A Midwest 4th of July

I've actually never flown a flag before...on the 4th of July or any other day...but now that we're in a small town in the Midwest, it seemed more than appropriate and it sure looked pretty on our little house! We heard a rumor that the zoo was letting people in at a drastic discount because of the holiday, so the first thing we did when we woke up on the Fourth of July was head off to Wichita to check out Tanganyika (a sort of small but interactive zoo where you're allowed to pet almost everything!). It was way cool. That evening we had a barbecue with the Hopkins and the Heggies and the missionaries and then drove out to the lake for Pratt fireworks...which, I have to say, were a little too close for my comfort. I felt like I was in a war zone and I decided I prefer big city fireworks (the kind that are small and quiet and way off on some distant horizon). But that's just me :)

Hello Kansas!

We made the big move, and now we can no longer say that "we're not in Kansas anymore"... Because we ARE in Kansas! Weird. At first site I thought Pratt was a very pretty little town...green and lush with tall brick churches, gorgeous parks and southern-style homes...clean and quaint. We were all very pleased with the house we had rented but hadn't seen in person (though we had to make some serious compromises to get all our furniture to fit in the small rooms and down the narrow halls and staircases. In the end, everything was organized and functional and by all standards, good enough! We were so lucky to have both our grandmas working hard to get us unpacked and settled in and to add a few homey touches (including new shower curtains and hanging flower pots for the porch). They were both such a huge help and comfort and we were sad to see them go. But, we did our best to plunge right into the community. The kids took swim lessons at the public pool and rode the bus to parks and rec every day. We were warmly welcomed by all the families in our branch and we love them already. One of our favorite activities in those first few weeks was to go down to the river at Lemon Park and catch fireflies...such an enchanting experience! Scott's unexpected fame upon arrival gave us a good laugh...the neighbors and people at the stores and such seemed to already know who he was. We figured out it was because the hospital had been advertising him in the paper and on radio commercials. We like to joke about how he's kind of a big deal :)