Big Cedar Lodge with the family

Before I get started on posting about our vacation..I went back and added pictures to the last 2 posts. Make sure to check them out! There are a few from events we've gone to this summer.

Josh and I just got back from a wonderfully relaxing week at Big Cedar Lodge, which is just outside Branson, MO. This trip is somewhat of a tradition for my family, as we've always stayed at Big Cedar after picking up from Kamp Kanakuk. I used to go to kamp there, and Olivia just spent her 4th summer there. We had such a great time with my family and really enjoyed the time relaxing by the pool, on the lazy river, and the day we spent out on the boat. It was also a lot of fun going back to K-West to pick Olivia up! Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Olivia and I are finally reunited at kamp!
This is just before her all around event.

At Kanakuk you specialize in a sport, because it is a Christian sports kamp (get used to kamp being spelled with a k...that's just the way it goes with Kanakuk!). You can specialize in soccer, basketball, volleyball, dance, cheer, tennis...and I'm sure some others...OR you can do all around which gives you the opportunity to do more electives. That is always what I opted for, and what Olivia has done as well. When your family comes to kamp the first night your specialty puts on a show to demonstrate what they've done for the past 2 weeks. This year, all around did blobbing!

Here is Olivia about to jump onto the blob.

Olivia and her cabin.

Every year the kampers are given a bible verse and 2 words that describe them. The counselors talk about the qualities they saw in each kamper and how they have seen each of them grow in their relationship with Christ over their 2 week stay.

Morning of the tribal ceremony with the chiefs and princesses.

Kampers are split up into 2 different tribes. On the guys side there are the Cherokees and Choctaws, and on the girls side, Kickapoos and Kiowas. At the beginning of each term new kampers are put into their tribes. If you have family members that have already attended kamp, you'll be the same tribe as them. I am a kickapoo, so Olivia is as well! Each term the tribes compete in different activities to determine the winner of the term. This year Kiowas won.

The horse on our carriage ride.

Mom and Grandma on our carriage ride.

Most of the afternoons were spent by the pool relaxing and working on our tans. But, one afternoon mom scheduled a carriage ride for us girls. It was a nice ride around the property.

This is a picture of "Devil's Pool". Just to the left of the pond there is a pool and restaurant.

Big Cedar is a Bass Pro Shop lodge and this big fish is part of their little putt putt course. It is the final hole.
We saw a ton of turtles on logs while on our carriage ride...

Wednesday was spent out on the lake. We went tubing, skiing, and bluff jumping. Table Rock lake has some amazing bluffs! It was so nice to be out on the water! I'll have to put pictures of the bluff jumping up later. I was doing the jumping, so there aren't any pictures of that on my camera.

Me and Olivia on the boat.

Mom and Olivia tubing!

On our way to dinner the last night.

Dad's birthday was Friday, the day after we left the lodge, so we surprised him with a cake at dinner the last night! The weather was gorgeous, so we sat out on the patio for dinner, it was SO nice in comparison to the heat of Dallas!

Me and Josh at dinner.

Mom and dad at dinner..it was obviously a little sunny!

One last picture of the lodge...the flower gardens around the main building are absolutely gorgeous, so here is a picture of the main entrance to the registration lodge.

We're now back in Dallas and getting ready to move!! We are moving out of our first apartment together and into a really cute little duplex. We'll have a yard, a garage, and a cute little vintage kitchen and bathroom. Once we move in and get settled I'll post pictures!