We were wondering how long the notarized papers were valid

It depends on what the papework is that you are talking about. The "notary" part does not expire but the forms or papers you are talking about may only be valid for use for a limited amount of time. If you are thinking of doing your divorce then it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to a local attorney about it so you can see the advantages and disadvantages and cost-effectiveness of it. You can find one near you here on Avvo under the Find a Lawyer tab or call your city's attorney bar association and ask for a referral to one near you. The cost for a single conference wouldn't be much and may save you time and money in the long run. If this answer was helpful please give it a Vote Up review below. Thanks for asking and good luck.

As mentioned in the previous answer, the notarization doesn't "expire." But the present validity of what you tried to do in the document may have changed. You don't say what the documents are that were notarized (there are many things "the proper paper work" may describe). If the document is a petition for divorce, although the notary itself doesn't expire, the time periods referenced in the Kansas divorce statutes are tied to the date on which the documents are filed with the court -- not the date the documents were signed or notarized. For example, Kansas law requires that a party must have been a resident of Kansas for at least 60 days immediately prior to the date on which the petition for divorce is filed. But if your petition for divorce was signed and notarized a year ago, it doesn't address the critical time period -- 60 days before the petition filing date.
You should immediately contact a qualified family lawyer in your area to discuss what you need to do to finish what you want to do.