Here is a video of me coming down the big slide at Mo-Ranch.
Two more videos of our family playing with a Texas Turtle.
Tag Archives: Vacation
Mini Vacation At Mo Ranch
A number of years ago, Becky attended a Woman’s retreat at a place called Mo-Ranch which is a Presbyterian camp/conference center. She has always kept it in mind for possible vacations. Since then, we have taken the kids once and we have gone by ourselves once. Becky had the idea of getting away for a short vacation before our “four-family” becomes a “five-family” so we decided to go to Mo again. We stayed for three days and two nights and had a good time. The river was very warm and pleasant.
I put together a slide show of our trip and thought that it would be good to give you a guided tour of our mini vacation. You can start the slide show, then pause it and scroll down to read my commentary.
1) There are lots of different kinds of rooms at Mo-Ranch. We stayed in a building that looks very much like a motel. We were the only visitors in the building so it was nice and quite. Mo-Ranch offers a clergy rate during the week when business is slow so we were able to go without spending an arm and a leg.
2) We brought some digging toys for the kids. They got to work right away.
3) On our way down the hill, there is a neat walk way with what looks to be grape vines all over it.
4) Then even more down the hill is a bridge on the way to the play ground.
5) One of the first things we wanted to do was get in the river. The kids are ready to go!
6) Here is a picture looking up the river towards a 30 foot tall river slide. That is also the direction we are headed to go to the swimming hole.
7) There are lots of little holes to just sit and soak. The water was VERY warm.
8) On our way back to Mo-Ranch. Our daughter was helping me “oar” the canoe.
9) Relaxing after a long day of… relaxing.
10) The food was awesome and the kids made friends with the kitchen staff! Our son was so comfortable with them that he excitedly told them, “I got to pee in the forest!”
11) The kids standing at the entrance of a very long walk-way.
12) Here is a picture of the same bridge.
13) It was windy that day as you can tell from Becky’s hair. She didn’t like being photographed much during this trip. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that she is seven months pregnant?
14) The kids enjoying some cactus.
15) Here is a picture of a labyrinth made out of sand and bricks.
16) Here was are going back to the swimming hole the next day. We had to row upriver about a half mile to get there.
17) I know I titled this picture “Cooling off,” but it was more like “warming up.” The air was cooler than the water.
18) High above the swimming hole is a big wooden cross. The is a nice reminder to have as you sit and enjoys God’s creation.
19) Me and the kids soaking.
20) Hmm… what could that be in the water?
21) Holey buckets! It’s a Texas turtle!
22) Our daughter enjoying the water.
23) Our son enjoying his ice cream.
24) Me and the kids at my second favorite Mo-Ranch spot; the bridge.
We all had a great time and can’t wait to go back again with our fifth family member. If you are even in need of a nice get-a-way with your family, consider Mo-Ranch. If you let us know of your plans, we might even meet you there.
Hawaii-5, 2007
We are leaving today, but i wanted to post one more time before we leave. We’ve still yet to pack and try to fit all the gifts we bought at the swapmeet into our luggage. We brought one extra suitcase knowing that we were going to bring home WAY more stuff than we brought.
Here is a picture of the Poulos family with whom we stayed. This was taken at a food court in the Pearl City Mall. We wanted to thank them for letting us stay in their home with them by taking them out to dinner. We had something a little bit more extravagant in mind, but since the kids all seemed to want something different to eat, we ended up at the food court. Our dinner menu ranged from Chinese to pizza to tacos.
Steve and Lisa Poulos knew Becky when she lived here. She was saved and then started attending Pacific Islands Bible Church where she joined the Poulos college and career group and was discipled by Lisa. The last time we were here (10 years ago) they had onlly three children, the youngest of whom was merely months old. Now they’ve got four kids and we enjoyed hanging out and playing with all of them.
Thank you Poulos family for putting us up and for putting up with us!
This next picture is of Shark’s Cove. We went there to snorkel a few days ago, but the water was pretty rough in some spots and it was starting to rain. As you can see from this picture, we managed to find a calm place in the cove to snorkel. I have never been snorkeling so this was a completely new thing for me. I had no iea there were SO many fish swimming around my feet all the time.
This last picture is an example of how rough the water was outside of the reef. The thundering waves are awesome to hear and feel. It is a sound and f
eeling you will never forget.
eeling you will never forget.Hawaii-4, 2007
Hawaiian sunset. Becky and I spent some time on Waikiki beach today. We parked at the zoo which has parking meters that cost 25 cents an hour. We didn’t have any change, but managed to find a quarter and a spot that still had one hour and nine minutes left on it. That gives us two hours and nine minutes.
Once it got near the time to either leave or feed the meter, the sun was too close to setting to walk away from the beach. We decided to stay and hope for the best. This first picture is of a huge barge in front of my setting sun. I was hoping that it wasn’t going to block it, but as you can see, there was plenty of time for the barge to move on. A few minutes later and we were able to catch my first live sighting of the sun setting into the ocean. It was beautiful!
Once we got back to the the car, we noticed a $35 parking ticket. We’re going to write a check for the fine and enclose these two pictures along with a little note.
The only thing it will say is, “It was worth it!”
Hawaii-3, 2007
I have never seen so many rainbows in my life. Every day that we have been here, we’ve seen a rainbow. Two essential ingredients to rainbows are rain and sunshine and there are plenty of both here. This rainbow pictured here is right across the street from where we are staying. There is a valley right behind the house and the rainbow went right down into it. Very cool sight!
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