Our Babymoon

When our plans to attend a Mumford and Sons concert last June were derailed when one of their band members had emergency surgery to remove a blood clot, I was sad and disappointed.  At that time, there were no plans for a reschedule date and my dreams of seeing my favorite band live were crushed.  Very soon after, however, the band announced they would end their tour in Bonner Springs in September, honoring all tickets purchased for the June show.  It seemed so far away then, but we looked forward to a little fall getaway, cozy sweaters and blankets at an outdoor concert, and an end of a tour from a band I hope doesn't stay away too long. 

Beau and I dropped off an excited little boy at his Papa and Grandma's house Friday morning and headed south for our little "babymoon" getaway.  It was only our second time to Kansas City, the timing quite ironic as we took a similar trip when I was about the same weeks pregnant with Cruz.  We saw a Royals game that year, had some barbecue, and spent some time exploring the plaza and downtown areas.  I remember waddling uphill to our hotel, buying a few cute things for a little baby boy, and sneaking in a few naps - a must on any babymoon agenda.  Our getaway was similar this time - only my sights were set on pink and we had some excellent direction from one smart, stylish tour guide.  

It just so happens that my sweet friend, Amanda, resides in Kansas City and scored some tickets to see Mumford with her husband, Andrew.  We met for some pre-concert dinner at Gram and Dun on the plaza and cozied up with them at the concert.  Amanda is due with her baby boy any day now and she was quite the sport on her feet during the entirety of the show.  It was so wonderful to see them and we sure appreciated every suggestion they offered for what to see, eat, and do in their city on our weekend away (more on Oklahoma Joe's later)...

I'm not going to try to describe our concert experience Friday night, other than to say that if you have a chance to see them live, don't pass it up.  It was one of the most captivating performances I have ever and I'm sure will ever see.  The night was perfectly crisp and the full moon in the sky provided a fitting spotlight for a band that is just meant to do their thing outside.  The soft white lights strewn in the sky across the stage, the sepia-toned jumbo-trons that captured the personalities of the lively band, and the unique way Marcus Mumford holds his guitar while singing and playing the kick drum had me standing in awe the entire night.  If it's possible for a band to sound better live, it was Mumford.  And because their music, their lyrics, and their effortless sound speaks freaking poetry to me, I told Beau that having seen them live, I now picture them as caged birds when I listen to their CDs.  They truly came alive on that stage - whether it was their a capella version of Timshel and Reminder as the four of them gathered around a single microphone, or tossing a set of drums off the set during a crazy version of Dust Bowl Dance, every song was a single experience and had me ready to light the world on fire by the end of the night.  

Our Friday night ended with cozy pjs and room service in our hotel room, a perfect night cap before sinking in our king-sized bed and looking forward to sleeping in on our Saturday morning, a very rare occurrence around our house.

Saturday was beautiful outside.  We took our time in the morning, visited some cute shops in Brookside, and got to Oklahoma Joe's promptly at 11 to devour what many have suggested to be the best barbecue in the Midwest.  This place is exactly what we hoped it would be - a small little joint inside a gas station, with a steady line of people all the way out the door.  Beau had the brisket and ribs and I tried their signature Z-Man with fries.  It was as good as everyone said it would be and even my tough-to-please husband was licking his chops and studying the rib rub by the end of the meal.

We spent most of the afternoon on the plaza, buying way too much kids' clothes at Baby Gap and H&M, touching every single beautiful thing at Anthropologie, and stopping for some cocktails at one of the many fine outdoor seating areas.  There was a huge art festival going on in the streets, so there was plenty to do and see throughout our day.  By late afternoon, however, we were ready for a slower speed, comfy clothes, and a laid back night of good food and good company.  We took one more suggestion of Amanda's and searched out Lulu's for some Thai food.  We were the only ones who requested to sit outside and we enjoyed having the little outdoor patio to ourselves as we tried spring rolls, basil fried rice, peanut noodles, and bubble tea.  The food was delicious and the Italian bistro music created a fun and unique atmosphere for the two of us and our night away.

Saturday night found us back in our hotel room, a six-pack of beer for Beau and chocolate for me.  We watched football, vegged on our big bed, and enjoyed a rare date night in, just the two of us, with cozy socks and lots of laughs.

We had a great little weekend and we drove back home on Sunday feeling renewed and ready to soak in the next season of fall with our little boy who's about to turn three.  Just a few more months of just us before life will surely change in January.  As Beau or Ned Stark from Game of Thrones likes to say, "Winter is coming," and our winter is sure going to be a memorable one.