Oh-Bla-Di

*Finally getting around to catching up on our Kansas trip at the end of May.  I think I could write a whole blog on the study of how time flies!*

Just one month after our roadtrip to Texas, we climbed back into the Blue Blur and set off for the Land of Oz.  We chose to  follow I-70 this time since the mountains would be passable this time of year.  It was a very pretty drive and largely uneventful since both kiddos were relatively healthy this round.  We rolled in to my folks’ house by noon on Saturday and got to enjoy a whole afternoon of outside relaxation before we ever even ate a meal!

Ava settled right into outdoor roaming and busting out every toy Granddad had set up for her.  Wes’s daughter, Denim, was home for the weekend, so we got to meet her for the first time.  Noah and Denim are only about eight weeks apart in age, so they fell right to the baby-sized work of  stealing each other’s binkies and staring at one another.

Sunday morning we got all gussied up and took some family photos…

And then Monday, we hit the road to go visit the farm for Memorial Day.  We had a great picnic, in spite of the howling Kansas wind and the nearly-unbearable heat.  We had a lovely time seeing our cousins (Ava talked about nothing else for the week before we left) of both the original and new generations.

After all the excitement of driving halfway across the country and then the trip to the farm, we were pretty content to spend the rest of the week just putzing around with Grammie and Granddad at their house.  We played “Ariel” over and over again, fed the birds, climbed the climbing wall, rode the swing, and had a picnic lunch at the duck park.

Grammie & Granddad hanging out with “Ariel” on the porch swing.

Granddad & Ladybug Girl doing morning “chores.”

Noah just chilling in a chair perfectly sized for him.

Relaxing on the patio.

Going for a bike ride.  Huge advantage to taking the van…lots of cargo room!

We didn’t travel far from the folks’ home this time, so didn’t gather much in the way of souvenirs.  But, Matt managed to find something to bring home when we stopped the gas station in Lincoln to use the restroom on the way to the farm.

And here’s Ava modeling the front of that glorious hat for us.

That one’s a classic, I’d say.

Of course, a roadtrip this year wouldn’t have been complete without a trip to see a medical professional for Noah’s ears.  He spiked a fever Tuesday afternoon and we got to experience yet another parenting first…a trip to the ER!  McPherson doesn’t have an urgent care facility, so the ER was our only choice for instant care.  I’ve heard horror stories of ER visits from other mommies, so was delighted to find the ER nearly deserted at 5:30pm and the staff to be agreeable and helpful.

Just because we stuck close to home didn’t mean that we stopped having adventures, though.  In addition to the trip to the ER, we had some after hours fun as well.  Matt & I got to go on a double date with Aubrey and Lance one night and then another we had a patio campfire with Grammie & Granddad.  Ava got to make and eat her first s’more and then, after Ava’s bedtime, we adults got to have our own fun.  Who says booze and fire don’t mix?  Even Grammie thinks it’s fun to spit whiskey on a fire!

All in all, this trip was a “blazing” good time.  Thanks for the fun, Grammie & Granddad!  See you again soon!