Wichita or Bust

In the past 6 years we have lived in Kansas I have wanted to go to Wichita. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas with a population of 580,000 people. Mike signed up for a continuing education seminar through work so we were reimbursed for our hotel and gas. Pretty sweet. We left on Friday morning after taking Lacie to the kennel. She was so excited when she thought she was going with us. Mike always says how much he misses the mountains of Utah but I happen to think the Flint Hills are just as pretty; especially in the summer when it is all so green. THIS is Gods Country untouched by urbanization. The Museum of World Treasures was real interesting. The had an actual piece of the Berlin Wall on display. You are actually looking at the side that faced West Berlin.

 

The next day was my 43rd birthday. Yeah! We went to the Sedgwick County Zoo. According to the visitors and convention bureau this is the 16th largest zoo in the country.

 

They also have Exploration Place. This was pretty cool. Savannah was able to surround herself in a bubble. Haylie liked playing the vet. They also had an expansive minature set up of historical buildings and places in Kansas.

 

Lots of good places to eat. We ate at Genghis Khan (however BD's Mongolian BBQ is MUCH better). Jimmy Johns is always a favorite. Logan's Roadhouse was 2nd choice after Texas Roadhouse after we found out there was an hour wait time. And this place: Spangles. Typical diner reminicent of the 50's. I thought it was pretty good.

 

All in all I had a very good birthday trip with my family.

Our Disney Family

 

One Last Time

The Garmeister (our weatherman Gary Lesak) says its supposed to be 71 degrees today. Yeah! I guess this means mowing the lawn one last time and getting the sprinkler system turned off. Welcome to fall everyone.

Pumpkin Patch

A fun time today at the KC Pumpkin Patch in Gardner. We didn't do the corn maze but they had the jumping pillow, petting zoo, tricycle track, haunted barn, hay loft and horse swings, pumpkin cannon, mine shaft hill slide, rope maze, hay bale maze, jack & jill hill slide, pumpkin express train, pirate cove, corn crib play place, humpty dumpty rock climb, chicken coop slide, barnyard brain busters, duck races, yellow brick road train ride, and the zip line!

 

Diwali: Festival of Lights

Celebrated Diwali with our Hindu neighbors last night. Our entire cul-de-sac (14 homes) attended. Food was awesome and the music and dancing was great. Diwali is the biggest of all Hindu festivals. It is a celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.

 

Fabulous Fall FHE

Since Mike worked a 12 on Monday, our weekly family home evening was tonight. We took a road trip 35 miles south to Louisburg, KS. They have the Louisburg Cider Mill which makes of course.....apple cider! It was fun to see all the awesome pumpkins and watch the cider being made. We were also able to catch the lady making their famous apple cider donuts! So yummy we bought half a dozen. After our purchases we drove farther south to Paola which was founded in 1855. They have an awesome bbq joint called The BBQ Shack. This place was featured on the Food Networks "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives". LOVE our Kansas City bbq!

 

St Louis or Bust

Our family drove out to St Louis on Saturday to see Phantom of the Opera at the Fox Theatre. This was a surprise to Savannah and Haylie. Mike and I have seen the play several times but this was a first for the girls. Unfortunately they both fell asleep during the second half. Because we had time to kill we decided to see the 3D Toy Story movies. I thought the movie theatre would be packed but there was only about 20 people. Savannah was a little disappointed that it was "real 3D" where things look like they're coming out at you like the stuff at Disneyland. Had a good lunch at O'Charleys and then dinner at Spaghetti Factory of course. Wanted to have breakfast at IHOP Sunday morning but it and Cracker Barrel were packed so we got a substandard breakfast at McDonalds. However, I do have to say maybe we were flying like the Jetsons. We made it both ways in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Our best time ever for 264 miles.