Explore or Bore!

Every now and then- not too often - but enough to recognize it when it happens, I get a surprise Saturday. Sort of like a surprise birthday party, but no one has to get older or wrinklier. It is just a day where everything goes right. Today everyone in the family woke up on the right side of the bed and we just sort of managed to hang out on that side of the room all day!

As all good things do- the day started with hard work. I insisted on 30 minutes from everyone. And when the timer chimed we dropped our rags and spray bottles and laundry baskets and declared the day "officially started."

The artist had to pick up a craigslist item for his motorcycle all the way across the city in Liberty, Missouri. (Oh, yes, the Artist has a shiny red motorcycle now. He is threatening me with actually riding it once he gets licensed. That is a whole other post...) After grabbing said part we took the girls to visit the Liberty Jail, where the prophet Joseph Smith was held captive with four other men for four months. It is a terrible, beautiful place. Terrible in its memory of human suffering and beautiful in its testament to Heavenly help in our worst trials.

What an amazing thing to go from a site where people once tried to destroy the Mormon faith to the spot where they are now building a Mormon temple- less than ten miles away. It means so much to share these little miracles and stories with the Cowgirl and the Dancer. They have to know that in this crazy (getting crazier by the minute!) world, they are a part of something monumental and daring and exceptional.

Since we had history on the brain we took the girls to downtown Kansas City to the jazz district known as 18th and Vine. We have never set foot there before, despite growing up in this city, but we don't want to stagnate. Explore or Bore is the motto of the day! We ate sandwiches at a bakery where we were the only white folks in sight and loved it. The Dancer declared that it was the "best dinner ever."

Apparently we were still in the explorin' mood because we hustled over to Crown Center to do a few masterpieces as the Crayola store and stock up on candy at the candy store. When we finally got home I marinated in a hot bath for 20 minutes until the Artist's parents came over to play with the girls.

The Artist took me out to a gourmet hamburger restaurant where we ordered the $100 burger (luckily it was 85% off!) and chatted like we were as trendy as all of the richly coifed couples around us. It is nice to know that after 13 years of being in love he still makes me laugh over a plate of sweet potato fries and I still like glancing at him over a cream soda.

What a day! What a gift. Who would have thought that an Artist and a Writer and a Cowgirl and a Dancer could have so much fun getting locked up in jail together, jamming together, driving together, eating together, shopping together, loving together. Happy Surprise Saturday!