Home, Home on the Range.

We FINALLY made it back to Kansas for a little holiday time with the family.  All three of us siblings were back under the same roof for four days.  It had been a while!!  

The drive out.  Thanks Bonnie & Carloff for an EASY trip to Kansas. 

We traveled without Joe, who ended up battling both earnings season at the office AND burst pipes here at home in FREEZING weather conditions.  Thank you to CORI for seriously saving us thousands in repairs…and several gray hairs for Joe! 

Oh yeah…I was happy to miss all this.

The days WERE long for both of us but the week went by WAY too FAST.  Thanks for hosting us Mom & Dad.  And thanks Joe & Ted for taking care of business here on the home front.  

Highlights from the week…

1.  Getting away from FREEZING WEATHER in Chicago and enjoying some 50 degree days in Kansas. 

2.  TRACTORS and COMBINES galore…just two doors down from Grandma and Grandpa's house.  

Not just any walk to the park.

Around and around he went.

Yeah…that's a tractor rolling down the street.

3.  Mornings.

Messy…but two boys glued to TV (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) every morning.

4.  Skipping naps in favor of ICE CREAM at the local soda fountain. 

"Look at my chocolate ice cream!" says the crazy sleepy kid

And today it is "confetti cake ice cream"

Love him

And love him.

5.  RUNNING around in Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Carloff's HUGE STUDIO.

Perfecting his army crawl

6.  BUBBLES and more

7.  Dogs

After Ben finished using Errol as a ladder to stand up…what a good dog! 

8.  Did I mention tractors

Representing CASE IH and JOHN DEERE here.  

9.  Uncles

Uncle Jeff wrapped around his finger

Uncle Carloff wrapped around his finger

10.  And fun at Grandma & Grandpa's HOUSE!!! 

"Popcorn and a movie!" says CRAZY SLEEPY KID

Opening Christmas gifts

Toys!!!

And PIZZA night.

Jeff and his fantastic girlfriend Cori.
What you don't see in the picture…Jeff rocking and Cori knitting.
A total glimpse of the future for these two!!!   

Of course every trip has to have a few downers…

1.  I'm not doing a car wash for a while with this kid. 

Stuck inside

Pure fear 

And 2.  Ending up in a hotel room with two kids on the drive back to Chicago.  It worked.  BUT BARELY!  

Did I mention Kansas is flat and VERY INTERESTING

Thank goodness for king sized beds.

OK…so it wasn't all bad.  

They had fun!

It was fantastic seeing everyone and we can't wait to be back home in July for the county fair.  I can guarantee CHAOS but hopefully some good memories just like this last trip.  Love to all!!