Kansas Recap

When Dan and I were planning this summer trip we decided to take advantage of Kip still being under 2 years old (and free to fly) and hit both families in one trip by making a rainbow trip across the country. Our first stop was Kansas to see Dan's family at the beginning of July. Dan's birthday is July 1st and his family typically has a gathering over the weekend of the 4th anyways so we've gone back around this time several years now.

Saturday
We flew-in on Saturday of last week and got to Kansas around lunchtime. Kip did pretty well on this flight, took an hour nap and only had a tiny meltdown. He kept signing "all done" but we were like, sorry kid, we can't leave. That was pretty funny. Happy guy before the flight.

Grandma and Grandpa picked us up from the airport and we headed to Dan's brother's house for BBQ with Uncle Sam and Aunt Lauren. Kip was ALL OVER THE PLACE, exploring the new territory but was in a good mood so I was grateful. I'm bummed I didn't think to get a picture of Kip with them but he probably wouldn't have stopped for one anyways. Oh well. But I did get one of him and their dog Ember!

It was super hot and HUMID in Kansas which made being outside for sort of uncomfortable. But I always appreciate how humid Midwest summers remind me of summer when I was a kid and we would go back to Iowa and Chicago to visit my dad and mom's side of the family. Small-town Kansas really makes me nostalgic for small-town Iowa and I like being around that vibe.

When we got to Dan's parent's house Kip was overwhelmed with fun stuff from Grandma and Grandpa. He LOVED to see their dog, Baby, and she was so sweet around him. Kip played on the piano and was in car heaven with all the vehicles Grandma had for him.

But the real treat was upstairs in the bedroom. TOY STORY!!!!!

So exciting!!

Sunday
On Sunday we headed to the family gathering and spent the morning playing with Aunt Kandi and Aunt Judy. They had a super fun treat for Kip with a motorized Buzz Lightyear car/bike/atv thingy. Kip couldn't quite figure out how to make it work and steer at the same time but he will grown into it and it was a hit regardless.

Kip also loved their dog Tinker Bell. They were really sweet together.

Kip spent the day playing with all the cars and trucks they have and once the rest of the family arrived, we played outside for a bit, shared our toys as best we could, watched the older kids set fireworks, and socialized.

That afternoon, Kip fell into a bucket of muddy water which was traumatizing to me since he could have easily drowned. Fortunately, I was standing right there and scooped him out immediately but those type of incidents really get to me since you have a sense of just how easy it could be to lose something so fragile. Kip was totally fine and mostly annoyed that I made him change into dry clothes but man! I nearly had a heart attack.

Despite that little incident, it was the best day and we all had a really great time visiting and playing. Kip especially had a blast!

Monday
For Dan's birthday, Terri Mom made his favorite pull-apart rolls in the morning and then the three of us and Grandma headed into Kansas City to explore the Deanna Rose Children's Farm.

That place was AMAZING! If you are visiting Kansas and want somewhere to take the kids, this was great. It was a shockingly cheap $3 and there was so much to do! Many of the activities were for kids older than Kip but he still had a ton of fun.

A place like this in Brooklyn would easily be the most crowded and obnoxious attraction and cost more like $33 but that's Kansas for ya. We really enjoyed the day. My favorite part was watching Kip feed the goats, even though he popped a pellet in his own mouth to taste. Yuck!

After the farm we had lunch and then went to the outlet mall to get Dan shoes for his birthday. We had cupcakes and sang to him that night.

That evening and next morning, Kip enjoyed playing with the water table on the porch. I could have sat out there with him for hours. He is so entertained by water and it was really fun to watch him play.

Tuesday
We left for the airport late morning so we said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson and all the fun toys at their house.

At the airport, we lucked out with the view of the demolition site from the terminal and that kept Kip awake and happy until our flight out to Denver.

We really had a great time in Kansas and Kip had so much fun. Watching him explore in all that wide-open space was a real treat and I have a feeling it will be a summer favorite for a long time to come.