KC Trip. (un-spell check or grammar proofed)

I must say first that I was suprised by how some people took the news that I was leaving Avery with Evan alone for 5 days.....


A- He's her dad, why shouldn't I leave her with him?
B- Last I checked, I still had a life. Since when does having a baby mean I give up all social aspects?
C- I offered to take her with me but was told "NO". I also said I didn't have to go but Evan was very firm that I get out of town for a while and un-wind from all the stress I've been dealing with.


Just saying, some people can come off way offensive about how I parent MY child and although I know they mean no harm, it seriously IRKS me.


It was a rough week for Evan from M-Wed but he even told me he now realizes how under appreciated I am and how he never gets the chance to be the daddy he wants to be with Avery and due to the series of events with me being gone he HAD to be just that and he LOVED it. Since I've been back he's been more hands on and not so ....timid of Avery, not that he was before, Evan is a WONDERFUL daddy but now it's just more...balanced?


 Saturday-
 Therese and I head out to KC, MO to stay with her aunt while she finds and apartment. It rained from Fort Worth until we got to Coffeyville, KS. Yeah. The whole time we were in "Craplahoma" it was pouring rain and we were surrounded by semis who didn't quite grasp how to not speed in the bad weather so it was an adventure. We arrived around 9pm and just had cereal before going up the the attic and crashing. FYI- Her aunts house was HUGE and had lots of stairs.


Sunday- 
We got up around 6:30 and got ready to head to Shawnee Mission Park for the 5k. There were deer everywhere! Literally around the parking lot, the park and all over the trail we walked/run and they were not timid and apparently they had a deer hunt in May due to how bad the population has gotten but by the looks of it, they failed. Also turns out the website I got for the cancer 5k I thought we were doing wasn't it at all! The 5k we did was for St. Lukes Midwest Ear Institute. Proceeds will benefit the "Ears That Hear" Fund, which provides financial assistance for low income or non-insured patients in need of hearing aids. Wonderful cause and I met a lot of wonderful people who are trying to educate on Hearing loss and deaf education. I did the 5k in 55:08!!! I must say I had my doubts since I have never done anything like that before and now......


I'm Hooked.


I'm starting to train for running and plan on doing a few more 5k's before next spring where Therese and I plan on doing the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure". My goal is that this time next year I can seriously think about doing the Breast Cancer 3-day as well as partake in andy Marathons dealing with Deaf Education and Hearing Loss.


After the 5k we headed back to Therese's aunts house and got ready for mass. Again, something I have never done before and as it turned out it was the Church's Centinial Celebration and was in her familys opinion the best time for me to check out a catholic church. I thought it was funny that her family was unaware of this and wore bright colors...except me, who along with 80% of the congregation wore WHITE. They kinda stuck out and I joked about getting the memo on wearing white. It was a beautiful church and beautiful mass.


After mass we went to the plaza and ate at Kona Grill. Best SUSHI!!! It was fun just Therese, her mom, aunt and myself, sipping mimosa's (another first) and enjoying the outside dining. It was a neat place and if you're ever in KC I highly recommend it. The plaza is such a cool place.


From there I packed up and Therese and I headed to her friends wedding shower, in the end I had her drop me off at Barnes and Noble since I didn't want to be rude and go to a shower that I didn't know the Bride to be. I LOVED it, I checked out the entire Childrens section and fell in love with some books for Avery. After Therese apologized a million times we headed to St. Joseph, MO and waited on Evans aunt Holly and her kids Anthony and Arianna. They live in Grant City which is 6 miles south of the Iowa border and part of the trip I was going to stay with them since I hadn't seen them in over a year. It was dark when we got back to their place so I couldn't see anything or the area I was in. My GPS was off the entire trip.


Monday & Tuesday-
I did absolutly NOTHING and it was GREAT. Holly and Brent took me to Annadale which was the next town over (Population:54) and we had lunch at the towns only Cafe. This little bitty hole in the wall, mom and pop cafe that I am in love with now. The food was ridiculously wonderful and the atmosphere was so laid back and social. Seemed like everyone knew each other and the whole town had lunch there.


Monday night I joined Holly in her Womens Bible Study which was very refreshing. See, Evans Uncle, Brent, is the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grant City and the Parsonage that they live in is next to the church so we would walk over and enjoy the wonderful weather and the view (LOTS OF HILLS AND FARMS). I liked the study and it was nice to meet some of the women from town.


Anthony and Arianna have grown up so much! I miss hearing their goofy laughs already. Although one conversation with them Monday has me convinced I need to go on a diet....hooray for Childhood innocense and blunt honesty.


Tuesday-
 Brent took me back the hour and forty-five minute drive to meet Therese that evening where I said my goodbyes. Therese had spent time with her mom and aunt and found and signed the lease on an apartment in Mission, KS which is next to Shawnee Mission, KS where we had the 5k. So all in all the trip was a success. We made it back to KS in time for dinner where we parked at the plaza and walked a few blocks to the BIGGEST Panera Bread I have ever been in. Dinner was great and we talked for a long time before realizing we were both sore and tired and more than ready to head back to Tx.


We headed back to her aunts and packed up our stuff and both went to bed by 10pm!


Wed-
 We got up around 8:30, had breakfast with her uncle charlie and then loaded up the truck and headed back to TX. We were on the road by 9am, and took the more direct route back home. Weather was great until we got to OKC and then the rain started up again. Something about "craplahoma" and the rain just made it not the best parts of the entire trip for us.


We got back to Fort Worth by 5pm.




Top Quotes of the trip:
Therese: "I'm going to pretend that wasn't a turtle I just hit"-Day 1


Therese: "OH! I just saw a turtle, he was on the shoulder so hopefully he'll turn around and stay alive...I can't think of the other alternative."-Day 5 after I asked her where she wanted to stop for lunch...


Brittnye- "DEER! There are deer..in the park....and people too!" Therese's Aunt: "You don't get out much, do you?"- Day 2 as we entered Shawnee Mission Park


Holly- "Is it bad that I know all the words to Coconut Pirate thanks to FB stalking you so badly?" Brittnye- "No, I kinda feel warm and fuzzy to have so many stalkers" Arianna-"Grown ups are weird."- Random conversation Day 4.


Arianna- "When do we get to see Avery?" Brittnye-"Soon, I hope!" Anthony-"You mean you can have her here?!" Brittnye- (after a brief moment of confusion)"You mean I can bring her here, yes, I can" Arianna-"After you have her?" Brittnye-"After? I already had her she's 9 months old now" Anthony-(while scratching his head)"Then you're going to have another baby?" Brittnye-"I don't like where this is going?"




All in all it was a great trip and it was much needed. I caught up on sleep and was super active so it went by fast. I missed Avery like crazy too and apparently she missed me as well. I'll get the few (sad face) pictures I took and post them up asap. I probably took 5 pictures the entire trip which is so NOT me.