Author's note: Devri decided to bring in a guest author for these summer blog posts so that she could have a break. She started an exhaustive search for the best author to bring classy tellings of our lives with a lot of humor and even some tears from our faithful readers. Finally realizing that she was living with the best option (me, Brian), she started asking me daily to take over. After months of her begging, I finally agreed to take over for an extremely limited series of posts as a personal favor to her. Welcome to a stream of my consciousness, and I hope you enjoy the ride.
After writing that bunch of lies, I thought maybe I should tell you the real, although more lame, story. In reality, Devri asked me to write for her since she felt like she missed a lot of the summer fun due to a heart condition and medication that made her feel generally awful. So here we go...
Starting on July 1st, we left on an epic road trip to the Saville family reunion in Branson, Missouri. It was a 20 hour trip that we decided would be more fun if we stopped on the way to make it take even longer.
Here we are on our way finally! It took roughly 25.17 hours to pack.
I have No Name!
Gabe has No Face!
After so many hours in the car, unpacking in the hotel was crazy. Underwear was literally flying everywhere.
I was back in Kansas after roughly 13 years. And that was just a couple of days. The last time I lived here was in 2006. It was good to be home again. Though this sign was still a good 5 hours from Topeka, and a lot of flat, flat land. For reference, see the mountains in the picture above.
We stopped by and saw Grammie Bobbie and Papa Joe, who adopted the kids as their own grandkids after their daughter (my best friend from high school) passed away about 10 years ago.
It was soooo good to see them. They hadn't met the kids in person yet, but they loved them all the same.
I really missed them. I hadn't seen them since their daughter's funeral, and it was great to catch up. They were parents to me in High School (not that my parents weren't there, they definitely were, but they were another set of parents for me and just loved me).
Time to show off before heading out...
Back in front of our old house on Arvonia. I lived here from time before my memory (maybe 4?) until I was 8 years old.
Back in front of our old house on Kings Forest. When we left this house, it was not yellow. It didn't just "turn" after 20 years. Someone painted it this color. On purpose. I know.
Brother Hoyos and Brother Haddock were two of the men in our ward (local church congregation) that I was closest to. Brother Hoyos lived right across the street (they were, yet again, another set of parents to me), and Brother Haddock was my young men's leader through most of high school. His family actually moved about 3 doors down from my old house and we were able to stay with them.
Since we were practically in my old backyard (3 doors down), I was able to show the kids the magic of fireflies and show them how to catch them.
All of the kids were able to catch fireflies, though I think I had to help Gabe a bit.
We got into town on the 2nd of July, and Sherwood Forest (yes, that's what the neighborhood is actually named) has some of the best fireworks I've ever seen. Usually all of the roads are quite smoky around the 4th due to everyone firing off a ton of fireworks. We went to Bro. Haddock's neighbor, who probably shot off about $2000 worth of fireworks.
Including a lot of aerials.
More fireworks, you get the idea.
Not pictured here is the 3rd of July, where we were able to attend the wards where I was raised. It made me feel pretty good to sit in a gospel doctrine class and have the teacher ask me to introduce myself (since we didn't know each other, apparently he was new) and when I said my name there were a bunch of "ooohhh!!" and gasps. It was like being a celebrity since my family lived there for 30 years.
That night we went to Kansas City and met up with Lea and Shayne and their family in a hotel that certainly looked like it was well loved. At one point. We've stayed in worse (here's looking at you, Carlsbad Inn), but it wasn't the best by far. The next morning on the 4th, we surprised Devri with a little birthday party with Crumbl cookies, apple pie (which we didn't eat yet), and some gifts. Lea even brought a birthday banner to make it feel a little more like home.
Apparently we were so excited about Devri's birthday that the front desk called us multiple times about noise complaints from guest downstairs who were trying to sleep. We immediately stopped the Cotton Eye Joe dance we were doing, and they still complained about us. Fun fact: this was at 10:30 AM. I like waking up late myself, but calling someone complaining about noise at 10:30 in the morning was a little over the top. Oh well, we never met them anyways.
Lea gave Devri this birthday sash and flower crown. The thing that always bothers Devri about having her birthday on the 4th is that everyone tends to forget that it is actually her birthday. We had decided previously that to celebrate the 4th and Devri's birthday, we were going to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun (more on this below). As we were there, everyone would see Devri's sash and wish her a happy birthday. Besides suffering from A-Fib, I really think that this one of Devri's best birthdays she's ever had, at least for being recognized on your birthday.
World's of Fun was the "theme park" that I grew up next to and had a lot of great memories at. It wasn't Disneyland by any measure, but a lot more like Knott's Berry Farm which makes sense since they are owned by the same company. It was so much fun to take the kids around to the rides that I remembered and then experience some really fun new ones they had made.
And we can't go to a park without a family picture, of course!
It was only about 90 degrees outside, but with 1000% humidity, so it felt closer to the temperature of the surface of the sun in a bathtub. We were all in swimming suits since the other half of the park - Ocean's of Fun - was a waterpark.
Waiting in line for a ride. No idea which one this was for, but it had a pretty short line.
The Mamba was the biggest, baddest new ride that they built when I was in high school. It's pretty old news now, but it has a pretty awesome big drop in it. At the time it was built, it was one of the biggest and tallest in the world.
We were there with Lea and Shayne's family, which was a blast since the older boys could go off on their own and just ride the biggest rides all day.
Here's Hunter and some strangers having fun on the Mamba. Cole is there too.
Lea and Shayne had a blast.
Gabe was the only one who couldn't ride it since he wasn't quite 48" tall yet (that came 3 months later). But Skyler and Rachel were able to ride it and they loved it.
Patriot was built after I left Kansas, but was a fantastic ride that all of the older boys and men were able to go on it.
Meanwhile, Lea and Devri took the littles to go ride a bunch of things in Camp Snoopy, their kid area. Gabe had a blast here.
We came back and joined them for the last few rides.
This one had them flying around on their belly.
This one had him driving around on his bum.
This one had him standing up for no reason whatsoever.
At some point in the day, Devri's heart started giving her grief again (we were on a new set of medication that was proving much better at controlling A-Fib, but still wasn't perfect). We rented a wheelchair and she took it easy most of the rest of the day. She was starting to feel bummed about it, then found this fruit dish that gave her a boost and cheered her up a ton.
Sporting the birthday sash like a boss.
About halfway through the day most of the family moved into the other side of the park, Ocean's of Fun. It was so hot that we thought it was a good idea to be in water. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea. It was extremely crowded and difficult to find any family in the waterpark, especially since no one had their phones on them (how did we do this before phones!?). Devri and I hung out in World's of Fun a bit longer and finally were able to get together and ride some things together.
Waiting in line yet again.
I think we rode a train around the park at some point.
The birthday girl!
Lea riding with Gabe in Camp Snoopy
Ahoy, Mateys.
I believe this is Prowler. I love roller coasters more than most things in life, and you can typically find me yelling me lungs out (not screaming though) and with my hands up the entire time on just about any ride, no matter how crazy it is. The bigger drops, the faster, the better.
Prowler was a wooden coaster that was immediately a fun ride. I, of course, started with my hands up, but within about 30 seconds I was gripping onto the bar and wondering if this where I would die. It was the fastest (and smoothest) wooden roller coaster I've ever been on, and it takes you through a thick forest where you don't see where the turns are coming. It was a wild ride, and definitely one my favorites of all time. I don't know the next time I'll be back here, but I would definitely make this one a priority.
Devri hanging onto her crown for dear life.
See my hands starting to drop...
The older boys having a great time. Skyler is there too.
We had a fantastic day, but felt like it could just use one more thing to make it great....
Fireworks for Devri's birthday! I was so glad they got in my order for fireworks just for her.
Ending out the night with Michael.
And fireworks.
And FIREWORKS!
Fireworks always seem like the perfect thing for Devri's birthday. Yes, I know they are also for America's birthday, but they've come to be synonymous with Devri is my mind over the years. She is my own firework in my life and the life of all of those around her, lighting them up brilliantly, making everyone go "ooooo" and "aaaaaaa", and creating vivid pictures in all colors. She is the light of my life. This year, and especially this time of year as she fought with heart issues, it became especially clear to me just how much she means to me in my life. I would be completely lost without her. She is my best friend, my confidant, my partner in crime, and I love her without equal. I am so grateful for her, and hope she still had a great birthday, heat and heart and all!
No comments:
Post a Comment