In an apartment in the city there lived a family. Not a nasty, dirty, unkempt apartment, nor yet a gloriously big, overdone apartment. It was a home, and that meant comfort. For all the comfort and security this home offered, it was lacking something crucial for this little family. They longed to get out of the city and find a place where the air that they breathed was fresh and the people around them looked up as they walked to smile and say hello; where people still extended their hands out in friendship and kindness; where some people aren't too busy to stop to make sure you're ok. For this young family, it was time; time to start looking beyond the limits of the city and into the country where life is slower and more wholesome...time for a road trip. Thus begins this tale of our little family in search of our future, and it starts with a van, fully loaded with bags, snacks, books, 2 little boys who had no idea how long this car ride would really be, and two excited, yet wary parents, ready to brave the 2000 plus miles that would take them there and back again.
Leaving Thursday afternoon after work
Yes, of course the percolator had to be packed :P
We took the route through PA, stopping in Danville PA for our first night at a hotel.
Somewhere in PA
The boys did great and were content until it reached close to bedtime and things started to fall apart.
No nap, plus many hours in the car = unhappy toddler
Once they fell asleep, it was smoother sailing and we stopped at about 9:30pm since neither of us are good night drivers. Zenith drove pretty much the entire drive for which I am so thankful! He didn't seem to mind and said the car was quite comfortable to drive. My task was hopping from the back to front, back to front, numerous times to hand out snacks, meals, books, toys, or just some reassurance that we wouldn't be in the car forever.
First stop...Kentucky! Boy this was a welcome sight.
And because I am an IDIOT, I forgot to take pictures of our visit with my sister Jess and her family! I was so tired and out of it that I wasn't thinking. We got in Friday night, put the boys right down to bed and then had a lovely evening with them. We stayed until Monday morning and hated to leave! We had a nice relaxing day on Saturday, watching the kids all play together and enjoying Jess and Chris' company. Sunday they gave us a tour of Louisville after Mass and then we walked across the bridge that goes from Kentucky to Illinois over the OH river. We were sad to leave and hope it won't be too long before we see them again!
Next leg of the trip was onward to Missouri! We left Monday morning and got into Kansas City MO around 6pm.
This was a sight for sore eyes!
And what were we greeted by, but a delicious meal made by the famous Chef Schutz himself! (my brother-in-law who loves to cook :P)
"Cheers!"
William and Emma (my sister Angie's oldest) were instant buddies
...and thick as thieves! ;)
Since Angie and Thomas' anniversary was that Wednesday, we planned a home date night for when after the kids were in bed.
Loaf of warm, crusty bread, 3 different types of artisan cheeses, salami, prosciutto, deli olives, fruit and wine, followed by dark chocolate brownies topped with a homemade raspberry sauce
These two were good buddies too!
In the "bus"
Thursday morning, Angie watched the boys for us while Zenith and I went to morning Mass, which we never get to do! That was quite a treat, especially on the Nativity of Our Lady! We were able to see the Church there and take a look at the area.
Country Club Plaza in Kansas City is a huge shopping center that looks very European and Spanish.
Friday Angie and Thomas took us to Crown Plaza and Union Station which is the old train station of Kansas City. It's still used for the train, but it's been done up and made into a restaurant, museum and little shops.
I love how they kept the original look to it! It must have been magnificent in its day.
This area had a huge model train set
William was in awe!
They had this small Irish band playing really good old Irish music
Saturday we went for a walk around a farm nearby that turn out to be much more!
Lots of animals for petting and watching
Sister selfie! ;)
Little general store they had there
He found something to go with his new boots!
Little Miss Emma
That afternoon, the kids were back with a babysitter and we headed off for the Shakespeare Festival, which people in St. Mary's KS put on every year. They do a Shakespeare play, along with booths and vendors set up through the woods with twinkly lights and medieval music.
The play was Julius Caesar and very good! We stayed until almost 11pm so it was great not having to worry about the boys and just enjoy ourselves. It's been ages since we left them for more than a few hours but besides some initial anxiety, it was very refreshing. :)
They had fencing, games, booths for clothes, jewelry, wooden toys, and lots and lots of food! I wish I had more pictures but it was pain lugging the camera around so I eventually put it back in the car and never got it back out to take more pictures.
Sunday we met up with Tess in Kansas City and walked around a big farmers market they have there. We all chilled at home afterwards, enjoying some games, naps and drinks. ;) Monday morning we left very reluctantly, but Zenith had a doctor's appointment on Thursday so we needed to book it home. We were so sad to leave and are so thankful to them for putting us up and making our stay so lovely! I realized how much I miss my sisters, especially being on the same page about so many things and being able to relate with them and their husbands on so many levels.
We were able to stop in Syracuse NY to visit an old Aussie friend of Zenith's who moved here to marry his American wife. We had a great visit with them and it was nice to spend time with another Aussie!
All in all our roadtrip went very well. The boys did great (except coming down with a bad bug on the way home which we're still trying to fight our way out of) and the drive wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. It answered a lot of questions we had about looking ahead toward our future and we've considered many different areas, from staying here to even the possibility of moving to Australia! What it comes down to, however, is where can we settle that will give our children the most wholesome life, freedom to homeschool, work opportunities for Zenith and most importantly and top of our list, a good traditional Catholic church and community where our family will have access to as many sacraments as possible, priests and religious, and the support of other like-minded families around us. Our priority is getting our family to Heaven, which we can do with the grace of God and the aid of His Sacraments.
Missouri seems to offer that more than any other place. It is a conservative state which means I don't have to worry about laws that dictate what I do regarding my children's health and education. We have no definite plans yet and it's all going to depend on Zenith's job, but after he gets his HVAC license, he'll be starting to look around for other job opportunities. We're trusting in God and if He wants us to move, He'll open doors for us. At this point it's His move and we've been doing a lot of praying and many novenas. We are both very at peace with the way things are going since we both feel this is not the area we wish to live in much longer.
And that concludes our tale, with our little family safe and sound at home again and trying to settle back into life.
So begins another week...Happy Monday!
~Lindsay
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