Lightning Bugs and the 435

We've been in Kansas City for almost a week now, but I can still only tell you how to get from Zach and Bri's house to seminary, Price Chopper, and Conoco.  (Does it count if Conoco is across the street?)  This city is definitely confusing to get around (see example on right--47th and 48th streets shouldn't intersect each other, right?).   There is a freeway (the infamous 435) that runs North, South, East AND West.  It makes a giant circle around the heart of KC with some freeways, but mostly highways (and most of those have stoplights) cutting through the middle.  We're beginning to learn that the fastest route is often go ten miles north and three miles south on the freeway instead of the direct eight miles there on the surface streets; although, most places you can't get to but on highways and surface streets. 

Although the street configuration is incredibly confusing and the humidity hasn't gotten below 60% since we've been here with steady increases promised for July and August, there are a few new phenomenons about this place we're trying to make home: 

1. The greenery.  This is SUCH a green city!  Not green in the sense of recycling, because I think I've seen two recycle bins since we've been here, but that's another issue...but green in the sense of foliage.  There are trees and grass EVERYWHERE!  It's so refreshing to look outside at trees and stretches of nature in the midst of the city.  Not quite the mountains of Colorado or the ocean in San Diego, but beautiful in its own way.  I guess it helps that it rains four times a week instead of four times a year...
2. Lightning bugs.  They remind me of the few times we went to Kansas growing up and we would catch them and put them in a baby food jar as night lights.  Plus they're really fun to watch communicate with each other.
3. Weather.  We've had four thunderstorms since we've been here.  HARD RAIN too, not the sissy San Diego rain.  We've had to retire our Rainbows for some pretty cool all-weather walking/hiking Teva sandals.  Picture below.

Well, that's about all for now.  We're walking down the street to get some Dairy Queen (oh yea, that and Sonic are a dime a dozen here as well) cuz I need my ice cream fix and we want to test our new sandals.  More updates soon!  Love you all.