Trip to Kansas

Taking a trip back to Kansas, Gavin has gotten to explore all the farm boy type things like driving a back hoe and playing with the farm dogs endlessly, until they drop from exhaustion. He notifies Grandpa that he no longer wants to be a pilot but a dog trainer after hours of commanding the dogs to sit, stay, and fetch. The dogs loved having someone around with more energy then they do!

He would howl like a dog and get turkey's, owls, and coyotes to respond. We've even seen owls, deer, coyotes, turkeys, hummingbirds and more!

He had some old friends from CO who live in KS now, come visit and they explored the dirt mound from Grandpa's soon to be pond. They were covered from head to toe in dirt and Gavin's shoes weighed a ton when he was finished. Real soulful boyhood play out on the farm. 

We fished on Grandpa's boat to our hearts content only with mom catching all the big ones. The one day he catches some fish on his own pole he talks like he's a Bass Pro, full of experience! He starts jabbering and never stops. The perfect birth control for Makayla (soon to be freshman KState-er) who won the lucky seat next to the boy on the boat. When asked to be quiet and use his indoor voice, he responds with common sense floating on a boat in the open lake, "But dad, I'm not inside!" 

Shopping with Grandpa in the grocery store he sees a Time Magazine with Albert Einstein on the cover. He says, "Look Grandpa you are on the cover." And later, he tells Grandpa driving the boat, "Let's go Einstein." 

At a wedding for my aunt, he makes instant friends with some boys his age. Playing rough in the trees, playing ball and "drinking beer" as he called it, root beer as most know it. A pop as they call it in the Midwest is not something he usually gets the taste of, only to go to bed with a belly ache, we learn quick how junk food can make us feel. 

Now on to Grandma Kay and Grandpa Don's house we discover an old dusty GI Joe Aircraft Carrier in the basement. All cleaned up with a slew of parts, we find it's worth some serious money on Ebay. Old toys bring joy to three generations in a chilly basement in a Midwest farm house. Yells of, "Wow, cool" and my personal favorite "Oh my Genius!" float up from the basement stairwell. 

Grandma spoils him with Dairy Queen of which he also gets as a rare treat. When asked why mom and dad never take him to DQ he replies, "Cuz it's gross!"  But we'll ignore that long enough to have a cold treat on this hot day.

At breakfast, "Grandma, these pancakes taste funny, like butter." Dad comments, "It's because you are used to gluten free pancakes." Gavin says, "I want gluten free pancakes grandma." That's my boy.

Only in the country can you learn to drive at age 6. Gavin drives the mule down a country road, hair whipping in the wind, while daddy runs the pedals. Such great boy moments at the grandparents house.

A visit to Aurora is never complete without a stop at Aunt Jane's house. We show Aunt Jane a video Gavin made of him using his 'You Tube tutorial voice' to describe the antique GI Joe Aircraft carrier and all it's parts. Jane says, "Gavin that's awesome you could put all that together. That must have been fun." Gavin replies confidently as always, "Yeah, I'm pretty awesome."

This trip was extra special as a reunion with my old friends united all of our kiddos together under one roof. Listening to their laughter and joy of new friendships as we recall memories past of our pre-kid days and how things have changed. My personal favorite was our husbands and us wives gathered around the dinner table saying grace before eating. Made me feel grown up and filled with blessings. My cup runeth over.

Gavin shed tears as the plane lifts up over Kansas to send us back to Alabama. He hates goodbyes. Through tears and sniffles he says, "I had a blast." And "I think I'm allergic to Alabama."

A quick lesson in the truth to old time quotes, 'Parting is such sweet sorrow.' And 'All good things must come to an end.'
Thanks to all those who made the parting sweet and the good things greater. And thank goodness for the ability to melt into my own bed!