I'm glad to say that we- Mom, Grandma, Christopher, Joshua, and I- made it home on Sunday night. Our trip was definitely too short. We didn't get to see everyone we would have liked to, but hopefully we'll get to see them next time.

We spent a few days with my Aunt Beverly, in Fulton, Missouri, and boy, did we have fun! We took the boys to the little water park that the town installed in it's main public park, we hit up Orshlen's- a regional store that sells home and farm goods- where Joshua got to pet his first chick, visited my cousins, toured the town, and photographed an old barn that my mother has fallen in love with- and I'm pretty partial to it as well. 

Thursday morning we left for my Aunt Vada and Uncle Les's house in Piqua, Kansas. Piqua is one of those small, blink-and-you-miss-it towns, where the most prominent buildings are the local church and the grain elevator. It's surrounded by farmland, but it was- at one time- important enough to earn a name, and a dot on a map; and as one of my Facebook followers shared with me, the birthplace of Joseph 'Buster' Keaton, who starred in such films as How to Tame a Wild Bikini and Beach Blanket Bingo. It's my favorite kind of place.

We spent most of our time visiting with my aunt and uncle, and setting up for my cousin George's wedding (I'll be writing a separate blog about the wedding) on Friday evening. I was able to get some awesome shots of their farm!

We were lucky enough to visit my Aunt Eula, who also lives in the area, before we left to come home on Saturday. All, in all, it was a fast, and fun trip to visit family. My only regret is that we didn't have more time to spend with them. 

Update 5/20/2024:

It’s always hard to get to see everyone on these quick trips! And, I always lament that we don’t have enough time. However, I am grateful that I got to go in the first place! I am so blessed that I had this time with my mom and my grandmother before my grandmother passed away in 2023. I learned so much about my family history on these trips- stories that may never have been told, otherwise. My grandmother shared so much of who she was on those trips.