Train Trip

A couple weeks ago, I made a quick trip to Wichita.  A close friend since high school lost her Dad after a long battle with cancer and I wanted to go for the funeral.  I set up a friend to keep the boys the one day Derek needed to work and stocked the fridge with food.    ...including leftover birthday cake!  What else could they need?

The best way to make this hastily planned trip was to take the AmTrak train.

I boarded at 5:30pm on a Thursday.

It was a nice ride across the midwest.

I spent some time in the lounge car.

Rode through a little thunderstorm.

And watched the sunset.

All while catching up on some reading.

Way better than driving!

My Mom picked me up in Newton, KS around 3am.

I was planning on doing her hair Friday but she let me sleep in and then told me to just relax. Coincidentally, she gave me a dark Dove Chocolate that had this message on the inside.  :)

I got to hang with my nephew, Ethan, a little.  During which time we had a birthday party for Daisy.

And Max, who even got puppy chow and gifts!

...we had several other birthday parties too.

And then Ethan took me over to the neighborhood swimming pool.

Where we had fun swimming and had the pool to ourselves for most of the time.

That night I went to the visitation and saw my friend and her family.  There were also quite a few people I hadn't seen in a long time.  So, despite the sadness of the circumstance that brought us there, it was nice catching up with friends.  The next morning was the funeral and then I got myself some sushi for lunch.  Yes, Peoria does have sushi, but it's the kind of thing I do when I have some 'me' time.  And Peoria doesn't offer that very often.

I went back to my parents and did some hair.  Everyone was due... including Max.  Ethan insisted Max get his hair cut before he sat down then sat happily for his haircut after that.  Everyone looks less like shaggy dogs now.  Er, uh... everyone except Max, maybe? 

My sister, Mandy, came over after work.  She'd gotten her haircut before I came and Ethan says she looks like me now.  When she walked in he said, "There are two Amy's!".

Next I headed over to Derek's parents to help the shaggy dogs over there.

Mandy took me over there and Ethan sent Max along to visit Bella.

After everyone had their haircut and I slept a little on the couch, Debbie took me to Newton to catch my train.  Only when we got there we discovered it was running late.

She sat with me and waited and we had a little time to sit and talk.

We don't get to do that very often, just the two of us, so it was nice.

I got on the train around 4am and slept until the sun came up around 6am.

I found some coffee in the cafe car to go with the homemade granola bars my Mom had sent with me.

I arrived back home around 1pm and delivered goodies sent back from Grandmas...

I hugged and kissed all my boys and went to take a nap... and then a shower!