Emma got to spend more time with her Papa Ben this trip than previous trips. We were around and he was around and it was just relaxing and fun. Emma followed my dad around the house, always curious about what he was going to do next, even to the point of following him into the bathroom. He thought that was pretty funny. She was so embarrassed! He loved showing her his pretty rocks and they spent a fair amount of time choosing a special rock for her to take with her. I think she inherited her love of rocks from her grandpa!
I grew up with this view (minus the clouds and rainbow) every day for the first eighteen years of my life. While taking this picture I was standing on the front porch of my childhood home, looking to the east. Western Kansas is flat, very flat, and I love it. On a clear night, we can see the lights of Goodland, ten miles away. On a really clear night, we can see the lights of Burlington, Colorado, almost twenty miles away. I've seen the most incredible starlit sky in the world from my parents' front porch. I love the fresh, clean air and the stillness of the open country. I miss being a part of wheat harvest and the smell of freshly cut wheat. My childhood home brings back so many memories. I love that we were able to visit again.
