K & K Meador (+2): turner falls

This was the second year we went to Turner Falls in Oklahoma, and it was seriously perfection! This trip was exactly what our family needed. Time together in the great outdoors, days full of explorations, good food, and laughs. We were supposed to go with the Myers family again, but dates did't work out so we were on our own. Although we missed having friends there, it was also really good to give our kids our undivided attention. Sometimes life feels so busy, we just go from one thing to another or I feel like I'm just busy running a home, taking care of the kids, fulfilling my church calling, etc. It was really good to just focus on having fun and making memories.

It took two solid days to get everything ready to go, but it was worth it! We left on Colby's birthday, so before we loaded up the car, we headed to the donut shop to have a special treat. Then it was time to pack everything in, which Kevin did beautifully. We borrowed a hitch thing from the Taggarts, which was ideal for the recycle bins full of firewood we were taking.

Coby kept himself busy while we loaded up...

It took about 2 hours to get to Turner Falls, and once we took a quick nature walk, it was time to set up our shelter/cabin. We used the same plastic pieces as last year to cover all the screen windows to keep the heat in. We brought our space heaters, two hammocks, about 100 blankets, and all our pillows. We made it our home away from home, and the kids loved their roles in the process.

The kids slept SO well the first night, but the second night was a bit trickier for Colby. Kevin spent the majority of the night snuggling him on his twin bed because he kept waking up.

The Fall colors were gorgeous, and we loved exploring the different trails and paths.

The first evening we walked down to the river and the kids threw rocks in for what seemed like forever. They were so content to throw rock after rock, and had no desire to move on, haha. Colby was on a mission to find the biggest rock he could carry, and I loved watching his determination.

Before it was dark, we headed back to the shelter to prepare dinner. We were making tin foil dinners, and the kids helped with all the washing and chopping of potatoes and vegetables. They helped Kevin get a fire started, which was probably a highlight each night for them. Kevin is so patient with them, and allows them to help every step of the way.

My Uncle teased Kevin on a social media post about Texans making a fire with lighter fluid, but to his defense, he was preparing the briquets for our tin foil dinners :)

Day Two and the littles were ready for more fun...

They both loved the playground next to our shelter. The whole park was practically empty on day one (Friday), but a lot of tent campers showed up on Saturday. The shelter area remained empty, which was really nice for us.

We hiked the Castle, and this year Colby walked the whole way without needing to be carried! Our backs were grateful, haha.

When we made it to the top of the trail, Colby had a seat in the middle of the path. It was pretty adorable, but I assured him that the beautiful view of the waterfall was just around the corner.

Nobody was at the top to take our picture, so we were forced to do a selfie, haha. Kevin did a pretty great job and I adore these pictures.

As we headed down, Colby insisted on walking on the edge of the stairs like a balance beam. It took longer than it should have to get down, but it was a sweet memory that I didn't want to forget.

At the bottom, I saw an older couple leaning against this rock and looking for someone to take their picture. I hurried over and offered to do it, and they were so sweet and grateful. They then offered to take ours, and I'm glad he suggested that I check the picture because he had taken about 20 pictures, all with his thumb over the lens, haha. But he tried again and did a wonderful job capturing this family trip!

We spent a lot more time throwing rocks, then Kevin and Brooke studied the map to find us a new trail.

The new trail ended up being one of our favorites! A small stream went along the whole trail, and the gurgling was the perfect accompaniment to the crunchy leaves along the path. After about 10 minutes on the trail, I found Brooke the perfect walking stick. It was just her size, and was super smooth. She was so happy, but then Colby wanted a similar stick. I searched and searched, but no sticks were as great as Brooke's, and despite my efforts to convince him, Colby wasn't buying it. In the end, we found one the right size, and he was decently happy about it, haha.

The kids were so fun to watch as they navigated the trail and anxiously turned each bend to see what lie ahead.

Kevin kept asking Brooke to lead us, and she took her role seriously. It gave her so much confidence that Daddy was asking HER to lead, and I love that he made her feel so important.

Colby wanted to jump onto ALL the rocks, and Kevin made that happen. He is such a fun dad and I'm grateful that my babies have his love.

We headed back to camp for lunch, then went on a different trail to catch another view of some of the smaller falls.

That night we made banana boats, and although the kids loved making them and eating the goodies we stuffed inside, only Kevin and I really liked them once they were warm and gooey :)

It was sure a fun process, though...

I can't remember why Colby thought he needed a bucket on his head, but it's forever documented in this picture.

The next morning, we packed up our shelter, played a bit of baseball, then headed for one final walk down to the river.

The night before, I had mentioned to Kevin that he needed to take some pictures of me with the kids. That sounds so vain, but I want to be remembered as well because I loved this trip with our family. I do a good job of capturing cute moments with Kevin and the kids (if I do say so myself!), and I wanted a few of those moments with me as well. He made sure to get a few with me on our last morning.