MISSOURI RECAP

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

Happy Wednesday, sweet readers! How are you?? We got back from our tour of the Midwest last week and after 18 days away from home, getting back into a Swell Rio groove took a little work. Yikes! But now that Max is back to napping again (Thank God!), the fridge is stocked, and the plants are rebounding, it seems like the right time to check in and share a few snippets from our trip. I'll spare you from any long-winded summary today and let the snapshots do the talking, but our week in Missouri was filled mostly with wedding festivities (Flyboy's dad got remarried), watching Max play excitedly with heirloom toys (FB's ol' tractor), lawnmower rides, skipping through sprinklers with grandparents, along with several memorable dinners in the company of family and friends. 

The older Max gets, the more grateful we are that he gets to make memories in the same places we did when we were kids and with the same people that have loved us so well over the years. As an Air Force brat, I know Max will cherish experiences like these more than anything. If he's like his mom, he'll look back on trips like this fondly and he'll be reminded that he doesn't need a literal hometown when he carries special moments with people he loves dearly so close to his heart.  

Now, as I prep tomorrow's Iowa Recap (Don't get too excited!), PLEEEEASE tell me what you've been up to!! I'm dying to know.

MISSOURI TRIP RECAP: PART TWO

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

As promised, I'm dishing up another dose of delightful details from our recent trip to Missouri. Enjoy!

• Visits to Flyboy's hometown of Sedalia are cathartic because it's where we met and became great friends in high school. Going back with Max is even more special (and kind of surreal) now because we get the opportunity to make memories with family and introduce our half-pint to old friends. It's especially fun for me to sit back and watch as FB shares the place he was raised with our son. I know he holds his hometown close to his heart and the opportunity to visit people and places that made him who he is today with Max is an incredibly special thing to witness.
• We divvied up our time evenly with family, which inevitably left the three of us overfed and spoiled. Who doesn't love that?! While Max had the undivided attention of his grandparents, we made it a point to slip into town to run a few errands on our own. After chatting with friends who are also parents, we all decided that when you have a kid your folks really don't want to be around you anyway. They just want time alone with the grandkid. Ha Ha!
• When we weren't on a boat exploring the Lake of the Ozarks, you could find us making frequent trips to the local park (because of course...), frolicking in the backyard playing with bubbles or balls, spending time at Crown Center's aquarium, and discovering a hidden gem in the West Bottoms of Kansas City. In fact, if you're ever in the area you MUST check out Easy Tiger. I've purchased a handful of items from their online shop in the past, so you can only imagine what a dorky smile I had painted on my face when we got to visit the actual brick and mortar. It was a total fangirl moment, and I'm so grateful we had the chance to see it in person. It definitely lived up to the hype!
• There were a lot of really great highlights to our trip, but I think my favorite moment was seeing Flyboy and Max pick out a bike at FB's hometown bicycle shop. As soon as we knew we were expecting a child, FB had one simple request and it was that he would buy our child their first bike and that it would be purchased at Pro-Velo. Done and done! Over the past year I could see FB was more eager than ever to make his wish a reality so we knew it HAD to happen THIS summer. Max just seemed ready. It was finally time! While I knew this moment would be special, I wasn't prepared to turn to mush like I did when I watched Max put on his helmet, sit on his bike, and gaze at Flyboy as he pushed him around in the backyard. The grin on my baby's face was unlike anything I'd seen before. I tried explaining it to my dad recently in an email, but I was at a complete loss for words. If I close my eyes I can still see the sweetness in his smile at that moment. I guess it was the kind of genuine expression that showed the purest form of pride and joy.
• On our way back to Texas we made a pit stop in St. Louis to catch up with friends we made while stationed in Hawaii. Since we parted in 2013, there have been several moves, career changes, and children. I had a feeling it was going to be delightful to catch up, but I don't think Flyboy and I were prepared for how much the time together would make us miss the company of really good friends. Aside from the addition of our two little boys (which was precious to see play together), it felt like we picked up where we left off. Hanging out with them was just so easy. You could have fun and be honest. I think we forgot what that was like. Ha Ha! And as if the good company and conversation wasn't enough, they outdid themselves as host and hostess by feeding us nonstop, taking us to the Botanical Gardens, and venturing out into their cute neighborhood for an evening stroll. It was a fabulous way to end our fun journey to MO.

Enough from me already. How the heck are YOU? Go on and fill me in. I've missed you and this colorful corner of the Internet.

P.S. MAX'S COLD HAS INVADED THE FINE HOUSEHOLD, SO I THOUGHT I'D SPARE YOU A DAYQUIL-FUELED THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS. 

HAVE NO FEAR, M' DEARS! I'LL BE BACK ON FRIDAY WITH A MUCH-ANTICIPATED RETURN OF THE LOVE LIST. STAY TUNED.

MISSOURI TRIP RECAP: PART ONE

"THE DETAILS ARE NOT THE DETAILS. THEY MAKE THE DESIGN." — CHARLES EAMES

Hello, LOVELY! It's been awhile, hasn't it?! Sorry 'bout that! Would you believe the day I plan to make my grand blog return Max comes down with a terrible cold and is more needy than ever? Because of course... Thankfully I've decided to break our trip recap into a few parts (I hope you don't mind the massive photo dump!), and it just so happens the pictures in today's post are pretty self-explanatory. That being said, there are a few little details I thought I'd jot down because I really don't want to forget them...

• Do you see the bag up top? That puppy was chock-full of snacks to get Max to MO. It was by far the heaviest bag we took with us, and by the time we arrived in Sedalia most of the contents were gone. Mom skills on fleek.
• Even with a pesky toddler in tow, road trips with my husband are the absolute best! In fact, the second image is one of my favorite photos on the camera roll because it's quintessential Flyboy. I've seen this reaction countless times and it's probably the very reason I married the guy. In this particular moment The Rig's gas light went off and I fllllllllllllipped out. FB knows that this is enough to make my skin crawl, so if I'm not paying attention he will allow it to happen to get a rise out of me. I would NEVER in my life walk on the wild side like that. What's the point? And since I was too busy operating my nifty gopher reaching tool (picking up whatever it was that Max opted to chuck) and passing out snacks, I forgot to check our diesel situation. Good grief! While I frantically pointed to the next gas station, somebody laughed his head off. That right there is the stuff that memorable road trips are made of. Trust me on this one.
• Every time we travel with Max we find that his needs are completely different than the last. Driving sixteen hours with a 21-month-old child isn't the smartest decision we've made, but we survived thanks to a few pit stops, Sesame Street songs, and snacks. We knew the haul to the Show-Me State wasn't going to be easy, so we decided to break it up into two days of driving. I'm not going to lie, there were times I stared at my cup of water and wished so badly there was a fizzy cocktail inside. The constant screaming, crying, and throwing was enough to make us go BONKERS! GET ME OUTTA HERE!!! To curb some of the travel insanity, we made sure to take quick breaks in San Antonio and Waco the first day based on the time we arrived in both cities and Max's activity level (sky high in the morning and late afternoon). Anyone familiar with I-35 knows traveling that stretch is the worst, so we were more than ecstatic to get past Austin and stretch our legs at THE Magnolia Market and dine at In and Out. Oh hey, Chip and JoJo!!
• As longtime fans of Fixer Upper visiting the Gaines family's silos was everything we thought it would be and MORE. The space is cozy and quaint enough to feel at home, but large enough to accommodate the giddy crowd of fans—even on a bustling and steamy market day as we experienced. Because our first visit was more rushed than we wanted it to be, we're already plotting our next trip. The city of Waco is an absolute delight, and I'd love to spend more time exploring the college town. Not to mention, I could have done some SERIOUS damage at Magnolia Market. I spent so much time gawking at the gorgeous displays and overwhelming group of visitors I didn't even leave with any treasures or treats.

Alright, that's enough rambling for now. Duty calls! Somebody needs another Boogie Wipe. More to come tomorrow.

LIFE'S' LITTLE DETAILS