Dear Amanda:

Amanda,

I thought I would let you know what your kids have been up to since you left them in Arkansas for two weeks. I picked them up from Ernest and Donna on Sunday. I asked them what they did while they were with them and all they talked about was going to church twice and to Chuck E. Cheese's. You'll be thrilled to know that you left some unmentionables -- well, actually just an unmentionable ;) -- at your mother-in-law's house. Josh also left a blue, button-up shirt.

We all spent the night with Mom and Dad. We went down to the river and then grilled hot dogs later that evening. On Monday, Mom and I took the kids down to this new "park" in Malvern. It turned out to be just a picnic area, boat ramp, and some trails that went dangerously close to the Ouachita River. The sign said "Whitewater Park", and they meant it!

We let the kids play in the little pool (to the right in the top picture), but made them put on life jackets to climb on the rocks and play near the edge of the river. I was seriously afraid that someone would be washed down the river and had formulated a rescue plan that involved me running down the trail to the launch area downstream to try to catch the drifter! We would like to come back on a float trip to this area. I think it would be really fun in a canoe.

After that, we went to lunch at McDonald's and then briefly went by Babe's work to let her see the kids for a minute. We were all worn out and enjoyed a quiet ride back to Lonsdale.