Top 5 places to take your kids to around Southwest, Missouri

I love summer! It the best time to spend with the kids. Just click on the name and it will take you to their website. There are a lot of great places to go so here are my top 5 places to take my kids during the summer:

1.)    CarouselPark in Joplin, MO. - This is like a mini theme park it has lot, s of great things like: the only go carts in the area, jumping pillow, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages; then there are the theme park rides like bumper cars, Ferris wheel, train, elephant ride(spinning ride), go gator roller coaster, mermaid (another spinning ride), carousel, tiger terror roller coaster, a ride called the light tower, the tilt a whirl, and a crazy ride called the whirlwind.

2.)     Splash Country or Grand Country Inn- Both names are the same place and they are located down in Branson, MO. The kids love the indoor and outdoor water park. I love that we can stay at a hotel and not have to drive in the traffic to go somewhere to keep the kids happy. This place is awesome they have everything. You can stay at a cheaper motel and go here or stay the night here. I love the fact that you have both options, and the kids love the water parks!

3.)    BransonScenic Railway – I think every child should know what a train ride feels like! I love it the kids love it. This is definitely a fun for all I get to sit back and relax for this one hour 45 minute trip that takes passengers through tunnels, over trestles, and through the southwest Missouri or northwest Arkansas wilderness that is still home to much wildlife and to the ruins of long-ago communities now named only on railroad maps. It’s a must!

4.)    DickersonPark Zoo – Who doesn’t love the zoo? We love going to the zoo, plus you can get membership bonuses.  Members of Friends of the Zoo help make Dickerson Park Zoo a first-class facility. FOZ helps care for the animals, construct new exhibits, provide fun, meaningful education experiences and makes possible participation in Species Survival Plans that are saving animals from extinction – all while giving members the time of their lives at the zoo! What you get with the membership is: Free admission to Dickerson Park Zoo for one year; free subscription to the zoo magazine, WildTimes; Free admission to the members-only preview of Halloween SPOOKTACULAR and half-priced admission on the other nights of the event; two one-day admission passes for your friends. Invitations to "members only" events; Discounts on education programs and children's birthday party packages. 10% discount at the SAFARI TRADING COMPANY gift shop. And, free or discounted admission to more than 100 zoos across the United States and Canada.

5.)    Worlds ofFun and Oceans of Fun -Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun are two adjoining theme parks with roller coasters, shows, water shenanigans, and attractions for people of all ages. A world of Fun is the premier amusement park destination in the Midwest -- offering 175 acres of excitement and fun for every member of the family. For thrill seekers, an impressive line-up of seven world-class roller coasters and dozens of thrill rides offers dips and loops ranging from big too small. Here’s one review of the Parks: World's of Fun is the majoramusement park here in Kansas City, Missouri. Set in a comfortable, usuallyshaded, grassy and tree lined park, the atmosphere is wonderful. The ridesaren't all smooshed together, there are plenty of benches for the ole fuddyduddies, and most of the lines for rides are through a covered area which isgreat on a 100 degree day.Roller CoastersThe newest of all coasters is the Boomerang! It is pretty good, but a ratherlong wait for such a short ride. You climb into the "train" just likeall other roller coasters, but instead of sending you on your way you findyourself being dragged backward up a hill. Once at the top, you are released,moving very quickly past all the people still waiting their turn, up into atriple loop, and then shoot up the next hill ... catching at the top. Once itreleases you from this end, you are sent reeling backward through the tripleloop and back up the other hill, finally settling you back with your waitingfriends. It is definitely a rush ... but the short timing just wasn't worthstanding in line again for another 20 minutes.The Orient Express and the Mamba are the other two steel roller coasters. TheOrient was KC's first to have complete loops ... the Mamba boasts the highestroller coaster around. Both are great rides, of course the best time to get anyof the coasters is in the morning before everyone gets there.The Timber Wolf is KC's only wooden roller coaster. Although a lot of peopleenjoy the viciousness of an all-wood roller coaster, I don't ride this one veryoften. With as much as you are thrown side-to-side, you may end up with aheadache for the rest of the day.The Wet Rides!The Viking Voyager is one ride that I think all amusement parks have. The logride that takes you and a few of your friends through a river of twists andturns, making it's way upward all the time, preparing you for the drop down,splashing into the lake, thereby leaving everyone soaked.I prefer the Fury of the Nile on hot days .. relax while you and 5 of yourfriends gently float down a river, cool, refreshing, and very surprisingly WET!That is if you get hit with any of the fountains, but even if you somehow missthose, it's really hard to miss the waterfall you are sent through.Other Cool RidesSome of my favorites would have to include the Detonator (sit in a chair and berocketted 10 stories straight up); the Finish Fling (get stuck against the wallof a rotating barrel as the floor drops out from under you); and the Zulu (itjust goes around in circles ... from a horizontal circle into a vertical circle- but very nauseating!).Don't Like The Rides ... Try a Game of Skill (er, chance)Like all parks, seeing the guys win stuffed animals for their pretty girlsisn't anything new here. My son won a blow up hammer, and both my daughters wonstuffed spider monkeys. My hubby didn't win me anything!You can throw balls into hoops, milk cans, and barrels, or try tossing ringsaround coke bottles. Although these games are possible to win, I wouldrecommend just heading for the good ole gift store and purchasing the one youreally like, and just pretend you won it! :-)How About a Show?Ok, so you can't do hours and hours of beating your body up by trying everyride 3-5 times? Check out one of the shows in the park. There are two insidestage shows (great for cooling off); an aquatic arena (which could be quitecooling if you site in the middle of the front three rows); and a shaded areawhere they show off the parrots.Stax of Wax is probably my favorite. The singers dance to oldies but goodies,working their way up through the modern music too. I took my one year old nieceto this show in hopes of getting her cooler and calmer, she just sat on my lapthe entire time clapping her hands and jiggling her butt!What Can The Younger Kids Do??Great question... We spent part of our time at Bernstein Bear Country which isdesigned for the youngest of the park visitors. Most of the rides here requireyou to be less than 48" tall, so finally, they get to play and you get towatch.They have small roller coasters, the boats that go around in circles, and alarge indoor scientific museum. This museum is a hands on experience of howthings work and you'll usually find a lot of the dads playing with thecomputers and whack a frog too!

The End!

I am not sure I am happy about leaving this class. I love the venting blogs or getting to ramble about my life and then getting comments from unknown faces. This semester the blogs have made me feel better about things in my life and I have gotten lots of great feedback from people I don't even know what they look like. I have to say this doesn't feel like an online classes. It feels like a real class because I have made friends and passed notes(lol). I mean homework was the best! You learned to write different types of term papers, lean about things going on right now in our lives, and you get to write a blog about anything you want. If every online class was this fun, educational, and interactive I would look forward to school work more. I hate writing this blog because I feel like I am loosing friends, feels like high school graduation all over again. So, to my many faceless class mates I say good bye, enjoy the summer (I know I will), and good luck in the future. To our wonderful professor Holly Chism, please stay as wonderful as you already are and please tell me how you can make an online class feel like a real class.
Thank-you all I have enjoyed reading your blogs and my two cents are gone with the wind.

Is there another funeral in my future?

Okay so my last two weeks have stunk! I keep trying to think positive but I can’t. My friends mom Died R.I.P Lynn and then two days later my grandma passed away R.I.P. Virginia Wilson, then two days after that my mother-in-law had a heart attack. I have been staying up in Kansas City with her and have not done any homework so now I am way behind. She just got out of the hospital yesterday. She was at KU, but, the worst part is that the doctors said we might as well start planning another funeral. Most married people don’t get along with their in laws and I for one was one of them and to some I am still am but, this woman who ten years ago I would not cared if anything happened to her has become a wonderful mother-in-law to me and she has always been a wonderful grandmother. Well, I care! I am scared I don’t want her to die! My husband has been gone these past three weeks in an unknown location with the military and I just got to talk to him yesterday and let him know what is going on. He is completely devastated and now we are going to meet at her house on Monday. It is so hard sometimes. I know that both good and bad things come and three’s but, this hurts so bad. I have been to my wonderful therapist 8 times in two weeks. She actually thought I made the whole thing up till I showed her the obituaries and showed her a picture of my mother-in-law in the hospital.


Okay really bad thing is I don’t understand hospitals. If she is bleeding internally don’t you think it’s your job to find where she is bleeding and fix it? Also, they say her heart still is not working right and that two valves are plugged and not working. Yet; they sent this woman home! Told her she could only drink two liters a day and if she gained more than 3lbs in a day or could not wake up, move, or something to that affect to bring her back. I think they should have just kept her and made sure she was okay and fixed everything. Okay so I am like two test behind with finals next week and also I didn’t write my 4th paper for this class; so I am pretty sure my eyes are going to see very bad grades, or the fact that I might fail a class or two now. That leads to lose my FASFA or even be put on academic suspension. I am not sure what the bright side is but, if I find one I will let you know. Alright I am off here and back to Kansas City Monday hopefully with enough prayers everything will be alright and I might pass this semester of classes.

Trump For President? Give me a break!!

Okay so I give it that Donald Trump is some kind of celebrity, but do you really think he is right to lead a country? Well, I for one like the show celebrity apprentice, but I sure and the heck would never vote for a celebrity to become president! I have heard everybody say oh he would make a good president because he is very intelligent with money. He has great business sense. Okay but, where does it say he has the qualifications to run for president. Has anyone thought of where he is going to come up with the money to help out are National Deficit? He is a man that gets people to give him money! So, as Americans the people are you going to be willing to open your pocket book and hand him money to pay off our national debt? I for one am not; and if you are willing to give money to help with our national debt then start helping now it shouldn’t matter who is in office. Either you’re going to help or you’re not!


Everybody thinks it is a joke that Donald Trump is telling about running for president but, “appearing on The O'Reilly Factor, Bernie Goldberg reported that, according to his source, Trump really is going to run.”I spoke to someone today, Bill. Someone who was in a position to know and that person tells me that Donald Trump has made up his mind and that as of today, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will, he will run for the nomination of the Republican nomination for President of the United States. That's as of today. And that's barring any unforeseen circumstances."” So, there you have it he is going to run. Yea! NOT!

I for one am concerned after reading an article on CNN it said: What most observers picked up from this small moment was: A) Trump would not be a poll-tested, talking point candidate. B) He would be willing to challenge audiences in front of him, caring less about their applause and more about speaking his own mind. C) There is an authenticity to him. There was something about his speaking up for a newly respected America that rang honest and sincere -- and most importantly, was needed. Okay so the man knows how to talk and con people but, he has no knowledge in politics. If he wanted to run for president maybe he should have went to college then became a senator, then a governor, and then ran for president. I think when people look or refer to Donald Trump all they see is a wealthy business man, but won’t they don’t think about is that him being wealthy means he is the opposite of Robin Hood instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor he is going to still from the poor and give to the rich. He is only running for president because that is the highest point on the totem pole.

I agree with what Huff Post has to say about Donald Trump running for president. They say: Donald Trump continues to parade himself around the media as if people in this country actually care about his potential candidacy in 2012. I don't think they do. This is a circus and it's fake.


Trump gives public service a bad image. It's not about flash, it's not about wealth, and it's not about hairstyle. It's about doing something for people and being an advocate for the community you represent. Trump, well, he's done none of that... ever.


Donald Trump is no more a serious candidate than me going back to North Dakota in an attempt to get a Senate run going. And I must say, at least they asked me.


Who has shown any interest in Donald Trump being the next president of the United States other than Donald Trump? Nobody.


The Republican Party isn't banging on his door, and the hilarious part of this is that he's trying to court the tea party through the birthers.


Trump is screaming to the public, "Please, pay attention to me! I'm important! I can get on any show I want! I could be president! And I'm thinking about it!"


You know what I say? "So what?"


Have you noticed in all of the interviews he has been giving, that he never has any solutions, no real answers other than verbal bomb throwing?


I'd like to know, Mr. Trump, what's your plan for 15 million Americans unemployed in this country? How about the 50 million uninsured Americans when it comes to health insurance? How about the poor, do you have a plan for them?


Trump doesn't talk about that stuff -- he continues to harp on the fact that he screwed somebody in a land deal and that's proof he can do a great job in foreign relations.


But when it comes down to the devil in the detail of dealing with the issues of the people and making real change, Trump, you don't have it. You've never had it. Money is not a measure of a man's character or success in the arena of public service.


I'm curious, where do you stand on the farm bill? Do you know anything about it? I'd like Donald Trump to tell the American people what state he thinks he can win. Maybe with all his money he can create a state.


Mr. Trump, stop embarrassing yourself.

Amen to the man who wrote this article in the newspaper! Please people I am begging you think before you vote! We only get one vote and I hope you make yours count and vote for anybody but this man!

Well my Grandma has passed away!

Well, I had just finished blogging last Friday about my 16 year old friend planning her mother of 45 funeral. Let me tell you what has happened since I wrote that blog. I wrote that blog late last Friday night. My husband had left that morning with the military. Now, I go to bed early after making sure my husband go to where he was going safely. I get up at 8am and get my three daughters, showered and fed so we can go to two different Easter egg hunts. Okay so, the girls and I have showered and are ready to go. I text my sister-in-law who is my best friend and ask her when she would be over to pick us up since my van is in the shop still getting the computer fixed on it. She picks up and we go to Orshelins here in Lamar and they decided not to do an Easter egg hunt, but to just let the kids come in and get a box of eggs. I can understand that. Anyway my nephew won a chicken. It was cool! Alright we have a couple of hours till the Lamar Park Easter egg hunt so we go back to my house since I live by the park. We are laughing and having a good time when my friend who is planning her moms funeral calls and says her uncle is in town trying to ruin her mothers funeral. Aww. Don't get upset we saved the day and with plenty of time to get to the park for the big annual Easter egg hunt. I am standing there and we are all laughing and having a good time and 15 minutes prior to the egg hunt starting my phone rings, I answer it because it's my mother. I yell first Happy Easter! She says nothing and I hear her crying really bad and I asked the whats wrong? She said I just called to let you know your grandma just passed away. She hangs up and says call me after the Easter egg hunt. I barely get the words out and say okay mom I love you. I look up at my sister in law and I can't breathe and she says what happened I tell her and some woman in the crowd turns around and by this time tears are running down my face and she says really? I was like nope I lie to cry at Easter egg hunts. we go Easter egg hunting but, for some reason I felt like I was trapped in a tornado. After the Easter egg hunt I sat down and waited for everybody to eat so my sister in law could take me home and everybody wanted to talk to me, but I had nothing to say. See there's where I messed up because I am a talker and everybody knows it, but my brain would not function. So, I left my kids with my sister and walked off and sat in her car waiting to go home. She dropped me off, I called my brothers and they started celebrating. Now, don't get offended you have to understand my grandma was mean to them. Anyway they don't want to go to the funeral because of issues they have with her, but I tell my mother I will get a babysitter and go with her. So, I try to go to sleep knowing that on Easter Sunday I had a wake to go to but, my brother calls the one with a baby and went back to the worthless mother and wants me to help him save his relationship. I am like really? This woman almost killed my niece and you want me to help? Anyway my lovely heart got in the way and I stayed up till 6am helping them stay together. I wake up at 11am to my oldest daughter 8 almost nine bringing me my brunch. What a daughter I thought to myself. See she knows what death means and she is the sweetest thing. She said you have 3 missed calls, and granny called. I told her thank-you kissed her and told her to go play. I call my mother and ask her when she was going to pick me up..... She starts laughing in the background and says well since your brother didn't want to go I decided I wasn't taking anyone. So, if you want to come you will have to find a ride. I explain that I can't but, would love to go to the funeral on Monday, she says okay. Monday rolls around and my mother never calls, comes by, or answer's my calls. The funeral was at 3pm. At 3:30 I get a call and she is talking to me like I am some celebrity. So, now I know she is just showing off for her family that has never met me. I let her. I am still hurt from her not taking to my grandpa's funeral when I was 18. So, now I have realized that my mother doesn't love me the way she does my brothers. Then she came over here today and asked me to let her have $50.00 because she spent that on gas to go to my grandma's funeral. All I could do was shut the door and lock it. I didn't want to be mean to my mother since she had just buried hers, but really why should I be the fall back child? Why is that I am always there for my parents, but my parents are only there for my brothers. I am talking to grown men who don't want anything to do with them and I am always there for them and yet, they don't care. Why? Anyway R.I.P. Grandma Virginia Wilson. Whether you where nice or mean you will still be loved and missed by me. Forgive me for not being at your funeral, but it was beyond my control.

Funeral

A friend of mine's mother passed away a couple of days ago..... What to say about my friend....Hmm. I will say she is a sixteen year old mother that is an outcast to her family. She has a baby boy and her own house! She is a great mother. I don't think kids should have kids but, in this case she is a great mother. Bad side is her mother died at 45. Who has to plan the funeral her mother's husband, who has a girlfriend? Maybe one of her mother's relatives who didn't even care enough about her to take care of her instead of just slapping her in a nursing home? NOPE! The poor child has to plan her mother's funeral and take care of all the arrangements! Where is her stepdad? Good question! I am so mad as hell and I don't care about anybody's feelings but hers right now. This child is no relation to me yet, I am the only one helping her with this besides one other person. This girl should NOT have to plan her mothers funeral alone! She is a child and she needs to grieve, but none of her family is there for her.
I ask in the world we live in how could a family be so horrible and do this to a child with a baby? I could NEVER do this to my worst enemy! I will never understand the things that happen or why people do this. I have a message to anybody in that family: Go look up the word worthless and it will say" Worthless-Y-O-U!
I will never forget we are all family and should treat others as we would want to be ttreated. If anybody comes to this girls moms funeral and tries to destroy know that their is not a person on Earth that will stop me from giving my two cents! How can people do this to a child? LOVE her! HELP her! Quit Judging her! All she ever wanted was love and now I know why she needs people like me in her life. Because she is better than me! She says nothing harmful, yet hears everyday how horrible she is, she tries everyday to be the best she can, yet it is not enough for you. She cries quietly at night hoping one day you will lover her, but you won't. So, like a radio show to my friend, Hear's Momma Jessica sending a song out to you; it's called Lullaby By: Shawn Mullins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSPjTAFn-l0
 I love you girl and everythings going to be alright!

What will happen in 2012?

Okay I have to write about this before school ends. I am pretty sure everybody has heard that something is going to happen in 2012. I know I keep hearing about it. First, before I talk about 2012 I want to tell you what is going to happen to my family in 2012. I am going to celebrate my tenth wedding anniversary! If my husband is still in the country at that time we are going to renew our wedding vows. We didn’t get a real wedding due to him leaving the first time he left for war. So, we always said we would have a real wedding on our tenth anniversary. I am excited about that! Also, I turn 30 in 2012. Okay so there is what is happening to me in 2012, now onto what is supposed to happen to the world in 2012.


I would like to start with Nostradamus, because this man wrote a lot of predictions and they so far have been right. So here is what wiki says that Nostradamus said;” The predictions of Nostradamus were in agreement with the scientist of today that the solar system will pass through the galactic plane of the Milky Way galaxy, as the earth enters its 25,800 year precession. When this happens, the gravitational wave, which exists as a flat plane along the equatorial region of the Milky Way, sends this across any passing solar system, including Earth and the Sun, causing earthquakes in both Sun and all the planets. In this region there are broken planets and asteroids that may cause near massive object collision with earth, but also as the solar system passes the equatorial region will the planets; including earth shifts its rotation. According to Nostradamus, when this passes, whole continents will be under water in a matter of 6-10 hours, where most of Asia will be underwater, but also other coastal regions. The land will sink fast and responsible for most of the destruction, but during this passing the earth will lose its orbit around the sun, massive earthquakes starts from the polar shifts and gravitational waves bringing on earthquake and sinking of continents. The spokes of wheel disappears in one of Nostradamus drawings which signifies that earth will no longer be in orbit or following cycles, and hence the disappearance of spokes. The sinking of land will also experience land underwater coming out at the same time, and will take matter of hours for a land to sink 2000 feet under the ocean much like Atlantis, which was about 2200 feet, located off the coast of Cuba. Nostradamus belonged to the secret society and this is known by the secret society too and symbolism matches his used, but because this knowledge was secret did Nostradamus have to plan the event to be “discovered" more than 500 years later.” This man has predicted a lot of things, so he nice to hear what he says. Like the article says most scientists agree with him.

Alright that is just one story. What about the Mayans? The Mayans never said that it was the end of times. To put it simple their calendar just ends. The question we ask is what does this mean to us? From the articles I read it means we are going to know a higher power. Well, here is a piece of an article explaining a little bit about the Mayan Calendar predictions: “You can say a lot about the Maya, but you've got to hand it to them: they knew a hell of a lot about stars. For instance, they calculated the exact duration of a year to a thousandth of a decimal point, much more precise than any Greek or enlightened philosopher ever did. Also, they were able to predict every solar and lunar eclipse until this day. And obviously, they knew where the galactic equinox and the exact middle of the Milky Way lay: they called this crossing `the Sacred Tree'. More disturbing, the Maya's were awfully good at astrology, too. Mysteriously, they predicted in what year their civilization would be overrun by foreigners coming from over the seas. Legend has it they even predicted the world wars. So if a Maya tells you the world will end in 2012, you'd better take it seriously. But actually, the Maya's never predicted anything concrete about 2012. That may have something to do with our ill knowledge about Maya culture: when the Spanish ransacked the land, they burnt literally every Maya book they could find. Only a handful of scriptures survived. And in them, there's not a clue about what happens when the Maya calendar ends. So what awaits us in 2012 basically is an open question. And as with so many open questions, countless doom preachers, semi-prophets and other crackpots pop up to provide an answer. The interpretation you hear most: 2012 will mark the coming of a new, glorious age of wisdom and peace. It will be Age of Aquarius at last, with a world full of peace, love and understanding. The reasoning behind this is actually not that stupid. The Maya's didn't really believed in endings: their conception of time was circular, with every end being the beginning of something new. So, 2012 shouldn't be an exception. Also, the Maya's had a highly developed philosophy of the cosmos. They saw the cosmos as the true mother of things. Consequently, the Maya's thought the cosmos is all around us, and within us. Every plant, every animal, every man is sheer Cosmos. So, New Age philosophers say, December 21st 2012 will be the day on which this inner cosmos is reconnected to the divine outer cosmos. The Sun will mount its unique position to form a `gateway' between the Universe and the souls of every living creature on Earth. Our linear conception of time will crumble, and with it, fear and hatred will vanish. It will be purification at it's very best, when everyone is soaked in cosmic understanding and divine love. So there it is: on December 20th, you'll kick your dog, yell at your spouse and cheat on cards. But a day later, you'll be calmed down into a peaceful dude with nothing but love and understanding to guide you in life. Even though it's mid-winter, it'll be summer of love for all humanity.

I know this is long but, one more point of view from our scientist oh wait they don’t really have a point of view, but that’s our government. I say live life everyday because you never know when it’s going to be your last! It’s like that saying the past is called the past because it’s behind us. Today is the present because it a present just to see it, and the future is the future because we can’t see into it.

And here is a website just for fun to lookout all the natural disaster's going on around the world! I love it!
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php