Frequent Flyers

Currently on my millionth plane in the last few days, this time with the kids (though not with James who is at a swim meet), heading to my family reunion in the great woods and beautiful lakes of Wisconsin. It's been six years since we graced the shores of Silver Lake, where I spent so many summers of my childhood, camping in my family's trailer on my grandpa's lake lot, right next to the farm where he grew up. I'm so excited. It's been a crazy week and a half.

Last Thursday I flew to Monterey for a firm hosted client event at Pebble Beach. It was an honor to be invited and I gave a CLE presentation one evening.

I met some fabulous people and clients. It was also gorgeous and in the 50's every day and I got to turn the fireplace on in my room and throw the patio doors open and almost be chilly. And after many days of 110+ in Dallas it was GLORIOUS.

I am not a golfer, but my dad is a GREAT golfer and he has never been to Pebble Beach and he was equally happy for me and jealous for him. I bought a pink plaid golf shirt off Amazon and took a golf lesson in his honor.

The Pebble Beach golf pro was amazing. So calm and encouraging and always finding something nice to say about whatever I was doing while also managing to correct however many things I was doing wrong.

I also got to learn from a golf robot which was one of the coolest things I've ever done.

I can't say I'm going pro yet, but I do now know how to hold a golf club and I'm a weirdly good chipper. It was also SO fun to reconnect with some of the attorneys I worked with in the Austin office lo those many years ago. Especially friends I now get to call partner.

I also did an e-bike ride down 17 mile drive. I saw seals and otters and lots of birds, along with about 100 houses I would really REALLY like to tour. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was in the Netherlands in 2004, so I was a little nervous, but turns out, it IS exactly like riding a bike! There was also a putting contest and my teammate and I balanced each other's champagne glasses AND we did not get last and I feel like we were the true winners.

On Sunday morning I got to wake up at 4:30 a.m., fly to Dallas, spend the afternoon with the kids, unpack/repack, and then fly to Denver for a deposition the next day. Except my flight was delayed about 2 hours, so I spent a very long time nursing this glass of wine and getting work done at a comfortable table. I got to my hotel about 1 a.m., worked much, and then mid-deposition on Tuesday got an email from Southwest that my flight- the last flight to Dallas- had been canceled. James had already left for a swim meet, and the kids were at home waiting for me to join them after dinner, and Maggie was now at risk of being promoted to overnight babysitter. (Or, let's be real, the cats would be the ones in charge.)

After many emails, I got a new, even later flight landing at a different airport where my car would not be sometime after midnight, and our wonderful house manager volunteered to stay the night. That flight got delayed as well and I got home about 2 a.m., abandoning my car to airport #1, and taking an Uber in to work a few hours later. I was supposed to see Mean Girls in Fort Worth last night, and while I was SO excited for it and to catch up with my friend going with me, I finally had to back out. I hadn't unpacked from Denver, much less packed for Wisconsin, or sat on my own couch in far too long and Cora had had quite enough of this nonsense. If I was going to move to Dallas, the least I could do is live there as well. She's tough, but fair.

I know it's been hard, but as I've told her, of all my trips recently only one of them has been something I couldn't say no to. These first six months are my road show and I'm building something and I'm so excited and truly loving every minute, and my family has been AMAZING, but I'm not sad that I will have both feet in Dallas for all of August. Even if it is pretty much the worst month to be here.

Last night, once I finally collected my car, still waiting patiently at the airport (though sadly not the airport we were flying out of today), drove home, packed, and spent a whole luxurious evening with the kids. We ate dinner and watched the Disney+ Baymax series and it was ADORABLE. We loved it. All the stars; highly recommend.

In addition to my travels, the kids have also been living their best lives. Cora went to soccer camp at Texas A&M and LOVED IT. I also love that Landon (15) had his first sleepaway camp the same summer Cora (8) did. #ThirdBaby

Claire got to come to my office one day and fell in love with my little window nook. She has requested to be my assistant and spend all her time writing in journals in that corner. Not sure how that assists me, but happy to add to the team.

And Landon spend a week with my sister and her crew in Boulder, flying alone there and back, navigating the airports, and being SuperCousin to her girls.

And that's where we're at! Currently circling Minneapolis, about to land, get our rental car, and drive to Wisconsin to see my parents, all my siblings, all four of my nieces and my one nephew, AND my aunt and uncle and it will be SO FUN! It is the twins' first birthday and I can't think of a better place to celebrate. Looking forward to a long weekend of fun lake days, cool Wisconsin nights, and listening to cousins play together.