Kansas City --- dinner and rockin’ hotel accommations

 

 

When you’ve been 630 feet in the air you work up an appetite.  We were pretty tired, had had a mighty breakfast, and really wanted to get to the hotel to swim.  We opted against lunch and just mowwed (is that a word? blogger says no) on muffins, cereal bars, juice boxes and cheese sticks.  The cranky-factor was high and we just worked on making time across the lovely state of MO.  (I think I could live here.  Looks like a flat version of NY.)

Around 4:00 P.M. CST we decided we needed to feed the animals nourish our family and I did a search for a KFC (which they’ll be delighted to hear some lady just associated with the word nourish).  We found one and because I have more time than sense I even did a TripAdvisor review of the place.  They had a BUFFET.  A KFC BUFFET.  I’m not a big fan of KFC, but I love buffets.  Why?  I’m glad you asked.  I’ve had WAY too many experiences in restaurants and at theme parks where you can talk to a kid about food choices, but because they can’t SEE exactly what you are talking about you don’t always know if they are really going to eat it when it gets on a table in front of them.  With a buffet you’ve more-or-less got a WYSIWYG situation.  Granted, after they taste it, they may balk… but you just GO GET SOMETHING ELSE.  Now, some folks counter with buffets being a hassle for parents because they have to get up and down and up and down many times and do not get to actually sit and enjoy their food.  I see this as a faulty argument.  I think of it as burning the calories as I eat them. 

 

 

 

OH – and the best part --- $8.49 for John, Stewart, and I, and $4.99 for the middle four.  Katriel was free.  AND drinks were included.  Less than $50 for 8 people.  Nice.

We stopped at Walmart (where they had a height restriction for vehicles entering the parking lot).  Apparently truckers are not wanted in Oak Grove Walmart.  Why did we stop at Walmart?  BECAUSE I FORGOT THINGS!

Our hotel was just 30 minutes away and, baby, did it rock.  The manager had emailed me on Friday with a question about our reservation.  It seemed their system had us down for TWO suites, each with a king-sized bedroom, a 2 queen bedroom, and sofa bed in the family room.  It seems they weren’t able to offer us two suites with exactly that set up and he had some suggestions to offer us instead.  Well, we are larger-than-life, but we don’t need quite that much space.  I contacted him and explained we only needed one suite that size.

When I checked in a lovely employee Lisa said, “I see you talked with Michael about the room changes.”  She went on to explain we have two connecting rooms.  One with a king bedroom, full-bath, and kitchen/livingroom, and another with a 2 queen bedroom, full bath, and kitchen/livingroom.  And because of our inconvenience  (???) HE TOOK 50% OFF our charges.  We ended up with plenty o’space for --- $97.00 USD.  Total.  Not each room.  Michael, dude, you rock.  

The hotel was beautiful.  And I hate hotels.  I’m sure I’ll explain why in one of these posts sometime.  My kids were loving the digs.  It was just a very nice place. 

 

 

 We lugged in only what we needed (which still required two trips) and donned swim suits.  Then our 8 road-weary bodies made merry in the salt-water pool and hot tub. (Okay – okay – I for sure did not get in the pool. It wasn’t freezing-freezing, but I require some pretty warm water temps or sunshine high in the sky to swim.)  But I found something I could get excited about. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAN we look TIRED!  LOL.

At 7:45 P.M. we called all out and as we needed to drip-dry, we circled some chaises and chairs around and did family bedtime prayers in the pool room.  We scooted back to our rooms and melted into the crazy-awesome beds. 

 

 

I woke at 5 A.M. (my body thought it slept in til 6 A.M.) and enjoyed some tea whilst John hit the showers.  At 6:15 A.M. we started waking the little ones and then moved on to the bigger ones a while later.  PBS provided the treat of broadcast television (a vacation-only indulgence) while we packed up our gear.

 

 

 

 

 

We headed down to the complimentary breakfast which pleased our hungry crew and provided me with ample exercise.

 

 

 

 

Check out those waffles.  Oh.  Yum. 

 

 

The littles got some more eye-candy while the biggies and Daddy loaded up the van.

 

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.