Another Fun Day With Family

The Kansas City Davis Family

It’s 8:15, and Evie is the only one still sleeping. I was up at my usual time, 6:15, and had the house to myself until 7:15, when Beth came down. Now Tom and Mary have joined us as well. Beth is venting about the politics at her school—typical of most schools, I assume. It’s probably best to just “let it go” and not get involved or worked up.

Blue Skies And Sun At 8:55

It's 9:00, and since we won't make it to midnight, we are watching CNN celebrate the New Year in both Seoul and Tokyo. It reminds me of our first New Year in Hawaii when the firecrackers at midnight woke our Beth, then only a couple of years old. 

Yesterday was a good day for the three of us, but a sad one for Tom and Mary because of the funeral for Mary’s uncle. They left by 9:00 and were glad to arrive at Nick’s home by 1:30. The three of us stayed here and didn’t leave for Nick’s until later in the afternoon. 

A Great Day For A Hike

Around 10:00, Beth and I took a forty-minute walk along the trails, and it was surprisingly comfortable despite temperatures in the 20s. Around noon, Marlena and her friend Grant stopped by on their way to St. Louis for New Year’s Eve. Since we’re leaving for home on New Year’s Day, it was good to see them and say our goodbyes. We had lunch together, then headed to Nick’s house. Before we left for Nick's, we had a great FaceTime call with Beth's daughter, Marisa, and her cats, Bugs and Muffin. 

Engrossed In A Truck Video

Finally, Beth Gets To Hold Tommy J

A Happy Boy

The drive took a good forty-five minutes when it should have been closer to half an hour, mostly because we missed a turn. We had two apps running, each suggesting a different route. It would have been funny if we hadn’t been the ones involved.

Sitting In The Play Room and Evie on Zoom

Happy To Be With Nick, Audraya And The Boys

A Happy Rhys With Poppa

Tommy J

Seeing the boys, Rhys and Tommy, made up for the arduous drive. It was the first time Beth was able to hold Tommy, which made her very happy. As always, we sat around watching Rhys play while oohing and aahing over Tommy, who was almost always in someone’s arms. Rhys was his energetic self, and Tommy, as usual, was content just being held. 

Dinner In Roeland Park

After Dinner Relaxation

We decided on Thai food, so Nick ordered delivery through Doordash. We ate around 5:30 and had more than enough food. After dinner, we sat in the living room with Rhys still the center of attention and Tommy on someone’s lap, watching the show. I think Nick and Audraya appreciated the respite from the boys.

A Tired Rhys

Giggling With Great Granddad

We left around 6:45 and had an easy drive home, thanks to Mary making sure I took the correct roads. Once home, we sat around talking, mostly about the boys and how lucky Tom and Mary are to have them so close by. Evie went to bed first, followed by Tom and Beth, leaving Mary and me to watch a couple of episodes of the Taylor Swift documentary. By 10:00, I was in bed reading for a bit before drifting off to sleep.