Where The Grass Is Greener

Right after River and I got home from Phoenix, we hightailed it back out of Salt Lake and went to visit my family in Kansas City.... that would be KCMO... as in Missouri, for the record. My little sister and her husband were able to fly in from California, as well. We were able to celebrate her 30th birthday all together as a family. The last time we celebrated any of our birthdays all together was her 15th birthday in 1996, a week before I left for college. Needless to say, being together is not taken for granted in this household.


Here's the first family photo ever to include all of us. Couples from left to right; my brother Luke and his super cute and just graduated from UMKC girlfriend Kristy, Nomee and Pops... aka... Iris and Hal... aka my mom and dad, Da Bears and then my looks more like 15 than 30 year old sister Jessica and her husband Josh.

River was missing the swimming pools in Phoenix, but loved having all this lush, Midwest grass to play on. He also loved having a cool Aunt to play with.

My only regret is that it was a little too early in the year for lightning bugs (fireflies if you aren't from around here)to be out. The Midwest summers can be hot and humid, but the smell of honeysuckle hanging heavy in the night air and chasing lightning bugs at twilight, are quite literally the main ingredients of magic and childhood. As always dear family, it went by too fast.