McQuality Moments: The Ozarks

We left on June 26 to head to my parents lake house at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. We drove 8 hours the first night and stayed at their house in Lincoln. Then, we got up the next morning and drove 5 more hours to the lake and got there by noon. My brother's family and parents were already there. We had so much fun at the lake and are so lucky that my parents have a place there. The lake is my favorite place to be....whether we are swimming, jet skiing, tubing, skiing, going for a boat ride, fishing, having a fish fry or just hanging out....I LOVE IT!!! From getting up at 5 a.m. to fish with my dad and brother to ending the day watching the lake from the screened in porch...it is perfect. I have gone to the lake every year (except last year) since I was a few months old. It has been a family tradition and it is so fun that I now get to watch my kids enjoy it just as much as I always have. We stayed at the lake until July 2. Here are some pictures from our time there!

Mom & Dad had their 40th wedding anniversary a few days before we were all at the lake, so we celebrated with them once we got there. We made them a cake, decorated the screened in porch and try to make it as special for them as we could. Here they are with their grandkids and the cake!! Happy 40th Mom and Dad!! What great role models you are for our families!

Fishing on the dock...

Adelin & Landon....these two were so cute to watch. They were inseparable and played together the whole time. It makes me sad that they won't see each other again until Thanksgiving :(

Jeremy & Ade showing us the fish Ade caught!

Aaron & Joyce were at the lake for a few of the days we were too. So, one day we all went on a boat ride to Captain Ron's for lunch....here is a pic of us!

Landon & Ade posing at Captain Ron's!

They have a big beach at the restaurant and a sand bar so the kids can play in the water and still touch. They had a blast and didn't want to leave. Here are Chloe & Adelin with their squirt guns!!

Keegan all ready for the water.

Landon & Ade on the boat ride.

Jeremy & Ade on the jet ski...

Matt & Landon on the jet ski...

Mom & Dad taking Keegan for a ride in the golf cart!

Grandma reading a bedtime story to the kids....love this pic!

The oldest kids are now big enough to go tubing...can you believe it? We went for the first time this year and Landon & Ade loved it! Here are a couple pics of Landon and I.

No hands!!!

Here are Jeremy & Ade tubing....Ade could have stayed out there all day!!

Landon and I on the jet ski.

Ade & Landon ready for an after dinner boat cruise.

Keegan helping Papa drive the boat! He loves his Papa and still says his name and calls for him all the time!!

Keeg and I on the boat!

Grandma and the kids during the cruise.

Great pic of J & Cin with the girls.

One afternoon, the kids made 4th of July shirts using their handprints.

They turned out so cute....great idea, Cindy!!!

We took another boat cruise after dinner the next night. Here is a family pic of us!

Keegan and Daddy

Sooo big!

Adelin helping Jeremy drive the boat.

Mom & Dad relaxing in the front of the boat.

Landon driving with Uncle Jeremy.

Daddy & Landon

Cindy & Chloe

Ade & Landon pretending to ride the jet ski.

All the kids in their 4th of July shirts/dresses....so cute!

Keegan still posing....love this pic!!!

J's family before the left (they came a day before us and left a day before us).

The Bruce's with Mom & Dad

Landon & Ade hugging each other good bye :)

Keegan chasing bubbles on the deck.

Landon helping Papa drive the boat after getting gas.

Landon, Matt and I on the jet ski.

And floating in the water on the tube.

Swimming in the lake.

Cute pic of Landon swimming.

Keegan playing in the pool on the dock.

Daddy & the boys in the tube.

My parents just got a new boat and it came with a knee board. None of us had ever knee boarded before, but Matt wanted to give it a try. After he got the hang of it, he got up and really liked it. Here he is on the knee board!