As a quick side note, I must commend Southwest Airlines on not following the greedy pack. They don't charge an additional fee for checked bags which makes things a heck of a lot cheaper when you're traveling with kids who inevitably need everything under the sun. As if that wasn't enough, they also provide play areas within the terminal for restless children. Thank you, Southwest!
Our first two nights were actually spent in Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas and our dear friends, Jim & Allison. Our boys were thrilled to be visiting their boys: Alex (6), Parker (2), and Finn (1). Let's just say there was no shortage of testosterone or adrenaline during that 48 hours! The scene was chaotic, but also immensely entertaining. I wouldn't change a thing!
It was late by the time we made it to the house on Thursday night. So we made things easy on ourselves and stayed in. As parents, we were able to relax and enjoy an evening of conversation while the boys entertained each other. Baylor made himself right at home in the basement. With 3 young boys, there was no shortage of toys to play with!
On Friday, we met up with Doug & Halie for lunch at one of our favorite sandwich joints, Yello Sub. The company only made the food better. Although, I must say that the visit was entirely too short. We barely had a chance to congratulate them on their recent wedding before it felt like we were rushing out the door. Oh well. Maybe that will lure them South sooner as opposed to later.
Before leaving on Saturday morning, I made a valient effort to take a group photo. As anyone who's ever tried this knows, it's no small feat! Asking five children overflowing with energy & excitement to sit together and remain still for even a few seconds, is pretty much asking the impossible.
This first shot turned out to be the best, in my opinion.
In the second shot, Alex & Finn's hug turned into some sort of chokehold.
Which resulted in an absent Finn for shot 3.
Okay, shot 4 is cute too! Except, Baylor is trying to steal the limelight from Jax.
Which resulted in an absent Finn for shot 3.Okay, shot 4 is cute too! Except, Baylor is trying to steal the limelight from Jax.
After snapping a few pics, we raced out the door to Alex's basketball game. I'm not exaggerating when I say "raced." It's bad to be late when you're one of the star players, and your dad is the coach! Oops!
Alex's #1 fan, Parker
#2 Fan, Finn
And, of course, no visit to Lawrence would be complete without a few pictures on campus. So we took the long way out of town, via campus, to pose with some Jayhawks...
and take a walk down memory lane.
Anh explained to Jax that this was where he had gone to college and asked Jax whether he wanted to go to school there one day and be a Jayhawk. Jax's response, "No, I think I will go to kindergarten." Good thinking, son! You've got to walk before you can run.
Anh, not willing to accept that we probably have two future Gators on our hands, explained that Jax could go to KU after kindergarten. However, Jax still wasn't interested. In fact, the second time Anh asked whether Jax wanted to go to KU, Jax said, "No, it's cold. Can we go?" Awww! Anh's dreams were shattered. Don't worry, dear, I bet if you take Jax for a tour of campus in the Spring or Fall, he'd be more willing to commit.
Our next stop was to see the Davorens. It hadn't been all that long since their visit to our house in October. So, the kids were one big happy gang, picking up where they left off only weeks before. They exchanged Christmas presents and played into the night under the watchful eye of a babysitter. Yes, I said babysitter. The parents' gift was a night on the Plaza under the holiday lights. It was the perfect setting for economy stimulating, also known as Christmas shopping!
We returned home to discover our kids snug like bugs in a rug. Why sleep in a bed when you can share a sleeping bag on the floor?
On Sunday, we met up with another group of friends, the med school gang. It's been a few years since we've seen most of them. So, we had never met some of the younger kids. Talk about a blast! The kids were so entertaining. They played so well together, but there were two distinct teams, the boys & the girls. Not much mingling either, but I suspect that will change in the future.
We returned home to discover our kids snug like bugs in a rug. Why sleep in a bed when you can share a sleeping bag on the floor?
On Sunday, we met up with another group of friends, the med school gang. It's been a few years since we've seen most of them. So, we had never met some of the younger kids. Talk about a blast! The kids were so entertaining. They played so well together, but there were two distinct teams, the boys & the girls. Not much mingling either, but I suspect that will change in the future.
Speaking of future couplings, meet Baylor's future wife, Anne. Isn't she precious?! Oh, and it's not that there is a shortage of cute daughters within our circle of friends. It's just that Jax has already been paired with Anne's older sister, Ellen. So, it only makes since that Baylor & Anne pair up too. I hope the kids don't mind that we've taken the liberty of planning their lives.
With the sun setting on our beautiful weekend, we prepared to make the long trek home. You couldn't ask for a better weekend. We celebrated the holiday season with our best friends. There is no better gift that we could have given ourselves. I say we make it a family tradition!
This trip wasn't planned. It was thrown together about two weeks ago when Doug found out an exam was going to keep him from attending a Dave Matthews Band concert with Halie. However, Doug's misfortune turned out to be my jackpot. Sorry, Doug! The concert was an amazing experience! Dave puts on an incredible show, and I will definitely try to score tickets during his next tour.
Baylor wasn't able to join us at the concert. Nope, it was Ladies Night! Luckily, Doug's sister (and my friend), Julie, was able to come up and babysit for me. Julie's husband, Steve, and 5-year old daughter, Xaria, were also a huge help.
The concert was really just a bonus. The real treat was spending time with my friends. They treated me to meals at my two absolute favorite restaurants: D'Bronx which makes killer subs & NY-style pizza and Fiorella's Jackstack BBQ which quite simply is just heaven-on-a-plate! Coincidentally, we did discover that Baylor isn't a fan of BBQ. He seemed to like the beans, but that's about it.
It wasn't until we were on the rental car shuttle that he had a complete breakdown. I can't really blame him though. I was exhausted by that point and can only imagine what he was feeling. He passed out as soon as I loaded him into the carseat. Clearly, he was just looking for some sort of familiar environment so he could sleep.
In addition to seeing Doug & Halie, Baylor and I also paid a visit to our friends, Jim and Allison. I haven't seen them since we all got together in Miami during January 2008 while rooting for KU in the Orange Bowl. I was pregnant with Baylor at the time, and since then, Allison delivered their 3rd son, Finn. So, this visit was a chance to catch-up and meet the newest members of the gang.
Parker (2),
and Finn (1).
It was welcomed insanity though. Baylor felt right at home. What does that say about my house? I guess all families kind of operate on the same level and at the same speed. Busy, busy, busy...Fast, fast, fast! I can only imagine what life will be like when the kids have schedules that rival our own.
Jim and Allison, treated Baylor and me to another round of good ol' KC-style BBQ. They actually asked whether we had already had BBQ, and I told them, "no." That was a little white lie because I was worried that if I said yes, they would propose something different. Since we've yet to discover BBQ in Florida that compares to the Midwest, I wasn't about to miss out on another chance to stuff myself silly with bbq'd beef!
Then, one day we split up. Halie and I had a girls-day-out (with Baylor) at the outlet malls while Doug, 
One of the 
I was really excited to finally make it to the top, and I can now say that our lighthouse is a must-see for any future visitors. What a treasure!
