Our First St. Louis Vacation

This past week the Zilkie family took their first vacation since moving to Missouri and spent the week at the Lake of the Ozarks. This lake is a man-made lake like many of the little ponds and lakes all across southern Michigan where Julie and I grew up and lived most of our lives. So when I received the offer to stay at a friends home there for our vacation, we gladly took them up on it. Our friends the Smiths have a nice house on a "man-made" lake back in Michigan and it is a fun little place for the kids to go and play...

Just like we didn't know what a "float trip" was or what "trivia night" was, so too "man made" means something completely different here in Missouri. As opposed to some bulldozers clearning out a big pit several acres big to make a lake...here in Missouri, they just build a dam, flood a river valley raising the water level 100 feet, and call the huge expanded river a lake and a massive one at that that. (Click here for map)

We had a good week and these are Jonathan's top 4 events from the week:
1. Watching all 11 episodes of Planet Earth together over a 7 day period
2. Going swimming in the lake
3. Ice cream and other treats
4. Papa reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" to the boys for the first time.

At least I made his top 4....

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Eating Smores


Bagnell Dam


Julie and Selah at a picnic lunch


Zeke at McDs playland...loves the slide


The Family...and yes Zeke is pulling Jonathan's hair...love our family!!!!!!!!!!!!