Wichita with the Griffith-Haskells

Having met in our adoption-related travels, supported one another in our post-earthquake traumas, and worked in efforts to support family preservation in Haiti, our friendships with Jean and Ross and their son, Alex, have continued to be a blessing in our lives.  They traveled to us last summer, and this year we headed in their direction.  We relished the hours of conversation, sips of wine while gourmet meals grilled, a walk to the park, the tour of Wichita State, and a drive out to a museum with a pretty darn cool Star Wars exhibit.  It's always wonderful to have the chance to visit with someone in their home -- to get a feel for their place, to see where they work.  When we email and phone from afar, it's now all that much easier to feel a part of each other's everyday worlds.

The kids played outside.  They played inside.  And eventually, they slept, and we, adults, could put up our feet and laugh, and laugh, and laugh.  Gracious hosts and lovely people.  We love them dearly. 

Here are some pics of a wee bit of what we saw and did  .  .  .

Below are a few shots of the traveling exhibit of the actual costumes, weapons, & vehicles
 used in the Star Wars films.  Despite appearances in the photo, Jameson did enjoy himself ; )
  And I've got to say that those wookies were seriously intimidating!

 

 

This guy moved.  And freaked some of us out.  Imagine, going costume to costume

 to costume, and then, all of a sudden a live human (incognito) waves at you!

 

The rest of the museum was pretty awesome, too! 

 

Back at the house  .  .  .

 

 "ChEEEEEse!"

 

And sharing.

 

And getting really comfortable.

 

When our families first met in Haiti, Hunt was pretty much the same -- not so different in size,

 same nurturing type, just three years younger than he is now, but Alex was just having his very

 first birthday.  (And we, parents, have not aged whatsoever.  Just sayin'.)

 

 

 

Flint Hills

Heading west from Lawrence to Wichita took us through the incredible Flint Hills of Kansas.  It was so open, and I felt that we were far from civilization.  Quiet and alone.  Bogey, we weren't in Illinois anymore.  (No, the dog did not accompany us on the trek.)  The topography seemed only mildly different than that of Central Illinois, and so, it took some time of looking and thinking before it finally dawned on me -- no crops!  No corn nor beans.  No farms, no silos, no small grain-elevator towns.  No forests.  No real groves, even.  I could not capture adequately with my camera the feeling of immense space, but I'll share with you my lame attempts .  .  .

 

Apparently, it's so windy that it becomes too dry for forrests or farms.

 

And so, there are sparse cattle ranches. 

Cattle-crossings are supposed to be something rather

 interesting to witness, but we didn't have that opportunity.

 

Rather peaceful.

 

More from Father Richard Rohr

Fr. Rohr enlightens that those who "authentically follow" Jesus overcome the gap of paradoxes, and Rohr emphasizes that " .  .  .  he said 'follow me' and did not say 'worship me'  .  .  .”  He was an example, and we are to do. "The dualistic ('us' versus 'them') mind gives us sanity and safety  .  .  .  but to address our religious and social problems in any creative or finally helpful way, we .  .  .  need something more, something bigger, and something much better. We need 'the mind of Christ' (1 Corinthians 2:16), or a non-dual seeing of every moment  .  .  ." Partly from The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See, pp. 154, 133

Lawrence, Kansas

We made two trips this summer -- both by mini-van -- the westward venture was to Kansas to see aunts, uncles, and cousins on Chad's side of the family in Lawrence followed by a wonderful drive through the Flint Hills to family friends in Wichita.  Our eastward trek followed a week later to see family and friends in Pittsburgh and aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, and a grandma in coal-mining country, Cambria County, PA.

Here, I'll share the pics from Lawrence  .  .  .  While we enjoyed our drive through the KU campus, we spent our time with family .  .  .  Above is Chad's cousin, Marcy, standing at the far right, and her son, Alex seated at the far right.  (Her husband, Doug, was unable to take off from work.)  Anna and Jameson found it interesting that Alex, too, came home to his family by way of adoption (from Russia).

 Below are Chad and Marcy with Chad's aunt and uncle (Marcy's parents), Shelby and Gene. 

(Marcy's brother, Kyle, and his wife, Korri, live in Texas.)  I always find it remarkable how much Chad resembles his Uncle Gene (Chad's mom's brother).

 

Here's Bay just moments before the "squirrel incident."  Notice her looking upward in a concerned fashion?  Welllll, right after I snapped this shot, one of the two squirrels that had been playing tag up above fell off (yes, that's right, actually fell off) the top of the swingset, somehow missed clobbering Bay by a micrometer, and landed on the ground just to the left of her swing.  Need-less-to-say, I was cackling heartily; Bay, not so much.

 

"Mom, I don't want to be second cousins; can we be 'real' cousins?" asked (who else?) Bay.

 

 

Alex may be hiding from this proposition.

 

We also spent a bit of time exploring the shops downtown -- some fabulous boutiques.  My favs were side-by-side stores, one of which featured British goods and the other French treats -- soooo wonderful!  After reading this summer in my grad class about 1960s Lawrence, it was interesting to encounter three different groups asking for signatures on petitions or "spreading peace and love." 

All kinds of fun to be had!

 

Girls' Summer Slumberin'

(Yes, still catchin' up from summer!)

 

All three of my girls  .  .  .

  

 

 

 

Oh, and these two, also.

 

Tree House Time

Chad's priority project before having his knee surgery (on right knee) this summer was accomplished while wearing a medical "boot" on his left foot due to a bad ankle.  (Yes, he turned 40 this May, and apparently his warranty has expired.)  Anywho, down with the old and increasingly rickety swing set and up with a new one and monster treehouse!  [Special thanks to Dana "Bud" Dale for his carpentry expertise and to Chris "Strongman" Seider for his ability to lift and hold the boards and pieces that I (Sherry) could not!]

 

 

In progress  .  .  .

 

 

 

Mom makes the boys pause in this great lighting, and wouldn't you know it,

they actually quasi-cooperated and I got a fun shot!

 

 

The finished beast  .  .  .

 

 

 

Sometimes the kids come up here just to read or

 look upward through the branches and leaves.

 

 

Or spy down on whoever might be below.

 

 

Miss Anna's July 4th

Okay, so much for the previous "I'm ba-ack."  Apparently the new normal is that I disappear for long stretches of time.  Too, too, too durned much on my plate.  And I've finally had enough of there being more than enough of too much.  So, here I blog this weekend -- a bunch at a time, and it's feelin' good.  (It's fun; it's quiet time.  It makes me feel like me.) I won't post all now; will parsel them out over time from the hidden stash of entries.  I know y'all don't really wanna read 11 posts in one sitting.

Here is Lady Anna on her most recent birthday.  July 4th.  Okay, I get it.  I didn't say "recent."  I said "most recent."  So, I'm still really behind on things.  It's only, um, oh, yeah OCTOBER!  Anyway, she enjoyed her special day, with her "big" gift being funds toward her spring 2013 school trip to Washington DC.

 

And, yes, she's pretty much past the whole doll thing, but you know, when a child (even though now a teen) goes so many years missing out on what we (in the US) think of as "standard kid stuff," she deserves to be able to go back and "catch up" a bit.  Honestly, how many of us, adults, don't still love childish things?  I'm sure every G.I. Joe toy in the boys' playroom was purchased by Chad with ONLY Hunter and Jameson's interests at heart, right? (wink)  Oh, and, um, maybe I liked the doll just a little, too?

 

 

A Day for a Concert

 

Big sis' beautified the little one  .  .  .

(and Anna is wearing the bracelet Bay made for her.)

 

 

She had refreshments prepared for the audience, too (microwave popcorn).

 

 

 

 

 

Really?

 

Some more pictures from Jameson's birthday -- way back in FEBRUARY!  They are a bit dark thanks to my now-retired camera, and maybe that's why I didn't post them loonnngggg ago with the shots of him with his cake and gifts.  Chad did, however, a fabulous job constructing an obstacle course in the school gym for the birthday boy, his sibs and cousins  .  .  .