Kansas City

Let me preface this by saying that I have not always been a fan of Kansas City. It wasn't Kansas City's fault per se but it took the brunt of my adolescent anger and has continued to take the blame  for 99.9% of my teenage problems. I have gone so far as to tell many many people how much I hate the Midwest. I certainly would never claim to be FROM Kansas City...land that I loathed. Lucky for me my family moved prior to me starting college and I lived in Houston, TX (which I loved) and could happily BE from. Texas Kristin was a heck of a good time. I really enjoyed her. I long for her return...someday. Kansas City Kristin...now she was a real #$%^&. Adolescence is hard enough but throw in a move from heaven on earth...Springdell...and add in 4 high schools in 4 years, toss in some extreme culture shock, AND top all of that off with huge, horrible, life-altering family issues that culminated in divorce and that is not exactly a recipe for success. Those were some seriously hard times. Miserable times. Down right HIDEOUS TIMES. You couldn't pay me a MILLION dollars to relive those years.

Now 23 years in my rear view mirror, some new perspective, and things have changed. Like I said in a previous post...my mom and I returned to Kansas City last summer and my heart began to heal. It wasn't Kansas City's fault. Kansas City is a BEAUTIFUL place. It has culture and class, beauty and BBQ, fantastic shopping and restaurants, church history and now even a GORGEOUS temple. It is a place to be proud to be from. I see now what I could never see before. Guess what? There is an awful lot of Kansas City in Kristin. There were good things that happened in with the hard things and it was the combination of all of them that made me who I am today. I guess my mom has been right all along. Kansas City and all the hard and difficult times that came with her built character...and changed me...for the better.

I was excited to show Kansas City to Tyler and the kids. I wanted them to see where I lived, went to school, worked, played, and returned to the gospel. I wanted them to KNOW that part of me. They know and have seen everywhere else I have come from...except for this one place. I especially wanted Reilly, who will be a Sophomore in high school this year, to see where I spent my time and what I did when I was exactly her age. (Was she riveted? Uh no.) But the surprise of the century occurred. Every single member of my family not only liked Kansas City...they LOVED IT. Some even went so far as to say they wished we could move there (Let's not be rash!!) Tyler may or may not have been one of those people.

I REALLY appreciate the opportunity that I had to make peace with the past, share a part of my life with my family, and get some closure with the city that I once hated. Tyler told me that he understands me better than he did before. He GETS me more than he did before. He also told me that if I am anything...Utah girl, Texas girl, Washington girl... I am DEFINITELY a Kansas City girl. (I corrected him that I would be an Overland Park girl...yes there is a difference.) So despite my best efforts Kansas City wheedled its way into who I am and I am glad that it did.

My name is Kristin McClellan Johnson and I am from Kansas City.

 Ode to Norman Rockwell

 Leaving for Vacation...

The Return...

(12 Days...9 States...4,000+ Miles)

Goin' To Kansas City...Kansas City Here I Come

The wedding extravaganza of the year is right around the corner and I CANNOT wait!! Jordin and Ramon are getting married in a little over a week and McClellans near and far are gathering for the big event!! We are super stoked that Jordin will soon be Mrs. Hill. Ramon is an amazing guy and we absolutely love him. He is a great addition to our family. In between a flurry of wedding activities Jordi is busy working, going to nursing school, just had a birthday (27!!), and being a wonderful mom to those cute little kiddos...who I cannot wait to get my hands on!!

The wedding is going to be absolutely beautiful in a gorgeous and charming old stone building on a beautiful lake. It is going to be a formal evening wedding which will be so beautiful and we are going to be dressed to the nines. My whole family is part of the wedding party. So fun!! Tyler is giving the bride away, Reilly and I are bridesmaids, Kameron is an usher, Ailey an usherette, Bryn is a flower girl. Elle is a flower girl too and they are going to be absolutely adorable!! Our family is heading to KC early so that my mom and I can help Jordin with last minute wedding details and preparations and to give me some time to play tour guide to my own family in my old home town before everyone else begins arriving for all the festivities.

I can't wait to hang out with these girls:

 And this guy...who just had a birthday too (30!!):

 We will be staying this Jordi for the first part of the week until everyone arrives and then we will check into a hotel. I am sure glad it will have a state of the art gym because my first stop upon arriving in KC will be here:

And it won't be the last!! I DREAM of Gates BBQ Sauce. No lie. I can't even count the many meals I have eaten here in high school...on dates...with friends...and my family. Out of all the famous KC BBQ places this one...after all these years...is still #1 in my heart.

So I am sure I will be on FB and Instagram but no blogging for awhile. I am off to have fun with my family, go on a Griswold Family Road Trip, celebrate the wedding of my sweet sissy, eat lots of BBQ, and have a great time!!

 

 One of the beautiful parts of summer is all the extra lazy afternoon reading time. I absolutely love it.
Here are are few new reviews for you:

I really enjoyed this book. That said, if you don't have a healthy dose of curiosity about the Royal Family, you probably won't. It is a long and detailed book. I, for one, DO have a healthy curiosity of about the Royal Family but haven't always had the fondest opinion of Queen Elizabeth. She always seems so dour and grumpy. But this book really made her come alive and I feel like I learned quite bit about English history and the politics of Great Britain. If you are looking for a chatty and gossipy book this isn't for you. It is quite detailed and there are definitely some dry bits and some horsey bits that I found tedious but, all in all, I liked it.  I listened to it rather than read it and I think that was a good way to do it. I had a hard copy from the library so that I could see all the pictures and then I returned it and just listened to the audiobook while I did some projects around the house. It was wonderful that way and rather timely as I was listening to it during the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

From Goodreads:

From the moment of her ascension to the throne in 1952 at the age of twenty-five, Queen Elizabeth II has been the object of unparalleled scrutiny. But through the fog of glamour and gossip, how well do we really know the world’s most famous monarch? Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace. 
  
My Rating: Good

From Goodreads:

All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. What Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reveals is that the Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing environment. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect your children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua's iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, her way-the Chinese way-and the remarkable results her choice inspires.


This book left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I agree some of what Amy Chua said, but on the other hand, I strongly disagreed with some of what she said. Her method of mothering and what I felt to be a complete lack of nurturing left me cold. I agreed with her opinions about hard work and having high expectations for our children and I also shared her disdain for the entitlement of today's generation.

Some of what she said is what used to be thought of as plain common sense:

"Nothing is fun until you are good at it...to get good at something you have to work."

"Everything valuable and worthwhile is difficult."

I feel like we are totally off track with today's parenting of bribery, low expectations, no chores, constant self-esteem stroking and trying to be our children's best friends. It isn't working. That said I didn't like the author. I found her to be smug, abrasive, and too far to the other extreme. I think one day she may regret how demanding and tyrannical she was to her daughters.

It will definitely give you something to think about and discuss. Perfect for a book club.


My Rating: Okay.

I like Tina Fey and I really wanted a book that would knock it out of the park. It didn't necessarily do that but if you want some light humor. It delivers. Part of my problem was that I constantly compared it to the book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling which I found to be HILARIOUS and I have to say I enjoyed Kaling's book more. There are parts that will have you laughing out loud and parts that kind of make you cringe but that is usually how these books are. I would think that humorist essay books would be some of the most difficult to write.

Is it funny...yeah.

I loved her "prayer" for her daughter and her anecdotes about her dad. Seriously funny stuff. I enjoyed all the SNL background info. It's a good summer read.

My Rating: Pretty Good for what it is.
 

 Man. This was a disappointment. I love snarky humor but this really missed the mark. I had high hopes as I found her book Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank seriously hilarious. This one didn't do it for me and it sure didn't live up to my high hopes. In this collection of essays on the humor of every day life I felt like Rivenbark was trying too hard...with her pop culture references and slang. It felt uncomfortably forced. It was just too...too...much. It left me exhausted and disappointed.

My Rating: Skip it

 Projects

Wow. I/we have been super busy around here lately. So many projects getting jam packed into so little time. This Saturday I will be busy being a vendor here:

 You can read about it and get all the details here. So I have been working like mad to get a bunch of inventory ready to go.

I am also working like mad to prepare to go here:

 We will heading out on a major road trip and working our way to Kansas City for my sister Jordin's wedding extravaganza. It is going to be ALOT of fun...all the McClellans in Kansas City once again. It's going to be crazy. I am really excited. I have had such a bad attitude about Kansas City. We moved there in the middle of my freshman year of high school and moved the day after I graduated. It was a hellish 3 1/2 years. So much upheaval and family issues. My parents divorced. It was ugly. I had convinced myself that I HATED Kansas City. But...last summer my mom and I took a trip out there to see Jordin and I had a change of heart. I had planned to write a big blog post and document my trip last summer and never did. Suffice it to say...I am now fond of my old hometown and looking forward to showing my own family around and giving them a glimpse into my life there. Closure. It's a good thing.

We have also been busy doing about a million projects around the house and yard because...dare I even say it...we are probably going to put our house back on the market when we get back from vacation. After the hell that was last fall I am dreading the whole process but what can you do? We need a new house.

So I am giddy with joy to spend time with my whole family in good ol' KC and celebrate Jordin and Ramon's wedding. We absolutely love Ramon and he is a fantastic addition to our family!! Their wedding is going to be epic!! So excited. I can't wait to see my brother Kirk too. I don't see him as much as I would like too. Some of you have asked why I never talk about him on the blog anymore or if we have had a falling out. No. I have  just really wanted to respect his privacy over the last two years. I don't think he would mind me saying this... now that all is official....but he is now divorced. It was a rough two years on he and Kaiden. The divorce was not his idea. That said he has come through it all like a trooper and is now in a really good place and is really happy. That makes me happy.

So you will have to stay tuned for our Griswold-like summer road trip. This was all Tyler's idea...he is so excited to hit the road and see some sights with our kids and make some crazy memories!!
I am sure we will!!