Bittersweet

A couple of weekends ago, Greg, myself, and the kids drove down to Kansas City to visit Brett, Laura, Bryce, Joni, and my brother Phil. We had a super time with all of them!

Not the proudest parenting episode in my life...Max slept for a couple hours, played the iPod for about three hours, and was awake without the iPod for about an hour or so.

Once we got to KC, Brett and Laura grilled supper for us, Phil came over for supper, and the big boys took the little boys to the park while us girls cleaned up the kitchen afterwards. As Laura and I got close to the park, we could hear Bryce giggling and could see two little blue-shirted hooligans running through puddles. Can you tell their dads took them to the park? :)

Joni and Nora were tired and ready for bed.


Max and Bryce reading a book together

Awww...look at these cute two year olds.

The dads were telling the boys to 'rassle' and the outcome was that Max pulled off Bryce's sweatpants.

Laura and the boys...what a lapful!

After the kids went to bed that night, us five adults stayed up and played a game of Settlers of Catan. Greg won...but I had nine points!

The next day, Phil had to work, so the rest of us took our kids to the Deanna Rose Children's Farm. It was super! Only $2 per person to get in, and the little girls were free!

The boys admiring the long horn cow

Max and the chickens

Greg, Bryce, and Max looking at the HUGE goldfish

Max loved to watch the turtles


Can you tell which kid lives in the suburbs now? ;) Max kept picking on that little goat...I think he thought it was Bella.

After a fun but tiring morning, we took the kids home for naps. The rest of the afternoon was just spent relaxing. It was great!

Cute little Joni

For supper we went to an amazing Italian buffet called Cinzetti's. It was so good...I think my favorite were the fresh crepes. Yummy! After supper we drove downtown and went to the Liberty Memorial. All the boys walked down to the Union Station fountain, but Laura and I were a bit slower since we had the stroller. We walked to the end of the grassy area below the memorial, but didn't go all the way down to the fountain.

There are the boys on the right...I bet Max and Bryce were just itching to run through that water! It's only an inch or two deep.

I love this picture...Max and Bryce looking out on Union Station. It's funny, the best pictures of these two were of their backs (when they were distracted by something other than the camera)!

The Brett Herrmann family in front of the Liberty Memorial

Sunday morning we had the kids ready pretty early...KC church doesn't start until 11:00 (technically 10:55), so we didn't have to leave until 10:00. Of course, kids these ages don't sleep in, so everybody was up (the other three adults even went on a run) and ready for church by about 9:00. Of course, we tried a photo shoot! It was...interesting. Nora had been awake long enough that she was beyond ready for her morning nap. And two year olds just don't pose for pictures very well. Here are the best two:

Also, since I had some extra time, I had to get a picture of Stangy...it got an upgrade!

Alas, their Kansas license plate won't be personalized, so Stangy will be no more.


Brett and Laura's new house...it's pretty nice!


Last picture...Max waiting 'patiently' for us to leave for church!

After church, we said goodbye to Brett and Laura and followed Phil to Sheridan's to have some frozen custard before we left. It's always sad for me to leave Kansas City...it's such a great place to visit, my brother lives there, and now Brett and Laura are there, too. We had a really fun weekend, and it was 'bitter' to leave the people we love, but it was very 'sweet' to see Brett and Laura's new house, their neighborhood, see them as part of the church, etc. Thanks again for keeping us!