We Aren’t in Kansas Anymore, Y’all

Oh my, how I’ve missed you all during my trip to Kansas!

Thank you so much for the sweet and kind words that you left me on the last post.  I have to say that although I haven’t been to many funerals in my short 24 years of life, this one was extremely peaceful and filled with hope and comfort.  It is so rare to witness that, and we owe it all to God!   Quite truthfully, we were all relieved to know that she’s not in pain and instead, she’s dancing and rejoicing up in heaven.

Our layover happened in the Denver airport, which is pretty much akin to Disneyland.

The whole trip was filled with tears and much laughter as my mother in law allowed herself to creating fun memories with “sisters” as well as with me.  But more on that later.

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.  Well, I decided that the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach, as I took it upon myself to cook for the family a few meals, as time allowed.

I had oatmeal mostly for breakfast, but for my mother in law, it was a completely different story.  I took the liberty to make her french toast and pancakes!  Very fortunately, she loved them and felt “blessed”.  I’m telling you, cooking and giving food gifts is the way to go for those who are going through a rough time!

This was the amazing view that greeted me every morning.  Cloudy weather is my favorite!

And then I played with this pinchable, cuddly little beauty!  Oh my goodness.  Molly is one of the sweetest and most sensitive dogs I’ve ever known because she senses the emotions that people go through, and then acts accordingly.  By the way, doesn’t she look like the face of the doggie treats packaging?  Random, I know.

Despite the bittersweet emotions in the air, my “mother”, her best friend who drove from Colorado, and I got an appointment at the nail salon.  We had such a great time laughing and taking pictures of each other as we were getting our pedicures done.  I used to hate having people touch my feet!  But coincidentally, mother was the one who got me into it and I don’t mind it so much anymore.

We attended her church’s “Girl’s Night:  Black and White” event where plenty of music, food, and fellowship happened.  Sometimes, a good time with fellow women (or men, if you’re male) is what we need to heal our soul.

I can’t seem to get over how cute they look!  Ummm I would really like a polka dotted dress like that one, thank you very much. 

Hello derriere.  Mother got a kick at the expense of my own embarrassment.  We got to play a game that was kind of like musical chairs, except that we had to go around a piece of newspaper and step on it without our feet going outside of it when the music stopped.  Then, to make things harder, we had to fold it in half and repeat that same process until our newspaper became about 6×6 inches in size.  And that’s why you’re witnessing my derriere.  But it was all worth it because we won prizes for our whole table!  Hey, I told you I’m competitive when it comes to sports and games…

I think this would be a really fun ice breaker and game for special events, so I’m excited to implement it in the future.

On one of the nights, the family and I went to Applebee’s for dinner and I ordered their Sizzling N’Awlins Skillet, which was a mixture of cajun spiced veggies, rice, and chicken.  Delicious and highly recommended!

Sometimes traveling doesn’t make it very easy to make economical and healthy food choices, so flexibility and a carefree attitude is my motto.  At the airport we had some breakfast at the La Brea Bakery and I got the yogurt parfait with granola, which was a bit too sweet for me, along with some coffee.

During our layover in the Denver airport we had the freedom to choose from dozens of restaurants!  Naturally, since I’m a salad lover (especially if it has olives), I went with the Provencale salad at a place called Pour La France!

We’re so thankful that although we had to meet each other under those conditions, we had good quality time by being there for the family.

Oh yeah, before I forget….

I made this for Greg this morning!  It’s pumpkin french toast encrusted in crushed Panda Puffs.  Eeeee.

Have a great day and talk to you soon!

In what ways do you like to comfort people?

-I like to listen and talk to them+ cook/bake for them.  Basically, I love to serve them.

How do you manage your eating when you travel? Does it remain the same or are you more flexible?

Love,

Ellie <33

Tagged as: breakfast, family, food, french toast, God's grace, gratitude, healthy eating, life, oats, relationships