We concluded our winter tour of Kansas Sunday night, and Aaron, Brinkley and I were all relieved to return to our frigid 55 degree home. I warmed up quickly, as I hurriedly put everything away and started the laundry. That's just how I operate. There is no sitting down to relax after returning from a vacation. After all, we had just spent the last 5 days relaxing, right? Okay, so relaxing might not be the right word for it.
Our Christmas vacation was longer this year than in years past due to the way that Christmas fell. We had a full 5 days to travel from Kansas City to Wichita to Palco to Junction City and back to Kansas City. We are so thankful that gas prices in Kansas are about $1.40-$1.60 a gallon this year, and even more thankful that Brinkley is a good car passenger.
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Siders and Kampling families. Christmas Day was one round of gifts and food after another, so by the end of the day we were full and spoiled. The most entertaining part of the day was watching Aaron's young cousins chase Brinkley around. Instead of her tail wagging as is when one of us is chasing her, her tail was down and there was terror in her eyes. At one point, I saw her sneak into a bedroom; a half hour later, I found her curled up in a ball in the corner of the room.
On the 26th, we headed to my parents' farm, known as "heaven" in Brinkley's world. My three nieces provided entertainment for the weekend. It was fun to observe the 3 very distinct personalities that they each have. Despite their differences, they get along really well. We spent a lot of time outside, despite the 35 mph Western Kansas wind. Aaron went hunting with my brother and my dad, while my sister, sister-in-law, my mom and I played with the girls outside. My mom has a John Deere Gator, as well as a miniature Gator for children that Taryn drove around. I couldn't help but think back to visits to my own grandparents' house at Christmastime when there were no toys to play with, and nothing fun to do. These little girls don't know how good they have it!
I always know when it is time to leave my parents': I can no longer button my pants and my mom looks exhausted from cooking for an army and chasing little girls around. Check and check...time to go home. We made one last stop to celebrate with my mom's family in Junction City, then we were on the last leg of our trip. By 9:00 that evening, Aaron, Brinkley and I were all passed out in the living room, relaxed and happy to be home after another great Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment