Last Week of 2011

Luke & Scout dressed up!

Dear Joshua & Luke,

We spent the last week of 2011 in Branson as we have done every year for the past six or seven years.  It was filled with fun ~ swimming, playing, movies, Daddy's good grilling, two shows in Branson, shopping, just a fun filled week.

We watched Mr. Popper's Penguins (a new movie that Luke got for Christmas!) about four times that week.  We swam a lot - both at the inside pool as well as the outdoor hot tub.  Believe it or not, the weather was in the 50's or 60's most days which helped as we transitioned from swimming inside and outside several times!  We saw The Amazing Pet show one day.  It gave us lots of ideas of things we could train Onyx to do!  We also saw the Acrobats of China.  That was an amazing show, too, Both shows were very good.  It was slightly difficult to get you two away from the Dixie Stampede and Kirby van Burch this year, but it is important to see a variety of shows to see what else you might like!

Luke, Joshua, & Batman at the Amazing Pet Show

Joshua & Luke with two of the performers
from Acrobats of CHINA

I love watching how much you have both grown in your swimming skills.  Joshua is so brave.  He likes to dive in the water and retrieve a torpedo.  He also likes to swim around the outside edge of the pool with his snorkle and googles.  Luke is brave, too.  He still wears a life vest in the water, but he is all over the pool.  He swims everywhere and every which way.  You are both fish in the water!  This summer will be even more fun at the pool! 



Miss Jenny, Mr. Allen, and us at dinner.

We were also lucky to meet up with Miss Jenny and her husband in Branson, too.  Miss Jenny works with me at school, and it was fun to get to sit down and talk instead of always trying to catch up between the hustle and bustle of what is happening at school.  We went to the fish hatchery together, and out to dinner.  After dinner we all went back to our condo and watched ~ you guessed it ~ Mr. Popper's Penguins again! We felt blessed to get to spend some time with family! 





The boys celebrating the New Year with poppers!

We are usually in Branson on New Year's Eve, but this year we came back to spend it with some friends.  It was fun to do for a change.  You both played and played ~ and stayed up until midnight.  You even watched a movie - well, you probably already figured out the name of it!  Mom and Dad chatted and chatted with their parents.  It was definitely a good time! It was a great way to end 2011. 

I love you more today than yesterday.

Love,
Mama