Question Of The Week

We finally replaced our grill this weekend after being without for about 9 months! So, I'm excited about summer meals. We love grilling vegetables and are always willing to try new things.

One of our favorites is grilled zucchini. Lightly brushed with olive oil and then sprinkled with red pepper.....absolutely delicious. Tastes like summer.

***I'm anxious to find new things to cook. What are you favorites? On the grill or otherwise.....what are your summer foods? Share the recipe if it's easy to find!

Summertime

We've been on summer break for over a month, but I do believe the season will officially begin this weekend. It hasn't been super hot until now (no complaints)....high of 88 today.....hot enough for me! We're headed to the pool for the first time this afternoon and we got our Worlds of Fun passes last night.

Nothing can stop us now!

A Gift For My Dear Husband

I unintentionally provided Blake with a few years of laughter last night. A recap:

I tripped going upstairs. Not just any trip.....a full on, fall on my face, crash into the wall head first (surprised I didn't crush the sheet rock), sunglasses go flying, picture drops from its home and into my head kind of fall.

I knew, as soon as it happened, that Blake was giddy with excitement. Few things entertain him more than seeing someone trip and fall. An old lady could be struggling with a walker and if she tripped, he'd be rolling on the floor laughing. We saw proof of this last week during a neighborhood garage sale and pretty much the exact fore mentioned scenario unfolded. Yes, I married him for his maturity.

Later on last night, we were discussing my fall and he said he was thrilled to know I was laughing at myself in the bathroom shortly after. He thought, instead, I might have turned around to start throwing things at him. Why? It wasn't his fault? His reply: "Casey, the downfall of the economy is my fault. World hunger is my fault. Everything is my fault with you."

Yawn. Heard it before. My martyr of a husband does like to exaggerate. However, now that I think about it.....I was running up the stairs in order to go to a bathroom with a locking door because having two toddlers staring at me asking, "Potty, mom? Poop, Case?" can get old.....I asked Blake to occupy them for 1 minute.....and he didn't.....so I tripped going up the stairs because of him.

Yes, it was his fault. I feel better now. If the bruise on my forehead would heal, I'd be even happier.

Oh, and my new (already overused and quite annoying) nickname is Trip. Lovely.

Midwest Travel Report: Weston, Missouri

Just over 30 miles northeast of Kansas City....such a precious little town!

Weston, MO
population: under 2,000
size: 1.6 square miles

*home of McCormick Distilling Company; founded in 1856; oldest whiskey distillery west of the Mississippi; oldest continuously operated distillery in the U.S.
*jumping off point for the Santa Fe Trail, Oregon Trail and California Gold Rush
*Lewis and Clark camped here in 1804
*world's leading producer of twist tobacco (no clue)
*Buffalo Bill once was a resident

At the Main Street Galleria Soda Fountain......lots of history......cute place.

Delicous phosphates - this one is Green River (lemon-limey like Sprite). We also tried a real Cherry Coke and of course, Root Beer.

Caroline and Carter. Little ones stayed home with Blake.

St. George Hotel.....another haunted site!



Main Street.



One of the highlights....a darling candle store called 5B & Company.

Such great design and lovely flavors. You can see famous Floyd, the resident doggie, peaking out from beind the counter.

A couple of memorable scents:



The artwork Caroline and I tried very hard to purchase. Not for sale. It's a gem, though.

My selections - including tomato basil, handyman, fig, rosemary, patchouli rain and my grandmother's daughter.

Couldn't have been a better day. Caroline with us and a new town to discover. Loved it!

Kansas City on Dwellable

PETA, Lose My Number

No kitties were hurt!

I nearly loaded up the kids and drove to the closest humane society after watching this video. I do so love the kittehs (intentional spelling). But, I figured that I'm on good streak. Better keep the husband liking me.

A Few More Glimpses From Home

Our little bungalow in Kansas City.....

Looks kind of busy from this angle.....but not so much in real life.

Bring on the sun.

The balcony off the dining room...

Favorite wall art. We waded through the mess of a basement and found it....and now it has a home.

I tied the curtains with some simple ribbon and now Carter says we have an Italian kitchen. Because they now look like bow tie pasta. Clever boy. Yes, that's Batman creeping in my shot.

Framed a new favorite and it's up, too.

This bathroom needed some color.....love my $3 shower curtain!

Our 2nd dining room...

An old favorite....another original one (can you tell how much I love them?).....and a piece that most people hate.....my rooster from Anthropologie. Love him. He looked better on our blue walls in Colorado, though.

Flowers are planted.....now they just need water, sun and love.

Working on it!

One more....this is what a split level house looks like. Not quite a flight up to each level....but 4 in total. This is a tiny house, but since the rooms are on different floors, it doesn't feel so small.

Question Of The Week

Three of my favorites.....not the best movies I've seen by any means.....but those I will watch over and over and over again when they come on TV.

***What are yours?

Caroline's Arrival And Our First Zoo Trip

Friday afternoon brought Caroline into town and we're just now calming down from the excitement of it all!

The fam waiting for her to get off the plane....

She's here!!!!!! We waited 18 months to pick her up at the airport again. Couldn't have been happier.

Pictures from our first zoo trip on Saturday....the boys on the tram on their way out to "Africa." We learned that our kids are total sweat hogs during this visit. Perhaps it's the humidity and the fact that they're not used to it. We moved to Colorado when Jack was 5 months old and are just now living in it again. He, more than anyone, starts sweating immediately and looks like he took a bath 10 minutes into the day. Carter and Lainey are right behind him.

Lainey bug and Daddy.

The KC Zoo has a very natural setting.....lots of water.....lots of trees.



Can't wait to try out all they have to offer, including a boat trip, pictured here.

Jack on the "pippo."









On our way out....melt downs approaching...look closely at Lainey throwing a fit!

More tomorrow from our Weston, KS visit and lunch today at the Plaza. Had so much fun!

Saturday

It's late Saturday night and we're headed to bed after a big day in Kansas. We started at the zoo and ended with a movie. Last night? Half Price Books for their Memorial Day sale.

Seriously....we're out of control!

The Kansas City Zoo is fantastic and completely unlike what we had in Denver. It is the 10th largest in the U.S. and covers 202 acres. Friends here said it is spread out and our visit today confirmed that. We took the tram over to "Africa", which makes up half of the entire zoo. It's ranked #1 in the nation for African Animals and Exhibits. Quite impressive!

Trains, trams, boat rides, Kid Zone, camel rides, paddle boats, and more. I can't wait to go back and see the rest. It will take many visits. Caroline treated us to a year long membership....our house warming gift....so generous! And, as she said - money well spent. We will make her proud, no doubt.

We're friends of the zoo! Our favorite!


Saw Night at the Museum II this evening. It was precious. The most exciting part of the evening was the much anticipated trip to the bathrooms to use the Dyson hand dryers. Behold:

Carter's excitement after using it made me think about buying one for our house. $1,400 seems reasonable to get an 8 year old to wash his hands. No?

Tomorrow includes a "daycation" to Weston, Missouri.



32 miles northeast of KC...a charming old town complete with a candle store selling unusal scents (clean undies or baby jesus, anyone?), antiques, a museum, a haunted soda fountain and candy shop....all on Main Street.


Lots of pictures to come!