Cars, Planes, and Time Zones

We've been traveling.

After 14 hours of driving on I-95 with too many other people, I pulled into the driveway last with my mom, the kids, and a very late dinner of take-out pizza.

Home. Sweet. Home. I'm ready for a return to normal after a couple weeks of not-so-normal.

My husband is on his way back around the globe (literally).... visiting Cairo, Jakarta, Beijing, Nagoya to name a few. Our phone conversations have been short and to the point - telling me he's safe, he loves me, and he won't be able to call again for a few days. I'm dying have a longer conversation, hear all the details, see all the pictures (these weeks without my camera have been tough).

When my husband began planning for his trip, I decided it would be a lovely time to visit my parents in Florida.

So, my sweet mom (who will do anything to have time with her grandkids) flew to DC, then drove with us to FL (which include a painfully long detour and getting hit by a semi - ok, more like tapped, but still!), took care of us for a week at her house, then rode all the way back to DC (patiently enduring more Are-we-there-yets? than anyone should). She spent a whole day sewing window treatments for our bathroom and then turned around to fly right back to FL. All so I wouldn't have to make the trip alone with the kids (and have ugly curtains in the bathroom). She's unbelievable. I'm beyond thankful. And to show her I drove her by the cherry blossoms on the way to the airport. Pitiful.

We had a great visit in Florida. My kids swam in the pool (as I marveled at their cold water tolerance). We spent a day at the beach with my sister's family. I got to catch up with old friends I haven't seen in years. We went to a Florida State/Florida baseball game.... No Pyramids or Great Wall, but still very fun.

Whew... it's good to be home.