Keeping up with the Joneses: So long Slater...

In June, we took our first plane ride with Madelyn. She sat in her carrier and much to our surprise, slept most of the flight. My Father flew along with us to Slater, Missouri. Madelyn met her Great Grandpa for the first time. It was a special time for all of us. My Grandpa had been ill with cancer and we were blessed to spend time with him before he passed away. July 6th he left us here on Earth to be in peace. He was so special...we have so many lasting memories with him. I flew back to Slater with my Sister for the service, we stayed a week or so to help out my Dad.

Staying in Slater was like staying in another world to us! It's a small town about 2 hours east of Kansas City. Let me paint a picture for you....

you are driving miles along the interstate passing huge fireworks warehouses and huge porn shops (seriously, they'd be right next to each other). As you are closer to Slater, you travel on highways named "P" or "O" or the "TT Junction" -- you know you arrive in Slater when you pass the liquor store on your right, drive over the railroad tracks and under the purple neon sign that reads "SLATER".

Let me tell you, the people that live there are friends to everyone. I am so lucky to have met some of my Grandpa's best friends, and now they are MY friends. They are a wonderful gift Grandpa left to share. We shared stories of Grandpa, drank beer and bounced in the back of the pick-up down to the Missouri River, my sister even drove a REAL John Deere tractor! Thats a really big deal to us "city-slickers". So to my new friends...thank you for a time I'll cherish forever, I DO look forward to MORE!