Our trip to Arkansas

We were invited back to Arkansas for the annual Ott Memorial Golf Tournament 6/25 - 6/28. Most of you know the man Jesse and I both worked for for so long, J.R. Ott, passed away last June 2008. The golf tournament was in honor of his dad, Robert. Unfortunately, J.R.'s funeral ended up being the same weekend as the tournament in 2008. His family asked us to come back this year to enjoy the tournament and we were able to spend time with his Sister and her family, his Mom (referred to by the grandkids as Nonnie), and J.R.'s ex-wife, Gina and their kids, Andrew, Axel, and Lily! We had a great time mostly swimming and eating! J.R.'s sister, Joanna, let us stay in a furnished corporate apartment. We went to the Centennial Valley Country Club for swimming and some meals. Joanna and Jim have a dinner around the pool at their house on Thurs. evening. Then Friday there is a lunch for family and the golfers. We got to take some golf carts Friday afternoon and drive the kids around and have burgers out by one of the holes on the golf course. Saturday and Sunday Lil Jesse got up early and went with Andrew and Axel to cook hamburgers for all the golfers and family. I think each day they cooked more than 300 burgers! (There were several adults doing the cooking too) I took Cross and Cole swimming everyday! Saturday night there was a nice dinner at the events center with a great live band! Thanks to Gina for letting all the kids stay at her house Friday and Saturday evenings so Jesse and I could stay out and enjoy the bands.
We made the six hour drive home on Sunday and brough J.R.'s two boys, Andrew and Axel, home with us. On Monday night all the boys saw Transformers 2. On Tuesday, they all came up to the shop and rode dirt bikes on the mini track by the shop. Wednesday, I dropped them off at Six Flags for the whole day! Thursday evening big Jesse took them all to Village Creek Motocross Park to ride dirt bikes. Friday we had a cook out at the house and they shot off a few fireworks. Then on Sat. 4th of July we went to lake for the day and they tried to ski. Jesse and Lil Jesse are good at skiing, but it wasn't as much fun for Andrew and Axel since they weren't able to ever get up. Then we set off a bunch of fireworks at the house that night. Sunday we took them to the airport to fly back home. We were all exhausted by then. Hopefully they had fun!