Finally, a Little Exploration . . .

. . . very little. But, at least we got out and did something. :) Since Topeka is the capitol of Kansas,

we figured we'd check out the State Capitol Building. It's undergoing renovation, but we thought we'd be able to enjoy it anyway.

 Well. The renovation is MAJOR. And this is just one side of the building.

Kevin told us we might not be able to experience it as well as before the renovation began, but I thought we'd be able to see enough. Unfortunately, Kevin was right (darn it!) and we were unable to truly enjoy the gorgeous murals that are painted throughout. We got some pictures, but because of the placing of the construction, we couldn't get good angles. Oh, well. At least we got to see them.

 We also got to tour the chambers of the House of Representatives and Senate. These are absolutely beautiful rooms.

 The building was placed on the National Historic Register in 1971, so you can imagine the beauty of the interior. The wood and brass work is intricate and lovely.

The elevator in the building is hand operated. It is someone's job to sit in the elevator and bring it when called. Isn't that cool?

 While our tour was short – we were in and out in less than an hour – it was fun. I found it interesting that one of flags flown over the capitol is the POW/MIA flag. I don't know if that's typical, but I liked that they do.

 Since we didn't take as long at the capitol as we thought, we had lots of time to waste until we'd be able to visit Kevin. Lots of time – 3.5 hours!! We made the most of it; doing one of Randy's favorite, and my least favorite, thing – window shopping. Ugh. But, I was a good girl and didn't complain. Really, I didn't!! You can ask Randy. We meandered through Hobby Lobby, Bed, Bath & Beyond; got some dinner at Golden Corral, and then meandered some more through the mall. Thankfully, the mall had a very nice sitting area with plush chairs. We enjoyed a quiet half hour in those chairs. My favorite part of the “meandering.” :)

Had a great visit with Kevin. He's improving each day and continuing to talk through what he wants to do upon leaving the hospital. It's good to see him thinking positive about his future. His caregivers have been fantastic. We are very grateful for God's provision of care.

Looks like Kevin will be released next Monday! Now, we have to find another campground and it's proving much harder than expected. Apparently, there is pipeline work being done in the area and those workers have filled the campgrounds. But, I am trusting God to know what we need when we need it. Not easy for me to do 'cause I want to fix it – NOW! But, I'm trusting. :)

Thanks again for the calls, emails, comments, prayers that you are sharing with us. They do mean a lot and while we may not tell each of you how much we appreciate you, please know that we do.

Until the next time . . .