Too Hot to Handle

Saturday was hot. Like, sedating hot. A quick run to Home Depot and Target bred unyielding threats of sun stroke. So we retreated to our air conditioned space for an evening of baking. Here's how it went down:

Hay denouncing any proclamation of "homemade."

Even pouring Canola Oil can be sassy.

Hay remembers brownie batter looking less... er... eggy.

The baker and her sous chef.

Look, Mom, no splatter!

Meanwhile, back on the couch...

The spoils. 

Got a little on your nose there...

According to Hayley, the longest 24 minutes of bake time in her life.

Vintage Hay

Hay's last dance class for the summer. Adorable little outfit. She selected her rockstar shades as a prop for her photo shoot.

Frogs HEART Arkansas

Polski nearly got a tongue lashing from this big ribbit last night. He sniffed around a bit before discovering it was a very large frog out for a late-night snack. Note its angry brow bones and devil eyes.



I know what you're thinking. Meghan's once interesting blog posts have reverted to pictures of random and irrelevant wildlife. Yes. Yes they have. I've found Arkansas is full of extraneous blog fodder including overpopulated ponds and roaming cattle.

Silver Dollar Dad's Day

For Troy's Father's Day adventure we went to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The kids had a great time while I, well, manned the camera. (Sweet Jesus, I hate rides.) Hayley resembled her Dad in her willingness to set fear aside for a thrill ride.

Okay, a bit about Silver Dollar City. So, the roller coasters. While they're fun (according to Daddy and Daughter), they don't touch Cedar Point. However, Silver Dollar City kicked Cedar Pointe's behind in every other department. Let's just say, they understand the intention of a "theme park": Pick a theme; go with it. Every single detail of Silver Dollar City's Old Time Southern theme was tended to. Sun washed wood slats formed every edifice. Uniforms were reminiscent of Laura Ingles. Michael Landon would've felt very at home. Rides were named appropriately: The Barn Swing, Wildfire, Powderkeg, Fire in the Hole. Water rides were a riot. Oh, and no lines.

And the food. When it comes to food, Southerners don't mess around. Skillet meals, Kettle Corn, fresh baked bakery goods... I actually bought a loaf of fresh-baked white bread. The food options were insane. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and actually got REAL chicken. Just incredible.
The best part? Not only did we have an awesome time, but an incredibly nice woman walked up to us in line and gave us three tickets to get into the park. We walked in totally free. So, we took advantage. Once you're in the park you can upgrade to a season pass for $35 per person. Day passes are $40 per person. So we spent less than what we would have going for Father's Day and now we can go through the summer. Something I think Hayley and Troy will really enjoy.

And now the photos:

The Pirate Ship. Hayley doesn't mess around with the Pirate Ship seating. She went straight for the end.







The rickety bridge.

Big hills ran through the park making quite a landscape for this simulated old Southern town. They also retained a lot of the foliage to shade people on hot days (it was about 90 degrees).

Consistent with the theme. The park maps were titled "Public Notice."
Hay in her little piggy tails. Too cute.

In case you're not sure what it's like to milk a cow, you can give it a whirl here. Real squeezable udders.

Hay and I on the rickety bridge.

Skillet meals looked amazing. Next time we're filling up here.

Okay, so this was the last roller coaster that Troy and Hay had left to go on. I dropped them off at the front and ran to the observation deck. Put lightly, I just about pooped my pants when I saw the severity of the ride Hayley was about to go on. If you've been to Cedar Point, think the Dragster. This thing brings you up to the track, counts down (red, yellow, green) and then shoots you forward FAST up the first hill. Think major whiplash. Even coaster lovers wouldn't risk throwing their hands up on the launch. Much to my surprise, Hayley handled it AMAZINGLY. Troy looked more scared for her than she looked scared herself.

Moments before launch. Hay wouldn't look over because they advised her to keep her head against the back of the seat to avoid whiplash.

Hill #2. Away they gooooooo!

Golfing at Dusk

Since our neighborhood features a 9-hole course, we've likened to golfing on weekends (I use the term 'golfing' loosely). Troy and I tee off (I avoid participation in holes with water hazards), then Hayley putts the ball in once we've made it to the green. I'm right around 90% sure that Hay likes the golf cart and the snacks more than the golfing itself.

Here's our scramble last weekend:

Hay with her trusty putter.

Okay, so "golf" usually turns into a game of "Everybody stop what they're doing and find Troy's golf ball." This is us making that transition. 

Hayley displeased with her golf game.

Hayley beginning the putting process.

Arkansas wildlife. These photos don't do these guys justice. These frogs are HUGE and you can see about 20 of them encircling the pond at one time.

If I'm not a seasoned golfer, I should at least have a Titleist visor suggesting I am.

Daddy-Daughter golf time. Love this pic.

Hay, excited her putting game has recovered nicely.

GET IN THE HOLE!

The Swimmin' Hole

We've discovered that early evening is the best time for swimming in the neighborhood pool. Last night the fam brought diving rings and goggles down for a swim. Here are some lovely little pics.

Our little 9-hole course at dusk.

You Can't Teach a Master

Over the summer, Hayley attends dance class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2pm every week. She has discovered this a great inconvenience to her and her summer play schedule, as dance class interferes with her ability to attend summer camp two days a week.

Last week, when dance class took priority over a Summer Camp fieldtrip to see "Horton Hears a Who," she reached her breaking point. Hayley emphatically declared she wanted to quit dance class.

When we asked why she would ever want to quit, she said, "I don't need to go to dance class. I already know how to dance REALLY good."

Mother Nature Rattles the Natural State

Friday's Whirlwind

I didn't take any pictures of today's crazy storm, mostly because you wouldn't have seen much beyond the torrential downpour, but luckily someone did. See below for crazy funnel cloud looming above Sam's. 

Wednesday's Storm and its Brilliant Resolution

I have also found some great pictures of the storm two nights ago which resulted in a rainbow at sunset clouded by mist and steam overhead (compliments of my team member, Tim, as well as some taken from the Fayetteville Flyer site). 

Enjoy. This was a really cool sight to see. Troy and I were pulling into Blockbuster when we realized what it was: A rainbow perfectly arched and trying to show its colors, losing its battle to a breathtaking sunset that was ruthlessly stealing all of its luster.

Hello, are you there, world? It's me, Meghan.

If excitement could be manufactured in it's purest form, today I would be an excellent spokesperson for it. As of last night, we are officially connected to the outside world via internet and telephone.

Thanks to Cox Communications, the most expensive cable service provider in all the land, we can now communicate with friends and family freely (freely as in openly and at our own free will).

Here's the important info you need:

House Phone: Call us for it. We've been getting lots of random calls.

Meghan's Email: meghanbusch@netscape.net

Troy's Email: mrtroydr@hotmail.com

Our cell numbers remain the same.

Thanks for your patience with our lack of communication, guys. In other news, some of you may know that we were planning on visiting Chicago the weekend of June 21st. Unfortunately that will no longer be happening (if you have questions, call me for details). For those of you we were hoping to see, we're incredibly bummed we won't be able to hang with you that weekend as planned. Summer, Rob & Chuck, we will miss tearing up Chitown with you BIG time.

As soon as we get our jobs in order, we'll be planning a trip home to visit.

Much love,

Meg

Burgers and the Sea

A Theory: If seafood is more delicious the closer you get to the sea... Troy and I had some exceptional burgers last night. Could beef be more delicious when we're closer to cows?

Deep thoughts by Meghan in Arkansas.

It's Gonna Be A Good Year

At least that's what was running through my mind as I listened to Hayley rattle off her best witch voice as she read her bedtime story of Hansel and Gretel. That's what I thought when she squealed a little at the sight of her enormous Hannah Montana Fathead flanking a once-empty bedroom wall. That's definitely what ran through my mind as I begrudgingly agreed to play kickball with my new team members on an office "Fun Friday" only to find out that beer combined with the seriously awesome collection of personalities in my new office made the begrudging all for naught. And that's certainly what I thought as I rolled in the door from my now 10-minute commute with plenty of time to make and eat dinner by just 6pm; dinner that we ate on the balcony in perfectly 75-degree weather with just Troy, Hayley and I. And finally, that's what I thought when I watched Hayley beg for a piggy back ride from Troy through Target; arms wrapped around Troy's shoulders perched 6 feet and some inches off the ground, she said, "Daddy, when you're this high up all the time, don't you feel like you're gonna fall over?"

Yes, it's gonna be a good year.