Meet The Kirks

We’re back in Wichita after a weekend away in Kansas City. It was a great time with lots of firsts for Ester, some good times with family, and time to reconnect with old friends. We’re a bit tired at the moment, but looking forward to spending Memorial Day resting up.

On Friday, Chris underwent a successful root canal. He had been in a lot of pain all week, so we were happy that the procedure went well, albeit a big poorer. After the dental fun, we drove to Kansas City where we decided at the last minute to get a hotel. We lucked into a super cheap price at the Hyatt Recency, so we got to stay in the heart of Crown Center, twenty-two floors up. Ester and Justice enjoyed the view. 

On Friday evening, we met up with some of Chris’ old college friends for dinner at Jose Peppers. We had a great time reconnecting after many years and catching up with each other.

Saturday was Jiggle Jam at Crown Center. Wes, Nancy, and Jena joined us and the girls had fun dancing to the music. We saw Justice Roberts and the Sounds of Africa. Ester loved playing in the fountain with the other kids and Justice even got his feet wet. After the show, we drove north to uncle Daryl and Beverly’s home for our family reunion.

We had a wonderful time introducing the kids to that side of the family. We roasted out hot dogs and smores, played music, and ate some yummy food. Ester and Justice fit right in and had a lot of fun.

It’s hard to believe that one year ago we were in Ethiopia meeting Ester Grace for the first time. Today we commemorate “Gotcha Day”, the one-year anniversary of the day we met our precious daughter. Yesterday we watched Ester’s Life Book Video and remembered the anticipation we felt just twelve months ago. Now, Ester is the shining star of our family, making us laugh everyday, as this video from Boulder illustrates.

We fought the onslaught of tumbleweeds on our journey back from Colorado. Our time there was very nice. Chris was challenged by the conference, and we had great family times exploring Boulder. The highlights included shopping, enjoying the mountain views, and savoring some delicious food and drink. Our favorite was the Sherpa Adventureres Restaurant. We dined on Nepali and Tibetan food in an atmosphere surrounded by climbing gear and travel books, with a view of the Flatirons! It doesn’t get any better than that!

We’re back in Kansas after a great stay on the east coast. Our two a.m. arrival has left us a bit groggy, but we’re plugging away, trying to make use of the last couple days of Spring Break. Our mission is the backyard, getting our patio set up and our garden started. We’re really excited about having our first garden as a family, but trying to figure out what exactly we need to do.

Ester and Justice both performed wonderfully on the flight back. Chris gained sympathy for Ester’s mattress as the young lady tends to flail around, contorting herself like a Chinese acrobat until she finds a position is which she’s comfortable. Inevitably, this results in what does not seem to be a logically comfortable position, but apparently it works for her. We were just glad to get a little shut eye before landing in KC.

So, today we’re heading out to purchase things for the backyard and get started. In a little bit, Jason will come over to watch KU’s first round game in the tournament. It should be a nice day to spend together as a family, if we can all stay awake long enough.

“Aaaasshhh!,” Ester says as we walk into our favorite bakery, Eileen’s at The Chimney’s.  Ashley is working behind the counter, and Natasha finds hereslef tempted to pitch in since she used to work here as well.  The goodies are just as we remembered them, and the company is even sweeter.  We’re truly enjoying our stay in Fredericksubrg, our “East Coast Home.”

The last few days have been times to reconnect with friends.  On Friday, we walked around town and visited some of our favorite shops, seeing people we know along the way.  Friday evening our good friends, the Liptraps, joined us for dinner.  We always have a wonderful time getting together with them, as they played a particularly important role in our life after leaving the church here in Fredericksburg.  We talked and talked, and everyone enjoyed playing with the kids.

Yesterday, we headed to Kenmore park for a picnic lunch and some playtime.  This is the park where Ester first discovered the strange apparatus called a swing some ten months ago.  She didn’t know what to think about it then, but now she’s a playground pro.  After an afternoon of rest, we went to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant and had ice cream at the legendary Fredericksburg  spot, Carl’s.  The guys finished the evening with a trip to the hookah bar as the kids and ladies slept.We have a couple more days to spend here and plan to enjoy every bit of them.  Tonight, we have Sunday night dinner at the SoPo house, a tradition that continues since our days in the Charles House, and tomorrow we celebrate St. Patty’s Day, which among other things is the one-year anniversary of the discovery of Justice’s impending arrival.    He sure has come a long way in a year, and so have all of us.