Kansas Trip - Part 3 of 3

One afternoon, we drove to Wichita to visit Brent's grandma in the nursing home where she was living at the time.  She was very happy to see all of us, and I loved watching Brent tending so sweetly to his grandmother.  We played a rough game of Old Maid, make especially rough by the fact that we discovered that we, in fact, had no Old Maid in the game, to speak of.  We also took her out to visit the live song birds in the lobby.  The home she was in had eight to ten birds all in a medium sized cage and she loved looking at them.  It was definitely great to see her!  She has started to have a harder time as the years pass on. 

Uncle Ron has an annual opportunity to practice patience whilst fishing with our boys in his pond, and this time it seemed like it went on for hours!  Gavin has an uncharacteristic amount of patience when fishing there, so I'm happy to let it go on as long as Uncle Ron can handle it!

Part of the fishing lesson the boys learn on the Dirksen property is how to hold up the fish for the camera.  Having said that, I have to say that this fish was legitimately LARGE, and you can see how proud the boys were to catch it!  Gage was definitely more willing to hold the fish.  Gavin reminded all of us of his mama who asked for a Kleenex to hold the fish when I was young ;) 

Kansas Trip - Part 2 of 3

The boys even practiced some soccer in Ron & Patsy's front yard.  This was an unusually pleasant trip to Kansas in June, as far as the weather goes.  It was never unbearably sweltering like every other memory I have of summer in Kansas. 

Most days were really mild, but there was a beautifully sunny day that was perfect for taking their boat out on Marion lake.  This was the first time we had been to the lake together and certainly the first time our boys had ever been on a small boat like this.  The boys LOVED it!

It really was a perfect day for this outing and something we'd been talking about doing together for years!

I even got a short turn as pilot, which was fun, and the boys had a HEY DAY in the inner tube together bouncing in the water behind the boat.

Oh my goodness, what a great picture of our boys!  They had so much fun that day.  It's so fun for me to see my aunt and uncle showing the boys such a great time, the same way they always did with me and my brother as kids.  I have wonderful memories of camping and fishing with Ron & Patsy when I was little. 

Look who's driving now!!! (I loved that he was even wearing Uncle Ron's hat to make sure that he really fit the part.) 

Kansas Trip - Part 1 of 3

We did this for my dad, and let's be honest, for my husband.  But we certainly did not stop at Pasta J's on my account.  This is the overly garlic-filled (everything) restaurant where Dad used to want to meet us in Boulder.  We couldn't believe that it was just hanging out in Russell, Kansas, of all places.  And I still have to laugh that this is where we decided to take a load off on our road trip to visit family in Kansas.  They brought me an Arnold Palmer that tasted like someone had dumped coffee grounds in some weak lemonade with maybe no tea in it at all, if this starts to paint a better picture in all of your minds...

Once settled at Ron & Patsy's, which takes exactly 2 seconds if your name is Gavin or Gage, the boys want to play with Uncle Ron's toys.  Gavin has graduated to driving the "fourth wheel" all by himself on occasion now.  How did that happen?!?  Have I ever told you how much our boys ADORE Uncle Ron?!?  How do they love him?  Oh, let me count the ways!!!!

Whether he's holding on for dear life or just giving Uncle Ron a  big hug, this is an adorable picture of Gage with Uncle Ron.  The boys love doing any and all of the "farm" chores with Ron. 

Here the boys are looking for cucumbers among the vegetables that Ron and Patsy plant every year. 

I can't tell if Gavin's eyes are closed, but either way this is a cute picture of our eldest son on the four wheeler in front of Uncle Ron's cows.  The boys really enjoy feeding the cows.