Family Vacation

After picking corn, we headed home to pack up for a little family vacation. We left town at about 4pm and headed for Topeka.

 We stayed the night in Topeka and got up the next morning to go to an airshow at Forbes Field. Truman is really into airplanes right now. He loves to sit with Travis and watch YouTube videos of planes taking off. It was a rainy day. We walked around and looked at the planes for awhile, then decided to go to the mall for lunch and to walk around inside and get dry.

 That afternoon we headed on to Kansas City to stay with Hollie and Michael for a couple of days.

Talking to Turkey the cat.

Grilling squash on the elephant grill.

 Amelia got ahold of my camera during several points of our trip. I think her little snapshots are a fun view into what she saw.

Dueling laptops.

A delicious meal.

 

 

 Monday we went to Crown Center to Sea Life Aquarium. It was a nice place and the kids loved watching all of the fish.

 At Crown Center the was a Curious George exhibit with a lot of little hands on activities for the kids to do. Truman really loved the Curious George statue. Right when we walked in he went to hug and kiss him on the lips. And he had to do the same as we left, even though I tried to stop him from kissing him. Germs!

 Legoland is also at Crown Center, but we didn't go in. We thought that would be too much for one day and we'll save it for another trip when the kids are a bit bigger.

 Another delicious meal was made, fish tacos with crappie we took with us.

I love the big, mature trees at Hollie and Michael's house. I forget what it's like to have them.

 Tuesday we went to Schlitterbahn water park. It was great! There was a kinder area for the kids to play, slide and splash. And alot of rivers to ride on tubes in. The kids had a good time and so did Travis and I. It was a beautiful day, the water was just right and it wasnt too crowded. We rode through the different rivers several times, Amelia on a double tube with Travis and Truman with me, and by the last trip, Truman was nodding off. He crawled over and fell alseep as we floated down the river.

 After the waterpark, we headed to Ottawa to stay the night at Gigi's house.

Gigi was playing and Amelia was making up her own song.

More of Amelia's snapshots...

Another first for our trip, escalators. I don't think the kids had ever been on one. Between the Topeka mall and Towne East in Wichita, they now have it mastered.

 It was a great vacation, fun, sometimes stressful with two little people, but a great get away that we all needed.

While we were gone, Greensburg got over 5 inches of rain in two days. There is flooding in the central parts of the state and more rain on it's way now. It's amazing how different this is than the typical hot, dry and windy August that we've had the past couple of years.

Corn Harvest 2013

Saturday was our annual corn harvest day. Is was pretty much the usual, guys go to the field to pick, there's a shucking station, washing station, cutting station and cooking and bagging in the kitchen. Ray and Pat got a new swing set and the kids enjoyed playing on it.

It has been much cooler the last few weeks and we've gotten rain! The grass is green and that is unheard of for August in Kansas.

Friends, Family, Fences

Last Saturday was bottling of some of last years wine.

 Ray filled the bottles, Kenny passed them to Clair, Clair put the corks in, Dad wiped them off and passed the to Mom to seal the top.

 Brayden and Tootsie enjoying some sun.

 We had another great pizza feast.

 Cretia and Marie and Ashley and the kids came for the day too. Grandma Cretia loved spending time with all of the pee wees.

 And of course, there was ice cream!

 Later in the afternoon, Ray, Travis and Marie went over to our house to work more on our fence. They started putting up the pickets.

 Sunday afternoon and evening Sharon and Vinson came to visit. I toured them around town and we had a great dinner at mom and dad's house. It was great catching up with them, brainstorming and sharing ideas. I made a pretty yummy blackberry cheesecake.

 Today was the library summer reading party. Grandma Pat has been soooo great at reading with the kids (Thanks!) Amelia had read 60 books this summer. The had a lady from the Wetlands and Wildlife Center come and talk about Kansas animals and she brought some to show the kids.

 And, today I made a fantastic purchase. Mom and I went to Kinsley to the chiropractor and just had to stop by the antique store. I found this great Chromcraft 1970 dining table and chairs. I didnt ask Travis, I just bought it. He didn't say much when he saw it, he just told dad that his daughter is very much like her mother. He said the chairs were hideous, but comfortable. I say they are hideously awesome. Tonight Travis was singing a different tune. He told me it was growing on him and he liked it. I am excited that we can have people over and all sit at the table.