walls and were stacked up with everything you can imagine.

The pantry!  A sliding ladder, built-ins, and a skylight - it's fancier than most houses!  

The brand names were covered by washi tape - this cracked me up to no end, because I've noticed this during her show.

The iconic cowboy hat on the cake stand by the front door.  The Pioneer Woman actually remarked on this in her new magazine (of course we got an issue!), and it turns out that Ladd left his hat there one day and just never picked it back up.  A lot less complicated than I had assumed!

The hubs' favorite person on the show is Chuck, Ladd's dad.  Any episode with Chuck gets played first, and his antics crack us up.  So of course, the hubs had to sit in Chuck's seat!

I played with the dogs on the way out - they patiently hung out with me for photos.

I think the hubs and I were in shock for the two hours it took to drive to Oklahoma City.  I mean, how often do you get to visit a place you've seen on television?!  It was an amazing experience.  Luckily, the fun times continued in Oklahoma City, where we got to visit with Granny!  She's a firecracker, and I always enjoy her stories.  

We stopped by our favorite restaurant, Cheevers, for dinner, then headed out the next day for the last leg to Houston.  The hubs drove about 24 hours total for the entire trip, and we were only gone for 5 days!

oh to branson we go!

Memaw and PawPaw wanted to meet up with us this summer, somewhere between Texas and Ohio.  As it turns out, Branson, Missouri is about halfway between us, so they planned out a few days in Branson!  We packed up the car with snacks and digital entertainment options, and set out for our 11 hour drive to Missouri.  It wasn't a bad drive at all - the kids did better than I did!

Our hotel was away from the hustle and bustle of the main road that cuts through town, so we hopped in the car to drive around and see the attractions.  There was the usual - go karts, bumper cars, carnival rides, ice cream stops, but also some unique atttractions - like Ripleys, the world's largest toy museum, and the Titanic museum.  Branson is known for its family-friendly variety shows (think Osmonds), and the theaters lined the streets.  I even saw a poster for Barry Williams - yes, Greg Brady!

The Hollywood Wax Museum - with John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis carved into the side, and King Kong up top!

Branson likes its odd buildings - check out this restaurant with a giant green pepper, tomato, and meatball out front!

For our second day we headed down to the riverfront area, and passed the strangest fudge shop.  We couldn't figure out what the heck was sitting around the roof!

Only when I zoomed in through my camera did I see the weird faces - maybe these things scare away birds?  I have no idea.

The kids absolutely loved the hotel pool, which came as a shock to no one.  It was relatively empty most days, and indoors so it wasn't too chilly to go in.  I tried out the greenish hot tub, and had a relaxing soak.

Britton making friends with the only other swimmer - luckily, a kid her age!

Branson doesn't have a lot of chain hotels or restaurants, but oddly enough, Branson has a Rib Crib.  So we made sure to hit it up before leaving town.  We had stopped at a souvenir shop before dinner, and the kids got these miniature kitten figurines, which they played with throughout dinner.

With our limited time, we decided to do two major outings:  Dixie Stampede and Silver Dollar City.  The Dixie Stampede was Sunday night.  When you arrive, you walk through the horse stables to get inside!

Then, when you sit down inside, they serve you dinner while you watch a horse show.  And in our case, also a dog show.  The interesting thing about dinner is that it is served without utensils and you use your hands to eat.  Seriously.  We had chicken, biscuits, soup (in the little handled bowls below), potato wedges, and an apple turnover for dessert.  The show itself was very impressive - acrobatic maneuvers on horses, dancers, lumberjacks, and rescue dogs showing off talents.  Very entertaining, especially for the kids!

Our last full day, we headed out to Silver Dollar City - an amusement park set in the 1880s.  I enjoyed getting to see the blacksmith, the potter, and the glass blower, but the kids weren't really interested in watching only demonstrations.  So we did find some rides to entertain them!

Barrett really wanted to take a train ride (he loves Thomas the Tank Engine now), but the train whistle scared the crap out of him and Britton every time it sounded.  This was a real train, after all. So below, he's giving me the thumbs up, and Britton is bracing for the next whistle!

Next up, the hubs and I venture through Oklahoma and make a pioneer pit stop.......

barrett: 49 months old

Barrett is hanging out with Memaw and PawPaw this week, which means no monthly photo.  Well, no usual monthly photo - Memaw did send me this photo of Barrett's dress up session today.  Feather mask and grass skirt?  I have no words!

That kid has such great imagination, and does love his dress-up time.  He will no doubt have a blast at "Camp Memaw and PawPaw," getting spoiled daily and playing outside without scorching temperatures.  He's excited to try out the kid-sized ATV, play in the dirt, and visit the ice cream shop with way more frequency than at home.

Last week we went to Branson for vacation (more on that later) - Barrett did so well in the car.  Admittedly, I think I got crankier than he did, and it's was an 11 hour drive when all was said and done.  

Barrett loves swimming almost as much as Britton, and I know we'll need to get him into swimming lessons soon.  He's out of school for the summer, returning in August for his last year of preschool.  So that means many summer days playing in the pool, going to the playground in the morning while it's still relatively cool, and resting while watching his favorite show "Paw Patrol."  A fun summer awaits!

Likes:  band-aids (can't get enough of them), crunchy tacos, watercolor painting, racing anyone anywhere

Dislikes:  random things with no rhyme or reason (those "4 year old moments")

94 months old

The wings, crown, and wand are part of the wish-granting genie Britton was today!

Britton is still a few months from turning 8 years old, but she seems older to me every day.  I won't belabor my whining about it, but I do feel like time is speeding up and passing by and there's a good chance that if I don't sit her down, grab her by the arms, and study every inch of her that I will miss her at this moment.  

                           

Last weekend Britton set up a "store" in our foyer.  It was fantastic!  She used a box as a cash register, put prices on books and shoes and various knick knacks, set up the gym mat as a door, and opened for business.  Then we all went through her store, pretended to pay for our items (she added them all up for us), put our purchases in a bag, and told us to "have a nice day!"  I got such a kick out of it, and Barrett was her most enthusiastic shopper (who didn't quite understand that he didn't get to keep his purchases!).

Swimming is hands-down Britton's favorite outdoor activity.  I am so thankful that we bought a house with a pool!  Britton swims like a fish, and has taught Barrett how to enjoy being in the water.  

Likes:  ice cream and popsicles (we've had some hot weather lately!), the second Harry Potter book - we're trucking through them, gymnastics, and playing with neighborhood friends, endless Yahtzee games - she always wins!

Dislikes:  when Barrett gets on her nerves, having to wear her retainer

second grader no more

I don't know if Britton or I was more nervous on her first day of second grade.  She was starting a new school again, and didn't know anyone.  Would she like her classmates?  Would she make friends?  Had she learned everything she needed to know, to be successful and comfortable in her new school?

I really needn't have worried, but I did.  And it took months to realize that Britton was fine, flourishing even!  With every good grade brought home, every kind note from her teachers, every playdate with new friend, every ring of the door bell when new neighborhood friends wanted to play, we both settled into this new life as a positive change.  

She's really grown this year.  Sometimes it sounds like a teenager talking to me.  She can add in her head and understands jellyfish anatomy, and I tend to forget that she's only seven years old.  I instinctually expect more from her simply because she doesn't seem so young.  But she is, and she loves playing at the playground, and lets me read Harry Potter books to her every night, and she enjoys crafting almost as much as I do.  

She's a fish in the pool, bemoans practicing the piano to where I have flashbacks of myself saying the same words, and makes up songs that catch me off guard - the tune and rhyming are fantastic.  She's almost a year younger than most of her classmates, and yet she made all As this year, and didn't miss a day of school.  I love my second grader, soon-to-be third grader!