A day trip to Lawrence

The day after our trip to Gardner, we turned around and drove to Lawrence for a sibling get-together.  We could have stayed in a hotel, as Gardner is only 40 minutes from Lawrence, but we enjoyed our church van trip with our Community Life Group and would have missed out on that.

We chose to go on a different route from the one we'd gone on the day before.  We took 1st street to Cassoday, up 177 to Council Grove.  We found lots of people were out on Sunday drives.  The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was filled with cars.

We stopped at the Flint Hills National Scenic Drive.

Bluestem grass, the grass of the prairies of Kansas.

At Council Grove, we drove east on 56 all the way to 59.  We had not done that last stretch before.  A new road for us.

Turning north on Highway 59, it took us into Lawrence, where Allen's sister lives.  Before stopping in, we drove around.  Lawrence was where we lived as newlyweds, for 4 years, while Allen attended the University of Kansas.  It feels like "home".  It was our first home, afterall.

Stouffer Place, the newly married housing where we lived, is no longer there.  It has been torn down.

It was good to see Allen's 2 younger brothers and their wives and 2 nieces, one married, and 1 nephew.

The cousins who were able to come.

Julie and 2 of her kids. Susie and her husband live with Julie and Simon is a firefighter there in town.

Tall tales being told.

Gayle and Sid, Reuben and Brenda, Julie, Allen and me

I think the brothers look alike.

This is Al's family back around 1967 I think.  His parents have passed away, as well as his older brothers.  

Josh and Susie, Julie, Simon

Cousins - Bailey, who lives in KC, and Susie and Simon.

How we treasure our family!  What a good time we had.