As many of you already know, in March we relocated to Kansas City, MO, saying goodbye to Massachusetts. This came about when Zenith put his resume online and was almost immediately contacted by a company out in Kansas City. They did a phone interview and then flew him out to meet him in person. By the end of that trip, he was hired! It was a mad dash to find a house to rent, a moving company and pack up, and we didn't know we were officially moving until the week of. It has been a crazy month, but here we are on the other side!
Roadtrip!
Here we go, on our next adventure! Leaving Haverhill for the last time. (shout out to Aunty Miriam for their adorable backpacks which they faithfully wore the whole trip)
Goodbye snow! (we got dumped with a bunch of snow before we left, and then just missed another storm that happened a few days after we left and buried New England in a foot of snow!)
We stopped in New York to stay with some friends (one of whom is a fellow Aussie) and their adorable little girls. We had a lovely stay with them and the boys loved their new little friends.
One of the hotels along the way...had some really interesting character
Brekky before we head to Niagara Falls!
We decided that since it was only a few hours out of our way, we'd stop to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Niagara Falls! I didn't have high expectations, esp with the time of year, but I was really impressed!
Pictures, of course, just don't do it justice. Couldn't get any better pictures because of the amount of water coming from the falls and it was absolutely freezing, especially with the moist air. We literally ran to take a peak and ran away.
Crossing the boarder from the Canadian side where we viewed the falls
Next up on the journey was the Creation Museum. We were literally going right by it so we decided to stop and see it and were not disappointed. What an amazing place. We were counting on it being a one time thing, but I'd love to go back (preferably with older children and without overtired toddlers) so we can take a better look.
The boys did great considering all the missed naps!
Lots of wax figurines, very well done, and the Garden of Eden was beautiful
The next day we went to the Ark Encounter, which was nearby as well. Now THAT was impressive. Built to scale, using the references in the Bible, exactly as it would have been. You could see it off in the distance and it made me wonder what the people of that time must have thought.
It showed exactly how they might have housed all the animals, and what system of watering and feeding may have been used.
Everyone breaking for lunch
Finally There!
As happy as we were to see some cool places, we were SO ready to be done with the trip. We'd all caught colds and weren't doing so well in hotels, so when we finally pulled into my parents' house where we were staying for the next week, we were pretty relieved. We had an awesome stay with them, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
It was wonderful seeing everyone else in the family as well! My, how the families are growing, and what beautiful families they are.
All the children (minus babies) on St. Patrick's day singing as song for Nana and Bumpa
Boys happily playing at Nana and Bumpa's house
After a week there, our things finally arrived and it was time to move in! I have to give a shout out to my wonderful parents who watched the boys when the movers arrived, and then came to the rescue when I was lost in boxes, feeling quite overwhelmed and out of my element. They came over and helped us unload and then finish our living room so we had a place we could relax and feel at home in. It made SUCH a difference, even down to having pictures on the wall.
Easter
Before long it was Holy Week and we had a lovely triduum at our new parish, ending with Easter Vigil Mass. The boys did awesome during the very late ceremonies, and William seemed to understand so much of it. He was thrilled when they took the cloths off the statues and then when the bells rang at the Gloria, his face showed so much amazement. It was a beautiful thing to witness, seeing the Faith and the ceremonies set up by the Church through the eyes of a child.
The boys shared an Easter basket this year, featuring a DVD on the traditional Mass, showing it up close and explaining the significances in simpler terms for children (which they love!). They also got chalk, bubbles and supplies to start their own little planter as a project for them.
Happy Easter!
Kaite and Dan hosted a lovely Easter dinner at their house, complete with their Missouri cousins
A different day when my uncle Fred was visiting and we all got together at Kaite and Dan's house again. The boys got their bows out and did some target practice
Lemon on the cup was the last target
My hubby is VERY proud of his last shot of the day...yes that is his arrow through the lemon. All the guys were actually able to hit it but, shhhh...you didn't hear that from me ;)
My oldest goddaughter, my niece Gianna, just turned 7, and in honor of her birthday, I decided it was time for a godmother/goddaughter day out. What a joy it was to spend the afternoon catching up with this little lady! She is growing into such a beautiful girl and I had a wonderful time taking her out for lunch.
A huge perk of where we live is being so close to all my family. After awhile of being so far from family, it has been a big but welcome change. I do miss my oldest sister though, and her family who we left back in Massachusetts. It was a very sad parting and my heart aches when I think about my nieces and nephews there, but we hope to have them come visit soon!
My younger sister, Angie, is only 10 minutes from us, which we having been taking advantage of by doing everything we can together. Dinners at each other's houses, walks in the park, playdates...I can't even begin to say how much we've been enjoying having them so close by. We've also been able to get together with my older sisters and their families as well and have been enjoying seeing everyone again.
William holding his cousin Emma's hand...he likes to hold it to "protect" her.
Well, I think we've come to a close here. I'll try to keep on top of the blog more; it's just been a crazy month trying to get settled and we've had a few sicknesses sweep through as well.
Happy Thursday to all!
~Lindsay
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