Family Archives - Page 6 of 42

Going West | Kansas Photography

June 12, 2015/0 Comments/in Crazybananas Photography - Personal, Family /by Megan

This past week the kids and I have been in Western Kansas, living a pretty fun little life! My sister-in-law runs this wonderful dance studio (you can see their Facebook page here) out here, and every year she holds a week-long dance camp, which Lulu is loves participating in. Last year was so fun, we decided to come back this year and spend the week enjoying the slower pace of country life. I guess I should point out that farm life isn’t always so slow (during harvest it’s NUTS around here), but this week has been a good reminder for me that rest and easy fun is so necessary for a full life.

While I love living in Kansas City, sometimes I can get caught up in the go-go-go of it all. There is always somewhere to be and something to accomplish. The kids have daily activities and routines, which sometimes can dictate our lives. Out here on the farm, the kids get to be kids. My kids have more independence here than they do at home! They run around the yard or the small towns nearby with their gaggle of buddies, sometimes with no adult supervision. They get to be responsible for themselves and feel that pride of knowing they are in charge. Lucy especially (as at 4-years-old, Tate is still a little young to be all on his own) has really thrived here. It’s been fun to watch her spread her wings and reconnect with all her friends from last year.

I’m sort of in awe of how the communities around here rally together. Yesterday we got to hang out with the local volunteer fire department and they even let the kids spray the fire hose! We went to a local pool, and the whole scene was straight out of the movie “The Sandlot!” Of course, since Lulu knows everyone, everywhere, we walked in to the pool area and immediately there were three or four kids yelling, “Lucy!” who she knew from camp. It was pretty adorable.

I love coming out to Western Kansas at the start of each summer. It’s the best way to kick off the season. Fun, sun, the outdoors, a few bugs and frogs, and of course, a lot of dancing. It’s the best reminder that simple, uncomplicated fun is always the way to go. Hopefully we can sustain this feeling of ease and joy throughout the rest of the summer!

Special thanks to our hosts Adrian and Ashley and the whole Coberly Farm crew! Thank you for letting us crash your serene existence with our craziness!

The 2015 Spring Break Epic Roadtrip

March 30, 2015/0 Comments/in Crazybananas Photography - Personal, Family, Fun /by Megan

This year we had no big plans for Spring Break, but I knew I wanted to do “something.” While I love stay-cations, the kids and I were feeling a little restless, so we decided to pack up the minivan and hit the road. We spent seven days driving over 1200 miles from Kansas City to Denver, with a few stops along the way. We spent a few days in Western Kansas at my sister-in-law’s farm and a few days with our good friends who moved to Denver from Kansas City a few years back. Our girls were best buds before they moved, and it was so fun to see them immediately reconnect like no time had passed at all. We were marveling at how similar the girls were, from the way they walked to their mannerisms, and I’m so glad we decided to visit and give them time to be together. Stopping at the farm along the way was the perfect break between hours in the van, and gave us a change to run around in the fresh air, take a ride on a sprayer, and play with a brand new puppy. I’d say it was a perfect break and one we’ll be remembering for quite some time. Thanks to the Coleman’s and the Coberly’s for their hospitality and letting us crash in their homes and interrupt their schedules!

Elsewhere : Family Time is Gaming Time

January 12, 2015/0 Comments/in Elsewhere, Family, Writing /by Megan

I’m over at Pixelkin.org talking about we use gaming time as family time…

But truly, I think that gaming together is a positive solution to my screen time issues. One of the largest problems I have with my kids’ screen time is too often I find myself giving them TV, tablet or computer time as a way to keep them busy while I complete some other task. But when we spend our gaming time as a family, the screen time is more interactive. They aren’t just staring at a screen, immersed in their own world. Instead they are working together, talking to us and each other, and learning how to play with a group. They get their desired screen time and I get my desired family togetherness. It’s a win-win!

To read more, head over to Pixelkin.org!

The 2014 Holiday Season

January 5, 2015/0 Comments/in Family, Fun, Happiness, Photos /by Megan

The holidays were a whirlwind this year, I am a bit amazed they are already over! But at the same time, it feels like we’ve been celebrating forever. We were packed to the brim with activities and family until about December 29th, and since then I’ve been cocooned in my PJs refusing to leave my house except for food and to wear out the kids at the gym. Though I tried to keep the holiday as low key as I could, you could say it ended up a little hectic. I’m learning our whole family doesn’t operate as well under prolonged excitement, and maybe resistance is futile during the holidays, but I think next year I’m going to try and dial it down even more.

Surprising to no one, my favorite moments were definitely the quiet ones with my little family. Of course I loved spending time with our good friends and extended family, seeing their smiling faces is always a highlight, but the times that stick out to me are the simple ones. Watching movies on our couch pull out bed on New Years Eve, opening gifts on Christmas morning, sleeping in with no alarm to wake us, making dinner for my family and laying around reading all the books we received. Those are the moments I cherish and hold on to as we head in to this New Year.

Tomorrow (and the next day) my kids go back to school, and it will be much needed return to routine. While everyone has enjoyed our break, we are ready for schedules and predictable daily expectations. The kids have missed their friends and their activities, and while I sometimes complain about our busy, little life, I know we all thrive on it. We like our lives to be full to the brim, sometimes overflowing, just as much as we like taking two-week breaks from it all. I suppose that’s how it works. The breaks wouldn’t feel like breaks without something to take a break from. And, I have to say, it’s pretty wonderful to be excited for what awaits in the real world when your break is through. That’s how I know, for now, we’re doing it right.