Agra, Kansas

I just spent the weekend in Kansas and totally enjoyed the experience. 

We arrived Thursday night after about a 9 hour trip.  It didn’t seem like anywhere close to 9 hours.  We talked, listened to music, made a couple stops, and the time seemed to just fly.  We got in around -11:45pm and sat down to chat with Caleb’s parents.  Honestly, before we knew it….the clock read 3am.

When we woke the next morning, we were greeted with the aroma of fresh baked cinnamon rolls on a plate in the kitchen.  Yum….I mean, really….yum.  Enough said. 

That afternoon, we headed out to Caleb’s grandparents farm so that he and his dad could “sight in” their rifles in preparation for hunting the remainder of the weekend. (not gonna lie….”sight in” is new term for me…basically, they were testing the rifles to make sure they shot as expected).  I wandered around and shot a few pictures of the farm and then sat in the truck with the dogs when the shooting began.  After a little bit, Caleb walked over and asked if I wanted to shoot.  My first response (fear of the unknown, I guess) was “no, that’s ok…I don’t think so”….then my curiosity got the best of me.  I quickly changed my mind with “Well, I guess so but I don’t know what I’m doing”. He and his Dad coached me for a short bit and I was ready to pull the trigger!  I actually totally loved it.  When we walked to the target, I actually shot pretty decent.  I was proud of myself!  ……just call me Sarah Palin!

The remainder of our weekend consisted of excellent food, great visits, lots of laughs, relaxation, and for the boys, hunting.  They woke up early Saturday and Sunday to head out to hunt and seemed to really enjoy the time.  I too, enjoyed the same time that they were hunting…..as it consisted of remaining warm, and snug in bed!

Kansas is just cool….literally and figuratively.  I found the small town, calm, friendly atmosphere to be quite refreshing.  There was no traffic noise in the background, no busy shopping centers or traffic congestion to contend with…..just an occasional train passing through town and good people that seem to care about each other and have been friends/neighbors for years.  Very cool.

Other things I discovered while in Kansas….

1.   I very much like Caleb’s mom’s iced tea.  I’m generally not a tea drinker, as I always seem to reach for diet coke. …but her tea was outstanding and I drank A LOT of it!

2.   I also like hot Chai tea….very much.  It had a milk/cinnamon/just plain yummy taste and I’m planning to go buy some when we get home. 

3.   Caleb was an absolutely ADORABLE child.  I mean, I wish I had a pic to upload.  He had a very sweet smile, and looked like just a really good kid.  Awwww, just thinking about it makes me smile.  Too, too cute.

4.   I like pheasant! Caleb and his dad shot a couple and brought them home….good stuff.  I even witnessed the pheasant cleaning process.  I handled it better than expected.  I thought I would gag and get queasy.  I did not.  Maybe I’m not the weenie I thought I was?

While the guys were out hunting, I was able to sit and chat with Calebs mom.  I totally, totally enjoyed the time and getting to learn about her family, about the boys, about some experiences she’s had, and about her opinions.  I find her to be an incredibly strong woman with an admirable faith.  I’m glad to get to know her better, and I look forward to continuing to do so.

Sunday morning it began to snow and I was giddy but tried to remain calm.   It was really pretty to see everything covered in white.  On our way out of town we drove around Agra and I got to see the “downtown” area.  I saw Caleb’s middle school & high school, the local post office, the Legion Hall where he attended Prom, Boy Scout meetings, dances, etc.  I (of course) snapped a few photos….

Overall, this was a wonderful, relaxing weekend.  His parents were awesome hosts, and I enjoyed the opportunity to see where he came from.  Back to the grind tomorrow.....