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!
It wouldn't be a party without yummy treats! In addition to the beautiful cake, we nibbled on an impressive array of appetizers. I did my best to recreate the crab salad in wonton crisps and bacon-wrapped dates that Anh and I enjoyed at our recent blind dinner. Both dishes turned out well and seemed to be crowd pleasers. Plus, Aunt Nguyen prepared some wonderfully delicious chicken satay skewers to serve along side my rendition of patatas bravas. The cake was the grand finale. Yum!
Luckily, I had plenty of help in the kitchen this year. Aunt Nguyen prepared a gourmet foccacia dressing complete with sausage and mushroom medley and tackled making the gravy. Even Aunt Kelly got in on the action. Her contribution was honey infused cornbread muffins. Delicious! Next year, I'm going to pull Grandfather off the sidelines and put him to work. He's become quite skilled in the kitchen over the past couple of years and could definitely contribute to the fun.
This was a rare moment actually captured on film. Jax was excited to eat, and it wasn't chicken with sauce on it (aka sesame chicken).
Before anyone starts to worry, he's fine. Within five minutes of the accident, Baylor was his usual happy & mischievous self. You'd never know that he was a trauma patient only minutes before. Unfortunately, the adults that attended to him took a bit longer to recover from the scare. Until that very moment, I never knew the true power of lollipops and cartoons on your iPhone. Those two things can make any situation better!
