Christmas in Kansas

The last time we celebrated Christmas with Dan's family in Kansas was 2018 when Kip was almost a year and a half old. We were supposed to go to Kansas for Christmas in 2020, but we all know the drill with 2020. 

The rise in cases and the new variant really threatened our trip this year and we certainly took a risk traveling, but it was ultimately, and fortunately, worth it and we had a great time! The airport, airplanes, and driving was crazy but the kids did really, really well and I was so pleased and impressed with them - especially Ivy since it was her first time ever traveling and meeting so many new people. 

We arrived Christmas night and celebrated Christmas with Grandma and Sam and Lauren and Olivia the next morning. This was mine and the kids first time meeting their baby cousin. It was a present free-for-all!!

 

 

Santa Express Holiday train, Spidey toys, dolls and doll accessories, games, and stockings stuffed with fun and silly things - including Kip's first experience with Silly String!

That afternoon we drove over to Elsmore to visit with Dan's extended family and open more presents with the cousins. The kids got SO many toys and fun gifts. Everyone was extremely generous.

We lucked out with weather and it was really warm and nice to play outside. We went back to Elsmore the day after to visit with Aunt Judy, Aunt Kandi, Uncle Willy, and cousin Kourtney some more. Kip really liked it there and despite a rough emotional moment of some shyness, he worked up the courage to ride the lawn mower with Aunt Judy.

More to share tomorrow but I wanted to say a special shout out to Aunt Judy and Aunt Kandi for letting us use their house as a post office the last month to ship gifts and car seats. And also to Aunt Kandi for letting us use her big car while we were there. Traveling with two small kids is no joke and we had to come up with some solutions to things. Mandy had the idea to get car seats shipped there so we didn't have to haul them through the airport. Kandi had the idea to get the highway patrol to install them ahead of time for us. Grandma picked us up at the airport so we didn't have to rent a car and she had snacks and the kids favorites foods already stocked so we didn't have to stop. Plus, she let us overtake her house with toys and kid mess for days. Kip had a cute inflatable car bed which he loved, and Ivy slept SO WELL in the pack-n-play. 

I was really stressed about all the logistics of this trip but it went way better than I expected it would and I am truly grateful we were able to visit and enjoy the holiday with family. We made a lot of really wonderful memories.