This year represents the longest period of time I have ever lived far away from my family. And although I have probably seen them more in this last year than any of the years where we lived close by, it still feels different. As a Kansas transplant in the Northwest all I can think about is the hot weather I am missing, the bbqs, the patio beers, the sunburns, the pool days, the over air conditioning. Today in Kansas City the temperature is 88 degrees. Rob and I probably would have driven up to my brother's house if we still lived in KS so we could sit by the pool and hang out. Seattle 53 degree highs in June make no sense to me. It is depressing. I know it is a trade off for other things; job opportunity, amazing surroundings, mountains...but sometimes I just want flat plains, heat and family.
The little one with the grown out bowl cut is me:)
My mother's family was featured in Life magazine the year before she was born. The title of the article was "Kansas Raises Fine Families" and the page after this one was a portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower's family playing croquet in front of their mansion. And the phone adjacent is the actual phone that my mom's family used in their farmhouse outside of Abilene, KS. They shared a "party line" so everyone in their immediate area used the same phone line, everyone had a different ring, and you could listen in to neighbor's conversations!
My mom's family is in the triptych on the left, she too was the youngest, most adorable blond in her family...(that's payback Suz for people thinking I am older than you!)
My dad is the one at the top of the picture- it's pretty obvious if you've ever met him, he looks pretty much exactly the same today only with a few lines on his face. What a handsome man.
