Hi Sam!

My boo loves politics. More specifically, my boo loves America and the GOP. I too carry a torch for this country and its conservative roots and leaders, but Jordan lives for this kind of stuff. If he had his way, Fox News would be the only channel on at our house, all our future pets and children would be named after famous Republicans, (Shadow's middle name is Reagan!), and every family vacation would center around a Presidential Library or hometown. And I probably wouldn't mind any of this one bit.

With that said, I wanted to share with you all our little trip to Topeka, KS. Over the Christmas break, Jordan and I drove the hour from my grandparent's farm to tour the State Capitol. I had wanted to go inside since I had never been and I knew Jordan would be game. Since it was a couple days before Christmas there was hardly anyone around. We had just missed the last guided tour of the day so we decided to look around ourselves.

I was a little disappointed because the capitol building was going under some renovations but I still enjoyed seeing the paintings and statues commemorating different aspects of Kansas history. We walked by several offices that belonged to State Representatives and Senators, which were empty due to the holidays. And then we came upon an office were the lights were on and people were busy inside. It was the office of the governor-elect, Sam Brownback.

If I had been walking around the capitol by myself, I would have peeked inside and been on my way not wanting to interrupt anyone at work. But Jordan was with me and said "Let's go see if Sam is in!" And, of course, he was. So we chatted with his policy guy and financial man while Sam finished up a meeting. (I feel bad I don't remember their actual titles, but they were nice people.)

Sam Brownback has served in the U.S. House of Representatives and was elected in 1996 to the U.S. Senate-winning the seat that was held by Bob Dole. So it was exciting to congratulate him on his win as Governor of Kansas. We only got to visit with him for a few minutes but he was very nice and down to earth. We took a picture and he gladly gave us both high fives for being Republicans.

That's the thing about my boo. Always taking every opportunity to meet people and proudly share his love for the GOP. I actually think this is kind of cute, I just hope Gov. Brownback thought so too!

Christmas break

Alright, we’re trying to get back into the swing of things now that 2011 has arrived. There was limited internet access over the break and not much time to sit down and write so I will do my best to catch up here.
Our little family enjoyed the two weeks off from work (daycare in Shadow’s case) spending time with family and eating anything we could get our hands on (paper in Shadow’s case.) We travelled to Kansas and Missouri to split the time up between the two families. For me, Christmas time is a much needed reminder that we have been given a remarkable gift, the gift of Jesus. Every time I wrap a present, I try to remember what inspired me to do so. Christmas can also be a reminder that those feelings of hope and graciousness are things that we need to feel and practice year round. Always, always count your blessings and give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Christmas is also one of the rare times I get to see my grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins, since they all live in various spots throughout the state of Kansas. I look forward to any chance I get to go back there because I have a huge place in my heart for all of them and for the state itself.

Just some random things you might not know about Kansas (and perhaps don’t care to know, but this is my blog and I’ll tell you if I want to.)
·Dwight Eisenhower was from Abilene, KS. He was our 34th President and you can visit his boyhood home and Presidential Library/Museum in Abilene
·Amelia Earhart, first woman granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Associate and first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean was from Atchison, KS.
·The first black woman to win an Academy Award was Kansan Hattie McDaniel. She won the award for her role in "Gone with the Wind."
·Helium was discovered in 1905 at the University of Kansas (That’s right; it’s not just the home of one of the greatest traditions in college basketball.)
·Dodge City is the windiest city in the United States, with an average wind speed of 14 miles per hour.
·Kansas comes from a Sioux word meaning "people of the south wind"
·The US government decided to let the people of Kansas vote for or against slavery. There were many fights between these people, but eventually those against slavery won. Because of the great violence during this time, Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas”.
·Pizza Hut restaurants opened its first store in Wichita, Kansas.
·The state flower is the sunflower and is always one of my favorites.
·The state capitol is Topeka, which in the native Kansa language means “to dig good potatoes”(I thought this was funny.)

Kansas may be flat, but it is full of interesting people, places, and things. I could probably write a book about what to see and do and why I love it so much. I am very proud to be from there, but I welcome coming home with open arms. We were ready to get back to Murray and try to get Shadow back in some kind of routine. He wouldn’t sleep in his travel bed and therefore ended up spending many nights with me and Jordan in our bed. His first Christmas was just too much to handle alone I guess. And that’s ok because Christmas shouldn’t be spent alone.

I am always grateful for the precious time I get to spend with my family, even if it is only once or twice during the year. But having Shadow here is just going to make every future Christmas more wonderful and blessed. This past Christmas was a great reminder that though many miles separate me from most of my family, they are always near in heart.