Moments, big and small, count them all!
I mean, why not? :-)
A few weeks ago Chris and I were able to make a special trip to Kansas to celebrate a big birthday for his dad, Don!! Kansas did NOT disappoint and frankly, was far more beautiful that I had realized it would be! I spent some time of my life from Kindergarten - second grade in a city a few hours away from Emporia, and didn’t remember in the least what the landscape was all about. This just goes to show me, I should never develop a preconceived notion of what will be, until I actually experience it! :-)
We flew in and were welcomed with open arms. A slew of family, from brothers and sisters, moms and dads and nieces and nephews, all live here and I was thrilled to get to meet a huge group of family that I hadn’t had the chance to before. This was my first trip home with Chris!
Portrait of Berkeley and I, taken by Millie!
Chris and I spent the rest of the day after we arrived, wandering around. We went back to Don and Chris’s old home town a few miles away in Allen, and saw some old landmarks that MY Chris was fond of, and wanted me to get to see. While we were pulling through the tiny town, I saw so many beautiful things that I kept asking Chris to slam on the brakes so I could shoot. I came home with some images that I LOVE that were so representative of the vibe of Allen, KS.
We invited ourselves to 3rd and 4th wheel it on Don and his wife Chris’s date night for a delicious dinner and “double date’ ;-). The night was perfect!
Day 2 was the big day. Golf for the boys, photos for Suz and party later for the pops! It was rainy and chilly but pay no mind to that, the golf club still swings if its chilly out! We took the back roads to get to the course due to all the rain and flooding Emporia had experienced the last few weeks, and I am really glad we did. We saw incredible rolling green hills, peaceful farm homes and lots of cows.
Waking up early for the tee time, we headed out into the chill to get the guys settled. The day was young, the course was nice and empty, and Don, Nick and Chris all had a ball playing 18 holes together! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
When I left the course, I headed back to town to do what I love to do! First stop, a steaming decaf at a local coffee shop. The young lady at the counter loved shooting film so we shared stories and I showed her my brick of a medium format camera!! lol Once the rain let up enough, I wandered, shot and enjoyed myself immensely!
Piping hot coffee…
Little cafe next to the historic theater was the perfect spot to sit and warm up.
The guys finished up and we got ready to celebrate DON!! The kids, big and little, showed up and there was a ton of yummy food and great conversations! I have included some shots that the little girls took with my point and shoot film camera! They had a wonderful time and did a great job!!
To wrap up the weekend, each of the kids let me do a special pic of them for a “gift” to their grand parents!
So if you are not family and you have made it this far, THANK you for coming along for the ride!
When we were getting ready to leave, I told Chris that whereas this was a vacation that was completely different than say our trip to Hawaii, it was just as enjoyable because we were together, counting and appreciating all our big and small moments together. They all count, and time is what we have to share, no matter where we are!
Thank you to our Kansas crew for having us and welcoming me into your circle! I can’t wait to come back and have more trifle!! :-)
Until next week…
<3