July 18, 2025-Dennie Family Trip 2025

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The kids all slept fairly late this morning. Reagan text earlier than we expected saying that she was already on her way home from camp. This was her last official day of work, and camp must have made her tired because she did snooze a bit this afternoon. 

After we picked her up, I had to run into Walmart to grab a few last minute things while Robby got gas. We came home and worked for a little bit more-I had to finish baking my muffins. I had only baked half when we heard from Reagan to come and pick her up. 

Once those were finished, Robby and I left again to run to Maumelle. We stopped at Panda Express on the way as well as a gas station before heading home. My list was fairly long today, but surprisingly I was able to mark everything off ahead of schedule. 

We loaded up around 3 and took Campbell's friends home before heading to Lake Hamilton for the Dennie family trip. Dana, Lilly, and Grannymom were already here waiting to come in. The kids and I explored the outside of the place-it is massive with lots of outdoor areas. 

The listing said a movie room, and it took a good while for us to find it. It was like our own little treasure hunt. Once the movie room was found, it was the place to be for some of the kids this evening-they watched Hunger Games. 

After we had thoroughly explored the house, we started bringing our bags in. There are 5 bedrooms, and Robby and I are on the top floor. Once everyone was settled, we started on a few games while Grannymom threw supper in the oven. Kendal and Josh arrived as well as Cash by supper time. 

By the time that we finished supper Les and Shelley arrived. It was a fairly full house with all of us. After supper there were more games, and my 3 boys all went kayaking. There were 2 kayaks, and I think that Whitman so enjoyed it. Anderson and Graham did as well because they raced until they were soaking wet-or that could have been due to splashing each other. 

After it was too dark to be on the water, most of us made a clay creation that will dry tomorrow, and then we will paint it. We will see how those turn out-I tried to make a cactus, but maybe I should have made something more functional.

We stayed up fairly late, but I do believe that most of the kids are settling now. There was a slight crisis with our potty being clogged, but after 2 plungers it is working now (fingers crossed).

July 17, 2025-25th at Degray

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The last day of a trip is never really that exciting. Robby and I woke up and went to work. He cleaned the tanks while I worked inside. The more I can gather and put in baskets, the easier unloading is. It didn't take long for us to be ready to go.

I pulled out and waited on Robby to pull out, and then I followed him back. I stopped at Panda Express on the way home, and Robby had another errand. When I walked in the door on the house, Graham was pretty happy to see me, or he was pretty happy to see the food in my hand.

Keaton and Whitman slept a little bit on the way home, but it is pretty hard to sleep in the camper. They were both quick to offer to help carry things out. It didn't take long to get everything out of the camper. On unloading day, it is quite a bit of work inside and outside the camper-the camper has to be emptied, cleaned, and reloaded with what we will need next trip and with the things that I have washed. Plus, I have to straighten the house and put things away inside.

It is a lot of work, but it didn't take too horribly long today. Robby and I did leave to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for tomorrow's trip. When we came home we put things away, and then Anderson left to go to church tonight and then to play volleyball.

Campbell had two friends come over tonight to spend the night. Robby made quesadillas for supper while Keaton opted for a rice bowl. After we ate, Robby and I finished with the camper so it is ready for the next trip. Then Graham left to meet Anderson and some others to play volleyball. 

I'm not sitting on the couch, and I really don't plan on getting up for the rest of the evening!

July 16, 2025-25th at Degray

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We slept a bit late this morning, and I didn't really stir until Robby was a on a work call. When we did leave the camper to walk Bentley, it was pretty hot outside so she only got a short walk. 

This morning was the first time that we had actually cooked anything outside. We made chocolate chip pancakes for our breakfast. This is one of Keaton's favorite camping meals. After eating, we did a few things around the camper (mainly searched to make sure there were no ants), and then we loaded up to go to the lake for a bit.

Whitman asked how far away we were going and briefly thought that we were going to a real beach. Robby and I had been calling in there, but we meant the lake swimming area. I guess he thought we were loading up to head to the Gulf. 

From our campsite, it took longer to back the car out than it did to get to the swimming area. Keaton and Whitman swam for a little bit before walking back to where Robby and I were sitting in the shade. They had a bit of a snack and then decided that they were finished with the lake for now.

Whitman opted to walk back to the campground while we drove. We did beat him but just by a bit. Keaton walked to the shower, and Whitman took a shower. Robby and I would set outside some and then move back inside for most of the afternoon. Every once in a while, the weather would get pretty pleasant, and then the sun would come out, and it would get hot again. 

This evening we made quesadillas for our supper. It is pretty easy camping with just Whitman and Keaton-they are happy with non elaborate meals for sure. Robby and I have been munching on the mango lime salsa that we bought in Murfreesboro and have finished half of the jar.

After supper we cleaned up before driving to Caddo for snow cones. They are good, but most everyone agreed that they are not the best ever. I'm not a big snow cone fan, so I did get one with ice cream in the middle-and I'm still stuffed from it. Would you like to know who enjoyed their snow cone the most? Bentley! She loved it, and I do think that she remembered it from the last time that we were there.

When we came back, Robby and I picked up the few things that we had outside and then walked Bentley for the evening. There was more to pick up after our walk. I sat down to start working on the blog and forgot about our nightly games. I reminded Keaton so she made Whitman play with us.

Afterwards, Whitman put on his pajamas, and now I'm finishing the blog before I take my shower. 

July 15, 2025-25th at Degray

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This was a slow morning in the camper. Robby had a few work things to do, so while he worked I read a little bit and slept some more. Robby and I took Bentley around the loop, and then when we came back we started on breakfast. Last night we said that we would make pancakes, but I think that we forgot because no one ever mentioned it.

We loaded up and headed to Mid America museum. Robby and I know that we have been there at some point, but I have searched the blog and can't find when it was. Nonna and Pops took the three big kids in 2019, but that is the only record of it that I have, so we have to assume that Keaton and Whitman had not been there. [Update: Robby found the post - last visit with the family was 8/4/2012 so Whitman had not been here and Keaton wasn’t quite one!]

Since we had to buy a pass for the Space museum in Huntsville, the museum was free today. We ate a picnic once we arrived. Actually, Robby stopped and picked up Panda Express for Keaton and I to share on the way there (it was a mystery shop). Whitman had cheese and crackers, and Robby had a ham roll up. 

We enjoyed the museum. Keaton said that she liked it better than the Museum of Discovery, but Whitman felt that the Museum of Discovery was more interactive. However, the both enjoyed the cave that you crawl thing. I think that the overall favorite was the exhibit where you could make a circuit and shock yourself or others. Whitman said that his arms were still tingling.

We saw everything there and then drove to see Friday's house. We also stopped at a gas station for drinks on the way home. And since we were right next to a Dollar General, Robby ran in there. 

The section of the campground that we are staying at is notorious for ants, and it is living up to it this week. Robby had sprayed everything well and used Borax around the camper. However, he does keep seeing a few ants outside on or too near the camper. Since he has used up his ant spray, we needed to pick up some more. Last time we were here, we were a little un worried about the ants, and we woke up to them crawling all over everywhere in the camper. It was bad enough that some of the kids now are scarred when it comes to ants!

When we were close to the camp ground, we took another little side trip, and went to see where we will be staying in August. We are coming down here to be cooks for Reagan and her friends. Back at the camper, we sat outside some-the weather is not beautiful like it was the first day. It is hot and humid.

Keaton, Whitman, and I played Phase 10 tonight, and I won. Afterwards, we heated up leftovers for supper-manicotti, pizza, and Panda. Robby and I took a walk, and while we were walking Keaton and Whitman did their school work for the day, and they also hid from us. 

I thought they were hiding in the cab like they did last night, but then I saw one of their heads going by the window. They eventually did come in, but they were enjoying running from us. Now, it is pajama and dessert time here. 

July 14, 2025-25th at Degray

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I think that the rain was softly falling when we went to bed-well, actually we were up late again tonight watching a few documentaries. These were about hostile church takeovers, and honestly, they were probably more scary than a murder mystery documentary. 

We all slept well, but I did wake up super early this morning. Robby eventually had to do some work, and afterwards he went to check us in since we didn't do that yesterday. By that time I was ready, and we took a walk around this loop. If you walk to both sides of this road it is a little bit over a mile walk so that's not too bad. The weather was really nice this morning just like last night. Tonight though it was a little bit warmer, but still fairly pleasant.

We came back in and started eating breakfast and waking up Whitman. Then we headed out for today's adventure. We went to Crater of Diamonds State Park. It was just about an hour from here so it was a pleasant drive. On the way, I did see my grandfather's sister's hardware shop that I remember going into one time, and I also saw the funeral home that my grandparents briefly lived in when I was a kid. (I actually spent a few days there playing the organ for fun and playing hide and seek with Jason around the caskets that were for sale.)

Soon we were at the diamond mine. We drove around the campground first, and then we stopped at the visitor's center. We looked around there, and then went to eat our picnic lunch. Afterwards, we bought our tickets for the diamond mine.

Now Robby and I could have probably passed on this part of the trip, but we are making memories so it was digging for diamonds we went. Thankfully, it was partly cloudy so we were not miserable. We rented a bucket, shovel, a square sifter that was two parts, and a circle sifter that probably had a real name. 

We entered into the mud field, and really I was ready to turn right around. We did all have on old shoes, but there was mud and dirt everywhere. It took us a while to figure out what to do, but we eventually figured it out-well, we didn't really figure it out because we didn't walk away with a diamond though.

Keaton was done a good bit before Whitman. He had walked to another area that had flowing water and was having the time of his life. As he walked back to us, he did have to dig his shoe out of the mud and probably thought briefly that he was in quicksand. 

We did have a few keeper rocks, so when we left we had to park person tell us about them. Mostly they were jasper, an agate, something that is toothpaste, something that he called "nature's asphalt," something that was used in xrays...the kid (he was probably 16) knew his stuff, but he just zoomed through everything. If I had been prepared, I would have labeled and bagged everything so we could know what we found. 

We did have to hose off ourselves when it was time to leave. Whitman suggested that we just throw his socks away, and Robby agreed-that is how muddy he was. This place is kind of a little boy's dream. Sonic is also a little boy's dream because as soon as we did get back in the car, Whitman was reminding us about the Sonic we passed.

We did get drinks, but first we helped the local economy-we bought some salsa at one general store and fudge at another. Then it was back to Arkadelphia. While tonight's pizza was cooking at Pizza Hut, we walked through Walmart for a few minutes, and then it was back to the campground and Bentley.

Back at home, Graham took Reagan to church so she could head to camp-this is her last week of work, and she is spending it at Praiseworks. We thought about driving by and looking for her tonight, but we might another day.

We ate our supper and sat outside for a while tonight. Robby and I walked while Keaton and Whitman did their school and took showers. When I came in from the walk, I played a few rounds of Uno with Keaton and Whitman. Robby even joined for our last few rounds. 

Now we are all in our spots-Robby has turned the news on so I will read for a bit before my shower. 

July 13, 2025-25th at Degray

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This morning was church, and we left a bit later than usual maybe because we were leaving this afternoon or maybe because everyone in the house was awake and going strong after 1 last night (I'm raising a family of night owls.) 

We still made it in plenty of time before the service started. Anderson, Keaton, and Robby all had the offering so maybe we should have tried to be a bit earlier, but it all was just fine. We took two cars because after eating lunch at Grannymom's house, Robby and I took one car to the store to pick up a few more things.

Yes, we did take the white van today-Robby drove it to church, but I rode in it to the grocery store. I even had to drive it to Degray this afternoon. I did very good and didn't freak out once. However. I did look around and even check near my feet a few times on the ride. There are a lot of places where a snake could climb inside of my car (or at least my imagination thinks so) so I made sure to check those places often.

When we did make it home with our groceries, we unloaded and got ready to leave. Keaton, Graham, and Reagan were all asleep. Anderson even fell asleep later in the day. Campbell was awake working on her nails, and Whitman never naps. 

I had to wake Keaton up, and by the time that she hopped in the camper, Whitman and Bentley were already inside it waiting to go. Robby pulled out in front of me, and I followed him most of the way here. I did stop off to do a gas station mystery shop on the way to Lake Degray State Park.

When I arrived, Robby was already here and backed in. We are in the nice, full hook up section. However, we are not right on the water, but we do have a really good trail going down to the water. The first question Keaton asked was about the kayaks-which we left at home. Reagan might bring them tomorrow on her way to camp. 

We are in a really good spot, and once we were set up, we walked around for a little bit. Keaton and Whitman are in a good mood this evening. We heated up manicotti for supper, and while we were eating the rain came. 

It was a quiet pitter patter of rain while Keaton, Whitman, and I played a card game. When we were finished, we all had a snack-popcorn for the kids and blueberry cobbler for us. Now Robby and I are watching a tv show before we all head to bed. 

July 12, 2025

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• Our first activity this morning was waking up Campbell so Robby could get her to a friend's house. She had a big day at the lake with some friends. It was this evening that Shannon and I went to pick her up-she was mighty red when she climbed into the car. 
• Robby ran some errands after dropping Campbell off. I was at home and started to work on a few things at home-packing, school prep, and even some baking (I made cookie dough for tonight but then burned half of the batch.)
• When Robby came home, the house started hopping with everyone getting ready for the Franklin wedding. And you know, we sure didn't take a single picture. Reagan, Keaton, and I spent the majority of the reception in the kitchen cutting and plating the cake. Reagan was so impressed with her cake cutting skills that she wondered if she should pursue it as a career.
• The boys left the reception as soon as they could, but Keaton and Reagan got to ride home to us with a stop to the grocery store. We were able to do our shopping quickly though. Once at home, we did a few things, and then the Wilson's came over for Sunday night supper on Saturday.
• When Shannon and I returned from picking up Campbell, I saw a huge black snack crawling up the brick outside of the garage. I had to fuss at Campbell because that girl was going to pick the thing up. I now wish that she did, because when they got the snake down, it crawled under the white van. Then the snake CRAWLED UP UNDER THE WHITE VAN. Robby moved the van in hopes that it will crawl on it.
• However, here's the deal-I have to drive that car tomorrow to Degray. I could just cry. I have googled it, and a snake really shouldn't be able to enter into a car, but there are so many pictures and stories of that happening. 
• It's probably not a good time for me to tell Robby that I'm never driving that car again...if I do though, I'll be wearing long pants and gloves!