I think my favorite thing about our trip was that I FINALLY got to meet my furry nephew, Ethan. He's Roland's puppy and I had heard so much about him! He's 50lbs of energy and clumsin
ess all rolled into one, but he's a really smart dog and he's a sweetheart on top of that. We had a realy good time with him!
ess all rolled into one, but he's a really smart dog and he's a sweetheart on top of that. We had a realy good time with him!One thing Roland told us while we were there was that since Ethan spent a lot of his time outside in the heat, he would splash all the water out of his water bowl onto the porch and then lay in it trying to cool off. After all... he is a black dog and it was hotter than heck out there. We figured there had to be a better way for him to stay cool. Roland came up with the great idea of getting Ethan a kiddie pool to play in! However, we looked all over Ottawa for a pool and couldn't find one anywhere... not even Wal-Mart carrie
d kiddie pools. We were bummed! We figured Ethan would just have to make due with the water dish he already had.
That night, we went to Mike and Angie's to have dinner and Roland mentioned that we had gone all over town looking for a kiddie pool and couldn't find one. Angie said that she had an extra one at her house and that Ethan was more than welcome to it if we wanted to drive out and get it. So, we did! Since he spent a lot of his time swimming in the pond, we figured Ethan would love it. However, when we filled the pool up with water, he wasn't really sure what to think of it at all. He would run around it in circles, but he woundn't get in. So, I took off my shoes... jumped in the pool... and what do you know??? Here came Mr. Ethan!! He got in with me and we played around for a while and had a great time. I think once he realized what the pool was and that it was his, he enjoyed it!
d kiddie pools. We were bummed! We figured Ethan would just have to make due with the water dish he already had.That night, we went to Mike and Angie's to have dinner and Roland mentioned that we had gone all over town looking for a kiddie pool and couldn't find one. Angie said that she had an extra one at her house and that Ethan was more than welcome to it if we wanted to drive out and get it. So, we did! Since he spent a lot of his time swimming in the pond, we figured Ethan would love it. However, when we filled the pool up with water, he wasn't really sure what to think of it at all. He would run around it in circles, but he woundn't get in. So, I took off my shoes... jumped in the pool... and what do you know??? Here came Mr. Ethan!! He got in with me and we played around for a while and had a great time. I think once he realized what the pool was and that it was his, he enjoyed it!
By far... my favorite thing to do while in Kansas is fish at my Grandpa's pond. Ever since I was a little kid I can remember spending time there with my family. It's such a relaxing place and you're guaranteed to have a good time there! Steve, Roland and I decided that a trip to the pond was a must... However, we also needed tp be prepared! In our family, "being prepared" for a fishing trip means having a really cool (and highly fashionable) pair of rubber boots. So, after an evening fun at a local sports bar, I decided that Steve and I needed to invest in a pair of fishing boots... So off to Wally World we went! As you can tell from the picture, they ar
en't the cutest things around, but they served their purpose.
en't the cutest things around, but they served their purpose. The next morning, the three of us in our rubber boots and Ethan headed down to the pond to do a little fishing. Within the first 15 minutes, we'd all had bites and throughout the morning we even managed to catch a few. Roland caught a really good sized one... He always seems to have the luck at Granpa's pond. I don't have the greatest luck there, but I did get pretty lucky and reel a few in. 
The hard part with me is taking the fish off the hook. For some reason, I have a really hard time sticking my fingers in a fish's mouth... Not my cup of tea. In my opinion, that's what the boys are for! I did find a glove in the pick-up though and was able to tough it out for a few minutes in order to get a picture of my big catch! Ok... ok... it's not all that big. But, I did catch it and I'm dang pro
ud of it!!
The hard part with me is taking the fish off the hook. For some reason, I have a really hard time sticking my fingers in a fish's mouth... Not my cup of tea. In my opinion, that's what the boys are for! I did find a glove in the pick-up though and was able to tough it out for a few minutes in order to get a picture of my big catch! Ok... ok... it's not all that big. But, I did catch it and I'm dang pro
ud of it!!Poor Steve... He had bite after bite, but the silly fish just kept spitting his lure out. I really wanted him to be able to catch a fish, but after all that time fishing it just wasn't happening. He gave it a great shot though, and I think he had a good time... at least he acted like he did. I think Ethan was glad he was there too! Maybe the next trip out we'll be able to get him a fish.
Ethan really enjoys being at the pond too. He loves to run around and jump in the water to fetch sticks. He's still a little timid and will only venture out so far. He's really fun to watch though... that is until he walks over to you and shakes mud, water and moss all over you!! Crazy dog...
As many of you know, my favorite sport to watch is baseball... But only if it's live! I don't have
the desire or the attention span to sit in front of the TV and watch an entire game. Plus, the atmosphere of the ball field (think hot dogs, cold beverages, lights, and the crack of the bat) is what makes the game! So while planning our trip, I thought it would be fun if Steve, Roland and I could catch a Kansas City T-Bones game. The T-Bones are Kansas City's Minor League ball team an let me tell you... They are a BLAST to watch! We had SO much fun out there!! The T-Bones played the Schaumburg Flyers and we couldn't have asked for a better time. The weather was perfect for most of the night too... Which we were thankful for. I love baseball, but sitting out there in 100+ degree temperatures sweating my buns off is not my
idea of a good time. It was a great game and we cheered our hearts out! After 11 innings, the T-Bones pulled off a win! In about the 7th or 8th inning, it started to sprinkle lightly, so I got a nifty T-Bones poncho to cover up in. Roland teased my quite a bit about how goofy I looked in my "garbage bag". But it kept me dry for the most part and I didn't really care what I looked like!
As many of you know, my favorite sport to watch is baseball... But only if it's live! I don't have
the desire or the attention span to sit in front of the TV and watch an entire game. Plus, the atmosphere of the ball field (think hot dogs, cold beverages, lights, and the crack of the bat) is what makes the game! So while planning our trip, I thought it would be fun if Steve, Roland and I could catch a Kansas City T-Bones game. The T-Bones are Kansas City's Minor League ball team an let me tell you... They are a BLAST to watch! We had SO much fun out there!! The T-Bones played the Schaumburg Flyers and we couldn't have asked for a better time. The weather was perfect for most of the night too... Which we were thankful for. I love baseball, but sitting out there in 100+ degree temperatures sweating my buns off is not my
idea of a good time. It was a great game and we cheered our hearts out! After 11 innings, the T-Bones pulled off a win! In about the 7th or 8th inning, it started to sprinkle lightly, so I got a nifty T-Bones poncho to cover up in. Roland teased my quite a bit about how goofy I looked in my "garbage bag". But it kept me dry for the most part and I didn't really care what I looked like! Another one of my most favorite things about being in Kansas is getting to see my Grandma Hornberger. She lives in an assisted living faci
lity and is a little forgetful sometimes, but it sure is good to see her when I'm there.
lity and is a little forgetful sometimes, but it sure is good to see her when I'm there. Before I went to visit her, I asked my mom if I should call ahead of time to let her know that we were coming, or if we should just show up and hope that we don't scare the pants off of her (I didn't know if she would remember us). Mom said that it might not be a bad idea to call ahead, but at the last minute I decided against it. I thought it might be more fun to surprise her. When she opened the door and saw us, she had the biggest smile on her face... It was so cute!! She was so happy we were there. Steve and I took her to Lawrence to go shopping to get some new clothes and she also went out to dinner with us that night. I think she had a really good time and I had fun spending time with her.
A weekly tradition of Roland's is go to go Applebee's every Sunday for lunch. I think it's kindof his opportunity to get away from the farm and kick back for a few hours without having to work. On the last day we were there, we all decided that we'd meet up at Applebee's for dinner before Steve and I had to drive back to Kansas City to catch our flight home. We had a great dinner and it was really good to spend a little more time with my brother before we had to go home. The bartender the
re was really nice too... She even took some pictures for us.
re was really nice too... She even took some pictures for us. All in all, we had a great time out there. It's always hard for me to leave Kansas because I always know that the next time I go back, things will be a little bit different. At the same time, I realize that no matter how old I get and no matter how far away I live... This place will always feel like home to me. The farm will always be the place that is the definition of family to me. It's always been a place that takes me back to my roots and teaches me more and more about where I come from. I love that farm and all that it represents.
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