Five States, Three Big Rivers, Seven Days...Part Four

State #5 and Big River #3 started the fourth day of our vacation.  Our first stop was an overlook in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to check out the Mississippi River. 

Panoramic view of the Mississippi

Gwen had prepared for this trip and had mapped out some sites she wanted to see as well as letterboxes she would love to find.  This led us to Trail of Tears State Park. 

There were a few different boxes here and we were lucky enough to find them.  The rest of us had given up on finding the last box but Jeff's persistence paid off and we were able to find it!

Everyone documenting their find!

We hated to cut the visit to the Cape short since there was still so much we wanted to see but we had a very SPECIAL appointment to keep!  Jeff, Tiff, and Madison split from the group to head back to Illinois for an hour horseback trail ride!!! That is all Madison had talked about that morning and asking, "When are we leaving to go horseback riding?"

Tiff and Fred

Madison and Thunder

Jeff and Snowflake

Grandma and ???

Just when you think the day could not get jammed back with more, we still had to get back to the hotel, cleaned up and back to the winery in time for dinner!  Oh my...

Dinner Saturday for Gregg and Andy was SUPER easy...just a walk across the field.  With a live band and all sorts of activities it was the perfect evening for just hanging out.

Dad, Tiff, and Madison checking out pictures

Aunt Alice, Tiff, and Madison

What a great evening!  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.  And yet there was still more....

Five States, Three Big Rivers, Seven Days...Part Three

Third day of the vacation started the official MEET & GREET!  For most of us it had been YEARS since we had last seen each other.  It all started at a central meeting point...Giant City Lodge.

http://giantcitylodge.com/
Side note...since I'm late getting this out...this lodge was featured in the movie "GONE GIRL".

Gwen was hanging out having a cup of coffee waiting for us and next to show up was Bev.  Since it was just the few of us, it was the perfect time for Madison to share HER photo album...A Day with Lucy!

Gwen, Madison, and Bev

We had an hour of so of weekend planning. So much to do, so little time!  Activities were planned and an agenda sent out.  Participation was left up to the individuals.

Our first stop was Ferne Clyffe Part with Gwen and Bev to do a bit of letterboxing and to check out the waterfall.

http://www.shawneeforest.com/Hiking/FerneClyffeWaterfall.aspx

After getting there, the locals reported the waterfall had been "turned off"!  We were able to get a picture in the dry waterfall bed. 

"And the there was this other waterfall..."
Madison being such a trooper!

That evening there was a big dinner planned (http://annabrickhousegrill.com/) and the first time that all the cousins would be together.  Madison loved visiting with everyone.  She even had the special job of passing out special gifts to everyone.

Gwen, Bev, Alice, Janice, Linda, and Herb

Susan, Alice, Jane, Gregg, and Tiff

Checking out the pictures

Five States, Three Big Rivers, Seven Days...Part Two

What do you do driving half way across the country and want to stop at fun sites?  You stop in Metropolis, Illinois and take your picture with a giant Superman, of course!

Madison and Superman

Superman and Supergirl

We finally made our way to our final destination in Anna, Illinios.  Not everyone had made it to the final destination for the weekend but mom, dad, Gregg and Andy had made it.  Dinner was the agenda that night.  The first winery of MANY for some of us.

Sassy...

It had been awhile since Madison had seen her Uncle's. She couldn't wait to show them the photo album she had made about Lucy.

It was the first night of many LATE nights but a great start to the long and event filled weekend!

Five States, Three Big Rivers, Seven Days...Part One

For the first time ever the road trip could have started one day early. It was a trip we had been preparing for for months. Madison had her activity bag packed and couldn't wait to get started.

Our first stop was Knoxville, TN to visit with Uncle David and Carson.  It was Madison's first time having dinner at a Japanese restaurant.  The man trying to get rice in our mouths made her giggle!

Dinner was very filling. To work off our FULL bellies, we hit the trails and did an 8 hole game of Frisbee golf. 

Check out the outcrop!

Carson throwing the Frisbee

Madison getting a hole in one ;-)

Madison and Jeff checking out his throw

Back at the house there was just enough time for a game of Apples to Apples before bed.

Another lost tooth

Time flies when you're having fun!...

 

Hard to believe but a week and a half ago, Maidson ran off the bus screaming, "My tooth came out! My tooth came out!"  We had been working on that tooth for over a week!  She has officially entered the Silly Grin Club.

 

Tooth #3

That weekend Nana and Papa had come to visit.  Saturday morning was pottery and then apple picking.

Nana picking

Jeff picking

After apple picking, it was off to the peach orchard...

After all that picking, it was time to eat.  Madison showed off her toothless straw sipping skills!

The perfect place for the straw

Would you believe that is one portion???  LOOK AT THAT SUNDAE...CRAZY!!!  She did share a little bit with us.

Sunday we went out for breakfast...our family portrait.

Boogie Boarding in Surf City

There was a break in the clouds this weekend that supplied the children with a PERFECT opportunity to have time at the beach. And the fact that Madison could spend time with friends at the beach made it even more PERFECT!  

Alli, Madison, Ben, and Sam

If you ask Madison, we built a "village" in the sand...

Madison and Alli taking in the surf and sand.

Later that afternoon, Madison worked up enough nerve to give Boogie boarding a try and...in her words...after catching her first wave..."That was AWESOME!"

Boogie Boarding in Surf City...what a great time!  Madison can't wait to get back to the beach!!!

First Day of First Grade and a Thinking Cap

Kindergarten is so yesterday!  Madison started her third week of 1st grade today...hard to believe. She's loving it and doing so well so far.  

New friends, new teacher, all kinds of new things to learn...with all that new stuff, you need a thinking cap to keep it all straight!!!!

Got on my Thinking Cap!