i don't think we're in kansas (city) anymore

       for this weekend's little getaway we went to kansas city and since it sits right on the border of missouri and kansas we were in both states.  now, if you know anything about tj and i you know that we LOVE museums.  when we go to cities the first thing we do is look up what museums are there and what was significant in that cities history.  our children are going to hate us.
        first on the list was the lds independence visitor center.  not my favorite but i do love the history around that area and there is a great lesson to be learned about following the prophet.  then on to this

      the community of christ temple, formally known as the reorganized church.  i love theology and it is very interesting to learn about other religions, especially the ones that broke off of our church.  everyone was super nice there.

               this is inside the big spiral.  pretty cool.
now off to the truman presidential library (oh how we love our presidential libraries)

this is us with the man of the hour.

another oval office photo

i have a goal to get a photo in every president's oval office.  nerd alert!
      we then went to liberty jail which was great.  one of my favorite times in church history.  after that we went downtown to have some dinner and walk around an amazing shopping district.  the next day we went to the national world war one museum.

one of the most beautiful museums i have ever been too.  tj and i were talking about how we were never super clear about the events that lead up to the war.  i learned more in the 12 minute introductory video than any of my history classes combined but let's start at the beginning.  i'm all about the experience of the museum.  i want to feel like i'm experiencing the events with all of my senses.  having said that here are the front doors.

each door weighs a good 50 pounds.  they are so heavy.  they get you ready for the weight of this war and how heavy the whole experience was.  it feels like you are entering an underground bunker.  when you walk in there is no color.  it feels very cold and emotionless.  there is a glass bridge that takes you into the gallery and things don't normally take my breath away but when i walked across, it was incredible.

  this photo does not do it justice.  it is a field of 9000 bright orange poppies and each poppy represents 1000 deaths.  there was a 17 day bloody battle on a field called flanders field where hundreds of men died.  after the battle the only thing that remained were thousands of poppies blowing in the wind.  the color was such a contrast to the rest of the museum.  anyway it was an incredible experience that i think everyone who visits kansas city should have.

  the skyline
we then hit up the farmers market.  one of the best i've ever been to.

we could honestly live in kansas city.  it was awesome.

american history

i'm really bad at this whole blogging thing.  that being said, let's talk about what we did almost three weeks ago over the fourth.  we went on an all american tour around little rock and memphis.

highlights:

we went to bill clinton's presidential library.

since hurricane alex was going strong we thought it would be appropriate to try out the hurricane machine at the library.

it was crazy in there

stopped by the re-creation of his oval office.

these pictures are good to have.  other than this blog entry, i choose not to tell people that it isn't the real oval office.

it was actually a really cool building.

not really, he's in love with obama.

do you remember this from your history books?

maybe this will help.

this is central high in little rock.  the first school that integrated black students into an all white school.  it was the most beautiful school i have ever seen.  tj and i were talking about how it's strange that this really wasn't that long ago.  it happened in our parents generation.  it was an eye opening experience.


then we went to memphis.  an awesome city.

 this is beale street.  it's kinda like memphis' bourbon street.  it was so awesome!  they block the street off and it's just tons of jazz clubs and street performers.  they had cops on horses there too.  i hung out with them for a little bit.

now ladies and gentlemen, the king

welcome to graceland.  i told tj that he had to do an elvis inspired pose for every photo taken there.  it was awesome, not in an mtv cribs kinda way but in like a great aunt pearl kind of way.  here are some highlights.

his tv room.  it was my favorite.

the jungle room

the hall of his gold and platinum records.  tj was running out of posing ideas.

elvis sang unchained melody in this room the day he died.  how did they know that?

why the jumpsuits elvis, why?

i just thought this would be appropriate.  halloween 2008.

and then we went to sun studio.  elvis, johnny cash and tons of other great artists recorded there.

now here are the prize photos.

elvis and johnny cash used that microphone.  i almost died.

we finished the trip here.

this is where martin luther king jr was shot.  they have now turned it into the civil rights museum and it was incredible.  one of the best museums i have ever been too.

sorry about all of the photos, but i think they are more fun than a long drawn out blog with none.  it was so fun.  i love the south!

monster truck rally and rodeo

    i forgot my camera at the rodeo, but the pictures could be interchangeable.  we went to the monster truck rally about three weeks ago and here are some picture from the event.

   taking in the awesomeness.

for all of you 80's lovin folk, yes, big foot was there.  don't you remember big foot was the draw to all of the rally's back in the day?  he did not upset.

look at this little guy.  it was super loud there and obviously his dad knew this because he made sure to bring the gun range ear protection.  they sell them as a twofer her in arkansas.



now for the fashion at the rally.  here are our favorite.

drum roll please...

truly a national treasure.

this was my favorite car.

 

our prom photo in front of the undertaker.  he was the winner of the night.

anyway, good times had by all.

happy independence day!