The Shafferland Shuffle

Home again, home again, jiggety jig! As always, after traveling, it's so good to be home, but MAN! What a wonderful vacation we just had. It wasn't perfect, but it was a blessing, it was fun, and it was full of memory-making and adventure!

* Last Sunday we were out in Greensburg, Kansas, where my sister lives! We went to church with them and Ryan sang a solo in their morning service. (He did an amazing job, too, by the way.) We enjoyed lunch with my sister and brother-in-law, my niece and her husband, and the baby, who tried her hand at sweet potatoes for the first time. (This experience provided mixed reviews and lots of pictures.)

* Monday was our last day in Greensburg and the first day little Miss Caroline was interested in letting Ryan and me hold her. So we had to make up for lost time! And in a moment that I felt was very appropriate, we got to be with her when she entered her first coffee shop. (Sigh of joy.) I got to rock her to sleep at her nap time, and we got to enjoy one more dinner with the fam before packing up our many suitcases!

* Tuesday morning we headed out toward Joplin, Missouri. In a random twist that no one saw coming, both couples from our wedding party moved to Joplin several months ago! (The moves were totally unrelated to each other.) Sara, one of our bridesmaids, was out of town for work, but the rest of us met up for dinner and coffee. It was so fun! Ryan and I also got to see the spot where Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri intersect. (Boy there's a whole story with that!)

* We spent Wednesday in Kansas City at Schlitterbahn Water Park. Ryan LOVES a water park, and since he had been so incredibly gracious to make this whole trip ultimately about meeting a baby, he definitely needed a day that was all about him! It was hot and sunny, and I wore my big floppy hat all over that park. Fun day! At the end of that day, we began making our way east again and landed in Columbia, Missouri, at our final Airbnb for the trip.

* Thursday afternoon we arrived in the little burg of Monticello, Illinois, where we stayed at a conference center with the hopes of some hiking and rest. Well, guess who had no intentions of resting? THE MOSQUITOES!!! I am always a mosquito buffet, but it was even worse this time. The bits moved past itching and actually hurt! We still had a good time, even if we had to cut our hiking short.

* Friday morning we left Illinois to head home...to Indiana, anyway. What should have been an easy day of driving turned into a true Shaffer debacle, but at long last we arrived at the lake to spend a little time with Ryan's family. We enjoyed a boat ride, a long walk, dinner with the family, long conversations, and a proper late night.

* We spent the night at the lake Friday night and woke up there yesterday in time to enjoy the sunrise! (My annual sunrise viewing.) We took another boat ride, walked through the Dixie Days festival, had a coffee shop date, cooked dinner for the family...and at the end of the day, we came home. So good to be home!