Reentry to Reality: An Update before the Travel Blogging Begins

We are back from our Utah/Arizona National Park Road Trip and it was INCREDIBLE.

We hiked more than 30 miles, drove more than 3,000 miles, and spent 12 days together in 6 different lodgings and I feel restored and happy and so freaking in love with this little family of mine.

I did not bring my work (or personal!) computer or turn on my work phone and I needed that respite more than I even imagined. I was simply present- present and happy and reconnecting with James and the kids in a way I didn't realize I'd stopped doing at home/my office.

I have so much to share, I hardly know where to begin. So instead I'm going to jump to the present, include my menu for the next two weeks because I need it written down somewhere I can access from my phone, and then we'll go backwards with the itinerary in my next post. It was just so wonderful you guys, I don't want to forget a thing.

We got back yesterday about 3 (it was supposed to be 1, but we woke up 2 hours later than planned in our Amarillo hotel room - we were TIRED!) and jumped right into unpacking, laundry, and taking Claire to her Meet the Teacher night for 6th grade. Our new middle schooler is a little nervous and a LOT excited and I'm excited I can be more of the latter and less of the former now that our superintendent announced our district will defy our idiot governor's "no mask mandates allowed even if you think it's best for your area because we are in crisis and borrowing resources from neighboring states and there are no PICU beds available in all of North Texas" and require masks for all students, faculty, and staff on our campuses.

Cora's Meet the Teacher night is tonight and then I guess our resident 8th grader just shows up on Monday like the pro he (thinks he) is.

I bought backpacks and uniforms before we left, so we're in pretty good shape. We're continuing our tradition of my mom's spaghetti the night before school starts and letting each kid pick a meal during the first week. And on every other night we're having some variety of salad because that's all I crave when we get back from a trip.

Oh! In other extremely exciting news, my baby brother and favorite sister-in-law had their twins!! My sister-in-law's birthday is July 25th, my brother's birthday is July 26th (same year as her, though many countries apart- how crazy is that), and the twins were born on July 27th!! I'm expecting huge annual parties in late July.

They were born at 35 weeks weighing 5 lbs. 5 oz. and 5 lbs. 9 oz. They've spent some time in the NICU, but Wade (my very first/only nephew) is home and doing great and Zoe is expected to follow in a few more days. We're so thrilled for them and can't wait to love on them soon.

In the days before we left on our big trip, I had two cases filed and one quick work trip to New York. It was very exciting and rewarding and the perfect send-off before our much-anticipated vacation.

We went out to dinner as a family when I got back to thank my junior paralegal support team and senior partner. In nearly 18 months of working from home, I've brought 4 cases before the Commission, and had one investigation require nearly non-stop work that dominated ALL our lives.

James has been locked out of his bedroom dozens of times for my witness interviews and the kids have been kindly (and not so kindly) cut off from conversations and kicked out of the room for calls. I’ve had countless Starbucks cups and plates of homemade dinner delivered to my desk, along with flowers, cards, and endless understanding for my typing late at night a mere 3 feet from James’s (sort of) sleeping head. I have been stressed and short and completely distracted and they have loved me through it all.

I'm sure the pizza totally made it worth it.

And finally, quick pet update. Maggie went to live with my best friend and her dog pack down the street. My friend ended up fostering two baby pygmy goats that require regular bottle feeding and Maggie LOVED them and checked in on them anytime she woke up from one of her naps. When I went to pick her up yesterday, she was very excited to see me, but ran back inside when I tried to walk her out because she was confused her dog/goat pack wasn't coming too. We'll go visit often.

The cats were given free reign of the house with daily check-ins by my friend's teenage daughter. When we got home, Milo ran over to be held and loved on by everyone and slept with the kids last night (kids who, even after 12 days away together sleeping in one room, all still slept together in the girls' room with Landon on the much-less-comfortable-than-his-real-bed-trundle, they crack me up). Moose on the other hand hid under our bed until he was sure he knew us and/or we seemed like nice new owners. He has yet to forgive us fully for leaving, but did jump up on the couch with me last night and allow me to pet his head a few times.

And now, food! While I go through our pictures and try to write up the last two weeks of sweaty, smiley, amazing good times!

Fri: Honey Mustard Chicken Chopped Salad
Sat: Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette
Sun: Back to School with Gigi's Spaghetti, House Salad, Garlic Bread
Mon: Roasted Sausage and Vegetables, Parmesan Orzo
Tues: (Cora's pick) Chicken Verde Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Black Beans, Frozen Mixed Veggies
Wed: (Claire's pick) Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Thurs: (Landon's pick) Pancakes, Turkey Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Fresh Fruit
Fri: Homemade Pizza
Sat: Rainbow Chicken Salad
Sun: Greek Pasta Salad
Mon: Sunshine Lentil Bowls with Garlic Olive Oil Dressing
Tues: Beef & Bean Taquitos (I make this up with cooked beef, taco seasoning, and refried beans, rolled into tortillas, and then crisped up after rolling), mixed veggies, rice
Wed: Summer Chicken Soup
Thurs: Spaghetti Alfredo with Prosciutto and Peas (generally based on this recipe, I first dice up some prosciutto and crisp it up and set aside, then I make the alfredo sauce while cooking the pasta and adding frozen peas to the last 2 minutes of the pasta cook time. I drain the pasta with the peas and add it all to the alfredo with the crisped prisciutto. It is so good.)
Fri & Sat: Houston!
Sun: Turkey Chili

More to come as soon as I can pull the pictures and words together!!