As you know, we returned from our Nebraska/Kansas City trip yesterday, and WOW, did I manage to take A LOT of photos!

I guess it’s because this trip was extra special. Not everyone know this, but I haven’t been home in almost three years = meaning that the entire time it’s been #meandD, we haven’t been to my home state of Nebraska, WHICH is honestly no one’s fault. I mean life has just been crazy-busy-beautiful ever since D entered my life. Plus, my family always comes to visit us. But we both felt it was time for a visit, so we wrapped it into our yearly “Chiefs Home Opener” travel plans. I was mostly excited just to see everyone, and although, D was as well, he also had major plans of participating in as many farm-related activities as he was allowed . . . like driving a John Deere tractor.

Prior to our trip, I was feeling a little bummed out, because I figured D was only going to see the farmland in a very thirsty state. LUCKILY, however, it rained a week or so before our arrival, making everything this beautiful shade of green.

We ONLY drive John Deere’s in my family 😉

This is just one of my mom’s many flower beds. She calls her little fish peddlers “Jenna and Evan” – isn’t that sweet?!

Ask and you shall receive around the Johannsen’s residence 😉 here is D driving a tractor with my little brother, Evan!

The rain sure made all the weeds thrive as well.

My Dad and D feeding our horse, Dillion, and talking about “farm” stuff.

This image makes me feel all nostalgic about “the good life” . . . oh, Nebraska.

My family’s cattle; they have about a 100 head.

Action shot!

Farm equipment.

D and my little brother, Evan, riding four-wheelers.

Some of the land where our family’s cattle resides.

I adore this shot of my Dad. He’s such a hard worker. I only wish he knew how to enjoy a little downtime every now and again, but that’s farmers for ya!

The only home I knew the first 18 years of my life. My parents built it during their engagement. It’s also Earth-bermed.

More of that beautiful Nebraska landscape.

Hay and corn. All this picture is missing is some cows! HAHA.

Speaking of cows . . . here’s one of them and my little brother, Evan – a.k.a. The Cow Whisperer.

The area where I grew up in Buffalo County is called Buckeye Valley. My mom always likes to joke that we are the “Buckeye Gang.” Either way, the gravel road you see in this picture leads up to the hill where you turn into my parents’ driveway. Home Sweet Home.

So up to this point, all of the pictures you have seen were shot on our first full-day on the farm. The following day [Thursday] we headed into town, so we could 1) use the internet [yea, my parents STILL do not have it], 2) walk around my Alma Mater, 3) have lunch with a friend, 4) show my D around the television station [my former job], and 5) see my family’s second farm down in Minden [that’s where yesterday’s photo was shot at too]. After we wrapped up a few hours of social media-binging at a local coffee shop, I drove D by my first apartment. It was right across the street from the campus and was where I moved after living with my grandma Margaret my freshman year of college. I learned a lot about life and myself living in that one-room apartment.

The only building I really took D to at my Alma Mater [the University of Nebraska at Kearney] was the Fine Arts and Humanity’s building, because, well, it was practically my second home for my first four years out of high school. It was also were a perfected my instrument: my voice.

My fifth and sixth years of college . . . yes, it took me six years to finish school, because I had not one, but TWO music degrees. Anyway, during my last two years, I split my time between U.N.K. and my full-time gig at the local FOX affiliate, FOX 4 & 17, playing television host with the viewers at home. I also had a segment called “Out & About with Jenna” that would air randomly through commercial breaks.

The last stop on Thursday was to my other family’s farm, where my brother lives, in Minden, Nebraska. We took D around there before we headed back into town for supper with my aunts/cousins and lots of shenanigans at the local bar, Cunninghams. I’m sorry to report that I did not take any photos with my Nikon that night. In the long run, it’s probably for the best, but it still erks me. I blame the tequila.

“When you finally go back to your old home, you find it isn’t the old home you missed but your childhood.” – Sam Ewing

I guess you cannot really count a trip to America’s Heartland complete without shooting some stuff 😉 this picture was taken about 5 seconds before I had a total meltdown. Don’t get me wrong, people. It’s not like I’ve never shot before, but I’ve just never done it with a hand gun. AND [for whatever reason] having three men each telling me different things to do, I suddenly was beyond overwhelmed and brokedown like a little girl. Lol. Once I calmed down, though, I did manage to fire it a couple of times. D says we will try again sometime soon when it’s just the two of us at a firing range here in SD. I’m sure it will go smoother and will be heck of a lot less stressful!

I am so happy that I was finally able to show D where I grew up. I think it might have caused him to even love me a little bit more 😀