2011 Annual Koosmann Family Hotel Weekend: Arrowwood

After quite a bit of debating, emailing, and scheduling, this year's Koosmann Family Hotel Weekend took place at Arrowwood in Alexandria, MN. Both of our kids were incredibly excited about going and talked about it for weeks ahead of time. (Okay...Brendan talked...Megan just yelled, "Yeah! Yeah!" whenever Brendan got excited about it...) Unfortunately, our family came down the the stomach flu during the week prior to the get-together. We were all as sick as could be (both kids had their first experiences with throwing up...so not fun), and then "the pukes" (as Brendan now calls it) got passed on to Brad and I. And let us just say that our kids are tougher than we are. Brad and I couldn't stop whining and complaining about how bad we felt the entire time we were sick, while both kids were absolute troopers. We weren't sure if we would make it to the hotel, but after some recovery time, sleep, and urging from the family, we packed up and headed to Alexandria on Saturday. The hotel was very nice and the water park was amazing. We arrived before our room was ready so we unpacked into Jill and Chuck's room, then got in our swimming suits and hit the pool. There were three huge water slides for the older kids and adults, a smaller swimming pool with balancing activities for the older kids, another "pool" for the younger kids that had three water slides and all the traditional water spraying activities and features for the younger kids, a whirlpool spa, and there was a "Lazy River" inner tube ride. Brendan spent about five minutes in the younger kid pool, about ten minutes swimming in the bigger pool, and then spent the remaining hours (and days) in the "Lazy River" inner tube ride. We couldn't get him out of it! Megan, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the water. She wanted to people-watch. I brought her on the inner tube ride once, and we walked around the kiddie pool about a dozen times, but that was all she wanted to take part in. Maybe next year she'll be more interested. Besides the swimming (which we spent most of the time doing) we ate, played with the kids, and visited. It was a great way to spend some time together as a family. We can't wait until next year!

The water park brochure picture.

One of the first times through the "Lazy River." Mary was in front, followed by Gene, then Brad & Alyssa & Brendan, Jill & Marci, and Jason & Reese. Mary got drenched by the waterfall.

A sighting of the family!

Gene, enjoying the "Lazy River."

More family fun. Brad, Alyssa and Brendan made up the group that went through the "Lazy River" more than anyone in the entire hotel, I think. The kids loved it (I think Alyssa stuck around because Brendan wouldn't leave, and Brad just had to hang in there.)

Reese and Jason, enjoying the "Lazy River."

Megan, all bundled up and concentrating on people-watching.

Megan and Reese, warming up.

Jason, Tami & their family and our family had connected rooms, so for our first big snack break we piled all the food into Jason & Tami's room and let the kids run between the two rooms. Above, the kids were playing hide-and-seek and nobody could find Charlie. He ended up squeezing under one of the beds without anyone seeing him. Above, Chuck, Jill and I were surprised by his emergence.

While playing hide-and-seek, all the kids (minus Charlie) crammed into our closet and had people find them over and over again, squealing each time they were found. Above, Grandpa had a turn being the seeker.

As we were waiting for supper to arrive (Papa Johns!) the kids piled on one of the beds and watched a movie.

The guys hung out in the "living room", watched sports, and chatted.

Getting ready for bed!

The next morning we hit the waterpark again. Above, Tami and Reese take a turn on the "Lazy River."

Marni was showing me her swimming skills...she can swim with her head underwater...very impressive for a 3 1/2-year-old!

Marni and Charlie loved going down the kiddie pool waterslides together.

Reese, swimming with Tami.

On Sunday Megan still wasn't interested in getting into the pool. So grandpa walked with her around the pool area.

Yep, we're still in the "Lazy River." Marci would go through the ride with just her little head poking out of the middle of her tube, bouncing on her tippy toes, oftentimes going underwater and scaring the heck out of me. She would just laugh at me (in a mildly irritated way) when I'd voice my concern. Ahhh...to be fearless...

We all swam in the waterpark on Sunday morning, then checked out of the hotel, and then headed back to the waterpark for more swimming. Brendan swam in the morning, then decided that he didn't want to swim anymore as we were packing up. He was so adamant about not wanting to swim that I packed up all of our swimming suits (will I never learn?) Well, as pretty much anyone could guess...after watching his cousins swimming for about ten minutes he announced to me that he wanted to go swimming after all. So, Brad watched the kids while I shleped outside and dug out the swimming suits. Megan was tired, so I didn't even try to get her into the water, and Brad offered to pass on the swimming so I could go with Brendan. Above, a tired Megan cuddles with Grandpa.

Brad and Brendan, after getting Brendan back into his swimming suit.

Brendan and I, headed out on the "Lazy River."

...and she's asleep!...

Mary says "No pictures!" (actually, I believe she actually said, "This is the only picture you'll get of me! Put that on your blog!") Hee hee!

Brendan and I going past the spitting frog on the "Lazy River." We enjoyed making up names and things that happened in each of the different curves of the river. My personal favorite was the Bunny Cave (named the day before by Brendan and Alyssa) where there was a whirlpool (made by twirling my legs) we'd get caught in every time, but just somehow manage to get out of.

Jill, Marni and Charlie in the bigger kids pool. Thanks to Jill helping watch my kids, I got to go down the waterslides with Marci and Alyssa a bunch!