Weekend In Kansas City

 This Fall, we met my brother's family in Kansas City for a fun, long weekend. We arrived in Kansas City a little early, so we visited the outlet shops until we could check into our house for the weekend. We spent most of the time at a toy/book store, and not at my favorite shops, but that's life with kids. They were silly walking along this yellow brick road on our way to the shops. 

One of our favorite things to do when we're together with my brother and Anna is play board games. I had to snap a picture of the board games both of our families brought for a three-day weekend. We might have gone a little overboard, but we did end up playing most of them!

The kids were excited about the hot tub at our rental. That helped keep them occupied.

We made no real plans for the weekend. We got takeout for meals and stayed inside almost all weekend playing games and letting the cousins play. It was relaxing and wonderful.

These girls play so well together despite the three year age difference. 

All the cousins shared one big bunk room with allll the electronics. 

We were liberal with screen time over the weekend, so the adults could play games. We played multiple rounds of Dice Forge, Star Wars Panic, Bunny Kingdom, Tokaido, and Everdell. 

These girls were inseparable all weekend. They even slept together on a twin size mattress.  

They're adorable. 

They played (a slightly dangerous game of the stairs are lava one morning)

Our rental also had an awesome basement with a billiard table and arcade games. 

We did leave our hibernation hole for dinner on Sunday night, because my kids are obsessed with Culvers and were dying to eat there. 

The big kids asked to have an "all nighter" on the last night of our trip. We let them- memories, right?

They were up with us until 1:00am. After our last game of Everdell ended at 11:30pm, Anna suggested playing Jack Box. The kids had been playing together that weekend (and during our last visit to Iowa), and when they caught us playing, they asked to join in. It was so fun to play all together even if we were up way too late. 

The adults went to bed, and I found my children like this the next morning (Amelia was the only smart one who went to sleep in her bed). They said they watched Dude Perfect until 3:00 in the morning and then most of them fell asleep. 

Fun memories, right?!

Monday morning after we packed up, we played one last round of Jack Box together before saying goodbye. 

Elisabeth insisted we all sign the whiteboard before we left. 

We were so happy Papa joined us for the weekend, and always, always grateful for the role he plays in the lives of his grandkids. 

We're always missing my mom and wondering what it would have been like with her with us, but I'm also so proud of us for intentionally putting in the effort to strengthen our family even without her. 

We're already looking forward to being all together again in March. 

We stopped for lunch in Carthage on the way home, and the kids asked if we could stop at the Precious Moments chapel before we drove the rest of the way home. Matt was kind enough to indulge them, so we took a little detour. 

I had brought Elisabeth to the chapel a couple of years ago, but the other kids had never visited. I'd also visited with my grandparents when I was a kid and with Mom and Barry as a college student. 

I think the kids were happy we stopped. The artwork is beautiful. 

My precious Katherine insisted on writing a tribute to Grammy in the tribute room.  She's trying so hard to process her grief and remember the Grammy she lost too soon. And I love her for that. Whew, it led to some emotions, as Barry and I were also remembering our visit with Grammy to the chapel.

After the tour, the kids browsed the gift shop for a bit, before we drove back home ready for a new week.