Bull Shoals/White River

On Friday of Labor day weekend Luke and I packed up the car and dogs and headed to Bull Shoals, AR.  We rented a house on the White River with Matt, Allison, and Brian.

view from our deck!  That little blip out there is Luke fishing.

This was our first family of 4 road trip!  As you may know Buddy is an excellent traveller.  He made numerous trips from MN to KS last year, I guess you could say he is a travelling veteran.  Kato, on the other hand is scared shi+less of the car.  (I mean this quite literally.)  So we were a little worried about her. But, she did GREAT, until we hit middle of NOWHERE Arkansas.  The roads were 2 lane, slow moving and windy as all get out!  She threw up for the first time about half way through the drive, # 2 and 3 were both within the last hour!  3 times!  I'm not sure if it is the mom in me or the fact that I'm growing up but I was able to make it the entire trip with out getting sick!  Thank goodness I layered the back seat in towels and the rental house had a washing machine.  The car made it with out too much damage.  We arrived about 4:30 so we took the dogs down to the river for some swimming.  They LOVED it.  Luke did some fishing and I enjoyed some cool weather while we watched from the beach.  The fishing was pretty short lived.  Buddy has been fishing enough times with Luke that he knows what the pole can bring in.  He wouldn't leave Luke alone.  He sat beside him the entire time and stared at the line.  I've never seen him so intense!  While this is pretty cute it also makes me nervous. Once while fishing in Stillwater, Luke "caught" Buddy.  The hook went right through his back leg.  Now, I didn't know this but those little hooks have a barb on them so they don't just slide out. I freaked out and provided NO help.   Luke had to carry Buddy around the lake looking for someone with the right tool to cut the hook so we could get it out.  We made it through the ordeal with no infections and a dog that learned NOTHING.  Ok, so back to the white river.  Matt, Allison, and Brian arrived about 11:30 that night, which means it was a late night of catching up.

Buddy LOVES fishing.  Luke is trying to keep him beside him and nowhere near the hook.

Saturday started out perfectly, Luke made biscuits and gravy for all of us and then we headed to the lake.  We rented a pontoon boat for the day so we were lazy all day.  We fished, swam, the boys jumped off some cliffs and mostly just relaxed!  It was just what we needed.  That evening we went out to eat at one of Luke and I's favorite restaruants Picante's.  It is a little mexican restaurant that has a store in Hot Springs, AR and one in Mountain Home, AR.  THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD EVER!

Sunday was a LAZY day.  We went on a float trip down the white river in the afternoon and then out to eat for dinner.  I don't have pictures of the float trip or the day on the pontoon boat yet, I'm awaiting them in an email from Brian!

It was a great weekend with great friends.  We need to make this happen more often!

- Morgan