Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Buck and I knew we needed a break--it's been a non-stop wheeeeeeeeee since May?? We decided to book an inexpensive getaway a reasonable distance away and ended up in . . . Kansas :) That's the first place most people think of for vacation, right? And how!

Several years ago, when we were trying to get drivers ed hours logged, I mapped a bunch of day- to overnight trips that the kids could reasonably drive to. I've still got these destinations saved in a folder on my phone. To my surprise, The Oz Museum, turned out to be pretty close to the little vacation rental Buck and I booked. Our goal was to mostly stay put--read (which I haven't done since March), maybe put together a puzzle (which I haven't done since February?, well, I guess I helped some with the murrrderrr one in Utah in May), Buck brought football cards to organize, we both brought our Bible studies, he brought speakers to play gospel songs, and we worked hard at not doing anything--just a quiet reset with maybe one adventure out per day.

The first day--we had to at least go get some food :) Our little 1800s schoolhouse sat at the crossroads of a couple of cornfields. There was an apple tree in the yard, but probably not sufficient to get us through four days' stay. We dropped off our bags then drove less than 30 minutes into Manhattan--the little apple. Apparently it is a college town, and college starts soon! Most of the roads around the college were torn up (which seemed like really bad timing), so approaching our intended destination became a bit of a challenge. However, we managed to find a way, find a parking spot, and find a bookshop--ooh! (I think we had dinner first, but I didn't take any pictures of that :)

After the bookshop (I did get one book, it's a modern retelling of Jane Eyre--when I actually get a chance to read it, I will let you know how it is), we stopped into the neighboring donut shop. May I add our timing was excellent. Donuts just went to BOGO status, so Buck filled a box! We had breakfast for the next couple of days set :) The tilework was so pretty--I love a good penny tile floor! And the chandeliers were made of bicycle tire spokes, you can see that in Buck's halo ;)

Well, I didn't get as much of this written as I thought I had! Since the dogs are literally breathing all over me (gross!) I will summarize. The Oz Museum was surprisingly cool! Lots of interesting exhibits and historic memorabilia. We learned some behind the scenes things, and could even have sat and watched the entire film in the little theater housed within. I thought it was neat that there was a giant storybook open in front of the screen to show how the story came from the pages of the book! Which, I happened to be reading a sort of historical fiction, non-fiction version of called Finding Dorothy. I don't know that I would read it again, but it was interesting to make the connections of Frank Baum's life and the bits and pieces he incorporated into OZ that made it so personal and special to their family.

Back outside the museum  ... we only had to cross the road to follow the yellow brick road! But first we went into a cute coffee shop, a military surplus store (where we found the pitcher that matches our wedding dishes, of all things, mixed in among countless accoutrements from military history), a couple of antique shops, and a supposedly famous western wear store where I got my first pair of Hey Dudes (which are not western at all, but pink :) We also spent $5 in bank fees to get cash to get change to get a pressed penny at The Oz Museum (after eating tacos named after the dog in the movie--which guess what--was actually a girl dog named Terry!)

What was at the end of the yellow brick road, you may wonder? A bakery of course! (we bought breakfast for the next day). Also a city park with a nice playground, aquatic center, antique Dutch mill, and historic museum. We ended up staying far longer than I expected we would in this cute little town, and we didn't even get to the ice cream shop (or bbq--that one smelled so good!)

The next day . . . we hopped back in the car (which was now quite dirty from the dusty roads) and headed back to Manhattan to explore the Midwest Dream Car Collection. What a lot of neat vehicles they have tucked away in that place! Buck kept sending G$ pictures and I think impressing him! I liked all the shiny things and wanted to take the cream cheese mint mobile home :) Also, sending the pic of the DeLorean to my brother got a record-setting second text response in the same year!! The other was on his birthday--whoa!!

After a car wash, a Scooters smoothie that tasted like peach coffee (thumbs down), and dessert acquisition from a local grocery store, Buck and I headed back to the schoolhouse for the evening. And then I reached into the cupboard for the last cup to make a chai, and there was a SPIDER in it that was as big as the inside of the cup. It was chilling. I was not chilling at that point. I started crying and said we needed to go home (this wasn't the first critter we'd encountered, but certainly the most startling). The owners of the Airbnb share a yard with it, so they were like, "Come out and feed apples to the horses, and I will come over and spray." They were super sweet, and even gave us a jug of freshly made cider (which was delicious!) We got to see their chickens and play with their kittens and meet their little girl (who was just getting over the chicken pox her brother still has). They invited us to church the next morning, but we were needing to get home for the fantasy football draft you've already read about :) So, all in all, I'm *thankful* the spider scared me out of the house, so we could meet and interact with the sweet young family who own the place. They certainly utilize the space to honor God in their decor, literature, and hymnal access. Pretty cool!

We had charcuterie for supper and watched the tail end of a series we'd started at home. The TV is at the top of the very steep staircase/ladder, so we proceeded with much caution on the descent. Overall, it was a fun, much-needed getaway to a unique and interesting location. God allowed us a practice run at taking a mini vacation together. The kids took good care of the dogs at home and the house looked great when we arrived! It smelled funny, but that was due to some laundry that needed to be washed. I threw it out instead :) I never know how to conclude these little tales . . . there are a bunch of details I planned to include, but I think this is the fourth time I've worked on this blog post. Plus my prayer hour sign-up starts in six minutes, so time to wrap it up. The End. Lol :)

Draft 2024

Buck and I arrived home from our weekend getaway in time for the drafts Brennen set up. I say draft(S) because Buck didn't realize he was in more than one--good thing we got home a little early :) We ended up one short of even numbers, so Brennen invited his new friend K to participate. She came over to join the fun, and brought her own energy and fun along--plus cookies! Her mom got up early and baked us cookies. I tell you what. I am a slacker in this department. The first time Caelan went to Noah's house, his mom sent me home a plant. The first time K comes to our house, her mom sends us homemade cookies. I guess I've still got time to prep in thoughtfulness when it's Graysen's turn to go a courtin' :)

When the set time arrived, the remote newlyweds dialed in and perched beneath the Broncos pre-season game for the draft festivities. According to today's grades, Buck is at the top of the charts and Gabby's up there with him. Noah and I are holding things steady at the bottom of the field, but we may just surprise everyone! :)

After the teams were locked into place, K proposed a game of Scrabble--I don't know if that game has made its way out from the bottom of the game stack in a decade. Brennen said it is because he knew he couldn't beat me, lol :) So the one game I might actually be able to win is the one no one wants to play? Except K! We dusted off the board, set up the game, and Gabby, of course, gave me a run for first place. Daisy tried to play for a little while, but her vocabulary is pretty limited ;) Chase and G$ decided to go play video games down the hall. Buck was struggling with a waterlogged grill situation, but announced that dinner finally managed to get itself cooked right as our game was about to wrap up! Mmmm, steak.

Brennen took K on a tour of The Manor grounds here at The Acre. The chickens were panting in the crazy intense heat for their portion of the explore. When the teens returned, K wanted to jump right in to the Oz puzzle I bought that weekend. We discovered we have similar sorting strategies and she was way excited about the sorting boxes I received as gifties a couple years ago. They are great! So, I got to read a book and start a puzzle last weekend, yay! Both goals for the relaxing weekend. Check and check!

It's fun when we all get to take pictures of each other at the same time, lol! I couldn't get my photo button to work, so great facial expressions when it finally did, ha!

What's New with the Newlyweds?

I feel like every once in awhile we should have a newlywed nook on the blog :) I started writing this one and then got distracted by all the things! Let's see . . . there is an ongoing battle with maintenance. It's pretty one-sided. Basically, they submit requests and maintenance ignores them. There is a noisy a/c unit issue, water dripping from the ceiling vents, and popping and gurgling noises in the water heater closet. These things I could ignore, but the spider invasion--which Caelan learned is apartment complex wide--is a solid no-go for me! Eeeek! They've taken many of these home issues into their own hands, swapping out a very dirty a/c filter, installing new accoutrements in the bathroom, and spraying inside and out of their apartment with pesticides. Hopefully something will soon cause the critters to want to live elsewhere--or just shrivel up and die, which is an excellent option when it comes to spiders in general.

Their laundry situation has been interesting. There are no washers or dryers in most of the apartments and no laundromats in town. They tried a laundry service, which returned their clean clothes very neatly folded, but it is way too expensive to utilize on a regular basis. A couple weeks ago, Noah's family moved his youngest sister into her dorm on a college campus a few hours south of the newlyweds' new nest. Caelan embraced the opportunity to take all their laundry to the Airbnb to get it washed while they moved E in :) I discovered there is a portable washing machine/dryer option out in the world, and research began. Caelan learned there are a couple couples with something similar rigged up in their apartment kitchens. She put in an order online, then sent me some videos of getting her washer up and running! Plus drying rack :)

Perhaps you can see the reflection of their window bird feeder on the top of the washer. The backyard has been pretty busy--there was a groundhog they named Gerald and a determined squirrel named Sigmond who eventually managed to access the bird food after many valiant attempts. The photo below shows how they are eating candy for breakfast, lol, jk! They were trying to get coffee, I think, and it was a whole thing.

So, Caelan has about a month left of her online college courses before she graduates. She's kicking around the idea of pursuing a Master's degree at the same university where Noah attends. They also found out he is a junior and can complete his Master's . . . well, it would be right around the same time Caelan finished hers, I think, in 2027. See, sometimes we have hour-long conversations on the phone and I don't have the details written down exactly :) But she likes to keep busy and the job hunt keeps proving itself rather frustrating in their new locale (16 attempts!).

With not much to do, besides settle in, watch Full House, care for her plants, and work on all the craft projects--our social director decided she wanted to meet some people in her neighborhood. She went door-to-door with flyers and invited all the wives to a tea party in her backyard! She made a ton of pretty treats, plus charcuterie. She decorated and planned a fun craft. Despite a headache, everything fell into place, and God provided a perfect little pocket of weather for her outdoor meet-up.

Six young ladies, one with her new baby, and another who announced she was expecting, showed up to enjoy the festivities. It turns out that weekend was move-in for the college and there were LOTS of on-campus events that Noah, as a transfer student, didn't know about. While the turnout wasn't as large as she hoped, Caelan said the ladies who attended hit it off and talked and talked, so much that they ran out of time to do the craft project! They ended up sharing stories about their apartment "adventures" (sounds like the married student housing is a bit forgotten by the maintenance crews, but highly populated by the 8-legged sort of creatures. Eeek!) Pretty soon, the girls were texting husbands asking if it would be alright for the group to take a tour of each apartment! One of the girls told Caelan, "This is what I was hoping we would have here!" Community and friendship and open doors. I haven't heard an update, but I know Caelan started a neighborhood Facebook page, and has plans for more gatherings--some with couples, so the husbands can get to know each other, and some with just the ladies. Definitely praying God blesses her efforts with wonderful, lifelong friendships!

I'm a little behind on blogging (what's new??), so Noah's first day of school (as pictured below) happened a couple of weeks ago already! He is enjoying his classes and delving into Greek. He also got the first-week community cold that apparently is part of educational pursuits from preschool all the way up through the ranks. Not a fun week of feeling yucky, but he still went to class--and I think to work, too! Caelan got a smidge of the same and they had to cancel some weekend plans to meet up with Noah's family, but it sounds like they still had a nice Labor Day weekend with local celebrations, including fireworks and a parade :)

Speaking of work, Caelan had a positive interview with an international Christian ministry that we are loosely connected to (we support friends who are serving overseas with this organization). She's waiting to hear back on whether or not she's been selected for their opening in events. It's more on the sales side, but she thinks she can do it. Waiting is not easy, but God's Will always prevails in the end.

We are looking forward to having them home for a few days in October! We won't have puppies to share, but hopefully a tour of the local newlyweds' new place and some birthday celebrations, plus a college graduation celebration for Caelan can take place. It's still a long wait. You don't know how many times I've almost hopped in the car to go see them. Next month is getting closer, though!

Oh, they are still looking for a church, the last I heard. It seems summer baptisms in the park make finding the other attendees a bit of a challenge each week :) It sounds like worship and teaching in the college's chapel is a nice option and Caelan can enjoy it, too!